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When looking at the waiver wire every week, it can get easy to get tunnel vision on the same options. Players like Brendan Rodgers (78% rostered) and Jorge Mateo (66%) made their fair share of appearances in this space before clearing the maximum rostered percentage threshold to be included. Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner has been in this column more than anyone. At 48% rostered, Hoerner is still eligible and recommended to pick up, but this week we're going to take a fresh look at the waiver options.
Each player below has made no more than one appearance in this weekly column, but all could provide a boost at 2B or SS down the stretch in fantasy leagues.
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting players in the single-digits who 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 19 – August 15th through August 21st.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Aledmys Diaz, 1B/2B/SS/3B/OF, Houston Astros (40% rostered)
Diaz has put together a mighty fine season while playing all over the diamond for the first-place Astros. He's popped 10 homers with 32 RBI and 31 runs scored while batting a respectable .258, but that only tells part of the story.
Diaz has been on fire since the All-Star Break, batting .333 with a hefty .942 OPS. It's easy to see Diaz's eligibility and think he's just a super-utility player, but the 32-year-old plays virtually every day in one of the top lineups in baseball.
He should be rostered in more leagues based on his elite positional eligibility alone.
Vaughn Grissom, SS, Atlanta Braves (42% rostered)
One of the top prospects for the Braves, Grissom made an immediate impact after getting the call up from Double-A. He homered in his first Big League game and has scored four runs through three games while manning second base for the defending champs.
The question for Grissom is playing time. Ozzie Albies (foot) is roughly two weeks away from returning to the lineup, and there's no obvious spot to play Grissom in a loaded Atlanta infield.
That being said, Grissom needs to be added now in case he keeps living up to the hype. If you wait until the playing time gets sorted out, Grissom won't be available in fantasy. Teammate Michael Harris II was called up from Double-A earlier in the season and he hit so well the Braves had no choice but to find him at-bats.
Grissom has similar upside worth chasing in fantasy, meaning it's now or never to pick him up off of waivers to see whee it goes.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Luis Rengifo, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Los Angeles Angels (22% rostered)
Rengifo has batted third for the Angels in every game since cleaning house at the trade deadline, and so far, he's making a strong case to be a key member of the team as it continues to rebuild.
The 25-year-old slashed four percentage points off of his K-rate this season and is making hard contact at a career-best 35 percent rate. This has led to a strong .347 xwOBA on contact and a .422 slugging percentage.
He's not the sexiest pickup, but Rengifo is improving as a hitter and is being given ample opportunity to produce counting stats for the Angels.
Paul DeJong, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (16% rostered)
This is a blast from the past; it appeared DeJong's days as a fantasy asset were over when the 29-year-old was sent back down to Triple-A with a batting average under .150 early in the season. DeJong retooled his swing in Memphis and apparently it worked as he returned to St. Louis as a man possessed.
In 12 games since his return, DeJong has four homers and 13 RBI while slugging a whopping .725. Obviously, this pace is unsustainable, but DeJong had hit at least 19 homers in all four of his full MLB seasons prior to 2022.
This was once a valuable player in fantasy and while his bat is hot, he's certainly worth an add.
Waiver Wire Watch List
Spencer Steer, SS, Cincinnati Reds (3% Rostered)
Steer was the best prospect sent to the Reds when it traded Tyler Mahle to Minnesota and Steer has done nothing but hit this season in Triple-A.
He's got an OPS over .800 between the Twins and Reds organizations and blasted a walk-off homer last week for Louisville. Cincinnati has nothing to play for and their home park is the best venue in the Majors for boosting home runs.
Keep an eye on Steer, when he inevitably gets the call to the Majors, he'll be worth a flyer in fantasy.
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