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We’re far enough into the season now that standings are starting to take shape, and category needs are becoming clearer. Whether you’re chasing batting average, hunting saves or trying to claw back into steals, there are still plenty of impact players sitting on waiver wires who can help immediately and, hopefully, in the long term. Read on for this week’s priority fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for each major category.
While most of these players will contribute across multiple categories, their primary value comes from the one they’re listed under. I also rarely repeat players from week to week, so it’s not a bad idea to read previous articles to see if any of those players are still available.
All players listed are rostered in fewer than 55% of Yahoo leagues.
The Phillies’ lineup as a whole hasn’t quite clicked yet, but Brandon Marsh has been one of the few bright spots. After finishing last season with a strong .280 batting average, Marsh has taken another step forward, hitting .304 through the first stretch of the season.
What’s encouraging isn’t just the surface-level average; it’s how he’s getting there. Marsh continues to limit weak contact and has done a better job staying within himself at the plate, using the whole field rather than selling out for power.
Marsh’s contact profile supports a high batting average on balls in play (BABIP), and while .300+ may be aggressive to project all season, there’s a legitimate reason to believe he can settle in as a .280-.290 hitter.
If you’re trying to stabilize your batting average without sacrificing counting stats, Marsh is a strong plug-and-play option who won’t hurt you elsewhere.
Eugenio Suarez‘s injury opened up a spot for Nathaniel Lowe to garner starts, and he’s arguably been the better hitter. Since joining the starting lineup on April 22nd, Lowe has blasted five home runs, scored eight times and driven in 10 runs. He’s also registered a .333 average during the nine-game span.
In my mind, Lowe should have been in the starting lineup immediately against righties while Ke’Bryan Hayes should have hit the bench, but that’s a separate topic for a different day.
Lowe consistently posts strong contact rates and works deep counts, which allows him to capitalize on run-scoring opportunities. Hitting in the heart of the order gives him steady volume, and his gap-to-gap power plays perfectly in RBI situations.
If your roster is light on run production or you’re stuck in the middle of the pack in RBI, Lowe is the type of steady bat who can quietly move you up the standings.
Travis Bazzana profiles as exactly the type of player you want if you’re chasing runs. He’s an on-base machine who consistently puts himself in scoring position, and that skill set translates directly to fantasy value.
Bazzana’s advanced plate discipline allows him to draw walks while maintaining a solid batting average, giving him a strong on-base percentage (OBP). Pair that with his ability to swipe a few bags, and you’ve got a player who is constantly putting pressure on opposing defenses.
In OBP formats, Bazzana’s value jumps even higher. But even in standard leagues, players who get on base at this clip and have the speed to capitalize tend to pile up runs in a hurry. He also qualifies at one of the toughest positions to fill. If you need a boost in runs without sacrificing other categories, Bazzana is a fine target.
After a slow start, Jac Caglianone is beginning to take flight. The Royals’ young slugger has launched three home runs over his last eight starts, showing signs that his power is starting to translate in the Majors.
Caglianone’s raw power has never been in question. The key was whether he could make enough consistent contact to access it in games. Recently, he’s done a better job of getting into hitters’ counts and elevating the ball, which hopefully he continues to do.
Power often comes in bunches, and Caglianone looks like the type who could go on a serious home barrage once he’s locked in. Everyone remembers what he did in college.
If you’re looking to add upside in the power department, now is the time to act before Caglianone’s breakout fully happens.
Although I was singing Nasim Nunez’s praises all offseason, I have to mention him again here. The market has shifted a bit this year, with “one-trick” speed players being slightly devalued, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly useful in the right build. If your roster is lacking steals, there may not be a more direct fix than Nunez.
Nunez’s role and skill set are tailor-made for swiping bags. Even without offering much power, his speed alone can swing the category in a matter of weeks. In roto formats, especially, adding a player like Nunez can be the difference between finishing near the bottom in steals or climbing several points in the standings.
If you need steals, don’t overthink it. Nunez is one of the clearest category specialists available.
Nick Martinez isn’t going to light up radar guns or rack up elite strikeout totals, but he’s exactly the type of pitcher who can help stabilize your ERA.
Martinez relies on command, pitch mix and weak contact rather than overpowering hitters. That approach can be incredibly valuable, and it seems to be working.
Martinez has been incredibly consistent so far, producing a 1.45 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He does a great job of limiting hard contact and keeping hitters off balance, enabling him to navigate lineups efficiently. If you’re protecting a strong ERA or trying to recover from a few rough starts (Rhett Lowder, anyone?), Martinez is a solid option to help steady the ship.
Jake Bennett’s calling card is his control. He pounds the corners of the zone and doesn’t give hitters many free passes. He also does an excellent job avoiding big innings by staying ahead in counts.
Bennet registered a minuscule 0.71 WHIP over five starts in Triple-A this season with an ERA below 1.00. The 6-foot-6 southpaw continued to limit bats in his Major League debut, holding the Astros to just one run over five innings while earning the victory.
Pitchers who consistently limit baserunners are incredibly valuable, especially in deeper leagues where ratios can swing quickly. Bennett may not be flashy, but he’s effective. Target the Red Sox’s newest arm for those in search of lowering both WHIP and ERA.
Cade Cavalli looks like he’s starting to put it all together. The former top prospect struck out 10 batters in each of his last two starts, flashing the swing-and-miss stuff that made him such a highly regarded arm.
When Cavalli is right, the big righty can overwhelm hitters. His fastball has some nice spin and velocity, but it was getting clobbered in his first few games of the season. Since then, Cavalli has turned more to his breaking stuff, and it has done wonders.
Cavalli’s sweeper, change-up and curveball mix have rendered just eight singles and one double. He’s racked up 21 punchouts using those pitches and has kept the exit velocities around 84 miles per hour (MPH) — well below league average.
Strikeouts can be one of the easiest categories to gain ground in, and adding a pitcher with this type of upside can make a significant impact. If you’re chasing strikeouts, Cavalli is one of the better options you’ll find in deeper leagues.
Wins are often unpredictable, but putting yourself in a position to earn them is half the battle, and JR Ritchie checks that box.
Pitching with strong offensive support and a reliable bullpen behind him increases his chances of converting solid outings into wins. The Braves’ system has consistently produced pitchers who can work efficiently and keep their team in games, and Ritchie fits that mold.
The Braves’ top pitching prospect produced an ERA below 1.00 in the minor leagues this season, and he should stick around even after Spencer Strider is activated. Ritchie’s upside alone makes him a must-add waiver wire pickup in most leagues.
After a few rough outings, Joel Kuhnel‘s stint in the closer role for the Athletics appears to have been short-lived, opening the door for Jack Perkins. Perkins has the arsenal to succeed in the ninth inning. More importantly, he’s now being trusted in those opportunities.
The closer role is often a revolving door, but Perkins looks like he could stay a while. He throws 97 MPH, he’s snagged three saves and has a strikeout rate above 30%. The A’s are winning games, and Perkins could snag you a handful of saves with a lighter schedule coming up.
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Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas’ hitting streak came to an end at 27 games when he was shut out in Arizona’s 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
The infielder extended his streak long enough to set a new best mark by a Venezuelan-born player in MLB history. It went down as the second longest in franchise history, trailing only Luis Gonzalez’s 30-game streak.
Vargas was batting in the cleanup spot for the first time in his career on Saturday. He was 16 of his last 33 entering the contest, coming off a 4-for-4 showing in Friday’s loss.
In his first at-bat, Vargas grounded out with Corbin Carroll in scoring position. He later flied out to deep center field and grounded out his third and fourth times up.
His batting average dropped from a Major League-leading .404 before the game to .388 after coming up empty on his four at-bats.
Coming off 14 earned runs over his last two starts, Ryne Nelson got off to a much better start on Saturday with two strikeouts in the first inning.
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ was a thorn in Nelson’s side throughout the start after a solo home run in the second inning, later adding a double. He was also intentionally walked to load the bases ahead of a Seiya Suzuki flyout.
Outside of Happ’s damages, Nelson did not allow a run with two hits and one walk in 5.2 innings pitched.
Chicago southpaw Shota Imanaga was even better, pitching seven scoreless innings (84 pitches) with four hits and one walk allowed.
The Cubs’ second run was also scored by Happ, following his triple and Suzuki’s sacrifice fly to left field in the eighth inning.
Arizona has lost three straight three-game series with a two-game split in Mexico over that span for a 3-8 record over its last 11 games. It was 10-3 over the previous 13 games.
The Diamondbacks can finish the six-game road trip (1-4 so far) on a good note with Sunday’s series finale at the Cubs. The matchup will see Merrill Kelly face off against lefty Matthew Boyd.
Catch first pitch at 11:20 a.m. MST on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app or online.
