Category Impact is going to take a little turn here moving forward. This first week, we are going to focus solely on players that will help your team’s batting average. Each week, this article will offer a few players that can help the category of the week. I will post a poll on Twitter moving forward, so you can have a say in the category of the week moving forward! Make sure to follow me @colbyrconway to get your vote in for next week’s poll! Anyways, this week, it’s batting average, so let’s get above the Mendoza Line!

Batting Average

Matt Adams, 1B STL –  Freddie Freeman’s injury was a fantasy owner’s nightmare, but for the time being, ease the blow with Matt Adams. He’s red-hot right now and showing no signs of slowing down. He’s feasting on right-handers and struggling against southpaws, but that’s nothing new for the veteran first baseman. He’s going to get plenty of at-bats during Freeman’s absence and if he continues to play like this, he’s going to be a valuable addition to any fantasy team. He’s making hard contact 38.1 percent of the time and he’s even hitting the ball the other way a few percentage points more than he has for his career. He’s lifting the ball with the Braves, something he wasn’t doing with the Cardinals in early 2017. Adams is owned in just over six percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, which is crazy for a guy swingin’ this hot of a stick.

Andrelton Simmons, SS LAA – Other than his 2013 season with the Atlanta Braves, Simmons has never been a hot commodity in fantasy circles. Since 2013, he has just 19 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 464 games. However, he has been a decent source of batting average, given his position, and .435 batting average over the last seven days. He has just one home run, four RBI and three walks during that span, so adding Simmons will solely be for batting average, but hey, one can hope for some other stuff, right? He’s not punching out much lately, and his .500 batting average on the road over the last two weeks is third-best in all of baseball and almost double the league average.

Jed Lowrie, 2B OAK – In terms of fantasy baseball, I don’t think Lowrie has been relevant for more than a few weeks since his career year in 2013. Well, unfortunately, he’s likely a flash in the pan again this year, but it’s the guys like this that can make a difference and steal you a win. Hey, it’s all about the wins! His hard percentage right now is 39.3 percent and he’s making soft contact just 10.7 percent of the time. Are these numbers going to regress? Of course, without a doubt. However, enjoy it while he’s hot! The switch-hitting second baseman is riding a six-game hit streak and has recorded multiple hits in four of those games. He’s available in over three-fourths of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Nick Markakis, OF ATL – If you only want batting average, and I mean, only want batting average help, Markakis is your guy. He has just one home run and zero stolen bases on the year, but his .296 batting average and .365 OBP are pretty nice. He hasn’t posted a single season slugging percentage above .400 since 2012. He’s making hard contact at the best clip (36.4%) of his career, but the strikeout percentage (21.7%) would also be the highest of his career. His .296 average is a bit inflated by a sky-high .383 BABIP, but when you’re hitting .550 on the road over the last two weeks, who cares! He’s a one trick pony, but even players like Markakis have their rightful spot in fantasy lineups.

Joe Mauer, 1B MIN — Last but certainly not least, we have Mr. Joe Mauer, the guy who has been the league for what feels like forever. Of course, he’s no longer the fantasy asset he once was. One, he doesn’t have catcher eligibility and two, the 34-year-old simply doesn’t produce across the board like he once could. His average on the year might be unappealing, however, over the last two weeks, he’s hitting over .320, but he has zero home runs and zero stolen bases in that span. Also, he’s driven in just four runs during that span. Against right-handers over the last week or so, his well-hit average of .400 is second best in all of baseball during that span. Also, he’s done a good job of staying in the strike zone, well, for the most part. His BABIP of .294 is well below his career mark, so perhaps some better luck will translate to an even more impressive batting average over the coming weeks.