Happy Sunday, Rotoballers, and welcome back to another edition of first base and third base fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23 — August 26 through September 1.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues (30-50% rostered)
Nolan Jones, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies (46% rostered)
Following a breakout season in 2023 with the Rockies, Nolan Jones has had an extremely disappointing 2024. He's dealt with many injuries and underperformed significantly at the dish as a result. However, he was just reinstated from the injured list by Colorado with a seven-game homestand coming up, with four of those games against the last-place Miami Marlins.
Welcome back, NoJo! pic.twitter.com/CZ4r4iBVTE
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 21, 2024
So, although he doesn't have much to highlight since his return from the IL, aside from the RBI single above, Jones could be good for a homer or two with the benefit of playing at Coors Field and facing a team with poor pitching.
Colt Keith, 2B/3B, Detroit Tigers (33% rostered)
Tigers rookie Colt Keith is back for the second consecutive week, slashing .357/.379/.429 for the red-hot Detroit -- the 23-year-old collected 10 hits this week, including this RBI single on Friday night in Chicago.
A swing of the bat from Colt Keith combined with the wheels of Riley Greene increases Detroit's lead! #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/dUX8Mo291G
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) August 24, 2024
Believe it or not, his roster percentage actually went down from last week despite his current hot streak. Since July 2, Keith has had a .840 OPS with seven homers, 21 RBI, and 23 runs scored across 44 games. The Tigers hope the first-year 2B can end his season on a high note.
Waiver Wire for Deeper Leagues (10-30% rostered)
Ernie Clement, 2B/3B/SS, Toronto Blue Jays (21% rostered)
Was Ernie Clement hitting a homer in three straight games on your 2024 bingo card? Well, the 28-year-old did just that this week when facing the Reds and Angels. He collected eight RBI in the process, as well as a double, two walks, and four runs scored.
This pitch was at Ernie Clement's eyes.
He hit it 380 feet for a HR. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0QJud9z18y
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2024
Per Sportsnet Stats on X, Clement's home run was 4.60 feet above the ground, the highest pitch hit for a home run in Blue Jays history and the third-highest in MLB history in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008). He slugged .630 in 27 at-bats this past week.
Spencer Horwitz, 1B/2B, Toronto Blue Jays (13% rostered)
Clement's teammate Spencer Horwitz also had a productive week at the plate for Toronto, with a .261/.346/.652 batting line, a pair of home runs, three doubles, three RBI, and three walks. He owns a .808 OPS during August.
That ball passed the bar 🍻 pic.twitter.com/9sgYdpsrwf
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 21, 2024
Horwitz and Clement's pop has added some excitement back to the Jays. The club is still long out of the playoff race, but perhaps the two are proving to be building blocks for the future.
Deeper Waiver Wire Options to Consider (Under 10%)
Ramon Urias, 1B/2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles (9% rostered)
Last week, Ryan O'Hearn was listed as a possible pick-up as an unsung hero for the Orioles. This week, another under-the-radar option hailing from Baltimore: Ramon Urias. The 30-year-old exploded for six total bases against the Mets on Aug. 19 with a double and a home run.
The Emperor's New Groove pic.twitter.com/pRTTap2wFm
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 24, 2024
Urias added to his successful week on Friday versus the Astros, adding an RBI triple. He's slashed .250/.348/.550 with five hits, four runs, a homer, three RBI, three walks, and a stolen base over the last week. Urias has also played some stellar defense at third base.
More Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider
- Geraldo Perdomo, 2B/3B/SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (23% rostered)
- Jhonkensy Noel, 1B/3B/OF, Cleveland Guardians (18% rostered)
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