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.
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.
Andrew Vaughn and Jurickson Profar return to the rankings this week.
THERE WILL BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF SIMILARITY BETWEEN THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK SINCE WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO GAMES PLAYED BETWEEN THE TIME OF THOSE ARTICLES. JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. MUCH OF LAST WEEK'S ANALYSIS WILL HOLD TRUE BECAUSE WE CAN'T LET TWO GAMES DRASTICALLY CHANGE OUR OPINIONS.
Waiver Wire Hitters
Otto Lopez - 2B/SS, MIA: 38% rostered
(POWER BOOST, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
During the All-Star break,I wrote an article highlighting some hitters that I think are in for much better second halvesthan what we saw from them in the first half. Lopez was one of the hitters I mentioned there. He’s been pretty good already this season, slashing .249/.318/.393 with 10 steals and a surprising 10 home runs. The power is not something I expected from a guy with just an 88 mph average exit velocity; however, his xSLG of .495 is much higher than his current slugging percentage, and his Pull Air% is not great, but better than anything he’s posted before. His 8.8% barrel rate is the best of his career, and his .293 xBA might be closer to what we see from him in the second half. Max Muncy - 2B/SS/3B, ATH (6% rostered) was another player I highlighted, who is mostly relevant in deeper formats. Over his last 16 games, Muncy is slashing .267/.313/.517 with four home runs, eight runs scored, seven RBI, and a 13.6% barrel rate. If you use Statcast’s Swing Path data, you can see that Muncy’s Ideal Attack Angle has skyrocketed to nearly 60% in July. Some of that could be tied to adjusting how far out in front of the plate he’s making contact and also how wide his stance is, opening it up slightly after closing it off a lot in June. This could all be nothing, but we’ve seen young players adjust as the season goes on, so maybe that’s what Muncy is doing.
Chandler Simpson - OF, TB: 36% rostered
(RETURN FROM MINORS, SPEED WINNER)
Simpson is back up because, I guess, he became a much better defender in three weeks in the minors. Since being recalled, Simpson is hitting .371/.400/.443 with nine runs scored and eight steals in 20 games. People will tell you that fantasy managers misunderstand Simpson's actual value, and it's not really that high, but his speed is a legit issue. He's going to hit for a strong batting average and post elite stolen base totals. If Tampa Bay keeps running hot like this, he'll chip in some runs even from the bottom of the order.
Colt Keith - 1B/2B, DET: 31% rostered
(FULL-TIME JOB PROSPECT GROWTH)
A couple of weeks ago, I covered Colt Keith as a potential breakout thanks to his impressive Process+ score, which ranks 6th in all of baseball since June 1st. Process+ is a Pitcher List stat that shows "The combined value of a hitter's Decision Value, Contact Ability, and Power." At that point, he was rostered in 7% of leagues, and the stats hadn't shown up yet, but his process has been rewarded. Over his last 20 games, Keith is hitting .299/.368/.478 with two home runs, 11 runs scored, and six RBI, and his roster rate has shot up. We know prospect growth isn't linear, so it's time to jump back on board with Keith.
Jac Caglianone - 1B/OF, KC: 27% rostered
(PROSPECT GROWTH, POWER UPSIDE)
We've seen a bunch of prospects this year start slow and then begin to figure it out. Cam Smith and Nick Kurtz are just two of the most recent examples. Caglianone's two mammoth home runs the week before the All-Star break could signal that he's the next one. I recorded a video on him last week explaining my thoughts, but I would add him if he's been cut in your leagues.
Carlos Narvaez - C, BOS: 20% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME UPSIDE)
Narvaez remains a fringe option in one-catcher formats because he plays regularly on a good offense, but he is a must-roster in two-catcher leagues. He cooled a bit in the middle of June, but over his last 16 games, he's hitting .267/.303/.417 with two home runs, eight runs scored, and eight RBI. He's been solid for Boston all year long and could be a solid option while they're running hot. If you're looking for an option in a two-catcher format, you can go with Victor Caratini - C/1B, HOU (11% rostered), who has continued to play regularly in Houston with Yordan Alvarez suffering a setback in his rehab from a hand fracture. In his last 25 games, Caratini has seven home runs and 23 RBI to go along with a .283/.293/.543 slash line. I'm not sure how long the power will remain this helpful, but he's making a lot of contact, and the home park can help. A final option is Adrian Del Castillo - C, ARI (1% rostered), who was called up on Friday and served as the designated hitter for both games, going 5-for-8 with two RBI and two runs scored. The Diamondbacks don't seem to want him to catch, even with Gabriel Moreno hurt, which could hurt Del Castillo's playing time when Pavin Smith is back. However, we saw how impactful his bat could be last year. He battled injuries this season and has played just 14 games in the minors, but he seems healthy now and could eventually be a regular part of this lineup if the Diamondbacks trade away players at the deadline.
Austin Hays - OF, CIN: 20% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)
Austin Hays continues to produce when healthy this season, going 2-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored in two games against the Mets since the All-Star Break. On the season, he's slashing .290/.338/.546 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 49 games. He hits in the middle of the order every game he plays in, and the ball is going to carry in these hot months in Cincinnati.
Evan Carter - OF, TEX: 18% rostered
(POST HYPE PROSPECT, HOT STRETCH)
Kennedi Landry had a good piece on Evan Carter a few weeks ago, highlighting some of the changes that have led to his strong performance since coming off the IL...again. He admitted to putting a lot of pressure on himself after his injury, and cited playing looser and feeling like he had a better mental approach at the plate. Since June 1st, Carter has hit .283/.372/.453 in 38 games with three homers, 15 RBI, 19 runs scored, and nine steals. The batting average hasn't carried over into July, but those stolen bases are great to see with the injuries he's had in the past, and Carter has a real five-category skillset. He's unlikely to play against many lefties, but he can be a really solid option in all fantasy leagues. If you're looking primarily for speed in the outfield, you could turn to Jake Mangum - OF, TB (7% rostered), who is playing most days and hitting third for Tampa Bay. I'll admit that I've never been a huge Mangum believer, and I'm still not, but he is hitting .297/.333/.396 over his last 25 games with 7 RBI, 11 runs scored, and four steals. That's not doing a ton to help you outside of batting average, so I think he's more of a deep-league play, but he's making a lot of contact and has 14 steals on the year, so there is a case to be made for adding him.
Tyler Freeman - SS/OF, COL: 16% rostered
(REGULAR STARTING ROLE, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Colorado still start the week off in Coors, but even apart from games at home, Freeman has been valuable in fantasy. He's hitting .340/.415/.436 over his last 25 games with 12 runs scored and seven steals. The stolen base value is a bit surprising given his previous results, but he has 12 steals this season while hitting leadoff for the Rockies. Freeman had a solid enough season last year for Cleveland, and moving to Colorado should help him. Freeman makes a lot of contact, but the hard contact is limited, and his BABIP has been low in years past. Coors Field tends to boost BABIP, so Freeman could emerge as a .270 hitter with some decent speed and multi-position eligibility. Freeman is also 15th in Process+ since June 1st, so the stats are backed up by a strong approach. You could also look to add his teammate, Mickey Moniak - OF, COL (11% rostered), who has taken playing time from Brenton Doyle by hitting .357/.400/.757 over his last 21 games with six home runs, 13 runs scored, 17 RBI, and three steals, The former number one overall pick may have found a home and a home environment that suits his skillset and covers up some of his contact issues.
Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B/SS, MIL: 15% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)
Durbin has turned it on of late, hitting .366/.430/.524 over his last 25 games with three home runs, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored, and four steals. As I mentioned with Caglianone, it takes rookies some time to adjust to the big leagues, and we're now seeing Durbin start to get a bit more comfortable in the box. I would like to see more steals than the nine he has on the season right now, since that's been Durbin's calling card in the minors, but it's nice to see the rookie adjusting to MLB pitching and starting to get on base more often. I think the steals will come. A deeper league multi-position option is Mauricio Dubon - 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, HOU (4% rostered). Dubon can play pretty much anywhere, and with the injury to Isaac Paredes on Saturday, it seems like Dubon is going to basically play every day for the Astros by shifting around the field. Since June 20th, Dubon has had only three fewer plate appearances than Jose Altuve and has hit .254/.293/.451 with three home runs, 10 runs scored, and five RBI in 22 games. That's a little bit of production in four of the five offensive categories, and while he won't carry your team, he's a great bench piece to fill in anywhere you have a gap in your lineup.
Masataka Yoshida - OF, BOS (7% rostered)
(RECENT IL RETURN, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Yoshida came back from the IL the week before the All-Star break and has gone 6-for-19 with two doubles, an RBI, a run scored, and one steal in his first six games of the season. He's a career .286/.343/.433 hitter in Major League Baseball with just a 13% strikeout rate in 254 games. He's going to provide a great batting average and the potential for solid counting stats while hitting near the middle of Boston's lineup. Well, we think. When the Red Sox bring back Yoshida, they will have only four lineup spots for Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu. They have managed it so far by rotating days off, but I think a trade has to be coming. Another platoon bat I've always been a fan of is Jesus Sanchez - OF, MIA (6% rostered). He’s hitting just .261 on the season with eight home runs, but his 112 Process+ from May 12th on is well above the 100 league average mark. He has a 92 mph average exit velocity and 11.7% barrel rate, so he’s making tons of strong contact. He is also chasing far less outside of the zone and making a career-high 76% contact rate. It would not surprise me if we see a power surge from Sanchez in the second half.
Andrew Vaughn - 1B, MIL: 7% rostered
(POTENTIAL STARTING JOB, APPROACH CHANGE?)
With Rhys Hoskins landing on the IL for the next six to eight weeks, Andrew Vaughn is emerging as a starting option in Milwaukee, and I'm intrigued by an approach change he made in the minors since being traded. I recorded a video this week explaining why I think Vaughn might be a decent gamble in deeper formats. Another deeper league corner infield target is Otto Kemp - 1B/2B/3B/OF, PHI (1% rostered). Now that Alec Bohm is headed to the IL, it seems like Kemp is going to be the starting third baseman in Philadelphia. He's hitting .250/.324/.348 in 28 games so far with just one home run and one steal, but he had 14 home runs and 11 steals in 58 games at Triple-A, so there is power and speed in this profile. He's 6-for-23 (.261) to start July, so maybe he's starting to settle in a bit more. There will always be strikeouts, but this is an offense that you want a part of.
Ha-Seong Kim - SS, TB: 6% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)
Kim returned from the IL the week before the All-Star break, suffered a calf cramp, but returned and has emerged as the starting shortstop of Tampa Bay. He's gone 7-for-28 in eight games with one double, one home run, three runs scored, three RBIs, and two steals. I think his value will be primarily in stolen bases, but I recorded a video on Kim last week, so you can check it out for my detailed thoughts.
Josh Bell - 1B, WAS: 5% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POTENTIAL TRADE CANDIDATE)
Bell has a Process+ score of 116 since June 15th, which is far better than the league average score of 100. Over that stretch, Bell is hitting .308/.379/.451 with two home runs, eight runs scored, and 11 RBI in 27 games. The power numbers aren't great there, but we have seen Bell be a consistent 20 home run hitter before, so maybe the ball starts to fly a bit in the summer, or he gets traded into a better lineup.
Brady House - 3B, WAS: 5% rostered
(HOT STREAK, PROSPECT GROWTH)
Another prospect starting to figure it out a little bit is Brady House. The rookie has gone 14-for-48 (.292) in July with two home runs, six runs scored, and seven RBI. Since being promoted, he has 23 strikeouts in 25 games with a 17.5% swinging strike rate, so I'm a little concerned about the contact, but it hasn't bit him yet. While his first two MLB home runs just came the Saturday before the break, he had 13 in Triple-A this season with a 46% hard hit rate, so there is some power in that bat. I have liked his approach of late, and the results are solid for deeper formats. If we're just using Process+, we should note that Hose's teammate, Daylen Lile - OF, WAS (0% rostered), has a Process+ score of 112 since June 15th, which is pretty solid work from a young rookie. Over that span, he's hitting .244/.293/.349 in 24 games with two home runs, 12 runs scored, and three steals, but he also has just 13 strikeouts to six walks in that span. The process is there, and the contact has been there, so maybe the results will also start to tick up in the coming months.
Nick Gonzales: 2B/SS, PIT: 4% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE ASSET, STARTING JOB)
Gonzales was another hitter I highlighted in my article over the break as a potential batting average asset. His 110 Process+ from May 12th on tells us that Gonzales could be a batting average asset in the second half of the season. In July, Gonzales has taken a pretty drastic opposite field approach, making contact -4.4 inches behind the front of the plate after being out over 10 inches in front of the plate earlier in the season. That has led to a massive spike in his Ideal Attack Angle%, and while it will limit his power ceiling, it could mean more line drives and hits fall in. If you wanted another multi-position option for deeper leagues, Lenyn Sosa - 1B/2B/3B, CWS (4% rostered) has jumped on the Process+ leaderboard with a score of 107 since June 15th, which is above the league average of 100. Over that same stretch, he's hitting .274/.317/.505 with five home runs, 14 runs scored, 17 RBI, and one steal in 26 games. That's not bad production across the board in deeper formats.
Tommy Pham - OF, PIT: 2% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
We all talked a lot about Max Muncy's glasses, but perhaps we need to pay attention to Tommy Pham's contacts. There is a great video from Logan Arblaster that shows Pham discussing a difficult situation with his contact lenses based on a rare eye condition that he has. The video was taken on June 23rd, and Pham mentions in the video that he has made contact lens changes throughout the year, but has "felt better the last week." If we take Pham's stats from June 16th, we see that he's hitting .359/.394/.609 in 20 games with four home runs, nine runs scored, and 17 RBIs. That will play in any league type. A name to keep an eye on in deeper leagues is Nathan Lukes - OF, TOR (1% rostered). Lukes has recently moved into the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching and is hitting .325/.400/.500 in 12 games in July with one home run, seven runs scored, and seven RBI. His role may change when Daulton Varsho comes back in a couple of weeks, so I'm not saying this is a breakout for the 31-year-old, but his approach is great for a leadoff hitter, and the Blue Jays have been playing really good baseball lately, so perhaps this is a solid multi-week add.
Dominic Canzone - OF, SEA: 2% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Canzone has been putting up tremendous production since being called up and ranks 14th in Process+ among all hitters with at least 200 pitches faced since June 15th. Over that stretch, he's hitting .347/.364/.613 with five home runs, nine runs scored, and eight RBI in 23 games. Canzone is not going to play against lefties, and he doesn't have quite the track record of success, but Canzone has always made impressive quality of contact throughout his MLB career, so there is some upside here in deeper formats. Another option would be Isaac Collins - OF, MIL (2% rostered), who has been on a bit of a heater since June 1st, hitting .300/.413/.500 in 34 games with five home runs, 22 runs scored, 17 RBI, and four steals. He has good plate discipline overall and is pulling the ball near 50% of the time, mostly on the ground and on a line, which is good for his batting average but might cap the overall power upside. His average exit velocity is also only 88.5 mph over that span, so this is not a hitter you're adding for power, but he has a solid approach that should lead to plenty of doubles and decent counting stats, hitting fifth or sixth in Milwaukee.
Waiver Wire Pitchers
Zach Eflin - SP, BAL: 44% rostered
Eflin is technically rostered in too many leagues to count for this article, but I wanted to highlight him here because I think he's being overlooked due to some early-season struggles. Eflin has been a solid starter for the last few years, posting an ERA of 3.59 or better in each of the last two years and keeping his ERA under 4.00 most years. He had a lat injury earlier in the season and then a back injury that landed him on the IL, but I think he can be a solid starter in the second half if he's healthy and may even be traded into a slightly better situation since he's a free agent at the end of the season. If you're open to a longer-term stash, I like Spencer Arrighetti - SP, HOU (30% rostered). The right-hander is beginning his rehab assignment next week and will likely begin at around 40-50 pitches. Unlike pitchers like Shane McClanahan and Cristian Javier, Arrighetti has not had any arm issues this season; he's on the IL due to a broken thumb suffered when he was hit by a batted ball during batting practice. He might need three or four rehab starts, but if you can wait until early August, he should be back and healthy.
Edward Cabrera - SP, MIA: 36% rostered
I have to mention Cabrera here because I'm a big fan of what he's doing this year, but I'm worried about his injury. I know he was cleared to pitch next week, but being removed from the game last week with a shoulder injury doesn't give me warm and fuzzy feelings, especially with his injury track record. I'm not dropping him yet if he's on my team, but I'm also probably not starting him against the Padres next week since I have some questions about his health.
Emmett Sheehan - SP, LAD: 29% rostered
Sheehan started on Saturday and wasn't his best, but I still believe in the talent. I'm not sure if he will continue to piggyback with Shohei Ohtani once the Dodgers get back into their normal schedule, and with Blake Snell also nearing a return and Ohtani getting closer to being ready to pitch a full five innings, there may not be many weeks left of Sheehan in this rotation. However, even when that happens, the Dodgers could decide to limit Clayton Kershaw's workload to save him for the playoffs. At this point, I'm not ready to drop Sheehan from fantasy rosters just yet; his upside is too high.
Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN: 26% rostered
I wrote about Zebby Matthews as a pitcher I think could end the season in the top 25 starting pitchers, so clearly I’ve been in the bag for him all season. He looked really good in his rehab start last Sunday, sitting 97.4 mph on his fastball and striking out nine batters in four innings, so I'm not going to let a rough first start back in Coors Field put me off of bidding on him in fantasy leagues. He has also deserved better in his big league innings with a 12.1% SwStr% and 20.5% K-BB% in 19 innings since May 15th. That has helped him post a 3.39 SIERA despite his 5.21 ERA. He looked electric in his Triple-A rehab start last week, and I’d be stashing him now.
Brandon Walter - SP, HOU: 18% rostered
Walter is another pitcher I covered in that article on second-half breakouts and breakthroughs. In that article, I said: "Walter is another pitcher I wrote about earlier this season, and I’ve been impressed with what he’s done so far. He’s registered just an 11.9% SwStr% but a 23% K-BB% and 2.98 SIERA in 40.2 innings this season. He relies more on command and deception than overpowering stuff, which makes him a bit riskier than some of the other names on this list, but I think his spot in the rotation is rather secure, and I could see him being a streamer in 12-team leagues and a locked-in option in deeper formats."
Blake Treinen - RP, LAD: 11% rostered
Trienen has made two rehab performances during this week and looks pretty good, commanding the zone while sitting 96 mph on his sinker. He seems healthy and could be called up after the weekend. With Tanner Scott struggling to close out games, Treinen could emerge as an option in a closer committee in Los Angeles.
Joey Cantillo - SP, CLE: 9% rostered
Cantillo was another pitcher I had mentioned in my article from earlier in the week. He seems to have a rotation spot locked up with Luis L. Ortiz undergoing an MLB investigation for a gambling infraction. Since coming back as a starter, Cantillo has a 14.9% SwStr% and 20.7% K-BB% in 12.2 innings with a 3.33 SIERA. His changeup can be a truly dominant pitch, and he gets elite extension on his fastball, so there is enough here to tie up right-handed hitters and make Cantillo a good high-upside play for the second half.
Richard Fitts - SP, BOS: 3% rostered
I’m also fully in the bag for Fitts and have been since he showed increased velocity and an expanded pitch mix this spring. Since coming off the IL, he has been sitting 97 mph on his four-seam fastball with his secondaries starting to get more consistent. He’s posted a 13.2% SwStr% in 16.2 innings since May 15th, with a 3.84 SIERA that is much better than his 5.40 ERA. I think he was done a disservice by the Red Sox rushing him back from the IL, and it wouldn’t shock me if he keeps his rotation spot for the remainder of the season. The schedule isn't great for him next week, but that might be a way you can get some really cheap exposure to him.
STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS
MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)
Week of 7/21 |
Strong Preference |
| Pitcher | Roster% | Opponent |
| Zach Eflin | 44% | vs COL |
| Ryne Nelson | 40% | at PIT |
| Michael Wacha | 40% | vs CLE |
| Quinn Priester | 42% | at SEA |
| Zebby Matthews | 23% | vs WAS |
| Emmett Sheehan | 27% | at BOS |
Fairly Confident |
| Frankie Montas | 15% | vs LAA |
| Michael Soroka | 15% | vs CIN |
| | |
| Cade Horton | 14% | at CWS |
| Slade Cecconi | 20% | vs BAL |
| Brandon Walter | 18% | at ARI |
| Eric Lauer | 31% | at DET |
| Joey Cantillo | 8% | vs BAL, at KC |
| Dean Kremer | 28% | at CLE |
| Tomoyuki Sugano | 12% | at CLE, vs COL |
| Landen Roupp | 28% | at ATL |
| Patrick Corbin | 11% | vs ATH |
| Jose Quintana | 20% | vs MIA |
| Charlie Morton | 21% | at CLE |
Some Hesitation |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | 16% | vs HOU |
| Jose Soriano | 37% | vs SEA |
| Mike Burrows | 4% | at ARI |
| Andrew Heaney | 16% | vs ARI |
| Logan Evans | 3% | at LAA |
| Bailey Ober | 15% | at LAD |
| Nick Martinez | 28% | vs TB |
| Colin Rea | 22% | vs KC |
| Janson Junk | 30% | at MIL |
| Jeffrey Springs | 40% | at HOU |
Desperate / Uncertain Health |
| Cam Schlittler | 19% | at TOR |
| Edward Cabrera | 36% | vs SD |
| Jack Perkins | 1% | at TEX, at HOU |
| Jacob Lopez | 21% | at TEX, at HOU |
| Chris Flexen | 3% | vs KC, at CWS |
| Richard Fitts | 3% | at PHI |
| Jack Leiter | 23% | vs ATH |
| Tyler Anderson | 10% | at NYM, vs SEA |
| Keider Montero | 2% | vs TOR |
| Jake Irvin | 16% | vs CIN, at MIN |
Matthew Pouliot
