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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 23 -- August 26 through September 1 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
We are officially in the stretch run of the fantasy season. For the next five weeks, we must place bids and target players who will fill the remaining holes in our team. Pay close attention to this in category leagues and spend big on a player if you need a specific category filled urgently as you are running out of time. Do not be afraid to spend a little more on a player that you need to fill an empty lineup spot or boost a category.
Below are a few players with ownership percentages under 50% in Yahoo! leagues who could benefit your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. This week, we will look at a catching prospect who has been making headlines ever since joining the big leagues and a few starting pitchers who have been on a nice run and could be valuable assets down the stretch.
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Jorge Lopez, RP, Chicago Cubs
4% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15% if needing saves, <1% for others
Our option for saves this week comes from the North Side as Jorge Lopez was recently given a save opportunity. Hector Neris blew a save the day before against the Toronto Blue Jays, which encouraged manager Craig Counsell to look for another option.
Jorge López strikes out 3 in the 9th to get the save! pic.twitter.com/YVsizdpIWi
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 17, 2024
Since July 11, the 31-year-old has a stellar 0.53 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 17 innings, with a 6:23 BB:K ratio. During this span, Neris has a 3.48 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. On Tuesday morning, Neris was abruptly designated for assignment, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, and cleared waivers. This opens up the ninth-inning role in Chicago.
This late in the season, it is nearly impossible to find a go-to option for saves on the waiver wire. With Neris getting DFA'd, Lopez could be in the driver's seat for saves as he has already been called upon as of late to shut the door.
Osvaldo Bido, SP, Oakland Athletics
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
The 28-year-old has quietly been on a nice run lately and is worth picking up in all standard leagues. Over his past two outings, he has not given up a run while striking out 11. Through his past three starts, Bido has punched out 17 batters in 18 frames with a 1.00 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP.
He has induced extremely soft contact, with a 2.6% barrel rate and a 26.3% hard-hit rate, which are among the best in the sport. While the wins may be hard to find, he could produce solid ratios down the stretch, especially given his stellar metrics.
Bowden Francis, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
Francis has also been quite the performer, boasting a 1.42 ERA, 0.42 WHIP, and a near-perfect 1:22 BB:K ratio in his past 19 innings.
Bowden Francis, K'ing the Side in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/sQyJsuIXUH
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 18, 2024
Francis has bounced between the rotation and the pen all summer, but it looks like he may have claimed a starting spot. Before this stretch, Francis logged several relief outings and had a 6.00 ERA through most of July. Although the sample size may be small, given his strong performance, this may be the cheapest way to obtain him going forward.
Tyler Mahle, SP, Texas Rangers
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
After performing well in his first two starts of the season, Mahle ran into trouble against the Twins on Saturday. He allowed four runs across three innings without recording a strikeout.
While this start could have been better, if he is available in your league, there could be a rapidly closing window to get him at a lower cost.
Mahle held a 2.79 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP with a 4:9 BB:K ratio in his first two starts. Even though he underwent Tommy John surgery and it could take time to get back to speed, Mahle was a solid pitcher in fantasy in the past and he has begun to show signs of returning to form in his first two starts.
Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees
21% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15%
On Sunday night, the Yankees promoted their top prospect, Jasson Dominguez, for a brief taste of the majors but sent him down shortly after.
Even though he may be back at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the short term, he is clearly on the verge of being a full-time big leaguer. Through various levels of the minors this summer, “The Martian” has boasted a .298/.365/.477 line with seven long balls and nine swiped bags in 40 games.
In the majors last summer, Dominguez knocked four round-trippers with a stolen base in eight games. His ability to contribute to five categories is unquestioned. He will be a valuable asset down the stretch. Get him now if you can, before his cost is equal to the upside he will bring.
David Peralta, OF, San Diego Padres
14% rostered
FAAB Bid: <6% in five outfielder leagues, <3% in others
The 37-year-old uses his playing opportunities by producing an eye-catching .389/.421/.778 line with three long balls in his past 10 games.
David Peralta sends a souvenir into a sea of San Diegans 🚀 pic.twitter.com/CtJV2pvD0q
— MLB (@MLB) August 14, 2024
With Fernando Tatis Jr. (thigh) without a definite time frame, fantasy managers should feel confident riding with Peralta in their lineup as he will continue to serve as the everyday right fielder in San Diego. Peralta should be a safe bet for counting stats with upside for power batting in the heat of a hot Padres lineup.
David Hamilton, 2B/SS, Boston Red Sox
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <20% if needing speed, <10% for others
After cooling down in July with a disappointing .197/.254/.258 line, the 26-year-old has begun to heat up again through August. In his past 13 games, he carries a solid .333/.395/.590 line with two home runs and five stolen bases. While his power may not be sustainable, his speed is.
DAVID HAMILTON WITH A CLUTCH HOMER TO MAKE IT A 10-6 GAME‼️‼️ SOX THIRD LONG BALL OF THE EVENING
pic.twitter.com/iINR56GJkQ— Depressed Red Sox Fan (@TheDepressedSox) August 17, 2024
The infielder currently sits in the top 95th percentile in sprint speed among all hitters. Hamilton should be a must-add this weekend if you need to improve your stolen-base category.
Jonah Bride, 1B/3B, Miami Marlins
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
While Jake Burger may be stealing the spotlight in Miami, Jonah Bride is quietly having himself an excellent August. Since August 1, the infielder has only gone hitless four times out of 16 games with a .263/.394/.491 line. He has hit four home runs with 13 RBI and held an 11:13 BB:K ratio.
His 36.0% hard-hit rate suggests that his power production should slowly fade out, but his elite 19.7% whiff rate will keep him viable in deeper points leagues and on-base category leagues.
Jace Jung, 2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <12%
One of the top infield prospects in the sport got the call-up to the big leagues earlier last week and went 3-for-9 across his first three games. He only sat on the bench once during this stretch and started the other three games at the hot corner.
Jace Jung collects his first MLB hit with his parents in the stands! 👏 pic.twitter.com/1sv3Sl5mci
— MLB (@MLB) August 17, 2024
At Triple-A this season, the former 12th overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft spent time at second and third base and held a .257/.377/.454 line with 14 long balls, 60 RBI, and a 67:93 BB:K ratio.
A top prospect given everyday playing time is the first ingredient for a successful transition to the big leagues. This makes Jung worth a potential addition in all leagues.
Adrian Del Castillo, C, Arizona Diamondbacks
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: >20% if needing a catcher, <15% for others
Rounding out this list is a more under-the-radar prospect. Del Castillo got promoted to the major leagues after starting backstop Gabriel Moreno (thigh) hit the 10-day IL last week.
Through his first eight major league games, the No.14 prospect in the desert has posted a solid .310/.375/.586 line with two home runs and eight RBI. At Triple-A Reno, the backstop held a stellar .319/.403/.608 line with 24 home runs, 70 RBI, and a 52:76 BB:K ratio.
In his ninth game, Del Castillo made headlines by bringing in six runs with two hits, including a grand slam.
Straighten that out!
Miami native and @Dbacks rookie Adrian Del Castillo clubs his first career grand slam in front of family and friends! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/A21BDHSYlg
— MLB (@MLB) August 19, 2024
While he has bounced in and out of the starting nine, his recent production might solidify him as the starting catcher in the desert. He is a must-add in two-catcher leagues and could eventually be a top-12 option come the stretch run.
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