Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options, and we’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites, and let you know which players to add, and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Tyler O’Neill (BAL) OF (47% rostered on Yahoo!)
Tyler O’Neill’s tenure in Baltimore hasn’t exactly started on the finest note; he has played just 39 games, and the O’s are stuck in neutral. However, he has gone yard four times in his past five games. Yes, he will strike out a TON and hurt your batting average. However, few players who can move the needle in the HR and RBI categories when they are clicking like he can. His 118 Power+ and 120 DV+ bode well for his outlook.
Noelvi Marte (CIN) 3B (25% rostered on Yahoo!)
The 23-year-old righty entered last night’s game against the Dodgers, hitting .276 with a 120 wRC+ across 143 PAs, and went oppo on a curveball from Tyler Glasnow for his seventh home run. He also has six stolen bases. Defensive shortcomings have prompted Terry Francona to swap Marte out late in games. Still, Marte’s bat has been too good to ignore, especially for a team like the Reds that is desperate for another bankable threat to pair with Elly De La Cruz. Case in point, he has started all but one game since returning from the IL on July 4th. Marte’s 74.1 average bat speed could do plenty of damage while playing half of his games at the GABP, the stadium with the second-highest HR factor for righties according to Statcast’s Park Factors.
Ronny Mauricio (NYM), 2B/3B (6% rostered on Yahoo!)
It’s easy to forget that Ronny Mauricio was a huge prospect for the Mets since he missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL in the Dominican Winter League. He has put together some loud performances, most recently a game-tying shot against Robert Suarez in the ninth inning of Monday’s loss to the Padres. On Sunday, he capped a 4-for-4 performance with a home run off another big-time reliever in righty Randy Rodríguez. He has done his finest work as a lefty (.299 batting average and 163 wRC+), often relegating him to the bench when the Mets face a lefty, and his swing decisions suggest a rocky floor (62 DV+). However, if you are searching for someone with an exciting ceiling, you have found him.
Ben Rice (NYY) 1B/C (28% rostered on Yahoo!)
Yes, Ben Rice is hitting .200 since June 1st. Not great. Even worse, his spot in the Yankee lineup seems to be anyone’s guess, with him sitting Monday against Drew Rasmussen being the latest head-scratcher. I can’t blame you for wanting to ignore Rice. Still, he has produced a 128 wRC+ against RHP. And his PLV metrics, including a 118 Power+, 105 Contact Ability+, 105 DV+, and a 125 Process+, indicate an exceptionally impactful hitter who should be on more radars, especially with him having eligibility at catcher.
Yahoo! and ESPN Most Added Players
It’s been fun seeing Patrick Corbin rebound. I remember his huge breakout with the D’Backs in 2018 well; it made him a coveted prize in free agency the following offseason. He helped the Nats win it all in 2019. But he fell off a cliff, posting a 5.62 ERA over his next four seasons in D.C., a span of 744.2 innings. Fast forward another year, and he has posted a 3.78 ERA through 19 starts with Texas. The results have been good, but I still wouldn’t consider him much more than a deep league play where you’re OK stomaching the ratio hit for a chance at a win. His being unranked on The List tells you all you need to know.
We have been waiting a while for the Orioles to give Coby Mayo a real chance at being a regular player, and we are slowly getting there; he has started five of the Orioles’ last six games, including the first half of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Jays. With Ryan O’Hearn a likely trade candidate, Mayo should have ample playing time the rest of the way. The 23-year-old righty third baseman brings big power to the table, but a 27.2% K with Triple-A Norfolk this season could be a potential red flag. Still, the upside is there, making him a solid boom/bust speculative add.
Luis Severino had arguably his best start of the season last Thursday, holding the Astros to two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts. However, a 9.4 K-BB% indicates the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Like Corbin, he is also off The List.
Ranked 94 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, Colson Montgomery is hitting .273 with four longballs and a 134 wRC+ over 73 PAs. Montgomery’s bat speed is top-notch, giving him big power upside. However, his 33% K rate with Triple-A Charlotte this season also indicates considerable bust potential.
Bailey Falter was terrific last Wednesday, holding the Tigers to one earned run on four hits and no walks with eight strikeouts. His fastball can return whiffs thanks to above-average HAVAA and extension. However, he doesn’t have much in the way of secondary pitches, leaving him in the streaming realm. Like Corbin and Severino, Falter is outside The List’s top 100.
ESPN’s most-added list again features Kurtz and Stowers, this year’s two breakout sluggers who have become fantasy mainstays.
Former Red Sox prospect Quinn Priester has been phenomenal for the Brewers, holding a 2.58 ERA over his last 13 starts. His PLV metrics aren’t impressive, and he doesn’t typically pile up whiffs with a modest 20.5% K rate, which indicates regression. But he has done plenty of impressive things, including holding the Dodgers helpless across six innings two Fridays ago.
I hesitated to stream Lauer last week against the Tigers, and, sure enough, he made me look silly with another brilliant performance. I’m unsure what to make of the 30-year-old lefty. It feels like a mirage, especially considering last year’s 6.56 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Still, the results matter, and a 2.61 and 0.93 ERA with a 20.5% K-BB across 69 IP is exceptional. He had another solid outing last night, holding the O’s to two earned runs on five hits across five innings.
Cub third baseman and top prospect Matt Shaw is hitting just .223 with an 83 wRC+ across 264 PAs since being recalled from Iowa on May 19th. However, he has gone yard four times over his last ten games, making him an interesting player to scoop on the chance he has figured something out. He also has 14 stolen bases on 16 attempts.
Speculative Adds
Luke Keaschall (MIN) 1B, 2B, OF (25% rostered on Yahoo!)
Remember back in April when Keaschall had us excited, hitting .368 with five stolen bases through his first seven games before being plunked by Kyle Hendricks? Well, the 22-year-old righty started a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul two Fridays ago. He has a few hurdles to clear, having only DH’d thus far. However, with the Twins on the verge of falling out of contention, they should give him plenty of ABs down the stretch once he returns.
Shane Bieber (CLE) SP (40% rostered on Yahoo!)
Seven strikeouts in a four-inning rehab start with Double-A Akron yesterday have the 2020 AL Cy Young winner one step closer to returning to the majors. However, what uniform he will wear might be another story.
Luis Gil (NYY) SP (21% rostered on Yahoo!)
Similarly, Luis Gil also racked up seven punchouts in his latest rehab outing with Triple-A Scranton (75 pitches). Last year’s AL RoY is tentatively scheduled to return this Sunday against the Marlins in Miami.
Yennier Cano (BAL) RP (4% rostered on Yahoo!)
With Felix Bautista out for a while with a shoulder issue, Gregory Soto gone, and Seranthony Domínguez traded to the Jays, the O’s don’t have much left in their pen. This could easily be a closer by committee with Andrew Kittredge lurking. But Cano is worth a diceroll, having saved 13 games over the past two seasons in Baltimore.
Moisés Ballesteros (CHC) C (2% rostered on Yahoo!)
An injured shin will send Ian Happ to the IL, giving Ballesteros another chance to give the Cubs a spark. He didn’t do much during his previous stint in May, but it was barely an eyeblink at five games. Meanwhile, Ballesteros was hitting .331 with 9 home runs and a 127 wRC+ through 377 PAs with Triple-A Iowa before getting the call.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Tyler Freeman (COL) SS/OF (10% rostered on Yahoo!)
Two more hits Tuesday night have Colorado’s leadoff man hitting .310. A glance at Freeman’s PLV metrics reveals good swing decisions (117 DV+) and exceptional bat-to-ball skills (120 Contact Ability+) that might make him a dollar store version of Jacob Wilson. Just don’t count on many home runs (90 Power+), but, hey, 12 steals help.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streaming article.
Kumar Rocker (TEX), SP (10% rostered on Yahoo!)
Rocker took a step backward in his latest start against Atlanta, allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks. However, with three games on Thursday’s docket, we have no other options; unless you want to take a chance on Marcus Stroman against the Rays or potentially Carlos Carrasco, who hasn’t started since May 4th, against the Reds at GABP. No thanks. Rocker, meanwhile, has at least shown strikeout upside and he’ll face the Mariners at pitcher friendly T-Mobile Park.
Deep League Players to Watch
Andrew Vaughn (CWS) 1B (11% rostered on Yahoo!)
Vaughn entered the season with the reputation of a bust, hitting .252 with a 102 wRC+ across 2,258 PAs. However, Rhys Hoskins’ thumb sprain afforded him a second opportunity, and he has grabbed it by the horns. Last night’s grand slam has him hitting .375 with a 1.010 OPS in 15 games with the Brew Crew. Hey, maybe he just needed to change uniforms?
For more deep leaguers, check Ben Rosener’s Deep League Waiver Wire column every Thursday and Saturday.
