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Baseball season is officially in full swing. If you have an interest or a need in tweaking with your team, then you have come to the right place. This FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups series will be looking at Week 13-- June 17 through June 23 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
Baseball is a long season, and your FAAB budget has to last you an awfully long time. For the next 12 weeks, we must carefully place bids and target players who will fill holes on our team. Pay close attention to this in category leagues and spend big on a player if you need a specific category filled urgently.
Below are a few players with ownership percentages under 50% in Yahoo leagues that could benefit your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. I will also include what percentage of your FAAB budget you should look to spend on each player. Let’s get started!
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Drew Thorpe, SP, Chicago White Sox
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <12%
Chicago White Sox starting pitching prospect Drew Thorpe made his major league debut on Tuesday, June 11, and looked quite sharp.
He tossed five innings of two-run ball (one earned) with three hits, two free passes, and four punchouts against the Seattle Mariners.
Drew Thorpe’s MLB debut:
5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
11 swing and misses.pic.twitter.com/UFmIhHtPwc
— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) June 12, 2024
Thorpe was impressive in Double-A through the early part of the season, which is why he earned an early call-up, bypassing Triple-A entirely. Through 60 innings with the Birmingham Barons, the 23-year-old held a stellar 1.35 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 17:56 BB:K ratio. Thorpe looked quite comfortable in his first start and is worth adding in all formats.
Adael Amador, SS, Colorado Rockies
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8% if needing a MI, <5% for others
Another promotion this week came from the top prospect in the Colorado system, Adael Amador. Similar to Thorpe, Amador also skipped Triple-A entirely and made the jump from Double-A to the majors. In 46 games at Double-A this season, the 21-year-old showcased elite speed with 22 swiped bags and strong plate discipline with a 33:39 BB:K ratio but struggled in the batter’s box with a .194/.337/.329 line. Through his first four games in the majors, Amador has already swiped one bag and tallied two hits.
Amador’s time in the majors may be limited as he was prompted to replace the injured Brendan Rodgers (hamstring), who is not expected to require an extended absence. However, if Amador can improve his production from a hitting standpoint and showcase his elite speed, he may earn a permanent spot on the major league roster.
Max Meyer, SP, Miami Marlins
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10%
Miami Marlins prospect Max Meyer opened the season on the major league roster and was a popular waiver target in the first few weeks of the season. However, he was later optioned to Triple-A with concerns regarding his innings limit.
Marlins Manager Skip Schumaker recently told the media that Meyer should be on his way back to the majors “soon”, so now might be the time to grab Meyer if he was dropped in your league.
The Miami system's second-ranked prospect was sharp in his three starts in April, with a 2.12 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 3:14 BB:K ratio. He struggled since returning to Triple-A but that should not be a concern.
Max Meyer held his own today against one of the best lineups in baseball.
6 IP 6 H 1 R 0 BB 7 K
Induced 23 whiffs🔥 and 36 CSW%Former top Marlins prospect should be owned everywhere!
pic.twitter.com/ptPazKzMmq— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) April 13, 2024
Add Meyer where he is available and expect him to remain on the major league roster for the foreseeable future.
Cade Povich, SP, Baltimore Orioles
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
Another young starting pitcher recently made his major league debut. In his first outing on June 6, Povich struggled, allowing six earned runs in five frames and only striking out two against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, in his most recent outing on Wednesday June 12, Povich shut down the Atlanta Braves through six clean frames with only five hits and six punchouts.
Cade Povich, Filthy 83mph Sweeper. 😷 pic.twitter.com/t18qyjSHCq
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 12, 2024
This was a big bounce-back for the young arm and makes him an intriguing add this weekend.
Shane Baz, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
27% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10%
Injuries have been a thorn in Baz’s side all his career. However, Baz is nearing the end of his long recovery process from Tommy John and could rejoin the major leagues by next month. There may not be a starting pitcher on your waiver wire with as much upside as Baz. Before undergoing surgery, Baz struck out 48 across 40 major league frames in 2021 and 2022. In his past two rehab outings, he has struck out 14 batters in nine frames and has allowed just one run.
The Rays may opt to go with a sixth-man rotation going forward, which opens the door for Baz and could help him stay healthy if he has more extended rest periods between each start. Baz is an upside stash going forward and could be a legit fantasy contributor in the second half of the season. However, in the short term, he is not a viable solution if you are desperate for a starter.
Mark Leiter Jr., RP, Chicago Cubs
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3% if needing saves, <1% for others
Let’s turn to saves. Hector Neris blew a save opportunity on Tuesday evening against the Tampa Bay Rays. Neris now sports a poor 4.01 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and just 21 strikeouts in 22 ⅔ innings.
Mark Leiter Jr., the typical set-up man in the Northside, has a much higher strikeout rate of 31.5% compared to Neris, who has a 22.0% and better ratios with a 3.51 ERA and 1.25 WHIP entering Thursday, June 13.
In addition, Leiter holds a strong 2.92 xERA, while Neris sports a poor 5.52 xERA.
Leiter does a significantly better job limiting hard contact and inducing whiffs, which is more favorable in the ninth inning. If Neris continues to have these rough outings, Leiter will find himself earning more save opportunities, but this could develop into a closer-by-committee situation, which will lower both of their ceilings.
Mitch Garver, C, Seattle Mariners
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10% if needing a second catcher, <5% for others
After looking like a bust through April and May with a .138 and .192 AVG, respectively, the 33-year-old backstop has begun to turn things around.
In his past eight games, Garver has posted a .304/.467/.696 line with two long balls and 7 RBI.
Mitch Garver month of June:
.286//.400/.667
2 HR
202 wRC+He's getting in way more favorable counts and starting to hit the ball harder.
Hopefully he's starting to turn the corner because adding a good Garver to the lineup would do wonders for us. pic.twitter.com/SL1bHEphLm
— Steve (@MarinersSteve) June 9, 2024
Garver was more often than not dropped by a frustrated manager in May. This is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of an impatient league mate and grab a solid number two catcher for the rest of the summer. Garver is a safe bet to serve as the everyday designated hitter in Seattle and is not in danger of losing playing time, especially if he continues to find his footing.
Wilmer Flores, 1B/3B, San Francisco Giants
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3%
Wilmer Flores will have a much larger impact in points leagues than in category leagues. Flores currently holds a stellar 13.2% K rate and an average 8.9% walk rate.
In addition, he has begun to improve his production in the batter’s box. In his past seven games, he has tallied seven hits, three home runs, seven RBI, and a 4:3 BB:K ratio.
His overall.222 AVG is not eye-catching, but that number should continue as he is beginning to turn the corner.
Jake McCarthy, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5% if needing an outfielder, <1% for others
Jake McCarthy has been a reliable source of batting average all season and has recently begun to showcase his elite speed. Entering this week, he swiped only five bags, but from June 1 to June 9, the 26-year-old stole four bases and posted a strong .320 AVG to increase his season count to nine. He is not a source for power, but if you need a batting average stabilizer and upside speed, McCarthy is safe to add in five-outfielder leagues.
David Hamilton, SS, Boston Red Sox
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: >11% if needing speed, <5% for others
Hamilton has been one of the best speed threats over the past two weeks and should be rostered in all standard leagues. Since May 26, he has held a .345/.377/.527 line with eight swiped bags and two homers. In 44 games this season, Hamilton has 14 total stolen bases with a .292 AVG. In addition, he has begun to bat in the two-hole against right handed pitchers which is a great sign for his counting stats going forward.
David Hamilton refuses to stop hitting. pic.twitter.com/VsIDright-handedler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) June 14, 2024
While he may not produce a lot of power, Hamilton is your best bet for speed and should provide a massive bump to your batting average.
Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15%
Next is a must-stash prospect in Jasson Dominguez (elbow). “The Martian” recently concluded his rehab assignment and was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as many expected. Through 21 minor league games this season, Dominguez has posted an incredible .358/.402/.630 line with six long balls, 13 RBI, and two left-fieldes. In eight games in the major leagues last season, he held a .258 AVG with four home runs, seven RBI, and one stolen base, which suggests he can be a legit five-category contributor across a full season.
While the Yankee outfield is crowded at the moment, Dominguez should be the first name called if a major leaguer were to miss time due to an injury. Dominguez is a must-stash going forward as he could provide league-winning production when given the call.
Noelvi Marte, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15%
A repeated name in this column is still heavily under-rostered. Marte was a popular breakout pick entering the draft season but was handed an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension. He is due to return sometime in early July.
Marte possesses five-category potential, as he hit three home runs and swiped six bags with a .316 AVG across 35 games in the major leagues last summer. Through his first three rehab games at Triple-A Louisville, the 22-year-old has held a .286/.288/.357 line and tallied at least one hit in every game.
In the first at-bat of his rehab assignment with Louisville, Reds infielder Noelvi Marte laces a double down the left field line.
He would come around and score on a Nick Martini RBI single. pic.twitter.com/LZxEIQ4Cq1
— Aaron Cheris (@AaronHowie) June 11, 2024
As we approach his return date which could be at the end of the month, his FAAB price will continue to rise. If you have room to stash, get him at a discount now. He is a potential five-category contributor who can be a league winner, and his price will only continue to rise as we approach the end of his suspension. His price will only continue to rise.
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