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Is your fantasy baseball team in need of a boost in a specific category? Maybe it's a shot in the arm in runs scored or an influx of RBI? Monitoring how well you are performing in each offensive category and addressing those categories in need throughout the season is a great way to keep your 5x5 roto team near the top of the standings!
There are dozens of waiver wire articles across the industry each week, but how many of them break down the available hitters by which categories they are most capable of contributing?
My goal is to give you the top options this week for each of the five offensive categories. All hitters will be under 50% rostered on Yahoo and listed in order of my preference.
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Runs Scored (R) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (50% rostered)
The beautifully mustachioed Schneider continues to be productive in Toronto. He's entrenched as the leadoff hitter and has scored six runs in the last week. He also has seven home runs and 30 RBI to go with his 26 total runs scored. Schneider has dual eligibility at second base and outfield, which helps fantasy players tremendously. He should be rostered in every 12- to 15-team league by now. Check out his Statcast page below.
Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers (47% rostered)
Ortiz continues to get regular playing time in Milwaukee and has both second- and third-base eligibility. The love is starting to show for Ortiz, hitting .289 with five home runs, 21 RBI, two stolen bases, and 24 runs scored in 53 games. He has scored eight times in the last week. He did bat leadoff once last week, but that spot has been held down well by Brice Turang. Nevertheless, Ortiz has proven to be productive. If you need help at the corner or middle infield positions, take a look at him.
Josh Smith, Texas Rangers (38% rostered)
Smith has been a great fix for the Rangers as they await the return of third baseman Josh Jung. Jung is still a few weeks away from returning, and Smith keeps getting regular at-bats. Smith is hitting .281 with three home runs, 22 RBI, three stolen bases, and 28 runs. He has scored six runs in the last week, continuing his quiet production. Smith has eligibility at third base, shortstop, and outfield. Playing time could dry up later this month, but he is worth looking at right now if you need the help.
Also consider: Blake Perkins (MIL), Brandon Lowe (ARI)
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Jeimer Candelario, Cincinnati Reds (41% rostered)
Candelario is another good hitter who seems to fall under the radar perpetually. And he's been largely cold to start the year. But he has seven home runs on the season, and in the last 10 days, he's hitting .300 and has three home runs. Candelario has first- and third-base eligibility, which also adds a layer to his playability. He's been a productive player for several seasons and looks to be coming around into someone most fantasy rosters can use.
Mark Vientos, New York Mets (30% rostered )
Vientos was quietly recalled when the Mets sent Brett Baty back to AAA. He has been playing only against left-handed pitching but is now seeing regular time at third base, hitting .339 with five home runs and 10 RBI over only 66 plate appearances. This could be your last chance to get Vientos cheap. Check out the small sample size in June below.
Luke Raley, Seattle Mariners (18% rostered)
Raley is in a platoon but on the good side of it. He's hitting .362 with two home runs and four RBI in June. All six of his home runs have come in his last 96 at-bats, and he should continue to get at-bats in Seattle now. Ride him while the streak lasts; Raley also has five stolen bases.
Also consider: Heliot Ramos (SF), Connor Norby (BAL), Alec Burleson (STL)
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Miguel Andujar, Oakland Athletics (35% rostered)
Andujar will surely be a hot pickup this week given his torrid start to the season in Oakland. Called up in the last week of May, all Andujar has done is knock in 12 runs and hit .392 with two home runs and a stolen base. You may recall that several years back, in 2018, Andujar had 92 RBI for the New York Yankees, so he has been productive before. He's starting in the outfield for Oakland and currently batting cleanup, so grab him while he is on the waiver wire and he could be a help in both the short- and long-term.
Jesse Winker, Washington Nationals (27% rostered)
Some might have a raised eyebrow about Winker, the former All-Star who has found new life with the Nationals. Winker knocked in three runs Monday night, giving him 28 on the season. Also eye-opening are the 10 stolen bases he has on the season. Winker has been hitting almost .300 since mid-May and people will start to notice. If you need outfield help, think about Winker, as he has a starting role and alternates between the third and sixth spots in the lineup.
Gio Urshela, Detroit Tigers (4% rostered)
Urshela has found a home in Detroit and knocked in six runs over the last week in five games. He also had two home runs. The veteran finally appears healthy again after losing several weeks to a hamstring strain. He's hitting .333 in his last eight games. Urshela provides that Swiss Army knife multiple-position eligibility (1B, 3B, and SS) that we love in fantasy baseball, and he's hot right now. The demotion of Spencer Torkelson to AAA could also mean more at-bats. Urshela might not fly under the radar for very long.
Also consider: Andrew McCutchen (PIT), Ty France (SEA), Brendan Rodgers (COL)
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds (45% rostered)
Now is the time to roster Friedl. He has been injured much of the season and just returned to the Reds lineup, where he had been hitting .167 in six games. However, he's inched the batting average over .200 over the last week and has a home run, five RBI, and a stolen base. The steals are what you roster Friedl for; last year, he had 27 steals in only 488 at-bats and also popped 18 home runs. You should roster this skill set before the rest of your league wakes up. He's leading off, too, which means he should get plenty of at-bats.
Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (42% rostered)
Funny, I get asked at least once a week if I like Rafaela, and of course I do. Some fantasy players will look at the .209 batting average and discount the other stats. But Rafaela is putting up impressive counting stats: seven home runs, 33 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 59 games. Rafaela hit only .167 in April but adjusted to hit a more palatable .239 in May.
I know the Statcast data shows lots of icy blue, but he's playing daily because of his speed and defense. And over the last two weeks, he's hit .289 with three homers and two stolen bases, thanks to some small tweaks in his swing mechanics. Hidden in all of this production is the fact you can use him at both the SS and OF positions, giving him a unique skill set that is playable on most fantasy rosters. He's sure to get double-digit home runs and stolen bases; why he is a free agent in most leagues is beyond me.
Ryan Bliss, Seattle Mariners
This is more of a speculative pick than anything. But Bliss looks like he will get a crack at playing time in Seattle at second base. His calling card is speed. In two months in AAA Tacoma, Bliss had 27 stolen bases. He also hit seven home runs with 33 RBI. I'm unsure how the power will translate in MLB, but speed works everywhere. He's stolen two bases and walked four times in his five games with the parent club. A name to know right now if you are looking for stolen bases.
Also consider: Duke Ellis (CWS), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TOR)
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pittsburgh Pirates (44% rostered)
Again, this is more speculative than being based on actual production. Hayes has hit for a high batting average when he has been healthy. Healthy is something he has not been recently, but he is back and hitting in the top half of the lineup in Pittsburgh. Hayes hit .271 last year but hit .320 in August before hitting .290 in September. At age 27 and with a full opportunity in a decent Pittsburgh lineup, Hayes should be rostered in more than 44% of leagues. He's hitting .357 in a small sample size this June.
Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates (37% rostered)
Another Pirate, Gonzales has made the most of his playing time opportunity. Gonzales hit .319 with three home runs and 16 RBI with 11 runs in May when he got ample playing time. He's been batting sixth and should continue to get playing time at both second base and shortstop, which helps your team in multiple ways. Let's recall that Gonzales also has a prospect pedigree, having been a first-round pick in 2020.
Jake Fraley, Cincinnati Reds (18% rostered)
Fraley seems to fly under the radar in the loaded Cincinnati outfield picture, but this is a productive player when healthy and getting the opportunity. He's hitting .288 without any power at this time but has chipped in 10 stolen bases as well. This includes a .385 mark in a small June sample size. The Cincinnati outfield could get very busy in a hurry, but Fraley will play if he continues to hit.
Also consider: Edmundo Sosa (PHI), Colt Keith (DET), Alex Kirilloff (MIN)
I hope this helps you out! Good luck and happy hunting, RotoBallers! You can always message me @mdrc0508 on X to complain about picks or make other suggestions!
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