RADIO
They say baseball season is a marathon, but this season is flying by. We're rapidly approaching the trade deadline, which will surely shake things up amongst the buyers and sellers. These deals, of course, have a ripple effect in fantasy, as things like playing time, home ballpark, and lineup context all affect a player's fantasy value.
Before all the craziness that will come over the next week-plus, let's take another look at the waiver wire as things currently stand. We've got some fresh, new options to help bolster the middle infield spots. Plus a familiar face who should be nearly universally rostered.
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 18 -- July 24 through July 30.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (40% rostered)
One week ago, Ezequiel Tovar was over the 50-percent rostered threshold and it seemed the 21-year-old budding star was on his way to helping several fantasy teams win championships. Alas, his roster rate is down to 40 percent and it's baffling as to why. He's got six hits in his last six games, scored two runs, and drove in a run. Not superstar production, but certainly not worth booting from your fantasy team.
Entering the season, Tovar was ranked as the number-one prospect in the Colorado farm system. He struggled mightily in April -- there's no sugarcoating his .213 batting average -- but he's really turned the corner after a slow start. Since May 1, Tovar is slashing .278/.306/.474 with all nine of his home runs on the season. His hard-hit rate of 37.2 percent is above league-average and he plays half of his games in the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball.
Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota Twins (39% rostered)
There is no player in baseball hotter than Edouard Julien this month, yet he remains widely available in fantasy. In July, Julien is batting .500 (18-for-36) with five home runs and a 1.550 OPS. Injuries and poor performance by other Twins infielders have freed up everyday at-bats for the rookie and he's absolutely mashing.
A look under the hood fully backs up Julien's hot stretch. Per Statcast, Julien has a 16 percent barrel rate and his 9.1 barrels-per-PA is double the league average. That explains his stellar 45-percent hard-hit rate and 88.8 mph average exit velocity. Best of all, it implies his impressive recent production is sustainable.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Wilmer Flores, 2B/1B/3B, San Francisco Giants (26% rostered)
It's a shame Wilmer Flores doesn't play for the Reds because he just mashed four home runs in the Giants' recent four-game set in Cincinnati. It's not just the Reds that felt Flores' wrath, however, as he's slashing .417/.453/.750 since the calendar flipped to July.
Obviously, that torrid pace is unsustainable, but Flores is showing promising signs that he can be a productive fantasy option. His elite plate discipline is evidenced by a minuscule 15.8 percent K rate and he also draws his fair share of walks thanks to an 8.8 percent BB rate. Toss in some power -- his slugging percentage for the season is .526 -- and you've got a fantasy asset who may have value in shallower formats as well.
Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels (7% rostered)
The Angels have been spiraling since Mike Trout (hand) landed on the IL. One of the few bright spots has been the play of rookie Zach Neto, who carried a six-game hit streak into Saturday's action. Neto is not simply getting on base, though; he's been leading off for the Angels and scored five runs in those six games. Batting in front of Shohei Ohtani seems to be good for fantasy production. Who knew?
Since the start of June, Neto is batting .288 with a .542 slugging percentage and is locked in as the team's starting shortstop. He makes hard contact over 40 percent of the time. His 20 percent K rate is not just good for a rookie, it's significantly better than the league average. If your team needs help in runs scored, Neto is a great option and he's widely available.
Other Options to Consider:
- Jordan Westburg, 2B/SS/3B, Baltimore Orioles (31% rostered)
- Zack Gelof, 2B, Oakland Athletics (7% rostered)
Prospect Watch
Connor Norby, 2B, Baltimore Orioles (1% rostered)
Last year, it was Gunnar Henderson. Earlier this season, it was Jordan Westburg. Later this season, we'll likely get our first look at Connor Norby as the endless train of elite Oriole prospects keeps chugging along. The new MLB collective bargaining agreement incentives teams to give their top prospects a look in September and Norby seems to have earned a look in the big leagues.
This season in Triple-A, Norby is slashing .285/.344/.466 with 13 home runs in 86 games. With Baltimore in contention for the AL East this season, they could use all the talent they could get. Norby is still more of a dynasty asset in fantasy than redraft. But if he gets the call, he's a name to know for the stretch run.
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