Fantasy Baseball 2012: Top 15 Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 6

The following slideshow touts the top 15 waiver-wire pickups right now, a countdown of the best free agents from the majority of 12-team roto leagues.

For the most part, this list rewards players who have already fostered productive starts to the 2012 season.

Savvy readers will notice the rankings are different from last week's offering, changes which can be attributed to the waiver-wire graduations of Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Drew Smyly, Erik Bedard and Anthony Bass—forgotten assets on draft day but now contributing pieces with their current teams.

That's how it should be with this list: Here today, gone tomorrow.

Enjoy the show!

15: (2B) Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox

I am taking the positive from the following statement: Despite a career-low .215 batting average, the 25-year-old Beckham (two HRs, seven RBI, nine runs, one steal) is on pace to eclipse last year's numbers in the four parenthetical categories.

Here's another positive in Beckham's favor: His numbers since April 21 (two HRs, six RBI, six runs, one steal, .265 batting) are reasonably in line with bi-weekly projections from spring training.

Sure, Beckham may never blossom into a top-five second baseman—drawing comparisons to Ian Kinsler just two years ago—but he's still decent enough to horde a "2B/SS" starting slot in 12-team leagues. At least in short bursts.

14: (OF) Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies

Like Beckham, Fowler hasn't done enough to make anyone scream "All-Star" or "fantasy dynamo" this year; but, he's been steady enough to warrant majority ownership in 12-team leagues.

What, you couldn't use a sixth outfielder who's a good bet for 16 homers, 24 steals and 60 runs and RBI?

It also helps that Fowler has a knack for 14-15 triples every year and holds a plum lineup spot ahead of Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer.

13: (OF) Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks

A modest, yet viable contributor in all five categories, Parra (one HR, nine RBI, 10 runs, five steals, .306 batting since April 22) has been a solid interim replacement for Chris Young, so much that Young owners should prioritize Parra's acquisition, as a much-needed handcuff.

Owners in need of specialized speed should make a play for Parra as well.

On the assumption of 430 at-bats this season, Parra (eight total steals) has an outside shot at 30 thefts, a career high...but one that's also commensurate with his game-breaking talents from his minor league days.

12: (SS) Tyler Pastornicky, Atlanta Braves

There's nothing wrong with targeting upside when seeking potential candidates for the 2B/SS slot; and that's exactly what Pastornicky (batting .341 since April 22) brings to the table.

Okay, so the sky's not the limit for Pastornicky in homers and RBI; but, he's a potential three-category force, playing on a team that ranks first in runs and RBI (National League), second in hits, third in homers and second in batting average (through May 5).

That has to be worth something in 12-team leagues, especially when Pastornicky occupies perhaps the scarcest position in fantasy baseball.

11: (SP) Drew Pomeranz, Colorado Rockies

As a subscriber of MLB Extra Innings on DirecTV, it's hard to be in denial about the effect of Coors Field with starting pitchers—especially rookies.

Pomeranz may have the stuff of a future fantasy ace, but there's no way he'll consistently have a WHIP below 1.10 when pitching 50 percent of his annual games in the thin air of Colorado.

As a result, I must lower expectations here.

That aside, Pomeranz (15 strikeouts, 2.30 ERA in his last 15.2 innings) can still be a three-category factor in 12-team leagues. And for head-to-head leagues, he's a sneaky-good choice for two-start weeks on the road—like the May 7-13 slate against the Dodgers and Padres.

10: (SP) Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay Rays

From a production standpoint, Niemann (2-3, 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 25/10 K-BB) doesn't deserve the drop from his customary top-10 spot.

But with each successive appearance in these rankings, Niemann keeps reinforcing the "lack-of-upside" stigma on the statistical front. He also must deal with the negative connotations that accompany being a No. 5 starter on a team—even if it's one of the best in baseball.

In other words, if Niemann could be like Max Scherzer or Jeff Samardzija and pull the occasional 10-strikeout game out of his hat, perhaps fantasy owners would be more receptive to a pitcher who hasn't surrendered more than three earned runs all season.

9: (1B/3B) Mark Reynolds, Baltimore Orioles

In rare cases, it's proper to overreact to just a few games of statistical magic, and Reynolds qualifies as a special exemption.

From May 4-6 against Boston, Reynolds collected one steal, two homers, four runs, six hits and six RBI, signaling that his woeful April blues may be a thing of the past. It was also a three-day warning shot to fantasy owners that maybe the 30-homer beast in Reynolds will rise once again.

At this point in his checkered career, no fantasy owner should be caught off guard by Reynolds' absurdly high strikeout rate (834 total from 2008-11) or anemic batting average. But they can tolerate those quirks if 30 homers accompany the deal.

(There was a time when 15 steals also came with the Reynolds package, but that ship has sailed.)

8: (SP) Jarrod Parker, Oakland A's

There's a reason why the Athletics were willing to part with Trevor Cahill in the offseason.

Even with his Tommy John surgery in 2010, Parker (1-0, 1.38 ERA, 1.08 WHIP in two starts) has the physical tools and mental makeup to be a front-line starter for a contender someday, and on the fantasy front, a prominent No. 2 pitcher in 12-team leagues.

Please don't mistake the previous statement as some glowing prediction of Parker greatness in 2012: All rookies must go through a hot-and-cold rite of passage for long stretches of play. They must endure the perils of being fantastic one day...and achingly subpar the next.

Let's just hope Parker assimilates to the culture quicker than most first-year pitchers.

7: (SP) Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs

Samardzija (3-1, 3.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 32/10 K-BB ratio) has had an on-again, off-again courtship with fantasy owners this season, which baffles me to no end.

Yes, he's going to have a few clunkers here and there, but his high-strikeout, low-walk consistency—and propensity to dominate hitters for sustained stretches—are enough to warrant a full-time spot in 12-team leagues. His numbers in the last two starts confirm that: one win, 0.63 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 16/4 K-BB.

If it helps, here are Samardzija's likely opponents for his next five starts: Brewers, Phillies, Astros, Pirates and Giants.

6: (SP) Jerome Williams, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

We'll keep things short and sweet here.

If the cellar-dwelling Angels are going to contend for the AL West title, they'll likely require more help than Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Albert Pujols can provide. They'll need a gem like Williams (2-0, 1.59 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 16/5 K-BB in his last two starts) to shore up the back end of L.A.'s rotation, while remaining a viable asset in fantasyland.

And there's plenty of evidence to suggest Williams might fulfill the in-season prophecy of 11 wins, 3.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 163 strikeouts.

5: (RP) Steve Cishek, Miami Marlins

D-Day for Cishek's fantasy prospects could come as early as Tuesday, when Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen confirms that Cishek—funky delivery and all—gets first crack at the closer slot, recently vacated by the suddenly mortal Heath Bell.

Cishek (4-0, 0.63 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) has cleaned up a lot of messes with the Miami bullpen this year and his K-BB ratio (15/6) is better than some starters on other major league teams.

The one downside to becoming closer: The Marlins would lose a lot of versatility in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, when Cishek previously worked his magic.

4: (3B) Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates

OK, so Alvarez can be a real drag in walk-to-strikeout ratio (8/26), batting average (.247) and steals (zero), but there's no denying his season-long power surge (seven HRs) or sterling stats since April 21—five homers, 13 RBI, 10 runs, .372 batting.

Still, it's hard to give Alvarez a No. 1 ranking or unqualified endorsement past the next 30 days, in light of his brutal track record from 2011 (four HRs, 19 RBI, .191 batting in 74 games) or noticeable cold snap for the first two weeks of this season.

But then again, there is no glory in pooh-poohing the accomplishments of a 25-year-old moose with strong numbers in the minors (46 HRs, 169 RBI in 849 at-bats) and a tantalizing finish to the 2010 campaign (five HRs, 21 RBI in final 12 games).

He should be a fine fantasy asset in the long run.

3: (SP) Jake Arrieta, Baltimore Orioles

Arrieta has been lights-out in his last two starts (one win, 2.63 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 12/2 K-BB), which includes a nine-strikeout, zero-run gem against the Yankees on May 2.

And yet, pitchers like Phil Hughes, Felix Doubront and Ryan Vogelsong consistently attract more nibbles from the fantasy community.

Bottom line: If Arrieta (2-2, 3.53 ERA, 0.99, 33 strikeouts) couldn't find a regular home in 12-team leagues after stifling the Yankees, what more could he possibly do to alter that reality?

How long do the Orioles need to occupy first place in the American League before owners realize Baltimore's ghastly pitching days may be over?

2: (1B/OF) Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers

Moreland may have the greatest low-pressure job in all of baseball, living off meaty pitches at the bottom of the Rangers' vaunted lineup.

His hitting tear since April 21 (two HRs, five RBI, eight runs, .357 batting) is a reflection of that comfort level when flanked by fantasy stars Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, Mike Napoli and Elvis Andrus.

It also helps that Moreland (a four-category star in the minors) has little competition at his position. Of the many premium prospects in the Rangers' organization, only one (Mike Olt) plays a corner infield spot...and he's not a good bet for a big-league promotion until next season.

From a pure batting perspective, Moreland compares favorably to ex-Ranger/current Oriole Chris Davis—a recent graduate of the waiver-wire watch list.

1: (SP) Joe Blanton, Philadelphia Phillies

With six consecutive seasons of a 3.95 ERA or above (2006-11), it may be a tad ambitious to ask Blanton to maintain his 2.85 seasonal ERA—or 2.01 ERA since April 22.

But his all-around numbers are simply too strong to ignore here.

No one expects Blanton (3-3, 2.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 21/3 K-BB) to resemble a poor man's Cliff Lee while his teammate is shelved with an oblique injury, but there's no reason the veteran right-hander can't give Vance Worley a run for Philly's No. 4 slot (once Lee returns).

My expectations for Blanton were admittedly pedestrian during the preseason, but given his fast start and convincing victory over the Braves last week (six strikeouts, nine innings, 88 pitches), it's time for some new projections.

Full-season targets: 12 wins, 3.73 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 166 strikeouts.