Max Muncy & Marc Krauss: Deep League Waiver Wire

Craving some serious deep league action? Look no further as I have another one of those popular 0% ownership names!

Max Muncy | 1B/3B OAK | CBS 3% Owned

Muncy was promoted to Oakland upon Ike Davis‘ quad injury and subsequent placement on the disabled list a week and a half ago. The 24-year-old isn’t exactly a prospect, but merely one of the “others of note” in the organization according to Kyley McDaniel. He possesses middling power for a corner infielder, having posted a .222 ISO at High-A back in 2013, but nothing above his Triple-A mark of .172 at any other stop during his minor league career. He has typically posted respectable strikeout rates though, but found Triple-A a tad more difficult to make contact at, as his strikeout rate soared above 25%.

The one strong skill he does possess, though, is his fantastic plate patience. He has walked at rates well into the double digits at every stint, while posting walk rate marks above 16% in both 2014 and his short time on the farm in 2015. While walks don’t directly translate to standard 5×5 fantasy success, they do contribute to runs scored and boost his OBP which should keep him in the lineup and shield him from a serious slump. The lefty had been in an apparent platoon with Mark Canha, but with Coco Crisp back to the disabled list, Muncy’s playing time is a little more secure now. But he will still likely sit against southpaws.

Marc Krauss | 1B/OF LAA | 0% Owned

It seemed pretty apparent that no one realized what was going on in Los Angeles. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I picked up Krauss in AL Tout this past Sunday night. There was only one other bidder, at just $0. Since Krauss was recalled a couple of weeks ago, he was essentially slotted right into a strong side platoon role with the struggling C.J. Cron. Krauss, a lefty, didn’t even need to prove himself to earn the lion’s share of at-bats against righties, while Cron, a righty, was suddenly seeing time against only southpaws thanks to his pitiful sub-.250 overall wOBA. Sure enough, Cron was demoted to Triple-A on Monday.

Krauss is unlikely to now become the every day designated hitter, but whoever his right-handed counterpart ends up being is going to be less of a threat to take over the full-time role than Cron was. Krauss doesn’t exactly have a promising MLB track record, as he sits on a career .272 wOBA to go along with a 28% strikeout rate and mediocre power. But he’s performed much better in the minors, showing both power and patience. Of course, he’s a 27-year old who’s past the point of being a prospect, and probably isn’t a late bloomer. So it would be a bit of a surprise if he even holds the strong side of the DH platoon role all season long. But with some untapped power and a lineup spot for the time being, he’s certainly worth a roll of the dice.