Fresh Monday, fresh week, fresh month, July is the month of fireworks (the kind in the skies and the kind off the bat), hot dogs, high temperatures and high scoring games. Soon we’ll have the All Star break, the Home Run Derby and the First Year Player Draft.

Before we get to all of that, though, let’s see if we can continue to find those hidden gems on the waiver wire, guys who can contribute now and hopefully in the future. Let’s take a look at the Braves new leadoff man, the Giants rejuvenated third baseman and a Reds reliever turned starter.

Jarred Kelenic – OF – ATL – 56%, Yahoo

Before the season, I don’t think a single Braves fan would have expected to see Kelenic leading off games. But here we are, on this first day of July, and Kelenic is their everyday leadoff hitter. It’s only been about a two week sample size, but leading off looks really good on Kelenic. June 15th was the first time Kelenic hit out of the leadoff spot on the season. Coming into that game (against the Rays), he was batting 0.259, with 18 runs, four home runs, 15 RBI and one stolen base. In the 15 games out of the leadoff spot, he is batting 0.351, has scored eight runs, hit five home runs, driven in eleven and stolen two bases. His strikeout rate is down nearly a full 7%, his walk rate is up 2.2%, he’s swinging at less pitches and making more contact (51.8% swing rate prior, 49% in leadoff; 68.1% contact rate prior, 71.% in leadoff), his swinging strike rate is down 2.5% and his barrel rate has gone from 7.3% to 18.6%. Now, I get it, small sample size, he’s on a heater, etc., etc. But, there is something to be said for batting in the lower third, with no protection and no help, to batting leadoff, with Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson behind you. The quality of pitches you face with a good hitter behind you than when a batter hits behind are much different. Not to mention you are attacked differently, as seen by both his zone rate (percentage of pitches in the strike zone) and first-pitch strike rate are higher when he bats leadoff than when he doesn’t. With Ronald Acuna out for the year, there are plenty of at-bats to be had for Kelenic. I believe he has a very solid rest of the season ahead of him, especially if he maintains a batting spot near thetop of the Braves lineup. Small sample size or not, Kelenic should be rostered in more leagues and can be a rest-of-the-year contributor to fantasy teams.

League Size Recommendation: 12 team or deeper

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