1B/3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 2

Welcome, RotoBallers, to the 2023 MLB season and the first edition of our first-base and third-base waiver wire pickups. In this article below you will find our first base and third base fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups in Week 2 - April 3rd through April 9th.

As we enter the upcoming week of fantasy baseball, the waiver wire could help you get a head start in your league. Players will always emerge, especially early in the season so it's important to stay informed and make some moves.

Let’s get rolling with some names to consider as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for this upcoming week of the MLB and fantasy baseball season.

Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues (40-60% rostered)

Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers (56% rostered)

After falling in a 5-0 hole to the Philadelphia Phillies early on Opening Day, the Rangers climbed all the way back, scoring 11 runs on 10 hits—including a nine-run fourth inning. Although Jung was hitless in his 2023 debut, he still drew a walk and had a run scored. 

The third baseman also had a fantastic spring campaign, where he batted .314 alongside a .967 OPS, three home runs, and six RBI. After being selected 8th overall by the Rangers in the 2019 MLB Draft, Texas promoted him to the majors in Sept. 2022, therefore his rookie status is still intact throughout this year. 

In 26 games last season, Jung was able to connect on five long balls and drive in 14 runs. However, he also struck out 39 times in 102 plate appearances, compared to just four walks. Jung’s BB on Wednesday was an encouraging sign, but he’ll need to learn to keep his Ks to a minimum. The 25-year-old has a lot of power still waiting to be unleashed at the major-league level, and hopefully with an everyday job at third base, he’ll be able to take a step forward this year. 

Seth Brown, 1B/OF, Oakland Athletics (49% rostered)

The Oakland A’s were able to pull out a 2-1 win against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels on Opening Day. Brown went 2-for-4 with a single, double, and stolen base in the W. 

Brown, 30, was a 19th-rounder in the 2015 MLB Draft and made his debut with Oakland in 2019. From 2019-20, the Oregon native appeared in just 33 games. It wasn’t until 2021 that Brown began to unlock his power stroke, and has since hit 45 home runs across the last two seasons. 

In a sparse A’s lineup during another seemingly lost season, Brown will look to continue to drive the ball out of the ballpark. He ranked in the 90th percentile in Barrel % and 88th in Max Exit Velocity in 2022. Brown could prove to be a solid pickup.

Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues (20-40% rostered)

Trey Mancini, 1B, Chicago Cubs (26% rostered)

Longtime Baltimore Oriole Mancini joined the Houston Astros at the trade deadline last season, and although he’s now a World Series champion, he didn’t come as advertised for Houston. Therefore, the Astros were not interested in retaining the first baseman, and the Cubs scooped him up during the offseason, signing him to a two-year deal worth $14 million.

Mancini’s best season came in 2019 when he hit 35 home runs, had 97 RBI, and slashed .291/.364/.535. He missed the entirety of the 2020 season due to a cancer diagnosis, but was able to make his return to MLB during the 2021 season and even participated in the Home Run Derby, where he placed second. 

In a 4-0 Opening Day win against the Milwaukee Brewers, Mancini collected a single, RBI, and was hit by a pitch on Thursday. Overall in 2022, Mancini launched 18 homers and collected 63 RBI, while walking 53 times and striking out 135. The 31-year-old is hoping a change of scenery in Chicago will help him to return to form, and there’s no reason to believe that Mancini can’t still produce an All-Star-like season.

Yoan Moncada, 3B, Chicago White Sox (27% rostered)

Moncada’s White Sox won 3-2 against the defending World Series champions on the road on Opening Day. Chicago logged 11 hits to Houston’s four, with Moncada collecting a single. He also struck out three times—which isn’t too surprising for the switch-hitter—as he once led the league in Ks with 217 in 2018.

Like Mancini, Moncada’s best season came in 2019 when he had 25 home runs and 79 RBI, even receiving a few AL MVP votes for his performance. The home run totals have since gone down, but luckily, so have his strikeouts. In 2021, Moncada went down on strikes 157 times compared to 114 in 2022. That is a notable decline.

Last season, the Cuban 3B hit 12 home runs and collected 51 RBI in 104 games. Needless to say, Moncada dealt with a fair share of injuries in 2022, thus keeping his totals down. However, he appears to be healthy now and even represented Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. Although the 27-year-old is a bit all over the place, he’s an intriguing pickup. 

Other Waiver Wire Options to Consider

• Isaac Paredes, 1B/2B/3B - Tampa Bay Rays (10% rostered)
• Brandon Belt, 1B - Toronto Blue Jays (8% rostered)
• Jesus Aguilar, 1B - Oakland Athletics (3% rostered)

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