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Welcome to another week of middle infield waiver wire options, thank you for taking some time out of your fantasy football draft prep to come join us. That's right, it's crunch time on the fantasy baseball calendar, and as easy as it may be to turn an eye to the gridiron, now is the most crucial time of the year on the virtual diamond.
Some head-to-head leagues are starting playoff matchups this week, so every lineup decision feels magnified. Even in those rotisserie leagues without playoffs, time is running out to accrue every point possible to try and finish at the top of the heap. If you need help at 2B or SS, this is the place to find that key player who can help down the stretch.
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting players in the single digits who 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 23 -- August 26 through September 1.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (36% rostered)
Second-year shortstop Masyn Winn has quietly had a rock-solid season for the Cardinals but has remained under 50% rostered for most of the season as shortstop may be the deepest position in fantasy. As a result, those in need of an upgrade up the middle may be able to turn to Winn for a boost in the season's final month.
On the year, Winn is slashing a respectable .278/.326/.419 with 11 homers, 61 runs, 44 RBI, and 10 stolen bases across 118 games played. More importantly, he significantly upped his power production in the second half as six of his 11 homers have come since the All-Star break; a promising sign for a 22-year-old with plenty of time to develop into more power.
Best of all, Winn's expected stats are up across the board from his disappointing debut in 2023. He's already shattered his previous max exit velocity by smacking a homer at 111.1 MPH this season, and the rest of his relevant batted-ball metrics are improved as well. Toss in 87th percentile sprint speed, and Winn could be a five-category contributor in fantasy to close the season.
| Masyn Winn | xBA | xSLG | xwOBA | xwOBAcon | Max Exit Velocity |
| 2023 | .214 | .285 | .211 | .271 | 103.9 MPH |
| 2024 | .265 | .369 | .323 | .331 | 111.1 MPH |
Brendan Rodgers, 2B, Colorado Rockies (22% rostered)
Brendan Rodgers' roster rate implies he could be in the "Deep League" section, but he's an advisable start in all leagues ahead of a seven-game week in Coors Field. The red-hot second baseman has had a fine season overall, he's batting g.275 with 10 homers, but he's been borderline elite at home.
On the season, Rodgers has a .867 OPS at home compared to .607 on the road. The three legs of his triple-slash line - batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage - are all over 100 points better in Colorado. Most Rockies hitters are better at home for obvious reasons, but Rodgers takes things to an extreme.
If you are in a playoff matchup this week or need to win to qualify for the playoffs, there are few 2B options better than Rodgers who will be facing some hittable pitchers in the league's most offense-friendly ballpark.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Ernie Clement, 2B/SS/3B, Toronto Blue Jays (16% rostered)
For a team that sold at the trade deadline, the Blue Jays' offense has been pretty darn good in August as Toronto has unearthed multiple players that have been productive this past month. One of those hidden gems has been Ernie Clement, who had three straight games with a home run last week to charge onto the radar of fantasy managers.
Last week's hot streak aside, Clement has had a solid campaign overall as he's got 10 homers and eight steals to go along with a .272 batting average and a 103 wRC+. Clement's calling card is elite plate discipline, as his 7.2% K rate would far and away lead the majors if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the leaderboards.
The 28-year-old has hit the ball well for most of the season and is now getting everyday playing time. He's worth riding as a hot-hand play as long as he remains in the starting nine for Toronto.
Spencer Horwitz, 2B/1B, Toronto Blue Jays (12% rostered)
From one Blue Jay to another, we turn our attention to Spencer Horwitz, who, like Clement, has really benefitted from getting everyday at-bats for Toronto. Since the trade deadline, Horwitz is slugging .459 thanks to four homers and five doubles, and he's got 24 runs-plus-RBI in 22 games thus far in August.
Horwitz has taken a big step forward in his sophomore campaign, and it's visible in his batted ball data. The 26-year-old upped his barrel rate, average exit velocity, max exit velocity, and slashed his K-rate by 10 percent over his rookie season in 2023. Simply put, he's making better contact this season and it's showing up in his stats. With multi-positional eligibility, Horwitz is start-worthy in more fantasy leagues than not.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Watch List
Connor Norby, 2B, Miami Marlins (4% rostered)
At this point in the season, there's not much use in stashing prospects, so let's take a look at Connor Norby who was recently called up by the Marlins after being dealt to Miami from Baltimore at the trade deadline. The 24-year-old hasn't been great in the majors thus far, but he did homer on Saturday and has the minor league track record to justify his lofty ranking in prospect circles.
Most importantly for our purposes, the Marlins are slated to face four left-handed pitchers this week and Norby has been very good vs southpaws in his brief career. As a Major Leagues including his time with the Orioles, Norby is batting .294 with a .588 slugging percentage against LHP, making him an intriguing sleeper in deep fantasy leagues.
It's a Hail Mary shot, but there are worse bets to make than a high-end prospect with great matchups ahead of a seven-game week, four of which will be in Colorado.
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