Colorado Rockies Mark Reynolds: Waiver Wire Add

Mark Reynolds is currently having a bounce back season for the Colorado Rockies, but should fantasy owners believe in his success?

For those who have been active in fantasy baseball over the last handful of years, Mark Reynolds is certainly a familiar name. The righty slugger has prolific power, posting 254 career homers, but has also amassed over 1500 strikeouts over his 10 year career.

However, even though it seemed as though Reynolds was reaching the end of his career these last few seasons, he has been great for the Colorado Rockies in 2016. Since 2013, he has bounced between multiple teams, and has subsequently, seen his power dip. But this season, Reynolds has cemented himself as the Rockies’ first basemen, and has looked more polished at the plate.

His current stat line, .291/8 HR/31 RBI/.818 OPS, seems to be out of character, especially the respectable AVG. Most fantasy owners do not see the monster power numbers, and dismiss the AVG as being a fluke, but what if there were numbers  that suggested that his improvement was legit?

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Reynolds does have a high, .368, BABIP which is 68 points over league average, but nothing astronomically better. He has 65 K compared to 24 BB, which brings his SO% to career low, 25%. Then there is the fact that his LD% rate is currently at a career high 30% as well, which not only boosts his AVG, but is further evidenced by his 16 2B already this season.

Therefore, he is simply striking out less, and making harder contact. One last sabermetric nugget, Reynolds has a career high 73% contact rate so far this season, and has dropped his swing and miss rate at pitches in the strike zone by 3.5% as well. This data may seem a little over bearing, but it further shows that Reynolds success this season is not solely luck related.

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The lack of homers probably comes from the 2% dip in his FB%, but playing in Coors will surely even that out eventually by seasons end. The Rockies’ lineup is one of the most dangerous in baseball, and Reynolds has become a key factor near the middle of the lineup. Fantasy owners can believe in his success this season, as the underlying peripheral stats legitimize his rebound. Make him an add of the waiver wire and believe that the power will surely catch up soon.