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Welcome, RotoBallers, to our AL-only and NL-only deeper fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 14 -- June 24 through June 30. The waiver wire can be difficult to navigate. Knowing who to add and when is a game within the game of fantasy baseball. Doing this in a mono league where the player pool is half the size of a full league makes it even more challenging. Every drop and add is significant.
One of the keys to success with roster management is opportunity. A player given the chance to get on the field and produce is one of the first signs of potential. After all, they can't accumulate statistics if they're sitting on their team's bench. These opportunities can arise because of either a promotion from the minor leagues, an injury to another player, or simply because the team has moved on from another player. Whatever the case may be, these players are now given a chance to shine.
It's important to note that these players are on a short leash to see if they can produce. If they don't, then they can be dropped for the next man up. All that being said, here are some of the best players with opportunities.
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James Outman - OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
21% owned
The very first player on this list is someone that probably shouldn't qualify here. First of all, he's owned in more than one-fifth of the leagues out there, and he may not even play this upcoming week. However, his production and changes to his game in the minors are worth noting here, as he has seemingly fixed the problems he had earlier this year.
James Outman hit his seven homer tonight and is back up to .291/.418/.564. The strikeout rate is down to 24%. Albuquerque wins 8-5 at OKC. #Dodgers
pic.twitter.com/Scc1X26nci— Howard Cole (@Howard_Cole) June 21, 2024
Since being demoted, Outman has gone back to the basics that made him a league-winning player last season. He's hustling while running the basepaths, he's hitting for power, he's spreading the ball all over the field, and he's making better choices at the plate.
He's doing exactly what manager Dave Roberts wanted him to do and could get the call back up to the Dodgers any day now. While the outfield in Los Angeles is pretty much set, he should be the next man up if there is an injury. Additionally, he's arguably better than Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez right now, so a move to the club could be warranted. If you can stash him, he's worth a spot, given how good he was last year.
Nolan Schanuel - 1B, Los Angeles Angels
5% owned
One of the bright spots for the struggling Angels has been the growth of their youth. One such piece of that future growth is Nolan Schanuel, who was a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. He was called up quickly last season and had his ups and downs. This season, he started off slowly but has been able to pick things up in June.
The young Angels in June:
Zach Neto: .250/.283/.536 • .819 OPS • 125 wRC+
Nolan Schanuel: .265/.377/.490 • .867 OPS • 143 wRC+
Logan O’Hoppe: .378/.404/.644 • 1.049 OPS • 195 wRC+ pic.twitter.com/LycF1QX8Oe— swilly ☻ (@swillysports) June 19, 2024
Schanuel started the season with some minor ailments that included back problems and a testicular contusion. Since getting healthy, he has also been able to go back to what worked for him in college, and that's attacking pitchers. He's been hitting the ball harder as of late and has been getting on base.
This season alone, he has eight home runs, whereas last season, he hit just one in 132 plate appearances. He's sacrificing batting average for power this year and pulling the ball more. All in all, it's making for an interesting player. This upcoming week, the Angels play seven games at home against the Athletics and Tigers. He's worth a shot at a corner-infield spot to see if he can keep this hot month going.
Jonathan Cannon - SP, Chicago White Sox
9% owned
The Chicago White Sox are in pure rebuild mode. They understand that they won't win many games this season, and are using this year to figure out what works and what doesn't. Part of that process is allowing their homegrown talent to grow, learn, and develop into something that could be usable down the road when they're more competitive.
That's where Jonathan Cannon enters, who is the team's 2022 third-round draft pick. After years of ups and downs, he made his major league debut at the beginning of the season and has done quite well for himself over the last little while.
Dominant on the mound pic.twitter.com/3FPHeMgxxH
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 19, 2024
Cannon entered the season on a mission. He said in the offseason that his focus would be on narrowing down his wide array of pitches into a more focused arsenal. He tosses four pitches at over 10% thrown for each and thus far has two of them with a batting average of under .200 per pitch. Since his early-season demotion, he has returned with a vengeance. Over his last three outings, he's thrown 18 2/3 innings of work and surrendered just one earned run, 14 hits, and two walks.
He also recorded a three-inning save in that time, dominating the Red Sox in a win. This upcoming week, it looks like he lines up to face the Rockies at home. Whether or not a returning Mike Clevinger takes his spot (which is rumored) is irrelevant, though it will diminish his overall value. Regardless, he will throw throughout the week and, by the looks of things, will do so very well. Talent always finds a way.
Tommy Pham - OF, Chicago White Sox
6% owned
It's hard to believe that there are two members of the Chicago White Sox listed as recommendations, but here we are. On the offensive side of things, Pham has been a spark plug for the team ever since he signed with them in late April. This season, he is fifth on the team in hits and third in stolen bases, even though he's played in just over 40 games.
This upcoming week, the White Sox play against a Dodgers rotation that is struggling to stay healthy, one game against Charlie Morton and the Braves, and then three more against a bad Rockies rotation. This is a good week to get Pham into your lineup and continue this streak. He is the center of some trade talks, too, with the Royals being linked as being interested in him. The team will want to showcase his abilities.
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