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Welcome back to our fantasy baseball waiver wire hitter category boosters for Week 22 of the 2024 MLB season -- free-agent hitters to consider adding to help boost your team in HR, SB, RBI, AVG, and runs. Today, we'll look at names like Wilyer Abreu, JJ Bleday, and Tommy Edman.
Each week, we are getting closer to the end of the season. We are in the dog days of August, as they used to say when I was a kid. While many fantasy players are preparing for football season, you are trying to make those moves to win your league. I am here to try and help you do that with category helpers for your offense.
We give you hitters by each offensive category. I aim to give you the top options every week for each of the five offensive categories. All hitters will be under 50% rostered on Yahoo! and listed in order of rostership and my preference. 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
Joey Bart, Pittsburgh Pirates (rostered in 33% of leagues)
Bart seems to be turning into the player finally many thought he would be in San Francisco. Bart is hitting .306 with five home runs, 12 RBI, and 11 runs in 66 August plate appearances, more than making up for the lost season of Henry Davis.
This is production from a position, catcher, that can easily turn into a black hole for fantasy teams. Think about Bart if you need a catcher upgrade.
Whit Merrifield, Atlanta Braves (rostered in 8% of leagues)
Merrifield largely gets panned because fantasy players want him to be what he was: a guy who hits near .300 with mid-teens home-run totals and 30 stolen bases. That's not who Merrifield is anymore, but he can still be a very useful player in the right situation.
In 73 August plate appearances, he's chipped in three steals with 12 walks, 12 runs scored, and an OBP of .380. If you are in an OBP league or need to get some runs, Merrifield could be a fit for your squad.
Ramon Urias, Baltimore Orioles (rostered in 5% of leagues)
Remember Urias? Lost in the shuffle of the Baltimore uber-prospects, Urias has quietly had a good month for the Orioles. In his last 15 games, the veteran third baseman has hit .297 with three home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored. That's good production for an afterthought. With the injury this week to Austin Riley, maybe you need a sneaky third-base play?
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds (rostered in 47% of leagues)
Stephenson continues to be the hitter many fantasy players envisioned when he first began his career. He's already set a career-high in home runs with 16, five of which have come in August. He's hitting .283 with those five home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 runs scored this month as well. Add Stephenson if you need help in any of those four categories because he's hot and playing daily.
Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (rostered in 39% of leagues)
I have been touting Abreu all summer, and he's rostered in only 39% of Yahoo leagues. There is a lot of red in his Statcast profile; see below. What I like is that he is becoming a compiler, and we need those in the fantasy game.
TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds (rostered in 41% of leagues)
Friedl is perpetually underrated. I feel that many players think that he is strictly a platoon bat, which is simply not the case. He has 74 plate appearances this month, hitting .246 with five home runs, 13 RBI, and eight runs scored.
Friedl is healthy again and if you recall last year, he hit .279 with 18 home runs and 27 stolen bases, so he is a dual threat out there. This is a player that can help the back end of your roster,
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
JJ Bleday, Oakland Athletics (rostered in 26% of leagues)
Bleday has run hot and cold much of the season, leading to his being on the waiver wire in many leagues. But should he be on the waiver wire at all? After struggling and hitting .225 with a paltry two home runs in July, Bleday has rebounded in August.
He's hitting .271 with three homers, 10 RBI, a stolen base, and 10 runs scored. He has a 10.6% BB% with a low 18.4% K%, so he is making contact and getting on base even if he's not hitting for a high batting average. Bleday makes for a sneaky play as a fourth outfielder in many leagues.
Jonah Bride, Miami Marlins (rostered in 17% of leagues)
Bride is such a cool story. A prospect in Oakland for a time, he languished in relative obscurity before getting an opportunity this season after the trade deadline in Miami. In 84 August plate appearances, Bride has chipped in four homers, 13 RBI, and nine runs scored.
Bride has eligibility at both first and third base, which gives him some positional flexibility that we can use as we head into the last month of the season.
Adrian Del Castillo, Arizona Diamondbacks (rostered in 10% of leagues)
Castillo has been a godsend to the surging Arizona Diamondbacks. Replacing the injured Gabriel Moreno, all Del Castillo has done is hit: .361 in 40 plate appearances, three home runs, 14 RBI, a stolen base, and six runs scored.
He's a great play in two-catcher leagues while the rest of your league is preparing for football. Grab him before the others catch on (see what I did there?).
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Tommy Edman, Los Angeles Dodgers (rostered in 45% of leagues)
Edman was activated from the IL on Tuesday and many fantasy players, me included, have been waiting on him. He stole a base in his first game back. The Dodgers will play their new toy each day, and he will be in the lineup.
One drawback is that he hit eighth and ninth in his first two games back, but keep in mind that the top of their order goes Ohtani/Betts/Freeman. Look for Edman to steal bases and score a bucketful of runs. Add him in every format now.
Jose Caballero, Tampa Bay Rays (rostered in 41% of leagues)
Pure speculation for steals. He's not going to help you in other categories.
Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers (rostered in 8% of leagues)
Meadows quietly returned the first week of August, and that has been obscured by the returns of Kerry Carpenter and Spencer Torkelson. But were you aware that Meadows is hitting .352 with five steals this month?
He has four home runs and nine stolen bases in only 153 plate appearances. This is a valuable guy who could be playing on fantasy teams in 12+ team leagues. Roster him and bank some steals.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers (rostered in 48% of leagues)
Alex Call, Washington Nationals (rostered in 17% of leagues)
Call continues to hit, which means he will continue to play. He is raking, as Call is at .343 for the month with two home runs, 10 RBI, two stolen bases, and seven runs scored. He's hitting .351 overall in 107 plate appearances.
The Nationals seem content to play him daily, so he should continue to get at-bats down the stretch as the team tries to figure out what he has for next year. Maybe Call plays himself into their 2025 plans? Time will tell, but you don't care about next year. Grab him now and see if he helps you win your league.
David Peralta, San Diego Padres (rostered in 13% of leagues)
Old friend Peralta is playing daily and well for San Diego, and some teams could use him while he is hot. The veteran is hitting .309 while getting everyday at-bats for the Padres, with four home runs, 13 RBI, and 10 runs scored this month. He's 37 and this is likely short-lived, but maybe take a look at him if you need a batting average boost.
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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