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Wow, does it feel good to have baseball back in our lives. As fun as the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby can be, that week really brings fantasy baseball to a grinding halt. It's four days of opening fantasy apps, seeing "no game" next to all the players, then closing the app in disappointment. But no more! We had a full slate of games on Friday and Saturday and it's time to hit the waiver wire to prep for the stretch run.
While we're in the intro, it behoves me to mention Ezequiel Tovar yet again, who remains available in roughly half of fantasy leagues. The 21-year-old top prospect for the Rockies has been featured in this space more often than anyone this season and his roster rate just finally crept back over 50 percent. That being said, as long as his roster rate is under 100 percent, it's not high enough. If Tovar is available in your league, I'd add him over the fresh batch of names below.
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 17 -- July 17 through July 23.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
CJ Abrams, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (34% rostered)
There hasn't been a lot to smile about with the Nationals this season. Those not paying attention to Washington baseball are missing out on CJ Abrams, who has been on a heater over the last couple of weeks. Since the calendar flipped to July, Abrams is batting .355 and has a sturdy .896 OPS.
On the season, Abrams is showing some nice signs of a developing player. His hard-hit rate is up 5.5 percent from last season, he doubled his barrel rate, and his max exit velocity is up three mph. Throw in upper-echelon speed and you've got a nice skill set for fantasy. Pick him up and ride the hot streak.
Jordan Westburg, SS, Baltimore Orioles (44% rostered)
The loaded Orioles farm system keeps on producing quality fantasy options. The latest example is Jordan Westburg, who is slashing .295/.367/.455 with eight runs and six RBI through his first 12 MLB games. Not only are his surface numbers off to a good start, but Westburg also has a sub-20 percent K rate, a solid eight percent walk rate, and a hard-hit rate of 47.2 percent.
This production in a small sample is further supported by his minor-league track record. Westburg had 36 homers in Triple-A and slugged well over .500 in Norfolk between last season and this season. His roster rate in fantasy should be doubled.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Zack Gelof, 2B, Oakland Athletics (7% rostered)
The future is now in Oakland as the A's called up two of their top prospects in second baseman Zack Gelof and catcher Tyler Soderstrom. Given this is a middle infield column, let's focus on Gelof, who went 2-for-8 with two runs scored and an RBI in his first two MLB games.
The 23-year-old was mashing Triple-A at the time of his promotion. His slash line of .304/.401/.529 was elite and, while batting numbers are inflated in the Pacific Coast League, that remains as good of a triple-slash line as you'll find in the high minors. Toss in 12 homers and 20 stolen bases and you can see why A's fans are finally happy to have something to cheer about.
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS/OF, Houston Astros (24% rostered)
Mauricio Dubon isn't the sexiest name in fantasy, but he's done yeoman's work filling in as the leadoff hitter while Jose Altuve (oblique) remains on the injured list. Since the start of June, Dubon is batting .260 with a .415 slugging percentage and has scored 17 runs as the primary leadoff hitter for Houston.
Now, Altuve and other injured Astros will return at some point, but Dubon's defensive versatility should keep him in the lineup enough to be productive for fantasy in deeper formats. For now, add him for help in the runs and batting average department.
Other Options to Consider:
- Maikel Garcia, SS/3B, Kansas City Royals (47% rostered)
- Luis Garcia, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (19% rostered)
Prospect Watch
Oswald Peraza, SS/3B, New York Yankees (4% rostered)
The underachieving Yankees need to do something to shake things up, and what better than calling up a 23-year-old prospect who is slugging .506 in Triple-A? Oswald Peraza started the season with the Yankees but was promptly sent to the minors after posting a .188 batting average in 12 MLB games. Since being sent down, however, Peraza is getting on base at a .354 clip to go along with 11 homers, 12 steals, and 61 runs-plus-RBI in just 43 games.
Many prospects struggle in their first taste of the majors, get sent down for more seasoning, then come back up to the bigs and mash. Peraza has a high-end prospect pedigree and could inject some life into the Yankees' season. He's worth a stash in deeper leagues and is a name most fantasy players should know when he does inevitably wind up back in the Bronx.
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