Nate Springfield
Under the Radar - Mixed Leagues and AL/NL Only
Friday July 26th, 2013

Eric Young has become very reliable for the New York Mets. (US Presswire)
With all of the unpredictable injuries, job changes, and trades of the baseball season, many fantasy owners are looking to the waiver wire for help. Regardless of where help is needed, this edition of UTR can provide you with some players who are still available in most mixed leagues.
*Owned percentages via Yahoo!
Mixed League Options
Junior Lake - 3B/OF, Chicago Cubs (25% owned)
Junior Lake is the latest youngster to make his Major League Debut, and make a considerable impression early on. He doesn't have the pedigree that Yasiel Puig entered the league with - because Lake is more raw with tremendous athletic talent, learning to adapt his skills to baseball - but he has had the production any fantasy owner would desire. Look for struggles ahead as the league adjusts to him, but enjoy the hot streak as long as you can.
Eric Young - OF, New York Mets (19% owned)
Since being acquired by the New York Mets, Eric Young has become a pretty solid source of runs and stolen bases. In 131 at-bats, he has crossed the plate 19 times and swiped 12 bases for the Metropolitans. Consistently hitting lead-off for Terry Collins, EY has been more patient at the plate, posting a .351 OBP in New York. If you are looking to make a run in the stolen base category for the rest of the way this is your guy.
Christian Yelich - OF, Miami Marlins (12% owned)
Collecting three hits in his major league debut on Wednesday, Christian Yelich is the kind of prospect that can be promoted to the major leagues and continue to do exactly what he was doing at Double-A. If his transition is as smooth as most scouts think it will be, look for a batting average around .275 with a little bit of pop and speed. Counting stats will be tough to predict because the ballpark in Miami is considerably different than what he has played in before, but eight home runs and a handful of stolen bases is not out of the question the rest of the way. Any keeper league owners should be highly interested in picking up Yelich as cheap as possible now.
NL-Only Options
Nick Hundley - C, San Diego Padres (2% owned)
Nick Hundley started the season with a very strong April, finishing the month with three home runs and a .329 batting average, but once the month of May rolled around, his production started to fade quickly. Recently though, his production has picked back up considerably - raising his batting average 15 points in the month of July and hitting three home runs over that time period. In 2011, Hundley finished the season very strong, and with injuries keeping him from performing that way in 2012, we could see another big finish from the back stop this season.
David DeJesus - OF, Chicago Cubs (3% owned)
Even though the emergence of Junior Lake in Chicago makes the outfield a little more crowded on the North Side, Alfonso Soriano heading to the Bronx will free up every day playing time for David DeJesus now that he has been activated from the disabled list. Before the injury, DeJesus was enjoying a solid season hitting .260 with six home runs and 3 stolen bases. His injury was caused by crashing into the outfield wall, so there should not be any lingering issues from that, and he should see everyday at-bats. He is not a game changer for any NL owner, but is a guy you can slot in there and not worry about hurting you.
AL-Only Options
Justin Smoak - 1B, Seattle Mariners (12% owned)
Justin Smoak has been known for his hot streaks before - notice late-May and late-September last season - but what is different about his current performance is it is not all power related. Since being activated from the disabled list in mid-June, he has seen his on-base percentage rise from .348 to .365, while hitting six home runs. This production looks to be here to stay, and considering he is only 26-years-old he may be just at the right age to be this kind of big league hitter.
Jarred Cosart - SP, Houston Astros (8% owned)
Even though his rotation spot is dependent on his next start's performance, and he is pitching for the Astros, AL-Only owners should take a look at Jarred Cosart for the next few weeks. In his first two major league starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics, he has allowed only one earned run over 15 innings. His strikeout numbers are nothing special, only six over those 15 innings, but he has the ability to go deep into the games, and has kept two very good, as of late, offensive lineups at bay. He is scheduled to see Toronto and Minnesota in his next two starts, which should both be good match-ups for this young righty.
by Anonymous on Saturday July 27th @ 7:15AM
Thanks for this article Nate! I love reading them and always a great guideline. I picked up Lake off waivers a few days ago and he's sure a pleasant addition. trying for Cosart on my waiver ticket. Picked up DeJeasus 2 days ago, he helped me out before his injury and I especially like him hitting at top of the order with he and Lake batting 1st and 2nd. Great job again and thank you!