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New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Live Q&A: Talking baseball with Eno Sarris on Friday 5/30 at 3:00 p.m. ET
We're two months into the Major League Baseball season, and last year's World Series participants are playing each other this weekend. Eno Sarris wrote about how the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees build their starting rotations, and now he is ready to respond to questions about your fantasy teams in a live chat, exclusively for subscribers, so please submit your questions below.
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Fantasy bullpen report features concern for closers Mason Miller and Tanner Scott
As spring transitions into summer, so do high-leverage roles in fantasy baseball. After Wednesday's loss in Detroit, Giants manager Bob Melvin announced Camilo Doval will resume closer duties, with Ryan Walker returning to a set-up role. Walker has pitched better of late, but his 1.30 WHIP and reduced swinging strike rate necessitated the change. Doval takes over amid a 19-game scoreless streak, during which he has recorded two wins, three saves, seven holds and 18 strikeouts against five walks (21.7 K-BB percentage) over 18 innings. Advertisement Last week, Texas reliever Luke Jackson was featured in my 'Closer Concerns' section and he has since been removed from save situations by Bruce Bochy. Robert Garcia recorded the first save since this occurred, but based on recent usage patterns, he may be deployed as the highest-leverage reliever (HLR) rather than as a traditional closer. Roles may be settling in for the Pirates, with David Bednar recording the past two saves, but I will continue to list them as a shared save situation in my leverage pathways for at least one more week. In Arizona, Justin Martinez returned from the injured list and will be 'eased' into save chances, while A.J. Puk ramps up his return to pitch protocols with an eye on being activated in late June. With all this in mind, my leverage pathways have been updated. Here are the high-leverage pathway identifiers. Each team will receive one of the following labels: Access The Athletic's guide for abbreviations used in fantasy baseball. Robert Garcia (TEX): Despite allowing a run in three straight appearances between May 18 and 25, he recorded a save on May 27 and was used against Toronto's 2-3-4 lineup pocket the following day. This may designate him as the highest-leverage reliever and the preferred save share moving forward. Kumar Rocker will not be used as a reliever, but Jon Gray could return as one by July. Griffin Jax (MIN): Over his past six games, he has recorded 13 strikeouts against one walk (57.1 K-BB percentage) with a 0.50 WHIP and an 18.9 percent swinging strike rate. Seranthony Dominguez (BAL): He struggled early on incorporating a split-finger fastball into his arsenal, but he has surged in recent appearances, posting a save, a hold, and six strikeouts versus zero walks (42.9 K-BB percentage) in his past three games, spanning four innings. Advertisement Mason Miller (ATH): It's been a rough month for the talented reliever. He has allowed at least a run in four of eight May appearances, and multiple runs in three of those contests. It's resulted in 11 runs (10 earned) across 7.2 innings, including two home runs. Contact has been an issue — he's allowed six barrels in his first 34 batted ball events this season (17.6 barrel percentage) versus seven all of last year across 123 events. His hard-hit rate percentage has risen from 32.5 percent in 2024 to its current 50 percent. What is confusing is he has reduced his contact rate by over five percent, but his Z-contact (in the strike zone) has increased by four percentage points. Delving a bit deeper, his strike percentage has decreased by three percent, and his first-strike percentage sits 6.7 percentage points below last season. Count leverage affected Devin Williams earlier this season and could be the culprit in this scenario as well. Baseball-Reference tracks 3-0 count and 0-2 count percentages: All three home runs Miller has allowed this season have been against his four-seam fastball, which has a .373 expected weighted on-base average with a .532 expected slugging percentage. Fine-tuning his command in the strike zone with the fastball can put him in advantageous counts, allowing him to deploy his devastating slider (27.9 swinging strike percentage in 2025). His current 5.79 ERA is accompanied by a 1.94 SIERA and a 3.41 xERA. This is a broad range of predictors, and his rest-of-the-season results probably lie somewhere between them. Trust in his talent while monitoring his results in June. Reed Garrett (NYM): He hasn't been scored upon in his past seven appearances and recorded a save in the past two. He will not be replacing Edwin Díaz anytime soon, but in mixed leagues, he represents a viable stream option for saves. Ben Casparius (LAD): Across his past three relief outings, he has racked up 10 strikeouts against one walk (56.2 K-BB%) in five innings. In 17 appearances as a reliever this season, he has logged 32.2 innings, with 37 strikeouts against six walks (23.8 K-BB percentage), a 15.1 swinging strike percentage and a 0.98 WHIP. Advertisement Randy Rodríguez (SF): Although Doval will garner most of the attention this week, Rodríguez has been racking up strikeouts. Through 11 games in May, he has recorded two wins and four holds across 12 scoreless frames, with 20 strikeouts versus three walks (40.5 K-BB percentage), a 0.58 WHIP and a robust 21.5 swinging strike percentage. Tanner Scott (LAD): He has allowed multiple runs in three of his past five appearances, including Wednesday's loss and blown save in Cleveland. He has experienced a spike in his batting average on balls in play (BABIP), combined with extended outings where injuries have decimated his leverage ladder. This chart breaks down his results from his first 21 games compared to his past five: There are more whiffs available if he ramps up his slider use, though he has not thrown as many this season. Do not overreact to this small sample, but do monitor how he responds during his outings in June. Here is his rolling-game chart from FanGraphs: *Multi-inning or bridge relievers who can vulture wins and help protect ratios. Statistical Credits (through games played on May 28): and Check out my work at Reliever Recon and Closer Monkey for daily updates. (Photo of Mason Miller: Ross Cameron / Imagn Images)
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Fantasy baseball buy, sell, hold advice on Mookie Betts, Gunnar Henderson and more
Generally, hitters are correctly viewed as the back of their baseball cards. Any performance that deviates too far from that, especially regarding veteran hitters, is viewed as more of a fluke than a fact. Pitchers are different, given there are so many ways for them to radically improve or decline and sustain those new levels. Again, we should be skeptical when a player's hitting significantly changes. Advertisement However, we now have new data: expected stats. If hitters are improving their contact profiles at a fundamental level a third of the way into the season, supported by their year-over-year data from Statcast/Baseball Savant, does that warrant a fresh projection? If that's the case, some hitters are currently undervalued based on Yahoo roster rates. Additionally, some hitters have had an unexpected collapse in contact performance, with their fantasy managers still holding steady based on the baseball-card theory for hitting projections. Jorge Polanco (SEA, 3B) is 55% rostered. He's been a 95th-percentile hitter in expected stats, and he's improved 30.4% from 2024 (through Monday). He's been a good hitter in the past, but we thought those days were over, even at age 31, given how he declined from 2023 to 2024. He doesn't strike out much, has a top barrel rate and average bat speed. Polanco is an extreme pull hitter, making up for his suboptimal fly-ball rate. Expect the power to continue at the current pace, along with a top average. Michael Busch (CHC, 1B) is 48% rostered. Everything is up across the board in his hitting stats, and his expected xwOBA is in the top 15%. He's improved 17.2% in the stat from 2024. The K rate is still bad, but it's down to 25% from 28.6% in 2024. Bat speed holds him down in the power department (he only has five expected homers, two fewer than his actual number). This roster rate feels about right, but you could do worse. Colt Keith (DET, 2B) is 12% rostered. He's a strong-side platoon option who has not hit lefties. But he's getting more plate appearances against lefties than in 2024, so this doesn't account for his 17.4% boost in expected performance compared to last year. He was viewed as a top college hitter and, as a top 20% MLB bat in these expected stats, he's beginning to realize that potential. Advertisement Ryan Jeffers (MIN, C) is just 17% rostered. Even in one-catcher leagues, this roster rate is too low. He's been batting leadoff. There's no reason he can't finish the season at a 20-homer pace. His Ks are down so much that he should help at least a little in batting average. His 75th-percentile walk rate should keep him in the leadoff spot even when Byron Buxton returns. He had an .859 actual OPS in 2023, when his xwOBA was less than what it is now (.333 vs. today's .352 — 72nd percentile). These players are slumping badly, but no one seems to believe it. Should w,e though? All are very young players in MLB experience. Lawrence Butler (ATH, OF) is delivering homers and steals at the rates we wanted, but he's been an unexceptional hitter overall — actual OPS of .729 vs. .807 last year and an almost identical 9% decline in xwOBA. His whiff rate on breaking balls is 48.2%, compared to 26.9% last year. He has adjustments to make, but can he make them on the fly? Jackson Chourio (MIL, OF) is, like Butler, undroppable for the homers and steals. But he's still a big disappointment, failing to pick up where he left off as one of the game's best hitters in the second half of 2024. His OPS is just .695. His expected stats are down 11.9% — gross! He's chasing way more than last year (3rd percentile). He's a 16th-percentile hitter. Coming into the season, I wanted all the Chourio I could get, and I obviously got ahead of myself. Gunnar Henderson (BAL, SS) is surprisingly a below-average hitter in expected statistics and has arguably gotten lucky to have only a 108-point OPS decline from 2024. The Ks are moving in the wrong direction. He's also struggling with breaking balls, whiffing on 42%, compared to 26% last year. Sometimes the pitchers force you to adjust and address your weaknesses. This could change at any time, given his talent, particularly his bat speed, which is in the 93rd percentile. Jackson Holliday (70% rostered) has actually been a better hitter, though he has a lower ceiling due to much less bat speed. Now, some general words on hitters who are way off with actual stats. What do their expected stats say? Juan Soto (NYM, OF) was fairly discussed early in the 'Sunday Night Baseball' telecast, which touched on the inescapable point that Soto is probably MLB's most unlucky hitter right now. Then the announcers spent the next two hours ripping him at every at-bat for all the things he's doing wrong. It was quite bizarre. His expected stats are down 8%, but from a remarkably high level. He's solidly a top-10 overall hitter in the data. He is owed a white-hot month or two. Advertisement Mookie Betts (LAD, SS) is down 5% in expected stats but is only a 50th-percentile hitter. That's shocking. He's 84th overall in xwOBA — Soto is fifth. Betts has lost so much bat speed – from 71 mph in 2023 to 69 in 2024 and now 68 mph this season, which is 14th percentile. He has to be nearly perfect in squaring up the baseball to produce. That's a tough way to make a living. Elly De La Cruz (CIN, SS) is only down 1% from last year in expected stats, but is unable to overcome it by outpacing gravity in 2025. So while his 8% decline in actual stats may seem like a fluke, it isn't. He's crushing steals with 17 (pace of about 50), though that's also disappointing for someone who stole 67 last season. His homers are on track to replicate his 2024 mark of 25. He's sort of in Julio Rodriguez land as a hitter who just isn't breaking out the way we've built it into his cost. You may wish you had taken the new Cruz — Oneil — at Elly's price instead. They're basically the same player, though Elly strikes out marginally less. (Top photo of Mookie Betts: Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Solid options to target, including ones with long-term upside
This may be the best week for two-start pitchers to this point in the 2025 fantasy baseball season. There are three men atop the list who have plenty of long-term potential. And that trio is followed by several starters who have at least one appealing matchup. Things are less exciting on the hitting side, as 28 teams have six games this week, which makes for a balanced schedule across the league. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Weathers has looked great in two starts since returning from a season-opening IL stint, allowing two runs over 10 innings and posting a 9:1 K:BB ratio. Even more impressive, both outings came against the Cubs, who lead MLB in runs scored. There is a real chance that the left-hander will be rostered in most leagues by the middle of June, which makes him an exciting streamer for a week with midlevel matchups. Birdsong fared well in his first start since transitioning from the bullpen, allowing five hits and one unearned run across five innings. Even more impressive, the right-hander who sometimes has control issues did not issue a walk. Birdsong's strikeout skills give him plenty of upside, and he has more long-term potential than most of the pitchers on this list. Normally a high-strikeout hurler, Bradley has emerged from a month-long dip in his strikeout rate by collecting 18 whiffs across his past three starts. Now that the strikeouts are back, the right-hander can be considered in most leagues for a two-start week with average matchups. He could wind up remaining on rosters for the long haul. Taillon sometimes surrenders long balls, but his struggles reached an extreme level when he allowed eight homers across his past three starts. To make matters worse, the homers can't be blamed on park effects and two of the starts came against a below average Marlins lineup. I would normally recommend benching the veteran until he gets back on track, but his home start against the 9-44 Rockies is so appealing that I would roll him out in 12-team leagues. By mostly keeping the ball in the yard (5 HR), Vasquez has managed to minimize the damage (3.49 ERA) that comes with an inability to dominate the strike zone (27:26 K:BB ratio) or keep the bases clean (1.43 WHIP). I would normally leave a pitcher with this skill set off the list, but his matchups are so favorable — the Marlins rank 21st in runs scored and the Pirates place 30th — that I need to recommend him as a high-floor play in 12-team leagues. Martinez is coming off two of his best starts of the season (13 IP, 1 ER), albeit against two of the weakest offenses in baseball (CWS, PIT). Still, the right-hander deserves credit for doing two things in the past month that lead to success, as he has allowed two walks in his past four starts and hasn't surrendered a homer since April 16. He would rank high on this list if not for a scary matchup against a potent Cubs lineup. Fedde has plenty of similarities to Vasquez, having danced around a poor K:BB ratio (34:25) to post respectable fantasy numbers (3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). And similar to Vasquez, Fedde finds himself on this list solely because he's scheduled to face two teams that are among the bottom-10 in runs scored. Since allowing nine runs in his 2025 debut, Paddack has posted a 2.59 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across nine starts. He has benefited from a .245 BABIP over that nine-start stretch, but his 33:15 K:BB in those games is good enough to get him into 12-team lineups for a two-start week with reasonable matchups. Despite having shown modest dominance over the strike zone (42:21 K:BB ratio in 55.2 innings), Heaney has been a fantasy asset who has logged a 2.91 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Still, I hesitate to use him this week, as the D-backs are a tough matchup (5th in baseball in runs scored), and the Padres were doing well offensively prior to a mid-May slump. Backed by baseball's worst offense, Heaney has limited upside. The wheels are starting to come off for Sears, who outperformed his skill set for about six weeks before allowing 10 runs over nine innings in his past two starts. Going forward, managers should use the lefty's lifetime 4.32 ERA and 1.24 WHIP as a guideline for expectations, which puts him squarely in the streamer category. With average matchups this week, Sears is a fringe option in 12-team leagues. Williams has had more success since the calendar flipped to May, producing two wins, a 2.25 ERA and 29 punchouts in four starts. He still isn't a finished product, as he walked 12 batters in those four outings, but at least there are signs that he could be a viable fantasy option in the coming weeks. His matchups this week are difficult — the Dodgers rank third in runs scored and the Angels are the 6th highest scoring offense in May — which keeps him down on this list. Lorenzen has been the definition of a streamer, logging respectable ratios (3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) and a modest 7.9 K/9 rate. His ceiling is low for two starts against offenses that rank among the top half of the league in runs scored, but he has enough of a floor to be considered in leagues that are deeper than 12 teams. In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets. Cade Horton vs. COL (Tuesday, 20) Dean Kremer vs. CWS (Saturday, 6) Michael Wacha vs. DET (Friday, 48) Landen Roupp @DET (Wednesday, 17) Dustin May @CLE (Tuesday, 39) José Soriano @CLE (Friday, 27) Clarke Schmidt @LAA (Wednesday, 49) Jackson Jobe vs. SF (Wednesday, 42) Luis L. Ortiz vs. LAA (Friday, 17) Logan Evans vs. WSH (Tuesday, 7) Shane Smith @NYM (Tuesday, 26) Tomoyuki Sugano vs. STL (Tuesday, 35) Gunnar Hoglund @TOR (Saturday, 9) Hunter Dobbins @ATL (Saturday, 8) Noah Cameron vs. CIN (Wednesday, 28) Jacob Lopez @TOR (Thursday, 0) Cubs vs. Rockies: Sure, this series won't take place at offense-inducing Coors Field, but a Rockies pitching staff that ranks last in baseball with a 5.73 ERA will be no match for the league's highest scoring team. Most Cubs are widely rostered, but those in 10-team leagues should make sure that Michael Busch, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner are in their lineups. And in 12-team leagues, Matt Shaw (52%) is a good option from the waiver wire. Rays vs. Twins, @Astros: Although there are some formidable starters on the docket, the Rays should provide fantasy managers with a few solid options by virtue of being the only team that is facing four right-handed starters over the next four days. Left-handed hitters Jonathan Aranda (48%), Brandon Lowe (54%), Chandler Simpson (30%) and Kameron Misner (2%) are the men to add.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Time to stash Eury Perez, is Cam Smith figuring it out?
Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season. The premise is pretty straightforward. I'll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I'll list the category where I think he'll be helpful or the quick reason he's listed. I hope it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs. Advertisement For a player to qualify for this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, 'These players aren't available in my league,' and I can't help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they're available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types. MLB: New York Yankees at Cleveland Guardians 2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani & Bobby Witt Jr. lead Top 300 rest of season ranks Jordan Romano, Hayden Birdsong and Matt Shaw join the Top 300 this week. Waiver Wire Hitters Will Benson - OF, CIN: 35% rostered (RECENT CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE) Advertisement Last week, Benson was just 1% rostered in his first week after being recalled. Now, he almost doesn't qualify for this list after going 12-for-32 (.375) with five home runs, 11 RBI, and one steal in his 11 games. Those are certainly exciting numbers, but we've seen this before from Benson. He has tremendous power/speed potential, but also a frustrating approach at the plate. Even in Triple-A this season, he was striking out 29% of the time with a 70% contact rate and 13% swinging strike rate. I think this will probably wind up just being a hot stretch, and there's a chance that you missed the best part of it, but I wouldn't begrudge you crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. If you're in a daily moves league, you could opt for Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN (14% rostered), who has gone 13-for-43 (.302) over his last 11 games with two home runs and nine runs scored. Larnach has seven home runs and 23 RBI on the season, and the Twins' lineup is getting healthier. He's going to play against all right-handed pitching, which makes him a valuable piece in a daily moves league. Jordan Beck - OF, COL: 33% rostered (HOME PARK BONUS, PROSPECT GROWTH) Most of Jordan Beck's value comes from playing in Coors Field, but he's also a young hitter with some power and speed who has a 16% barrel rate on the season His exit velocities aren't great, but he's pulling and lifting the ball more this year, which is going to help him get to his power. He still has just a 70% contact rate and 14.4% swinging strike rate, so the batting average will likely regress, but the power is intriguing, and you can slot him into your lineup every time the Rockies are at home. Just keep in mind that the Rockies' next NINE GAMES will be on the road. If you're looking just for power, Daulton Varsho - OF, TOR (14% rostered) has changed his swing to maximize power output. He's not going to continue to have a 28% HR/FB ratio, but his average exit velocities are through the roof. He's also chasing out of the zone at a career-high rate and sporting a 17% swinging strike rate on the season, so I don't think you'll get much more than a .220 batting average. You may not be able to withstand that in a roto league if you have some other batting average drains. Hyeseong Kim - 2B/SS, LAD: 28% rostered (PLAYING TIME UPSIDE, STEALS UPSIDE) Advertisement Hyeseong Kim is another player who is better utilized in a daily moves league. He's gone 15-for-38 (.395) since being called up with nine runs scored, one home run, and three steals. However, his average exit velocity is just 85.3 mph, and he has a 75% contact rate overall, which jives with what he did in the minors, hitting .252 in 131 plate appearances at Triple-A with a 12% swinging strike rate. His overall contact rate of 75% at Triple-A is fine, but suggests there will be some swing and miss at the big league level, and even though he had a few huge home runs that we saw on Twitter, his average exit velocity at Triple-A was 87.3 mph. The Dodgers claim they're going to start him around four games a week, but with Michael Conforto, Andy Pages, Tommy Edman, and Teoscar Hernandez all needing to get at-bats, it's unclear just how consistent Kim's role will be. If you're just looking for speed, you can go with Jose Caballero - 2B/SS/3B/OF, TB (13% rostered), who is getting nearly every day playing time while moving all over the field, starting in 11 of the last 12 games for the Rays. He's hitting just .257 in that stretch with no home runs and three RBIs, but he does have six steals. Ha-Seong Kim - SS, TB (4% rostered) is currently in Triple-A on a rehab assignment, so it feels like maybe two more weeks with this consistently playing time for Caballero, and it might actually be a good time to stash Kim. Chandler Simpson - OF, TB: 27% rostered (EVERY DAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE) I don't quite get why Simpson is still available in a lot of leagues. He's hitting .290 with 13 steals and 15 runs in 29 games. What did we expect him to be? He's not going to hit for power, but he hits at the top of the order against right-handed pitching and will run whenever he gets on. If you want a player who can "win you a category" with his speed, then Simpson is that dude. Drake Baldwin - C, ATL: 24% rostered (PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, TOP TIER PROSPECT) Advertisement Baldwin is in a timeshare with Sean Murphy in Atlanta, but it seems like Baldwin has become the preferred option against right-handed pitching since he hits left-handed. On the season, Baldwin is hitting .355/.400./559 in 100 plate appearances with five home runs, 14 strikeouts, and seven walks. The production has been there, and if he's now going to start 60-70% of the games, that makes him worth adding in all two-catcher formats. I'm still not 100% sure I can get there in a one-catcher league, but if you're starting a fringe top-ten guy, then I could see pivoting to Baldwin. It also seems as though Carlos Narvaez - C, BOS (4% rostered) has emerged as the starting catcher and one of the better rookies in the AL. He was known primarily for his plus defense when he was acquired from the Yankees in a trade this off-season, but he's hitting .291/.357/.480 in 140 plate appearances with five home runs and 17 RBI. He provides top-tier defense behind the plate and is going to start about two-thirds of the games for the Red Sox while hitting near the middle of the order. He should be rostered in all two-catcher leagues. Alec Burleson - 1B/OF, STL: 23% rostered (PLAYING TIME REGAINED, POWER UPSIDE) After losing playing time early in the season to Jordan Walker, Burleson is back to starting essentially every day against right-handed pitching. In 16 games in May, Burleson is hitting .347/.396/.653 with four home runs, 10 RBI, and one steal. The Cardinals have been a solid offense so far this season, and Burleson is a big component of that. He won't play versus lefties, which makes him a better fit in daily moves leagues, but he can be solid in NFBC-type formats when you can change your lineup mid-week as well. Gavin Sheets - 1B/OF, SD (13% rostered) had been in a similar boat, but he has started playing against some lefties recently as well. Sheets is hitting .285/.331/.510 on the season with nine home runs, so he has been productive for the Padres this year. He's hitting in the middle of a lineup that features a lot of strong bats, which means he has a good chance for RBI upside. His multi-position eligibility also makes him a bit more valuable, and he's an add I like in daily moves leagues. Nick Kurtz - 1B, ATH: 21% rostered (POWER UPSIDE, PROSPECT GROWTH IS NOT LINEAR) Advertisement I covered Nick Kurtz in my article this week, where I used Statcast's new bat path metrics to find potential power breakouts. You can read that here. But I also recorded a video on him, which is embedded above, because I think people gave up on him too quickly. He did have a hip flexor injury on Saturday, so keep an eye on that, but the A's have called him day-to-day so far. A similar argument about patience can be made about Cam Smith - 3B/OF, HOU (21% rostered), who is a young player who jumped straight to the big leagues from High-A ball. After struggling in April, he's hitting .314/.397/.392 in May with eight runs scored. Part of the bump in batting average is that his groundball rate has skyrocketed and his power has diminished, but he's a young hitter who is adjusting to MLB pitching and having some success. I'm willing to bet on him continuing to adjust and finding the power stroke again. Chase Meidroth - 2B/3B/SS, CWS: 21% rostered (EVERY DAY JOB, MODEST STEALS UPSIDE) In 18 games in May, Meidroth is hitting .324/.385/.423 with 11 runs scored and seven steals. He had never stolen more than 13 bases in a season at the minor league level, so that number is a bit shocking to me, but he can run a bit and is a smart baseball player on a bad team that has no problem taking chances on the bases. Meidroth is also hitting leadoff and playing every day, so he could accumulate runs and steals while hitting for a solid batting average. That works in a lot of leagues. You could also roster Meidroth's teammate, Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, CWS (17% rostered), who appeared in my article two weeks ago on hitters to add based on their plate discipline and contact rates. Vargas is chasing at a super low rate, making 85% contact overall and rarely swinging and missing. He's pulling the ball slightly less this season and has focused less on lifting the ball, which is a good change. He doesn't smoke the ball, but a 90 mph average exit velocity is pretty good, and he's playing every day in Chicago. The production he's put up over the last month matches the process, with him hitting .253/.321/.520 in 20 games in May with five home runs, 10 runs scored, and 13 RBI. The team context is not good, but the playing time and production have been solid. Advertisement Marcelo Mayer - SS, BOS: 21% rostered (RECENT CALL-UP, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE) If you spend any time on social media, then you know that everybody is clamoring to find out how the Red Sox are going to call up Mayer and Roman Anthony to "save" their big league club. Unfortunately, with Alex Bregman suffering a "significant" quad strain, the path for Mayer became clear, and he was called up on Saturday for his MLB debut. While that debut didn't go well, we should keep in mind that he spent the entire first half of the day in the locker room at Worcester, not playing in the team's doubleheader and waiting to see if he would be called up. Then he found out he was going to the big leagues, packed up all of his stuff, got into his car, lost his car keys, and drove to Boston in time to play the second game of their doubleheader. He had no time to scout the pitcher or really adjust to being a big leaguer at all, so I would not overreact to his poor start on Saturday. On the season, Mayer is hitting .271/.347/.471 in 43 games at Triple-A with nine home runs and 43 RBI. Just like what we discussed above with Nick Kurtz, there will be struggles for Mayer, and his power is not going to immediately carry over. That being said, he is an MLB-ready hitter, and he's going to be a strong fantasy add in deeper formats. Another stash option would be Jac Caglionne - 1B, KC (13% rostered), who the team promoted to Triple-A recently. He's gone 6-for-21 at the level with three home runs and seven RBI. The Royals have also been playing him in the outfield to expedite his path to the big leagues, and with the team waiving Hunter Renfroe, we may see Caglionne get a shot in the coming weeks. Keep in mind that he has played only 43 games above High-A and had a nearly 13% swinging strike rate in Double-A, so this may be a similar situation to Nick Kurtz as well, where we see good power but some stretches where the swing-and-miss takes over as he adjusts to MLB pitching. Jake Meyers - OF, HOU: 10% rostered (SPEED UPSIDE, STARTING JOB) Two weeks ago, I published an article on hitters who were being more aggressive and swinging at the first pitch more often this year than last year. Myers popped up for me on that leaderboard, and I explained in detail why I'm a fan of his new approach, so you should read that article to check out the analysis; however, I think he's a solid add for steals and something close to a .270 batting average. Fantasy managers in deep leagues could also gamble on recent Rangers call-up Alejandro Osuna - OF, TEX (1% rostered), who is joining the big league team after Joc Pederson fractured his hand. Osuna impressed in spring training but was sent to Double-A to start the season. After hitting .283 with two home runs and seven steals in 31 games, he was promoted to Triple-A, where he has slashed .259/.474/.444 in eight games with two steals and an 8/9 K/BB ratio. Any time you have a young player who is walking more than he's striking out, that's always eye-catching, and Osuna has shown good plate discipline in the minors. He had 18 home runs and 17 steals in 102 games last year, so there is some modest power and speed here, and the lineup around him will be good. The big question is how much you buy his current contact gains because he had an 11.4% swinging strike rate in Double-A last year, and if that hitter shows up, he might be eaten alive in the big leagues. Expect him to take the Joc Pederson role as a strong-side platoon bat, but he can play good defense, so there's a chance Osuna works himself into a bigger role if he produces. Advertisement Nolan Schanuel - 1B, LAA: 10% rostered (BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, HOT STREAK) Nolan Schanuel has always intrigued me because he's a big dude at 6'2", 220 pounds who makes an elite amount of contact (87% overall) and a good feel for the strike zone. He's just 23 years old, and so I tell myself a story where he continues to get comfortable in the big leagues and works himself into a 15-20 home run batting with a strong batting average, kind of like Nathaniel Lowe. So far this season, he has just three home runs, and the exit velocities are not there to suggest power growth. However, the contact skills remain elite, and he's hitting .333/.442/.431 in 21 games in May with 15 runs scored and five RBI while hitting second every day for an Angels team that has come alive a little bit. Mike Trout is also set to come back in the next week or two, which means Schanuel could continue to be a solid source of batting average and runs into the summer months. Addison Barger - 3B/OF, TOR: 6% rostered (PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE) I was a fan of Addison Barger in the spring when he was all over the spring training leaderboards, and then I read about how the Blue Jays tried to change his swing upon his arrival in the big leagues and how it didn't work. He has now gone back to a more "free" swing that he says stops him from overthinking in the box and just lets him be loose. We obviously love to hear that, and I think Barger has a profile that the Blue Jays need. So many of their hitters are contact-first bats (Bichette, Clement, Springer, Kirk). I think Barger is a nice fit as more of a pull-heavy hitter who tries to do damage when he swings. That may lead to a .240-.250 type of hitter, but I believe in his batted ball quality and think he could push to be the Blue Jays' third baseman for the season. I also think it's time we take what Brett Baty - 3B, NYM (9% rostered) is doing more seriously. In 14 games since being called back up from Triple-A, Baty is hitting .326/.356/.698 with five home runs and 13 RBI. He's also pulling the ball nearly 50% of the time as he starts to get a little more aggressive in the batter's box. That's huge for him because a lot of his early-season struggles were connected to being too passive and getting himself into terrible counts. With Mark Vientos continuing to look lost a third base, there's a real chance for Baty to emerge as the regular third baseman for the Mets. Advertisement Denzel Clarke - OF, ATH: 1% rostered (PROSPECT CALL UP, SPEEDUPSIDE) The Athletics called up Denzel Clarke to the big league roster on Friday morning after their team stated they wanted to prioritize his elite defense in center field. From a fantasy perspective, Denzel Clarke can run. He had 36 steals last year and was off to a strong start in Triple-A, hitting .286/.436/419 with seven steals in 133 plate appearances. As you can tell from that slash line, there was basically no power as he went to a more ground ball-heavy approach this year has helped curb his swing and miss and lower his strikeout rate. There is some pop in his bat, but this new approach would make him an OK source if batting average with some speed, which kind of keeps him to deep leagues only for now. The Nationals also called up Robert Hassell III - OF, WAS (6% rostered) after having to place both Jacob Young and Dylan Crews on the IL. The former top prospect, who is one of the players who came over in the Juan Soto trade years ago, was hitting .288 with four home runs, nine steals, and a .742 OPS in Triple-A this season. He had made clear gains in his exit velocity and shown a little bit more pop than in years past. I don't expect him to hit for much power at the big league level, but, like Clarke, he could also hit for a solid average with speed. I'd rather have Clarke because the lineup and ballpark are better, and I think he'll have a longer leash. Waiver Wire Pitchers Gavin Williams - SP, CLE: 40% rostered Gavin Williams is back! The right-hander started mixing in his cutter and a new sinker over his last three starts, and the results have taken off. I recorded a video on him here, so I encourage you to watch that for more detail. Advertisement Hayden Birdsong - SP, SF: 34% rostered Birdsong moved into the Giants' rotation with Jordan Hicks moving to the bullpen. The right-hander had a great spring training and showed off improved command that had him on the verge of winning a starting spot in the rotation. However, he was sent down to the minors and then returned to pitch out of the bullpen, where he produced a solid 2.31 ERA in 23.1 innings. He did have a 1.3 WHIP over that stretch, which is not ideal, so command may still be something we need to keep an eye on here, even if he didn't have any issues with it in his first start. Even if I'm not 100% sold on Birdsong, he has a four-pitch mix and plenty of swing-and-miss in the arsenal, so he's worth a gamble if he can carry over these command gains. I do still prefer his teammate Landen Roupp - SP, SF (20% rostered), who was struggling with efficiency in his first outings, but has settled down a bit lately. He has more swing and miss upside, in my eyes, and I'm always a sucker for that. Eury Perez - SP, MIA: 32% rostered Eury Perez was up to 61 pitches in his last rehab start at Triple-A on Thursday. He only threw 37 of those pitches for strikes, but he struck out seven and showed off a new sinker that should help him as a second fastball variation and a pitch to attack righties with inside. I would expect Perez to likely make one or two more rehab starts, and his chances of wins are not going to be great in Miami, but there are few pitchers with his upside on the waiver wire. Richard Fitts - SP, BOS (3% rostered) also made his first rehab start after being on the IL with a pectoral injury. With Tanner Houck on the IL, I expect Fitts to come back and take Hunter Dobbins' place in the rotation. He may only need to make one more rehab start, so if you have the space to stash a pitcher, now could be the time. Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET: 32% rostered I guess people don't want to add Kahnle because he doesn't throw hard, and the Tigers mix and match their late-inning relievers, but Kahnle has looked good so far, and Detroit has no problem running out a closer who doesn't have elite strikeout upside or a big fastball. Kahnle has five saves and a 0.61 ERA in 14 appearances so far this year, so I'm scooping if he's available. However, just note that the Tigers like to use Kahnle in high-leverage situations, which will also mean save opportunities for Will Vest - RP, DET (40% rostered), who is worth an add if you need saves as well. I know Vest blew an opportunity two weeks ago, which made him one of the most dropped players in Yahoo formats, but he has allowed just four runs on 10 hits in 17 innings this season. He'll still be back in high-leverage innings and will get some save chances. Bubba Chandler - SP, PIT: 32% rostered It seems like it's only a matter of time before Bubba Chandler is up in the Pirates rotation. He has dominated the level this year, and now that the super two deadline has passed, the Pirates can call him up and still retain an extra year of control over him. This is also right around the time they called up Paul Skenes last year, and they saw that it was enough time for him to win and our rookie of the year, and the Pirates another draft pick. I know waiting is hard, but if you have the bench space for a stash, I think Chandler is the one. Advertisement Shelby Miller - RP, ARI: 29% rostered Justin Martinez is back and throwing 100 mph, but he also gave up two runs on Saturday, so I think it's premature to assume that Martinez will simply be given the closer's role. There's a good chance they use Miller to help lessen some of Martinez's workload after coming back, by using him in the eighth inning or mixing in Miller for some save opportunities as well. If somebody in your league has dropped Miller, I'd put in a small bid just until we see how this situation plays out. Ryan Weathers - SP, MIA: 26% rostered Weathers has come back and had to face the Cubs twice, but looked great against them both times. His spring training velocity has held, and he's struck out nine while walking just one in 10 innings, which is command that we love to see. He has gone only five innings in each start, and things don't get much easier for him against San Diego this week, but Weathers should be up around 90 pitches in that start, and he has looked really strong so far through two starts. I like him as an upside play. Cade Horton - SP, CHC: 21% rostered It's been a fine start to Horton's MLB career with seven runs allowed on 17 hits in his first 14.1 innings with 10 strikeouts and three walks. In his last two starts, I have been heartened to see him lean into his changeup and curveball more and even throw a few sinkers. That's a true five-pitch mix that he'll continue to gain confidence in the more he pitches to big league hitters. The upcoming schedule is also enticing as he gets his feet wet at this level, so Horton remains a solid add for now, even if we don't know how long he'll remain in the rotation. Lucas Giolito - SP, BOS: 16% rostered Giolito had a great start on Saturday against the Orioles as he continues to alternate between strong starts and bad starts. Remember that he missed all of last season following elbow surgery, so that inconsistency shouldn't be a surprise. What we should be focusing on is the fact that his velocity is up around 94 mph on the four-seam fastball and, after his bad start in the rain, he changed the grip on his slider and has started to gain more confidence in the pitch. That's making him a three-pitch guy with a curve that he can mix in as well. I still think Giolito is not getting nearly enough respect. Advertisement Daniel Palencia - RP, CHC: 9% rostered The Cubs placed Porter Hodge on the IL with an oblique injury and then immediately gave their first two save opportunities to Palencia. He blew one of them and converted the other. The right-hander has limited experience and some previous control concerns, but he throws hard and has a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 16/7 K/BB ratio on the season. However, before we spend big money on him in FAAB, we also have to acknowledge that Ryan Pressly has had decent numbers apart from his one blow-up outing, and we're seeing a resurgence for Drew Pomeranz - RP, CHC (7% rostered), who should also work into the mix against left-handed batters. You can pick up either of those guys, but just keep the bids modest. Slade Cecconi - SP, CLE (3% rostered) Cecconi has had two really good starts since he joined the rotation with Ben Lively out for the season with an elbow injury. I covered Cecconi's increased velocity and new pitch mix in my starting pitcher column for this week, so I'd encourage you to check that out for my thoughts. STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)
