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The Baseball season is officially underway, and there is no better time to look to the waiver wire to improve your team. This FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups series will look at Week 1- March 31 through April 6- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
Even though the season has just begun, being aggressive on the waiver wire is critical. During the opening weeks of the 2024 campaign, my top recommendations were Garrett Crochet, Jack Flaherty, and Jackson Merrill, who all became must-start players for the entire season.
Each week, I will break down at least one player from each position with ownership percentages under 40% in Yahoo! leagues who could improve your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories.
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Waiver Wire Hitters To Target
Hunter Goodman, 1B/OF/C, Colorado Rockies
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <1% if needing a No. 2 catcher
If you are looking for a No. 2 catcher, take a flier on Hunter Goodman. Last season, Goodman spent time in the outfield, at first base, and behind the dish. While he only posted a modest .190/.228/.417 slash line across 70 games, he went deep 70 times and generated an elite 12.8 percent barrel rate.
During spring training, he went deep three times and held a stellar .444 AVG. Given his ability to see time at numerous positions, he could become an everyday player in Colorado while holding catcher eligibility. If you faded your No. 2 catcher in two-catcher formats, Goodman is a great buy-low target that could become a value player if he continues his development.
Other C to target: (Drake Baldwin ATL, Ivan Herrera STL)
Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
Ben Rice got the start at DH on Opening Day, facing a right-hander in Freddy Peralta. With Giancarlo Stanton (elbow) on the IL, Rice could become the everyday DH on the strong side of a platoon.
He earned this role thanks to his impressive five home runs he launched across 20 spring training games. He is a high-upside power option at the corner infield that has the potential to gain catcher eligibility, as he played there coming up in the minors.
Tyler Soderstrom, 1B, Athletics
16% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8%
Tyler Soderstrom was one of my favorite deep-league sleepers during draft season. Last summer, Soderstrom flashed power upside as he went deep nine times and held a .429 SLG across 61 MLB contests. Under the hood, he generated a strong 49.6 percent hard-hit rate and a .480 xSLG, suggesting he could reach a new level in 2025.
On Opening Day, he went deep twice. While it is important not to over-emphasize small samples, given his impressive metrics last season, Soderstrom could be in store for a breakout season.
Other 1B to target: (Kyle Manzardo CLE)
Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF, Boston Red Sox
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
Kristian Campbell was a popular name during the early part of draft season but saw his fantasy stock dip after his power performance in spring training. However, the team still believes in him and named him the No. 1 second baseman. While he may go through some growing pains, he should be rostered in over 50 percent of leagues.
Last season, Campbell posted a stellar .330/.439/.558 slash line across 115 contests split between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. If the budding star is available, he is a must-add.
Other 2B to target: (Otto Lopez MIA, Colt Keith DET, Max Muncy ATH)
Joey Ortiz, 3B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers
40% rostered
FAAB Bid: <2%
Cam Smith would have been the representative of the hot corner, but he sits just under 50 percent rostered in all Yahoo! leagues. If he is available, he should be the target. However, if not, Joey Ortiz could provide some value.
Ortiz is slated to be the everyday shortstop in Milwaukee, but he was a primary third baseman last season as he carries dual-position eligibility. Last summer. Ortiz posted a modest .239 AVG but swiped 11 bags and added 11 long balls. If you need a replacement in the infield, Ortiz is the "high-floor" target.
Other 3B to target: (Brett Baty NYM, Jorge Polanco SEA)
Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics
8% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3% if needing AVG, <1% for others
Jacob Wilson progressed through the Athletics' system at an impressive pace last season, needing just 53 games, split between Double-A and Triple-A, to reach the majors. Across this stint, he posted a .433/.474/.638 slash line with seven homers. However, his time in the MLB was cut short after 25 games, after suffering a season-ending hamstring strain.
The former sixth overall pick is slated to be the everyday shortstop in Oakland. If you decide to target several power bats that lack batting average upside, Wilson is a great target that will likely sit at the top of this list next week if he picks up where he left off last summer.
Other SS to target: (Luisangel Acuna NYM)
JJ Bleday, OF, Athletics
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8% if needing an OF, <2% for others
JJ Bleday was one of my favorite late-round targets during draft season and is likely available in most shallow formats. Last season, Bleday posted a strong .263/.343/.464 slash line with nine home runs after the All-Star break.
He is slated to be the everyday center fielder in a lineup that could be quite productive in 2025. On Opening Day, he was batting third behind Brent Rooker and in front of Shea Langeliers. He could very well become a must-start option.
Victor Scott II, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
29% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10% if needing speed, <1% for others
My other outfielder to target is primarily due to his speed. Last season in the minor leagues, Victor Scott swiped 30 bags across 81 contests at Triple-A. However, in the majors, he posted an underwhelming .179 AVG with only five stolen bases.
In spring training, Scott took the next step in his development as he went deep four times and swiped five bags with a strong .349 AVG. For the time being, Scott is slated to be the everyday center fielder, making him a prime target if you punted steals in your draft.
Final Statcast numbers on the home run hit earlier today by #STLCards leadoff hitter Victor Scott II:
Exit velocity: 99.2 mph
Distance: 363 feet
Hang time: 5.6 seconds
HR in MLB parks: 27 of 30 pic.twitter.com/ZT5qfs50FS— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 25, 2025
Other OF to target: (Alan Roden TOR, Wilyer Abreu BOS)
Waiver Wire Pitchers To Target
AJ Smith-Shawver, SP, Atlanta Braves
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <1%
With Spencer Strider (elbow) starting the year on the IL, top Atlanta prospect AJ Smith-Shawver will be given a few turns in the rotation. In spring training, he tossed 16 innings to the tune of a 3.94 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He tallied 20 punchouts and only served up five walks. Across 87 innings at Triple-A last summer, he tallied an impressive 104 strikeouts and held a 4.86 ERA.
Given his improved control during spring training, he is worth targeting in deeper formats. In addition, while Grant Holmes is the likely candidate to hold a rotation spot when Strider returns, he was deployed in relief on Opening Day, which is worth monitoring.
Jack Leiter, SP, Texas Rangers
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3%
If you are looking for upside, look no further than the former No. 2 overall pick. Throughout his minor league career, Jack Leiter has flashed elite strikeout upside. Last summer, he tallied 110 punchouts in just 77 innings of work at Triple-A. However, he served up 35 walks during this stint.
In his brief taste of the majors, he held a 17:31 BB:K across 35 2/3 innings. This problem was also prevalent in spring training, but if Leiter can lower his walk rate just slightly, he could become a must-start player simply due to his strikeout upside.
He earned a spot in the starting rotation, and the Rangers will likely give him several starts to find his footing. If he performs well next week, expect his price to skyrocket leading up to Week 3.
Jack Leiter, 97mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/y223V6ViDl
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 29, 2024
Other SP to target: (Grant Holmes ATL, Kris Bubic KC, Ben Brown CHC)
Justin Slaten, RP, Boston Red Sox
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5% if needing saves
The Red Sox turned to Justin Slaten to get the save on Opening Day. With Liam Hendriks (elbow) on the 15-day IL, he and Aroldis Chapman will likely share save opportunities.
While Slaten may not be given every chance, he posted an impressive 2.93 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP across his first 55 1/3 MLB innings last season. If you punted saves in your draft, make sure Slaten is at the top of your waiver claim this weekend.
Other RP to target (for saves): (Tony Santillan CIN, Luke Jackson TEX)
Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Monitor
Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
19% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
Is it already time for prospects? While it may seem early, if you were over-aggressive on prospects early in the season, you likely had Paul Skenes waiting in the wings during the opening weeks.
This week, check your waiver wire for another budding arm in Pittsburgh, Bubba Chandler. Chandler posted a stellar 1.83 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP across his first 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A last season. He may only need a brief seasoning at this level before he is given the green light to the big leagues.
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