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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? I aim 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.
You may bristle at some of the picks, but several entries on this list come from the worst team in baseball, my beloved Chicago White Sox. Take heed: even terrible teams have useful fantasy players on them, so dig deep and find those bargains. Let's take a look.
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Runs Scored (R) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Chas McCormick, Houston Astros (rostered in 28% of leagues)
McCormick flies under the radar in many leagues and a cursory look at the statistics might make you agree. But he's playing every day for the Astros, and he's scored six runs over the last week. He has also chipped in two home runs and two stolen bases. Roster him now before your league mates catch on.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Toronto Blue Jays (rostered in 26% of leagues)
This isn't the first time I have recommended IKF in this space. Kiner-Falefa has turned a full-time job into results: hitting .309 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and eight runs this month, including six in the last week. This is the kind of Swiss Army knife we seem to focus on each week, where he has positional eligibility at...
Spencer Horwitz, Toronto Blue Jays (rostered in 17% of leagues)
Horwitz is hitting .340 in June, chipping in two home runs, six RBI, and nine runs, including six over the last week. Horwitz gets on base, too, with 11 walks to only six strikeouts in 60 plate appearances. Getting on base at a .483 clip won't last, but get in on Horwitz while the hot streak lasts.
Also consider: Austin Martin (MIN), Zach Neto (LAA)
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Mark Vientos, New York Mets (rostered in 31% of leagues)
People are not rushing to roster Vientos, and I am not exactly sure why they are not adding him. Third base remains a premium position in fantasy baseball where we frequently lament the lack of power. Vientos brings that in abundance. He has blasted six home runs in June, including four over the last week, and two on Tuesday night against the New York Yankees. He has scored 14 runs this month, too. Add in that he's hitting .297, and you have a hitter who can help you immediately in three categories. He won't be cheap to roster much longer. Check out the splits below.
Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles (rostered in 25% of leagues)
This is one of my weekly speculative plays. Kjerstad has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. Once he gets established, Kjerstad will likely be a four-category contributor. The one issue here is the question of playing time in a stacked Baltimore lineup. Kjerstad has started in two of three games since his recall, and has hit seventh in those games. This might be the last time you can roster Kjerstad this cheaply. Look for him to play mostly against right-handed pitching.
Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies (rostered in 7% of leagues)
This is a pure play for power. You roster him hoping for home runs. Be prepared for a batting average below the Mendoza Line; if you can stomach that and offset it, Goodman could be a good fit for your roster. He finally has daily playing time in Colorado and has hit five home runs in June. At the very least, he is deployable when the Rockies are at home. Goodman is a very sneaky player in two-catcher leagues where he remains eligible at the position. If you are hurting for power, think about Goodman.
Also consider: Jarred Kelenic (ATL), JJ Bleday (OAK), Joc Pederson (ARI)
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (rostered in 41% of leagues)
Buxton has 10 RBI in his last 12 games and has also slugged two home runs and scored 11 runs. Yes, he's healthy right now and productive. He's hitting .255 with six home runs, 26 RBI, and five stolen bases. Recall Buxton was a top-50 player in fantasy drafts last year, so the pedigree is there. Grab him and reap the benefits while he is healthy. Buxton's Statcast data appears below.
Bo Naylor, Cleveland Guardians (rostered in 18% of leagues)
Naylor was a draft-day darling when projection systems had fantasy players salivating like a Pavlovian dog over a catcher with potential double-digit home runs and stolen bases. He's needed some time to adjust, but very quietly, Naylor is starting to hit for a surprisingly good Cleveland Guardians team. In June, he's hitting .289 and scored eight runs. Upon closer inspection, Naylor has five RBI, all this week. If you churn catchers, it might be worth your time to roster Naylor. He still strikes out too much, but he has raised his batting average by 30 points in June. Get him on your radar.
Ryan Bliss, Seattle Mariners (rostered in 2% of leagues)
I mentioned Bliss originally as a speed-only play, but he is now earning more playing time and in the process, driving in runs. With regular playing time the last 10 days, Bliss is hitting .295 this month and has a home run, seven RBI (five in the last week), four stolen bases, and seven runs. He's essentially free right now and is a cheap source of RBI and potentially stolen-base and batting-average help. See Bliss's last week and June totals below.
Also consider: Carlos Santana (MIN), Jose Miranda (MIN), Kyle Higashioka (SD)
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Harrison Bader, New York Mets (rostered in 5% of leagues)
Bader is the type of player that is often on the waiver wire but is incredibly useful in stretches. Bader has three stolen bases in the last week, running his total to 11 on the season. And he's got some pop, with five home runs, 28 RBI, 29 runs scored, and a helpful .272 batting average.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (rostered in 5% of leagues)
Crow-Armstrong is playing daily and has not chipped in much hitting, but has stolen eight bases. He has 13 stolen bases on the year despite a .209 batting average and one home run. This is a play if you are desperate for stolen bases and can make up for Crow-Armstrong's flaws elsewhere on your roster.
Richie Palacios, Tampa Bay Rays (rostered in 2% of leagues)
Palacios is a pure speed play here, having 12 stolen bases, including three in the last week. He's hitting .244 with four home runs and 35 runs scored. Keep him on your radar; he's got at least two hits in three of his last five games, so maybe he's starting to heat up a bit at the plate, too.
Also consider: Wilyer Abreu (BOS), Zack Gelof (OAK)
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (rostered in 38% of leagues)
Winn quietly continues to hit in St. Louis. He is hitting .293 and has four home runs and eight stolen bases. While he's at .270 for June, he's had a modest six-game hitting streak and his playing time is assured in St. Louis. The best part about it is that Winn is also batting leadoff, which means he can score some runs ahead of Alec Burleson and Willson Contreras. Playing a premium position like shortstop also gives us an opportunity to roster a very useful player in most formats.
Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants (rostered in 30% of leagues)
Bailey was known before the season as an excellent defensive catcher, which seemed to guarantee playing time. Well, Bailey has been one of the best hitters in the San Francisco lineup. Bailey hit seven home runs last year in 326 at-bats; this year, he has six already in only 176 at-bats. He is also hitting .290, and his xBA is actually higher at .304. Bailey is definitely rosterable in one-catcher formats now as well. He's free in 70% of Yahoo leagues, which feels slightly absurd at this point.
Carlos Santana, Minnesota Twins (rostered in 34% of leagues)
Santana continues to hit and produce for the Twins. He's hitting .364 in June with four homers, 15 RBI, 10 runs, and even two stolen bases. Three times in the last week he has had at least two hits in a game, raising his batting average to .244. Roster him now.
Also consider: Mauricio Dubon (HOU), Nolan Schanuel (LAA), Michael Busch (CHC)
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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