Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top 10 Pickups for Week 10
Redemption runs rampant through this week's batch of fantasy baseball waiver-wire recommendations.
One way or another, many of the suggested additions are working their way back to relevance. A few hitters returning from injury frequent the list, while another injury-prone pitcher is shining with a clean bill of health.
A former top prospect and a fantasy mainstay are each looking to amend slow starts, and a feared hitter is raking again after a disastrous 2014. Gamers would have scoffed at some of these guys ever falling to waiver-wire fodder, but they're available for the taking in over half of Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues.
Grab them now while the redemption tales remain in their infancy.
Honorable Mentions
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Yonder Alonso, 1B, San Diego Padres (6 Percent Owned)
Ben Paulsen, 1B, Colorado Rockies (5 Percent Owned)
Justin Turner, 2B/3B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (20 Percent Owned)
Maikel Franco, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies (12 Percent Owned)
Will Middlebrooks, 3B, San Diego Padres (8 Percent Owned)
Kevin Pillar, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (11 Percent Owned)
Joey Butler, OF, Tamp Bay Rays (9 Percent Owned)
Jaime Garcia, SP, St. Louis Cardinals (24 Percent Owned)
Chase Anderson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (17 Percent Owned)
Steven Matz, SP, New York Mets (5 Percent Owned)
10. Trevor May, SP, Minnesota Twins (4 Percent Owned)
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Trevor May has quietly become this year's version of Phil Hughes for the Minnesota Twins. While that doesn't sound flattering considering Hughes' abysmal 2015, it's meant as high praise.
May won't record the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in MLB history, but he has recorded 50 strikeouts to just nine free passes through 56.2 innings. His 4.45 ERA makes him a complete fantasy afterthought, but the 2.80 fielding independent pitching (FIP) suggests there's something here.
Over his last three starts, including seven shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, the 25-year-old righty has amassed 23 strikeouts and one walk, allowing seven earned runs. His 17.3 strikeout-minus-walks percentage ranks No. 23 among qualified starters as of Sunday, above Cole Hamels and Sonny Gray.
He also notched a 7.88 ERA last year and currently holds a 30.5 hard-hit percentage, so don't fall head over heels in love just yet. Still, his sizzling command and rising strikeout tallies make May someone worth adding in deep leagues and monitoring in more shallow formats.
9. Brett Anderson, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers (9 Percent Owned)
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An "if healthy" All-Star who hasn't thrown 100 MLB innings in a single season since 2011, Brett Anderson is once again pitching well while on the mound.
Anderson has remained intact through 11 starts, during which he wields a 3.29 ERA. Since a shaky April, he boasts a 2.28 ERA, and he notched 28 strikeouts through his last 32.1 innings. He now has a 3.14 ERA in 19 starts dating back to last year, where he excelled for the Rockies during another injury-shortened season.
Nobody questions his ability when available, as he owns a career 3.68 ERA and 3.50 FIP through 557 innings. The 27-year-old righty, however, has not lasted a full season since his 2009 rookie campaign.
Don't expect another 20 starts, but take what you can get while he's still standing.
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8. Devin Mesoraco, C, Cincinnati Reds (43 Percent Owned)
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What the heck are the Cincinnati Reds doing with Devin Mesoraco?
Despite not catching for over a month, the catcher remained on the roster, serving as a pinch hitter and occasional designated hitter in four interleague games. Not only did a hip injury prevent him from crouching behind the plate, but he hit .178/.275/.244 before Cincinnati finally relented and placed him on the disabled list.
So time to get that hip surgery he needs, right? Apparently not. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay, Mesoraco will start a rehab assignment on Monday, where he'll play left field. Just to recap, the Reds are playing an injured catcher (who has only ever caught) in left field.
This makes little sense on the team's end, but Mesoraco doesn't lose his catcher eligibility in fantasy leagues. (He might for next year, though.) This gives gamers back a dangerous slugger who clubbed 25 homers in 114 games last year.
Clearly bothered by his hip, Mesoraco's hard-hit average sliced in half from 38.7 to 19.4 percent. Don't expect the guy who submitted an .893 OPS last year, but catchers with high power upside don't grow on trees, or in many farm systems. Stash him with caution, and pounce if someone dumped him in a two-catcher format.
7. Jake Lamb, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks (13 Percent Owned)
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A popular April add before a foot injury halted his MLB welcome, Jake Lamb returned from the disabled list over the weekend. Few managers stashed the rookie due to playing-time concerns, but a well-timed trade should clear up that issue.
The Arizona Diamondbacks sent slugger Mark Trumbo to the Seattle Mariners, opening a corner-outfield spot for Yasmany Tomas. Thus frees the hot corner for Lamb, who at the very least should play against right-handed pitchers.
In 10 April games, Lamb hit .414/.514/.690 with a homer, a steal and nine RBI. While his average will obviously even out when exposed to a larger sample size, he showed great plate discipline with six walks and three strikeouts.
Although the low strikeouts also don't jive with his minor league results, the 24-year-old warrants a flier beyond shallow mixed leagues.
6. Taijuan Walker, SP, Seattle Mariners (36 Percent Owned)
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The vicious cycle of hyped prospects took Taijuan Walker for a loop. Saddled with overzealous expectations, Walker quickly agitated his owners by not immediately becoming Felix Hernandez. Instead, he has a 5.80 ERA through 11 starts.
Owners in yearly mixed leagues were right to dump the 22-year-old after such a terrible start. Top listings in prospect rankings don't mean anything if he's getting bombed left and right while castaway Mike Bolsinger flourishes. Walker's high upside, however, caused owners to keep watching.
They should all like what they saw during his past two outings. The young righty went eight innings each time, allowing a combined seven hits, three runs and one walk with 15 strikeouts. He held his own against the New York Yankees and sliced apart the Cleveland Indians, both dangerous offenses filled with left-handed bats.
Having already issued four walks on four separate occasions, Walker's recent command gives gamers hope for maturation down the line. There's also a good chance he continues to confound owners with erratic results all season, but he remains a potential front-line starter at his peak.
5. Jesse Hahn, SP, Oakland Athletics (33 Percent Owned)
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Last week, Jesse Chavez topped the list for waiver-wire adds. This time around, teammate Jesse Hahn gets primary real estate as the top pitching recommendation.
After dominating the Detroit Tigers during two of his last three outings, Hahn authors a 3.51 ERA, 3.16 FIP and 51.9 ground-ball percentage. His 45 strikeouts through 66.2 frames won't widen any eyes, but he has also slashed his walk rate to 1.89 per nine innings.
During his last five starts, Hahn holds a 2.10 ERA and 0.96 WHIP for an Oakland staff making its living by generating ground balls and displaying pinpoint command. His 6.55 K/9 rate, while still uninspiring, is at least closer to a worthy fantasy starter.
A zero-strikeout outing against the Kansas City Royals, baseball's toughest team to punch out, hurt his overall tally. He also generated a 8.59 K/9 in the National League last season, so there's hope he can put it all together and become a true impact arm.
4. Leonys Martin, OF, Texas Rangers (43 Percent Owned)
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Following two straight seasons with more than 30 steals, Leonys Martin looked poised for a breakout year batting atop the Texas Rangers lineup. Instead, he entered June hitting .224, which promptly plunged him back down the batting order.
Those who stuck by his side have watched the speedster up that average to .237 in a week's time. Despite a microscopic .277 on-base percentage, he has submitted nine steals with three homers, flashing the speed and side scoop of power that made him so appealing this spring.
Not only has Martin struck out less this year, he's chasing far fewer offerings off the plate. After waving at 37.4 percent of pitches outside the strike zone last season, he has improved the mark to 28.8 percent. That enhanced discipline should at least lead him back to hitting .260, which is good enough for a 10-30 candidate.
Because of Martin's horrific start, he's heating up on the waiver wire in more than half of Yahoo's fantasy leagues. Anyone needing speed should run to grab him before it's too late.
3. Travis d'Arnaud, C, New York Mets (44 Percent Owned)
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When the Mets promoted Kevin Plawecki to catch, some fans wondered if a position battle would brew upon Travis d'Arnaud's return. Good one. The rookie is hitting .208/.248/.311, so the Mets can't wait to get d'Arnaud back in a lineup also missing David Wright and Daniel Murphy.
They needed to exude patience when he suffered a setback during his first rehab attempt, but his second try has gone smoother. If all goes well, he should be ready to return this week after suffering a hand fracture in late April.
Before the untimely injury, he was among the hottest catchers in baseball, hitting .317/.356/.537 with two homers. Like Lamb, more exposure will dilute his average, but the 26-year-old entered the season doused in breakout appeal. Following a slow start, he belted a .474 slugging percentage after the All-Star break last year.
A healthy d'Arnaud immediately jumps back into the top-10 catcher discussion. Given the Mets' influx of injuries, he should slot No. 2 or No. 5 in the batting order, giving him more chances than most backstops to either score or drive in runs.
Anyone playing mix-and-match with his or her catcher slot should stop the musical chairs with d'Arnaud.
2. Andre Ethier, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (32 Percent Owned)
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The Dodgers are drowning in hitters, and eight positions isn't enough to afford them all regular plate appearances. But even with Yasiel Puig back from the disabled list, they'd be crazy to sit Andre Ethier.
Burying last year's .249/.322/.370, four-homer season from memory, the well-paid veteran has followed the worst season of his career with arguably his best. The 33-year-old lefty is hitting .282/.369/.494 with seven deep flies. His 139 weighted runs created plus (wRC+)—a measure of offensive effectiveness with a 100 baseline—exceeds that of Adam Jones, Ryan Braun and Giancarlo Stanton.
So yeah, he's hitting really well. Considering his career .285/.359/.463 slash line, fantasy managers ought to start paying attention.
With Puig back in the fold, Ethier will slide from right field to left, with Alex Guerrero losing time due to his subpar plate discipline and defense. Recently moved to the 60-day disabled list, Carl Crawford won't come back to further crowd the picture anytime soon.
At worst, Ethier will lose at-bats against southpaws, but it's easy enough to sit him when the Dodgers do. It's worth the effort for someone who clobbers righties.
1. Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros (44 Percent Owned)
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Showing no sympathy for a writer trying to finish in time to peacefully watch Game of Thrones, the Houston Astros ended weeks of speculation on Sunday night, finally promoting top prospect Carlos Correa.
The No. 1 overall pick three years ago, Correa has amassed 10 homers and 15 steals through 52 minor league games. Most of the damage, however, came in Double-A, where he quickly overstayed his welcome with a a .385/.459/.726 slash line.
His .266/.366/.447 Triple-A line is hardly the stuff of legends, but the 20-year-old shortstop maintained great plate discipline. In 107 plate appearances, he drew 11 walks and struck out 14 times.
Let's learn from past mistakes before billing Correa as an immediate savior. Xander Bogaerts, another shortstop with star upside, is just now finding his footing after debuting in 2013. Correa can help in deeper leagues, and no available shortstop comes close to matching his ceiling with power and speed. Just don't expect a massive game-changer from the start.
His ownership rate will skyrocket above 50 percent by the end of the week, maybe day, especially if he arrives in style like Joey Gallo. At worst, Correa will make tasty trade bait.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.
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