Fantasy Baseball 2012: Top 15 Waiver-Wire Pickups for Week 9

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 that can be attributed to the waiver-wire graduations of J.P. Arencibia, Mitch Moreland, Justin Morneau, Alex Cobb and Felipe Paulino—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: (SP) Trevor Bauer, Arizona Diamondbacks

There's no time like the present in splurging for a 21-year-old Justin Verlander/Clayton Kershaw/Stephen Strasburg-esque prospect who's been nearly unhittable at every level of the minors. (Bauer was recently promoted to Triple-A Reno.)

Given the Diamondbacks' patient approach with super prospects (Justin Upton would be a rare exception), there's no guarantee Bauer will see a major-league ballpark before Sept. 1.

However, he could easily force Arizona's hand with a few more dominant starts in Reno.

14: (SP) Juan Nicasio, Colorado Rockies

While it's hard to gauge Nicasio's staying power in the wake of last season's horrific head injury (off a batted ball), his short-term fantasy prospects look superb:

1. Nicasio has surrendered just two runs or less in four of his last six outings.

2. His latest three-game stint produced a top-notch strikeout-to-walk ratio (22/8).

3. He has two home matchups with the Astros and Dodgers this week (no Matt Kemp?).

For the fantasy owner in need of a short-term fix, Nicasio could admirably fill that void.

13: (SP) Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres

The general tone of Richard's waiver-wire endorsement from last week bears repeating.

In four home starts this season (spanning 27.1 innings), Richard has two wins, a 2.33 ERA and 22 strikeouts. In six road outings, he's allowed a pedestrian 27 runs and has zero victories to boot.

The message here: In daily leagues, Richard is a great play for home games...and a questionable one on the road.

For what it's worth, Richard will likely make three of his next four starts at PETCO Park, all in June.

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

It's easy to fall in love with flashes of excellence when judging rookies, particularly after watching Parker match Angels ace Jered Weaver, pitch for pitch, in a thrilling pitchers' duel on May 23 (eight strikeouts, one run, one walk in seven innings).

On certain nights, Parker will resemble an overwhelmed asset who should be pitching in minor-league haunts like Mobile (Ala.), Stockton (Calif.) or Chattanooga (Tenn.).

For the most part, though, he's a rock-solid prospect who could quickly develop into a fantasy gem sometime in the next 27 months.

It doesn't hurt to call one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks home, either.

11: (SP) Christian Friedrich, Colorado Rockies

The 24-year-old southpaw has posted excellent stats in three of his four MLB outings, yielding no more than one walk or three runs.

As for the fourth start...let's just say it's the main reason why Friedrich has seasonal marks of a 5.09 ERA and 1.48 WHIP.

But I prefer to accentuate the positive here, especially when talking about high-level prospects with 10-strikeout potential for every mound appearance.

Bottom line: With Coors Field as his home base, it's inevitable that Friedrich will incur some growing pains; but he is every bit the pitching commodity that fellow rookie Drew Pomeranz is—and will be.

10: (OF) Gregor Blanco, San Francisco Giants

No one should expect Blanco to maintain the one-run-per-day pace since May 13, but the Giants outfielder has cleared .313 or higher batting at the 15- and 30-day timelines—a strong indicator that his seasonal average of .282 might go a few ticks higher in the coming months.

From a depth-chart perspective, San Francisco seems set with Blanco (.400 on-base percentage), Angel Pagan (four HRs, 19 RBI, .308 batting) and Melky Cabrera (four HRs, 25 RBI, .369 batting), who is proving that last year's breakout with Kansas City was no fluke...and that the Royals were foolish to trade him for an erratic pitcher (Jonathan Sanchez).

And that's a generous assessment of Sanchez's contribution, to date.

Bottom line: All three Giants outfielders have attractive value in 12-team roto and weekly leagues, as long as their owners aren't banking on 20 homers each from the trio.

9: (OF) Denard Span, Minnesota Twins

As three-category assets go, I'm amazed that Span (six steals, 22 runs, .307 batting) is available in 65.8 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues.

In other words, roughly two-thirds of fantasy owners everywhere are either clueless to Span's fantasy acumen...or powerless to add-and-stash Span, as a means of blocking their closest competitors from acquiring his services for the pennant drive.

That's a shame, too, because I don't see a drop-off in Span's three-category production from this point forward.

(Fingers crossed on 23 to 27 steals.)

8: (1B) Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs

Let the speculation begin as to when Rizzo (17 HR, .354 batting, 1.128 OPS in Triple-A ball this season) will make his triumphant seasonal debut with the Cubs. (He had a proverbial cup of coffee with the Padres last summer.)

As in, guess the hour and date before Rizzo—one of baseball's top corner-infield prospects—bolsters the Chicago lineup, likely as a designated hitter during interleague away games and first baseman from July to September (thus moving Bryan LaHair to the outfield).

Mired in last place in the National League Central and playing for their future, the Cubs have nothing to lose by promoting the 22-year-old Rizzo, one of the primary building blocks of the Theo Epstein regime.

The same holds true for fantasy owners and their willingness to acquire a talent who could produce 10 to 14 homers by season's end. Rizzo is a high-end, virtually low-risk commodity.

7: (SP) Hector Noesi, Seattle Mariners

In time, I'm certain the Yankees will get first-rate production out of pitcher Michael Pineda (season-ending injury). But in the meantime, the Mariners have to be thrilled with their principals from January's blockbuster trade—catcher Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi.

Noesi's seasonal totals are mediocre (2-6, 5.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP); but a closer look reveals his intriguing potential as Seattle's No. 4 or 5 starter down the road: In his last five starts, Noesi has gone at least 6.1 innings, allowed three or fewer runs four times and from a walks perspective, he's surrendered no more three free passes all season.

Regarding strikeouts, Noesi (2.82 ERA, 0.90 WHIP since May 17) is developing into a good bet for five to eight punch-outs with every start.

Bottom line: As the Mariners cultivate their next wave of high-end pitching prospects, Noesi likely won't get lost in the shuffle.

6: (OF) J.D. Martinez, Houston Astros

I shall remain loyal to Martinez throughout the season—at least until he plays himself off this list (in a good way).

Before the March drafts, Martinez was a sneaky-good commodity in the outfield, the supposed breakout performer of an Astros club that was slowly producing fantasy assets.

On April 21, Martinez was hitting at a .340 clip with three homers and 13 RBI.

From April 22 to May 21, Martinez was mired in a hitting funk that produced zero homers and a .158 batting average.

But things have been looking better for Martinez, who collected three runs, six hits (.273 average), one homer and six RBI last week—a small indicator that he'll forge a turnaround from June to September.

Martinez, who flashed 18-homer, 90-RBI, 100-run, .340-batting potential in the minors (just two seasons ago), is still one of the best rock-bottom assets you'll find in the marketplace.

5: (1B) Matt Adams, St. Louis Cardinals

Adams has made a great first impression with the Cardinals in the wake of replacing Lance Berkman (knee injury) last week.

After 29 at-bats, Adams boasts one homer, two RBI, four doubles and a .345 batting average. (The .387 on-base percentage is similarly stellar.)

Baseball America recognizes Adams as the Cardinals' preeminent power-hitting prospect...and I'm inclined to believe it. In time, Adams could evolve into a cross between Berkman and Kansas City's Billy Butler, but how much time he'll need to complete that vision remains to be seen.

But that shouldn't affect the savvy fantasy owner who knows you can never have enough corner-infield power. Act now...and hope Adams' rookie campaign is a fruitful one.

4: (SP) Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds

Remember all the hype Bailey generated as a highly-touted prospect with the Reds three or four years ago?

Well, the buzz may be gone, but Bailey's major-league production for the first two months has nonetheless earned my respect—especially the goodness off his last three starts: two wins, 16 strikeouts, 2.84 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.

Bailey may not be Cincinnati's flashiest ace (Johnny Cueto), greatest threat for 10 strikeouts (Mat Latos) or purest under-27 pitching talent (Aroldis Chapman), but he's certainly worth keeping as a No. 4 or 5 starter in 12-team leagues.

From a June-September standpoint, Bailey could emerge as a right-handed version of Wandy Rodriguez—low-key, reliable and nearly impossible to fluster.

3: (1B/OF) Yonder Alonso, San Diego Padres

Since April 29, Alonso has posted top-five numbers in runs, hits, doubles, homers, walks and batting average (.347) with the Padres. Hence, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he's already San Diego's best hitter.

The rub: Alonso may have an incredible on-base percentage (.429) and Jose Bautista-like plate discipline (14/18 walk-to-strikeout ratio) in the last 30 days, but fickle fantasy owners will likely harp on his one homer for the season. Or his 44 career homers as a professional hitter.

My take: Stellar corner-infield assets come in all shapes and sizes...and I'm not in the habit of denouncing 25-year-old prospects with absurd OBP rates, dual-position eligibility (1B/OF) and the potential to grow into a dynamo of Todd Helton's caliber.

2: (OF) Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox

Viciedo has been tearing up the opposition since the end of April, but he's been a stone-cold killer in the last 15 days, racking up seven homers, 20 RBI and a .389 batting average.

Ordinarily, I'd look past this short burst of fantasy excellence. But Viciedo's power numbers are ahead of last year's paces, and the White Sox are apparently giving him every chance to succeed (or fail) in their lineup.

As stated many times in this blog, there is no sweeter combination for potential breakouts than talent and opportunity.

1: (SP) A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates

If I was to create a slideshow of the "Disrespected Fantasy All-Star Team," Burnett would most certainly anchor the pitching staff.

In his seven starts this season, he's allowed either zero or two runs six times for a sample-size ERA of 1.80. (The seventh outing entailed a 12-hit, 12-run meltdown against St. Louis that's been well documented.)

From a strikeout perspective, Burnett has fanned 6-10 batters in four starts. And from a walks standpoint, Burnett is averaging only 1.7 free passes per game.

Regarding PNC Park, Burnett's home palace with the Pirates, he has a lifetime ERA below the 2.30 mark.

Fantasy owners, these are not the numbers or statistical patterns of a waiver-wire nobody.

At worst, Burnett is a No. 4 starter in 12-team leagues right now.