RADIO
Folks, we've made it to the MLB All-Star Break. The players may be taking a rest, but there's no time for a break in the cutthroat world of the waiver wire. Your league is running waivers, so we're here grinding to provide the best advice possible.
The games after the All-Star Game may be called "the second half," but all teams have played well over 81 games. Now is the time to make that big splash play to get your team in position to either make the playoffs or finish as high as possible in those roto leagues. Let's take a look at some middle infielders that can have a big impact in "the second half."
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting prospects in the single digits who may get the call and deserve a spot on your watch list at the very least. These are your second base and shortstop fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 16 -- July 10 through July 16.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (45% rostered)
Could this be it? Could this be the week Ezequiel Tovar finally cracks the 50% rostered threshold for the first time since April? It's getting old writing up the same player every week, but then again, he's still available in over half of all fantasy leagues. We need to keep pounding the drum.
If we rewind to March, Tovar was one of the biggest sleepers in fantasy. What's not to love? Elite prospect? Check. Half his games in Coors Field? Check. Fantasy managers were tripping over themselves to draft the 21-year-old top prospect for the Rockies. Then, he batted .213 in March/April and he was kicked to the proverbial curb.
Yet again, let's check out his numbers since May 1. Tovar is batting .288 with a .495 slugging percentage with all nine of his homers in that span. He's also got four steals and has 68 runs-plus-RBI in 56 games. Tovar has been great since the calendar flipped to May. Rockies reporter Kelsey Wingert-Linch sums up how many of us feel about this budding star:
Jordan Westburg, SS, Baltimore Orioles (40% rostered)
The endless chain of Oriole prospects to graduate to the majors now includes Jordan Westburg and the number-four prospect in Baltimore's loaded farm system has gotten off to a nice start in the big leagues. Through 10 games, the 24-year-old is slashing .314/.400/.457 with seven runs, six RBI, and four walks against only four strikeouts.
10 games is a small sample size, but Westburg was mashing in Triple-A prior to his promotion. In 67 games for Norfolk, Westburg had an elite .939 OPS with 18 homers, 57 runs, and 54 RBI in only 67 games. Need an even bigger sample? Last season in 91 Triple-A games, Westburg posted a .869 OPS, which is still well above average. This Orioles lineup suddenly looks lethal and Westburg is a great opportunity to grab a slice of it.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
CJ Abrams, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (20% rostered)
Breakouts don't always happen instantaneously, just look at CJ Abrams. The former sixth-overall pick hasn't lived up to the hype thus far in the majors. But if we look under the hood, we find a very enticing skill set for fantasy. First of all, Abrams can fly. He's got 12 steals in 14 attempts and ranks in the top fifth of the league in sprint speed. But we knew that.
What's more encouraging is his year-over-year improvements at the plate. All of last season, Abrams had 238 batted balls and only five were classified as a barreled-ball by Statcast. This season, in only 205 batted balls, he's got 12 barrels.
Beyond barrels, his hard-hit rate overall is up six percent, he raised his average launch angle, and his max exit velocity is three mph higher than any ball he hit last season. That's translated into a .315/.383/.500 slash line over his last 16 games and placed him squarely in the mixed-league conversation in fantasy.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B/SS/OF, New York Yankees (8% rostered)
The Yankees' offense has been going in reverse since losing Aaron Judge (toe) at the start of June. The exception to that trend is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has been quite productive in that time despite all the struggles from his teammates.
Since June 1, IKF is batting .293 with a .413 slugging percentage and has four stolen bases in that time. His elite defensive versatility keeps his bat in the lineup every day and, given his hot hitting combined with his great home ballpark, IKF should be on the radar of fantasy managers heading into the second half.
Other Options to Consider:
- Geraldo Perdomo, 2B/SS/3B, Arizona Diamondbacks (39% rostered)
- Luis Garcia, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (20% rostered)
Prospect Watch
Ronny Mauricio, SS, New York Mets (10% rostered)
The Mets have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this season and a major reason is lack of offense. It would not be surprising to see this team shake things up in the second half and a big part of that could be Ronny Mauricio, who is crushing Triple-A pitching.
So far this season, the 22-year-old is batting .302 with a .505 slugging percentage to go along with 12 homers and 14 steals. He's been playing the outfield in Triple-A. You'd have to assume as soon as the Mets deem his glove ready, Mauricio will be on a bus from Syracuse to Queens.
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