Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 6

Welcome to Week Six and our fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters. We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.

Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help.

These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are for the week of May 1 - May 7, looking at players below ~50% rostered for ESPN, Yahoo!, or Fantrax. Position eligibility is taken from Fantrax and players are grouped by their most valuable fantasy position, using a hierarchy of: C > 2B > OF > 3B > 1B > SS. Stats and rankings for charts are calculated using games through Friday, April 28.

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Know Your Scoring System

You'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system if you look above. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes, you can get away with some "close enough" calls. IE. You're probably fine if everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar).

Week 6: Waiver Wire Leaderboards

All charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version. Players on overall leaderboards are ordered according to their current APR. All injury information is sourced from RosterResource at FanGraphs.com.

*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, Fantrax, and NFBC (standard point settings)

Overall Leaderboards

First Base Waiver Wire Pickups

Best Choices

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., ARI, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 10%) - We named him one of the best adds last week and Gurriel Jr. hasn't disappointed so far, heading into the weekend after going 5-for-17 and slashing .357/.471/.429. And yet, his Roster% has barely budged, actually dropping a few points on Yahoo. Only five games on the docket will limit his PAs in Week Six but Arizona is also scheduled to face LHP in three of those, against whom Gurriel has posted a .401 xwOBA and 11% K% so far in 2023.

Connor Joe, PIT, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 14%) - Joe keeps hitting and Joe keeps playing, starting 14 of Pittsburgh's past 16 games. And while he's still much better vs LHP than RHP (.496 wOBA/.434 xwOBA vs .370 wOBA/.349 xwOBA) he's doing enough to keep his name in the lineup. With an 88 APR for the year, a 30 APR over the past two weeks, and the Pirates set to face an LHP in 3-of-6 games, Connor remains an excellent option. But don't keep waiting; one more week of this and Joe's Roster% is sure to shoot up.

Carlos Santana, PIT, 1B (Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 19%) - Santana just keeps trucking along, running a 60 APR over the past two weeks and a 73 APR for the season. He's collected at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games, slashing .300/.364/.375 over 44 PA. And while he's much better vs LHP (.476 wOBA, 13% K%) than vs RHP (.290 wOBA, 20% K%), the Pirates will face lefties in three of their six games (@ TB, vs TOR) in Week 6.

Next Choices

Spencer Steer, CIN, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 13%, ESPN: 4%) - Steer has an 80 APR over the past two weeks but a lot of his value is being driven from the compiling, as he's running per-PA scoring rates on all platforms that are average, at best. But while many of the pitchers he'll face in Week 6 have some name value (Snell, Wacha, Lugo, Lynn, Clevinger, Kopech), the results have mostly been gas-canny, and the ones against the White Sox will come at the bandbox confines of GABP.

Garrett Cooper, MIA, 1B (Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 8%) - He only has a 184 APR for the year (165 APR over the last two weeks) but Cooper should get some favorable matchups this week with the Marlins scheduled to face an LHP in three of their six games (vs ATL, @ CHC). Cooper has a .559 wOBA and .403 xwOBA vs LHP this season, compared to a .241 wOBA and .253 xwOBA vs RHP.

Josh Naylor, CLE, 1B (Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 43%) -Naylor is still only sporting a disappointing 214 APR for the season but things are starting to warm up a tad, albeit slowly, slashing .300/.318/.500 over his past six games, with a .344 wOBA. And he's as bad as ever vs LHP (.108 wOBA/.233 xwOBA, 22% K%) but it's only a matter of time until he gets back to hitting righties likes he's shown before, running an impressive .407 wOBA (15% K%) vs RHP, compared to just a .297 wOBA vs LHP. The Guardians are scheduled to face RHP in all six of their games (@ NYY, vs MIN) next week.

Isaac Paredes, TB, 1B/2B/3B (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 22%) - Paredes has a 90 APR for the year but his .354 wOBA vs LHP is backed by a .281 xwOBA, while a .333 wOBA vs RHP has a .281 xwOBA with it. There is also the matter of playing time, with Tampa's lineup becoming more crowded with the return of Jose Siri from the IL, and Paredes seeing the bench in two of their past seven games. The Rays are set to face RHP in four of their six games this week but it's hard to assume that Paredes will get all four starts.

Desperate Choices

Spencer Torkelson, DET, 1B (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 11%) - Torkelson is still disappointing in 2023 (176 APR, 165 APR over the last two weeks) but has a .346 wOBA and .395 xwOBA vs LHP, compared to a .233 wOBA and .310 xwOBA vs RHP. In Week 6, Detroit is scheduled to face an LHP in four of their six games (vs NYM, @ STL).

Miguel Vargas, LAD, 1B/2B/OF (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 18%) - Another example of prospect growth often not being linear, Vargas has so far failed to get really get in going in the majors after dominating most every stop in the minors. There are some bright spots from a points perspective, though, with Vargas showing off his elite plate discipline via a 17% BB% and 21% K%, and a .369 xwOBA that's more friendly than his .325 wOBA. And while a .199 wOBA vs LHP is absolutely brutal, a .381 xwOBA and 13% K% say better times should be ahead for the rookie. The Dodgers have six games in Week 6 (vs PHI, @ SD), with two coming vs LHP.

Gio Urshela, LAA, 1B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 6%) - Boring but playable in a pinch; Urshela has a 130 APR over the past two weeks and a 132 APR for the season.

J.D. Davis, SF, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 43%, ESPN: 9%) - He might have a 146 APR for the season but Davis's profile remains a difficult one to use on a daily basis under most scoring formats given his struggles vs LHP and overall whiffing issues. Davis has a 27% K% overall but a 38% K% vs LHP in 2023, with a .202 wOBA, compared to a 22% K% and .442 wOBA vs RHP. And while the Giants are scheduled to face RHP in four of six games this week, two of those righties will be tough matchups in Luis Garcia and Hunter Brown.

Eric Hosmer, CHC, 1B (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 2%) - Hosmer only has a 199 APR for the year but gets a favorable week of matchups, as the Cubs are only scheduled to face one LHP out of their seven games (@ WSH, vs MIA).

Triston Casas, BOS, 1B (Yahoo: 28%, ESPN: 34%) - The rookie continues driving the struggle bus, posting a .147 AVG over the past two weeks, with a .313 wOBA that isn't awful until considering it's mostly driven by a 26% BB% over the same period. But we're not looking for Casas to walk, we need him to crush, and a .293 SLG for the year and .265 SLG over the past two weeks ain't cutting it. The Red Sox do get seven games this week, though, with only two coming vs RHP.

On the IL

• Seth Brown, OAK, 1B/OF (strained oblique - no timetable)
• Wil Myers, CIN, 1B/OF (CV-19 - no timetable)
• Darick Hall, PHI, 1B (torn thumb ligament - no timetable)
• Yu Chang, BOS, 1B/2B/3B/SS (hamate surgery - expected to miss six weeks)
• Ji-Man Choi, TB, 1B (strained Achilles - expected to miss two months)

Second Base Waiver Wire Pickups

Best Choices

Rodolfo Castro, PIT, 2B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 14%, ESPN: 3%) - Castro has a 42 APR over the last two weeks and is slashing .250/.316/.500 over the last week. Castro still struggles vs RHP (.277 wOBA, 30% K%) but absolutely mashes LHP, posting a .510 wOBA and .449 xwOBA, with just a 15% K%.  There aren't many reasons to leave Castro on the wire while he's playing every day and running this hot, especially this week since the Pirates have six games, with three scheduled against left-handers.

Mauricio Dubon, HOU, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 45%, ESPN: 24%) - His job will mostly evaporate the second Jose Altuve returns from the IL but that day isn't today and it's probably not tomorrow. And for right now, Dubon is doing some point-league mashing, posting a 39 APR over the past two weeks and a 77 APR for the season, slashing .315/.340/.402, with just an 8% K%. His numbers are much better vs LHP and the Astros will only face one in Week Six but a spot leading off every day is almost a certainty, allowing his compiler factor to remain high batting in front of Houston's killer top half of the lineup.

Next Choices

Kike Hernandez, BOS, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 13%) - Hernandez has been raking, running a 40 APR over the past two weeks and an 82 APR for the season, but that success has also come with a lot of BABIP-fueled favoritism. He's slashing .340/.382/.460 over those 13 games and 55 PA but that line is backed by a .421 BABIP, .259 xBA, and a .344 xSLG, while a .368 wOBA has a .292 xwOBA behind it. But he's also piling up a ton of PAs, having started 21 games in a row before taking a seat on Saturday, just his second game off in 2023. With the Red Sox getting seven games in Week Six, expect Hernandez to continue compiling his way to above-average scoring while carrying triple eligibility.

Jon Berti, MIA, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 6%) - Berti may have a 97 APR over the past two weeks but he's still not running much (4 SB total, 0 SB last two weeks) and has taken a seat in two of Miami's last three games, sitting in favor of a resurgent Garrett Hampson. But the Marlins will face an LHP in three of their six games (vs ATL, @ CHC), against whom Berti has posted a .410 wOBA and .409 xwOBA against in 2023.

Isaac Paredes, TB, 1B/2B/3B (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 22%) - Paredes has a 90 APR for the year but his .354 wOBA vs LHP is backed by a .281 xwOBA, while a .333 wOBA vs RHP has a .281 xwOBA with it. There is also the matter of playing time, with Tampa's lineup becoming more crowded with the return of Jose Siri from the IL, and Paredes seeing the bench in two of their past seven games. The Rays are set to face RHP in four of their six games this week but it's hard to assume that Paredes will get all four starts.

Desperate Choices

CJ Abrams, WSH, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 12%) - Abrams plays every day but at the bottom of the order and continues to struggle vs RHP, with a .267 wOBA (.261 xwOBA) against them compared to a .372 wOBA (.326 xwOBA) vs LHP. The Nationals have seven games (vs CHC, @ ARI) in Week Six, with two scheduled vs left-handers.

Miguel Vargas, LAD, 1B/2B/OF (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 18%) - Another example of prospect growth often not being linear, Vargas has so far failed to get really get in going in the majors after dominating most every stop in the minors. There are some bright spots from a points perspective, though, with Vargas showing off his elite plate discipline via a 17% BB% and 21% K%, and a .369 xwOBA that's more friendly than his .325 wOBA. And while a .199 wOBA vs LHP is absolutely brutal, a .381 xwOBA and 13% K% say better times should be ahead for the rookie. The Dodgers have six games in Week 6 (vs PHI, @ SD), with two coming vs LHP.

Ji Hwan Bae, PIT, 2B/OF (Yahoo: 37%, ESPN: 4%) - Bae has five stolen bases in his last three games but the Pirates will face left-handers in three of their six games this week (@ TB, vs TOR), against whom he has posted a .278 wOBA, .222 xwOBA, and 35% K% in 2023.

Josh Rojas, ARI, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 45%, ESPN: 20%) - Rojas has a 27 APR over the past two weeks but has gone 1-for-16 over his past five games and hasn't played in three of Arizona's last four games. And facing lefties in three of five games this week probably won't make things much better; Rojas has a .248 wOBA (.222 xwOBA) and 40% K% vs LHP this season

Taylor Walls, TB, 2B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 49%, ESPN: 27%) - It looks like Walls continues to rake, posting a 74 APR over the past two weeks, with three home runs and a .447 wOBA. But since his two-HR game on April 18, he's slashing .118/.286/.118 over 21 PA and has only started three of the past six games. Plus, most of his damage has come against left-handed pitching; Walls has a .630 wOBA and 9% K% vs LHP but just a .271 wOBA and 22% K% vs RHP. The Rays are set to face lefties in two of their six games this week (vs PIT, vs NYY) but it's hard to assume he'll start much more than those.

On the IL

• Luis Urias, MIL, 2B/3B/SS (strained hamstring - 6 to 8 weeks)
• Kyle Farmer, MIN (facial laceration - no timetable)
• Joey Wendle, MIA, 2B/3B/SS (strained oblique - no timetable)
• Yu Chang, BOS, 1B/2B/3B/SS (hamate surgery - expected to miss six weeks)

Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups

Best Choices

Anthony Rendon, LAA, 3B (Yahoo: 48%, ESPN: 40%) - Oh, how the mighty have fallen, as Rendon (barely) crosses into our eligibility zone, rostered on Yahoo slightly less than Taylor Walls. C'mon, people; what are we doing here? If Rendon happens to be available in your league, go ahead and snatch him right up, as he's currently healthy and starting to heat up, posting an 85 APR over the past two weeks, with a .292 AVG (.343 xBA) and .337 wOBA (.400 xwOBA) over the past week.

Rodolfo Castro, PIT, 2B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 14%, ESPN: 3%) - Now, for someone who actually might be available in many leagues. Castro has a 42 APR over the last two weeks and is slashing .250/.316/.500 over the last week. Castro still struggles vs RHP (.277 wOBA, 30% K%) but absolutely mashes LHP, posting a .510 wOBA and .449 xwOBA, with just a 15% K%.  There aren't many reasons to leave Castro on the wire while he's playing every day and running this hot, especially this week since the Pirates have six games, with three scheduled against left-handers.

Jake Burger, CHW, 3B (Yahoo: 8%, ESPN: 2%) - With Yoan Moncada still not ready for a rehab assignment, the Jake Burger experience gets a reprieve, as Burger has started every game at third since Moncada hit the IL. Even with a 30% K%, his scoring rates are still above average on platforms with a strikeout penalty but go off the charts in formats without one. Over the past two weeks, Burger has 5 HR and has posted a .416 wOBA (.438 xwOBA) and .659 SLG, with a .244 AVG (.293 xBA) that's only being crushed by a .208 BABIP. The state of the White Sox may be dire but Burger needs to be ridden until he cools down or Moncada comes back, whichever comes first.

Next Choices

Spencer Steer, CIN, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 13%, ESPN: 4%) - Steer has an 80 APR over the past two weeks but a lot of his value is being driven from the compiling, as he's running per-PA scoring rates on all platforms that are average, at best. But while many of the pitchers he'll face in Week 6 have some name value (Snell, Wacha, Lugo, Lynn, Clevinger, Kopech), the results have mostly been gas-canny, and the ones against the White Sox will come at the bandbox confines of GABP.

Isaac Paredes, TB, 1B/2B/3B (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 22%) - Paredes has a 90 APR for the year but his .354 wOBA vs LHP is backed by a .281 xwOBA, while a .333 wOBA vs RHP has a .281 xwOBA with it. There is also the matter of playing time, with Tampa's lineup becoming more crowded with the return of Jose Siri from the IL, and Paredes seeing the bench in two of their past seven games. The Rays are set to face RHP in four of their six games this week but it's hard to assume that Paredes will get all four starts.

Desperate Choices

Jeimer Candelario, WSH, 3B (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 5%) - Candelario's biggest value add remains the amount of PAs he's compiling by starting every game so far for Washington while batting in the top-third of their order. That pile should keep stacking in Week Six, with the Nationals getting seven games (vs CHC, @ ARI)

Gio Urshela, LAA, 1B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 6%) - Boring but playable in a pinch; Urshela has a 130 APR over the past two weeks and a 132 APR for the season.

Bret Baty, NYM, 3B (Yahoo: 41%, ESPN: 13%) - Baty has smashed right-handers since coming up, posting a .419 wOBA and .377 xwOBA against them in his first cup of coffee. But his value remains limited as long as he's in a strong-side platoon but there there is good news in Baty getting his first start vs a left-hander on Friday since joining the big team. The Mets have seven games this week but with three scheduled vs LHP, it's still hard to bank on Baty getting five starts, at most.

J.D. Davis, SF, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 43%, ESPN: 9%) - He might have a 146 APR for the season but Davis's profile remains a difficult one to use on a daily basis under most scoring formats given his struggles vs LHP and overall whiffing issues. Davis has a 27% K% overall but a 38% K% vs LHP in 2023, with a .202 wOBA, compared to a 22% K% and .442 wOBA vs RHP. And while the Giants are scheduled to face RHP in four of six games this week, two of those righties will be tough matchups in Luis Garcia and Hunter Brown.

On the IL

• Yoan Moncada, CHW, 3B (lower back - no timetable)
• Luis Urias, MIL 2B/3B/SS (strained hamstring - 6 to 8 weeks)
• Josh Donaldson, NYY (strained hamstring - no timetable)
• Kyle Farmer, MIN (face laceration - no timetable)
• Joey Wendle, MIA, 2B/3B/SS (strained oblique - no timetable)
• Yu Chang, BOS, 1B/2B/3B/SS (hamate surgery - expected to miss six weeks)

Shortstop Waiver Wire Pickups

Best Choices

Rodolfo Castro, PIT, 2B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 14%, ESPN: 3%) - Castro has a 42 APR over the last two weeks and is slashing .250/.316/.500 over the last week. Castro still struggles vs RHP (.277 wOBA, 30% K%) but absolutely mashes LHP, posting a .510 wOBA and .449 xwOBA, with just a 15% K%.  There aren't many reasons to leave Castro on the wire while he's playing every day and running this hot, especially this week since the Pirates have six games, with three scheduled against left-handers.

Mauricio Dubon, HOU, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 45%, ESPN: 24%) - His job will mostly evaporate the second Jose Altuve returns from the IL but that day isn't today and it's probably not tomorrow. And for right now, Dubon is doing some point-league mashing, posting a 39 APR over the past two weeks and a 77 APR for the season, slashing .315/.340/.402, with just an 8% K%. His numbers are much better vs LHP and the Astros will only face one in Week Six but a spot leading off every day is almost a certainty, allowing his compiler factor to remain high batting in front of Houston's killer top half of the lineup.

Next Choices

Kike Hernandez, BOS, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 13%) - Hernandez has been raking, running a 40 APR over the past two weeks and an 82 APR for the season, but that success has also come with a lot of BABIP-fueled favoritism. He's slashing .340/.382/.460 over those 13 games and 55 PA but that line is backed by a .421 BABIP, .259 xBA, and a .344 xSLG, while a .368 wOBA has a .292 xwOBA behind it. But he's also piling up a ton of PAs, having started 21 games in a row before taking a seat on Saturday, just his second game off in 2023. With the Red Sox getting seven games in Week Six, expect Hernandez to continue compiling his way to above-average scoring while carrying triple eligibility.

J.P. Crawford, SEA, SS (Yahoo: 6%, ESPN: 7%) - Crawford has started every game but one for the Angels in 2023 but while he's always been a solid points compiler, he's also been sneakily on fire over the last two weeks, with a .416 wOBA over 39 PA, slashing .300/.462/.467. He's been much better vs RHP (.393 wOBA/18% K% vs .264 wOBA/26% K%) but the Mariners are only scheduled to face one lefthander out of their six games in Week Six (@ OAK, vs HOU).

Desperate Choices:

Paul DeJong, STL, SS (Yahoo: 4%, ESPN: 2%) - Can someone please quickly travel back to the past and see if anyone's reported a missing DeJong? If so, we have him. Paul is partying like it's 2019, starting five of the six games for the Cardinals since coming off of the IL and slashing .400/.429/.800, with two home runs and a 234 wRC+. But I wouldn't count on him starting the two games the Cardinals have scheduled against left-handers in Week Six, and one of the right-handers is Shohei Ohtani. Counterpoint: getting two starts against human-shaped gas cans, Spencer Turnbull and Michael Lorenzen might just be enough to still make it all worth it.

CJ Abrams, WSH, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 12%) - Abrams plays every day but at the bottom of the order and continues to struggle vs RHP, with a .267 wOBA (.261 xwOBA) against them compared to a .372 wOBA (.326 xwOBA) vs LHP. The Nationals have seven games (vs CHC, @ ARI) in Week Six, with two scheduled vs left-handers.

Gio Urshela, LAA, 1B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 6%) - Boring but playable in a pinch; Urshela has a 130 APR over the past two weeks and a 132 APR for the season.

Josh Rojas, ARI, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 45%, ESPN: 20%) - Rojas has a 27 APR over the past two weeks but has gone 1-for-16 over his past five games and hasn't played in three of Arizona's last four games. And facing lefties in three of five games this week probably won't make things much better; Rojas has a .248 wOBA (.222 xwOBA) and 40% K% vs LHP this season

Jose Barrero, CIN, SS/OF (Yahoo: 1%, ESPN: 0%) - Barrero has been hopeless vs LHP (.185 wOBA, 23% K%) but has a .337 wOBA vs RHP, with Reds only scheduled to face one left-hander in Week Six.

Taylor Walls, TB, 2B/3B/SS (Yahoo: 49%, ESPN: 27%) - It looks like Walls continues to rake, posting a 74 APR over the past two weeks, with three home runs and a .447 wOBA. But since his two-HR game on April 18, he's slashing .118/.286/.118 over 21 PA and has only started three of the past six games. Plus, most of his damage has come against left-handed pitching; Walls has a .630 wOBA and 9% K% vs LHP but just a .271 wOBA and 22% K% vs RHP. The Rays are set to face lefties in two of their six games this week (vs PIT, vs NYY) but it's hard to assume he'll start much more than those.

Zach Neto, LAA, SS (Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 4%) - Neto has started to heat up over the last week, slashing .364/.391/.455 over 23 PA but until he improves vs RHP (.270 wOBA, .249 xwOBA) he'll remain a short-term patch only.

On the IL

• Luis Urias, MIL 2B/3B/SS (strained hamstring - 6 to 8 weeks)
• Kyle Farmer, MIN (face laceration - no timetable)
• Joey Wendle, MIA, 2B/3B/SS (strained oblique - no timetable)
• Yu Chang, BOS, 1B/2B/3B/SS (hamate surgery - expected to miss six weeks)

Outfielder Waiver Wire Pickups

Best Choices

Brent Rooker, OAK, 1B (Yahoo: 49%, ESPN: 15%) -Hey, what's Brent Rooker doing here? I know he plays for Oakland but four home runs in the past week and a 60 APR for the season (even with only 77 PA) is more than enough to take a flier on, even if (when) he'll eventually crash. When it does, the biggest hit will come in leagues with a strikeout penalty, as Rooker is running a 17% K% that is significantly less than the +30% rates he's put up before, and without a corresponding drop in SwStr% (15.1% entering the season, 14.7% now). But still, Rooker has to be added just to see how long the trip lasts.

Esteury Ruiz, OAK, OF (Yahoo: 43%, ESPN: 11%) - Ruiz has hit the skids with a .161 AVG and .191 wOBA over the past week but finally started to flash his elite wheels, stealing six bases in the process. With a 49 APR on the year and a 71 APR over the past two weeks, I'm not sure why he's still meeting our eligibility requirements. Even if yours is a 1-point per SB league, Ruiz needs to be rostered.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., ARI, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 10%) - We named him one of the best adds last week and Gurriel Jr. hasn't disappointed so far, heading into the weekend after going 5-for-17 and slashing .357/.471/.429. And yet, his Roster% has barely budged, actually dropping a few points on Yahoo. Only five games on the docket will limit his PAs in Week Six but Arizona is also scheduled to face LHP in three of those, against whom Gurriel has posted a .401 xwOBA and 11% K% so far in 2023.

Connor Joe, PIT, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 14%) - Joe keeps hitting and Joe keeps playing, starting 14 of Pittsburgh's past 16 games. And while he's still much better vs LHP than RHP (.496 wOBA/.434 xwOBA vs .370 wOBA/.349 xwOBA) he's doing enough to keep his name in the lineup. With an 88 APR for the year, a 30 APR over the past two weeks, and the Pirates set to face an LHP in 3-of-6 games, Connor remains an excellent option. But don't keep waiting; one more week of this and Joe's Roster% is sure to shoot up.

Jorge Soler, MIA, OF (Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 24%) - With a 124 APR, Soler should probably already be rostered, even though he's been running really cold lately, with a .185 AVG and .246 wOBA over the past week. But what he absolutely does is just completely crush left-handed pitching, with a .632 wOBA, .672 xwOBA, and 16% K against the in 2023. The Marlins are scheduled to face left-handers in three of their six games this week.

Mauricio Dubon, HOU, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 45%, ESPN: 24%) - His job will mostly evaporate the second Jose Altuve returns from the IL but that day isn't today and it's probably not tomorrow. And for right now, Dubon is doing some point-league mashing, posting a 39 APR over the past two weeks and a 77 APR for the season, slashing .315/.340/.402, with just an 8% K%. His numbers are much better vs LHP and the Astros will only face one in Week Six but a spot leading off every day is almost a certainty, allowing his compiler factor to remain high batting in front of Houston's killer top half of the lineup.

Next Choices

Charlie Blackmon, COL, OF (Yahoo: 46%, ESPN: 24%) - Blackmon has been a top-100 hitter so far and will get a series at Coors and two of six games will be vs LHP, against whom he's running a .403 wOBA (.433 xwOBA) and a minuscule 4% K%. Plus, he's not killing you on the road, with a .791 OPS and .354 wOBA aren't that far behind an .801 OPS and .368 wOBA at home.

TJ Friedl, CIN, OF (Yahoo: 4%, ESPN: 14%) - Friedl has a 107 APR for the year and an 88 APR over the past two weeks, and yet remains widely available. And while he has been fairly bad vs LHP (.326 wOBA/.220 xwOBA, 40% K%), the Reds will only face one out of their six games (@ SD, vs CHW) this week.

Kike Hernandez, BOS, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 13%) - Hernandez has been raking, running a 40 APR over the past two weeks and an 82 APR for the season, but that success has also come with a lot of BABIP-fueled favoritism. He's slashing .340/.382/.460 over those 13 games and 55 PA but that line is backed by a .421 BABIP, .259 xBA, and a .344 xSLG, while a .368 wOBA has a .292 xwOBA behind it. But he's also piling up a ton of PAs, having started 21 games in a row before taking a seat on Saturday, just his second game off in 2023. With the Red Sox getting seven games in Week Six, expect Hernandez to continue compiling his way to above-average scoring while carrying triple eligibility.

Bryan De La Cruz, MIA, OF (Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 5%) - De La Cruz and the Marlins will face three LHP this week and while his .322 wOBA against them isn't impressive, a .395 xwOBA and 20% K% is.

Jarren Duran, BOS, OF (Yahoo: 28%, ESPN: 7%) - Duran is up to a 150 APR for the year but has been red hot over the past week, posting a .455 AVG and .532 wOBA. What's that you say about a .643 BABIP and .320 xwOBA? Nah, don't sweat that.

Joc Pederson, SF, OF (Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 8%) - Pederson's value remains inexorably linked to if your format allows you to swap him out when the Giants are facing a left-hander. They'll do so in two of six games this week.

Mark Canha, NYM, OF (Yahoo: 15%, ESPN: 8%) - Nothing flashy and with a low ceiling but Canha's high floor will almost always make him a good candidate if you're needing a fill-in. He'll also get seven games in Week Six, with two regular series @ DET and vs COL, but also one against Atlanta at home.

Desperate Choices

Jack Suwinski, PIT, OF (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 11%) - Suwinski has an 82 APR over the past two weeks but struggles vs LHP (.275 wOBA, 33% K%), with the Pirates scheduled to face lefties in three of six games.

Jurickson Profar, COL, OF (Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 12%) - Profar has a 133 APR over the past two weeks and will get three games at Coors but also two games vs LHP, against whom he has a .234 wOBA in 2023.

Jose Barrero, CIN, SS/OF (Yahoo: 1%, ESPN: 0%) - Barrero has been hopeless vs LHP (.185 wOBA, 23% K%) but has a .337 wOBA vs RHP, with Reds only scheduled to face one left-hander in Week Six.

Miguel Vargas, LAD, 1B/2B/OF (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 18%) - Another example of prospect growth often not being linear, Vargas has so far failed to get really get in going in the majors after dominating most every stop in the minors. There are some bright spots from a points perspective, though, with Vargas showing off his elite plate discipline via a 17% BB% and 21% K%, and a .369 xwOBA that's more friendly than his .325 wOBA. And while a .199 wOBA vs LHP is absolutely brutal, a .381 xwOBA and 13% K% say better times should be ahead for the rookie. The Dodgers have six games in Week 6 (vs PHI, @ SD), with two coming vs LHP.

Ji-Hwan Bae, PIT, 2B/OF (Yahoo: 37%, ESPN: 4%) - Bae has five stolen bases in his last three games but the Pirates will face left-handers in three of their six games this week (@ TB, vs TOR), against whom he has posted a .278 wOBA, .222 xwOBA, and 35% K% in 2023.

On the IL

• Ramon Laureano, OAK, OF (strained hamstring - no timetable)
• Seth Brown, OAK, 1B/OF (strained oblique - no timetable)
• Wil Myers, CIN, 1B/OF (CV-19 - no timetable)
• Garrett Mitchell, MIL, OF (shoulder subluxation - no timetable)
• Chas McCormick, HOU, OF (lower back tightness - on rehab assignment)
• Corey Dickerson, WSH, OF (strained calf - no timetable)
• Austin Meadows, DET (anxiety - no timetable)

Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups

Best Choices

Elias Diaz, COL, C (Yahoo: 36%, ESPN: 46%) - Do you know how to tell if things are dire at a position? It rhymes with "best option just because he gets three games at home".

Shea Langeliers, OAK, C (Yahoo: 32%, ESPN: 8%) - Langeliers has been mostly pointless vs LHP, posting a .199 wOBA against them but Oakland will only face one in Week Six. Plus, he's becoming a low-key catcher compiler, with his 47 PA over the past two weeks representing the fourth-most at the position.

Next Choices

Gabriel Moreno, ARI, C (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 10%) - Moreno only gets five games this week but three will come against lefties, with the rookie posting a .354 wOBA against them, compared to a .259 wOBA vs RHP.

Desperate Choices

Yasmani Grandal, CHW, C (Yahoo: 21%, ESPN: 10%) - The 135 APR that Grandal has posted over the past two weeks feels a lot less shiny considering a .349 wOBA over that time is backed by a .280 xwOBA. But catcher beggars can't be choosers.

On the IL

• Travis d'Arnaud, ATL, C (concussion - no timetable)
• Logan O'Hoppe, LAA, C (shoulder inflammation - out 4-6 months)
• Mitch Garver, TEX, C (sprained knee - no timetable)
• Omar Narvaez, NYM (strained calf - no timetable)

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