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Some of the biggest stars in the sport – and biggest fantasy names– returned last week as Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, and of course, Cubs superstar second baseman Nico Hoerner made triumphant returns to the diamond. That doesn't mean we don't need waiver options, however, as there's always a demand for help at two of the shallower positions in the sport.
High-end prospects are the theme of the week as several young players are thriving in everyday roles for their respective clubs. It's time to cast aside retread veterans like Jorge Mateo (77% rostered) and Brandon Drury (63% rostered) in favor of some young blood in your lineup.
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 9 – May 22 through May 28.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Casey Schmitt, SS/3B, San Francisco Giants (48% rostered)
Early this season many top prospects have struggled, but don't tell that to Casey Schmitt who has assaulted Major League pitching in the short time he's been in The Show. Through his first 10 games, the 24-year-old is batting .400 with a .650 slugging percentage to go along with good counting stats and even better Statcast numbers.
Schmitt has a 45.5% hard-hit rate, a 90.7 MPH average exit velocity, and, most impressively, a 111.6 MPH max exit velocity which displays an elite skill that few middle infielders possess. Will he sustain this torrid pace?
Obviously not, but Schmitt has a solid minor-league track record of hitting for both average and power with plus plate-discipline numbers. He should be the top priority in leagues where he's available.
Bryson Stott, 2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies (49% rostered)
In writing this column every week, I thought we were done with Bryson Stott, but his roster rate dipped under 50% so here we are. If Stott is available in your league, he should absolutely be added as the leadoff hitter for the Phillies.
Stott is riding a seven-game hit streak and will score plenty of runs batting ahead of Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. He's an on-base machine thanks to a 15.8% K-rate who will also contribute stolen bases as he's got five thefts so far this season. He won't contribute much power, but Stott is a plus in runs, steals, and batting average (or OBP).
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (27% rostered)
Tovar was a hot commodity during draft season, but an early-season slump had many fantasy managers cast him aside. This was a mistake for two reasons. First, he's only 21 years old and will be prone to some rookie struggles.
Second, the Rockies are yet to play a full week of games in the hitter's paradise known as Coors Field where Tovar has, expectedly, been much better this season.
Tovar's slugging percentage is 101 points higher at home and the Rockies are set for a full seven-game slate of games in Denver this week. Tovar is worth starting this week simply based on his home/road splits:
Luis Garcia, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (14% rostered)
Garcia isn't as high-end of a prospect as some of the other names above, but he's got some solid pedigree himself and has settled nicely into the two-hole of a surprisingly scrappy Nationals lineup. Garcia has seven hits in his last six games and is on base constantly thanks to a minuscule 12% K-rate that ranks in the 93rd percentile among all players.
Toss in a .282 xBA and an 88.3 MPH average exit velocity that is a full MPH better than last year and you've got a solid MI option in deeper fantasy formats.
Other Options to Consider:
- Miguel Vargas, 2B/1B, Los Angeles Dodgers (47% rostered)
- CJ Abrams, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (27% rostered)
Prospect Watch
Matt McLain, SS Cincinnati Reds (40% rostered)
Elly De La Cruz, SS/3B, Cincinnati Reds (20% Rostered)
This week's prospect watch is seeing red as the future of the Cincinnati organization is breaking through to the Bigs. First, there's McClain, who made his MLB debut late last week going 1-for-4 with two runs scored. He's a former first-round pick who was an elite power/speed threat in Triple-A as he swatted 12 homers and racked up 10 steals while posting a 1.148 OPS across 38 games.
Then there's De La Cruz, who is one of the most highly-regarded prospects in the sport as he ranks number four on MLB's list of top-prospects. He himself is mashing Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .570 slugging percentage and it's only a matter of time before he joins McLain in the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ballpark. Fantasy managers hoping for a lottery ticket could take a shot at these high-upside rookies.
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