Fantasy Baseball 2012: Top 15 Waiver-Wire Pickups for Week 10

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 Gregor Blanco, Homer Bailey, Yonder Alonso, Dayan Viciedo and A.J. Burnett—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 (9-1, 1.96 ERA in pro ball this year) 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. (OF) Quintin Berry, Detroit Tigers

This selection comes with much trepidation despite Berry's torrid start after earning an MLB promotion (.330 batting, six steals since May 22, four multiple-hit games).

After all, Berry has no chance of supplanting Austin Jackson (15-day DL) in center field for the Tigers, and at 135 pounds soaking wet (or something close to that), he hardly fits the club's preferred physical profile of corner-outfield talent (big bodies, strong arms).

And yet, Berry isn't making things easy for Detroit execs, especially since the team has a few holes in its lineup (excluding Miguel Cabrera/Prince Fielder, of course).

Best-case scenario: If Berry somehow remains an everyday starter, he could realistically compete for the steals title in the American League.

(The current steals leaders, Alejandro De Aza and Jason Kipnis, only lead Berry by seven thefts.)

13. (SP) Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians

There's nothing about Masterson's recent or seasonal track record that screams waiver-wire pickup.

Masterson (5.09 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) has been shaky with hits, walks or runs allowed in just about every start, belying his spring-training standing as a top-40 asset. Of similar importance, he has failed to take the reins of an Indians staff that is desperate for a front-line ace.

That aside, there's zero risk involved with Masterson's acquisition in the next 10 days. Either he's primed for a turnaround in the not-too-distant future, or he'll be an imminently replaceable asset before Father's Day.

12. (C) Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles

While it's true most 12-team fantasy owners employ only one catcher on their roster, I'm shocked that Wieters (.191 batting since May 5) has fallen this far.

The kid has too much talent to be this mediocre. Subsequently, he has too much potential to be ignored on the waiver wire for a sustained period.

Just like with Justin Masterson, fantasy owners (at least the ones who didn't draft Wieters) have a golden chance to take a low-risk, high-upside flier on one of baseball's most attractive power hitters.

And if he should continue to falter on a five-category level, then fantasy GMs can release Wieters (22 homers in 2011) in two or three weeks, without batting an eye.

11. (1B/3B) Jordan Pacheco, Colorado Rockies

It remains to be seen if Pacheco (1 HR, 12 RBI, 13 runs, .300 batting) is the next incarnation of Todd Helton, Andres Galarraga or a young Ian Stewart (circa 2009), but there's much to like about his blazing start for the Rockies.

Not only is Pacheco batting .339 since May 20 (with two steals), he's also a reasonable bet for multiple hits every other day.

Is this some happy effect of playing at Coors Field, or is the kid truly a special talent?

As someone who perpetually covets corner-infield talent, I'm hoping for the latter.

10. (SP) Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox

If Clay Buchholz (3.98 ERA since May 21) didn't possess a world of talent, perhaps the following stat would have eluded my research: In four of his last five outings, the Red Sox pitcher has allowed just three runs or less.

If Buchholz didn't have one of baseball's best offenses supporting him every five days, perhaps I'd be more intimidated with six starts of five or more runs or the regular bouts of four-plus walks.

But when dealing with low-risk ventures on waivers, it's OK to grab Buchholz as a No. 6 or 7 starting pitcher and hope that his May numbers will resemble his output for the next four months.

And if he should regress back to the April days of extreme mediocrity, don't hesitate to give Buchholz the boot at a moment's notice.

9. (1B) Matt Adams, St. Louis Cardinals

Adams recently made a great first impression with the Cardinals in replacing the injured Lance Berkman by collecting 11 hits from May 23-28.

But the rookie's five-game hitless streak has taken some of the shine off that hot start.

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.

That is, unless the hitless streak swells to 10, 12 or 15 games.

8. (1B) Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs

After his proverbial cup of coffee with the Padres last summer, let the speculation begin as to when Anthony Rizzo (17 HR, .356 batting, 1.128 OPS in Triple-A ball this season) will make his triumphant seasonal debut with the Cubs.

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 play away games in June and first baseman from July to September (thus moving Bryan LaHair to the outfield).

Mired in last place in the NL 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, virtual no-risk commodity.

7. (SP) Dillon Gee, New York Mets

Gee's per-game marks in hits, ERA, WHIP and strikeouts have been all over the map this season, but of late, he's been charting a path to consistent success—two wins, 20 strikeouts and just six runs allowed in his last three starts (spanning 20.1 innings).

OK, so that short-term success wasn't enough to garner Gee a spot in this week's countdown of elite two-start pitchers, but he is certainly worth the waiver-wire pickup at any point.

At the very least, Gee (2.66 ERA, 1.13 WHIP since May 20) is a prime candidate for 27 strikeouts in his next four starts (vs. Cardinals, at Yankees, vs. Reds, vs. Orioles).

6. (SP) Kyle Kendrick, Philadelphia Phillies

It's easy to draw A.J. Burnett comparisons to Kendrick, the Phillies' No. 5 starter when Roy Halladay isn't on the disabled list.

Despite a 1.69 ERA and 1.17 WHIP since May 21 and six outings of two runs or less since April 29, Kendrick continually flies under the fantasy radar in 12-team leagues, as if owners assume that a six-, seven- or 12-run meltdown is on the horizon.

Well, with Halladay sidelined for a while (shoulder), it doesn't makes sense for Kendrick to wallow on waivers. He's a rock-solid asset and a healthy lock for four or five strikeouts with every mound appearance.

In other words, you could do much, much worse for a No. 6 or 7 starter in fantasy circles.

5. (SP) Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles

The differences between Brian Matusz's first five starts (12 walks, 17 runs, 21 strikeouts) and second five starts (nine walks, 10 runs, 28 strikeouts) are astounding—in a good way.

And now, fantasy owners are left to wonder which Matusz will show up for the next five starts.

Given my spring-training support of Matusz (four wins, 2.94 ERA since May 12), I'm siding with Good Matusz here, primarily because of his exemplary skill set and the Orioles' need for a prospective ace during the pennant-contending months of June, July, August and September.

(I had to re-read that statement just to wrap my head around Baltimore's surprisingly fruitful start.)

It also helps that Matusz has surrendered only 10 runs against AL East opponents this season, and just five since April 26.

4. (SP) J.A. Happ, Houston Astros

It bears mention that Happ (2.79 ERA since May 22) has surrendered six runs in his last four starts and that he has handed out only one or two free passes in his last five outings.

And yet, Happ is only owned by something like five percent of ESPN.com leagues. How can that be?

The Astros boast an improved offense, so any post-2011 concerns of Happ getting anemic run support are more fear-based than reality-based.

Bottom line: Even if he's behind Bud Norris and Wandy Rodriguez on the fantasy pecking order, Happ is still a fine No. 3 pitcher for Houston.

Grab him off the waiver wire sooner than later.

3. (2B) Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox

Granted, it's a small sample size, but Beckham's spurt since May 20 (five homers, 11 RBI, 12 runs, .305 batting) has been prolific enough to tease the fantasy masses for the next few weeks—at least those in need of a quality starter at the 2B/SS slot.

Let's be clear here, you have a better chance of winning the lottery than Beckham has of batting .300-plus from this point forward, but there's little doubting his capacity to convert walks into runs and the occasional hit into a round trip around the bases.

Simply put, Beckham's a premium talent when things are going well.

Bottom line: In the month of May, only one regular second baseman in the majors (Robinson Cano) registered an OPS north of 1.000. So it's not like you're taking a significant risk in grabbing Beckham (eight homers in 2012) off waivers. He's worth the effort, even if he bats .245.

And he will bat .245.

2. (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 lately for Martinez, who boasts two homers, 10 RBI and a .304 batting average since May 23 (with four multiple-hit games during that stretch).

Bottom line: 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 in the marketplace.

1. (1B) Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks

It's absurd that Goldschmidt (four homers, .385 batting since May 20) is a free agent in the majority of MLB fantasy leagues.

And yet, this is the world we live in. A world where owners aren't fixating on the almighty stat line with free-agent hitters—15-day track record.

What's not to like about a red-hot hitter who's on pace for 20 homers and flashed 30-homer power in the minors (twice)?

And what's not to like about a masher who has a plum lineup spot with a Diamondbacks offense that currently ranks in the top 10 of their league for runs, hits, homers, RBI, batting average and OPS?

The message: If, for some reason, you should find Goldschmidt on waivers, be a sport and take him for the sake of preserving my sanity...and exacerbating the crucial differences between good and bad fantasy ownership.

Bottom line: Don't reward sloppy owners who may catch wind of Goldy's recent tear.

Three days from now.