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Every season, some players fly under the radar in drafts and become huge waiver wire pickups. As young players break out and veterans continue to prove themselves, those waiver gems can come unexpectedly. However, picking up the right ones early in the year could go a long way for your fantasy team.
There have been a bunch of waiver gems from the first half of the 2024 season, but I have narrowed it down to the best 12. All 12 of these players were going outside the top 250 in drafts and went undrafted in most 12-team leagues.
Something to keep in mind when reading this article is that every league is different. So, not everyone on this list might have gone undrafted in your league. In most leagues, though, they did. So, here are the 12 best waiver wire gems from the first half of the 2024 season. Jared Jones, Luis Gil, Brenton Doyle, and Brice Turang just missed the cut.
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Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg did not have a ton of hype entering the season. Despite hitting .260 with three home runs, 17 doubles, and 23 RBI in his rookie campaign in 2023, Westburg was ranked outside the top 330 in CBS, ESPN, and Yahoo! leagues. However, anyone who picked up the 25-year-old early in the season has been extremely happy with his production.
The @Orioles' Gunnar Henderson & Jordan Westburg in the first half:
Doubles: 40
Triples: 10
Home runs: 43They're the first teammate duo in MLB history to combine for 40+ doubles, 10+ triples & 40+ homers prior to the All-Star break.
Henderson is 23 years old & Westburg is 25. pic.twitter.com/w88f9k9eSN
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 19, 2024
Westburg is currently hitting .271 with 15 HRs, 22 doubles, five triples, and 50 RBI through the first 89 games in 2024. The Orioles infielder was also selected to his first All-Star game, showing just how strong of a season he is having. There were question marks about potential playing time this year, considering both Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo were going to be up at some point. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old has earned his spot in the lineup. With a top 50 rank currently in Yahoo! fantasy leagues, he is a strong option for the rest of the year.
Brent Rooker, Oakland A's
Fantasy managers shouldn't have overlooked Oakland A's outfielder Brent Rooker in drafts this spring. Rooker just hit 30 HRs, drove in 69 RBI, and made his first All-Star game in 2023. But since he struggled down the stretch last season and plays for the A's, he was ranked outside the top 250 in all formats.
That shouldn't have been enough to pass on Rooker in the later rounds, though, because he is enjoying the best fantasy season of his career. He is hitting .291 with 21 HRs, 18 doubles, and 62 RBI across 83 games this year. Those stats have put the 29-year-old into elite fantasy status in 2024, considering he ranked top 40 in fantasy points scored in the first half.
Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Very few fantasy managers even looked twice when Philadelphia Phillies starter Ranger Suarez was still on the board in the later round of drafts. His combined ERA over the past two years has been solid (3.88), but his high walk rate (8.9%) and low strikeout rate (20.8%) made him an easy pass. That's why he went undrafted in most 12-team leagues at his 313 ADP.
Nevertheless, Suarez has proved a lot of fantasy managers wrong and is enjoying a breakout campaign in his age-28 season. Despite struggling over the past month, the left-hander still owns a 2.76 ERA -- fourth-lowest in the National League. With his walk rate (5.7%) and strikeout rate (24.5%) drastically improving from the past two seasons, the southpaw has been a top-five fantasy pitcher for most of the year.
Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers
With every fantasy platform ranking Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty outside the top 300 entering the season, no one took a chance on him in drafts. He was coming off a year in which he finished with a 4.99 ERA and went to a Tigers team where wins might be hard to come by.
However, Flaherty has been one of the most consistent fantasy options in 2024. Through his first 16 starts, he owns a 3.13 ERA with 119 strikeouts. While the right-hander has dealt with a nagging back issue over the past month, the results have still been there for the veteran. If he gets traded to a contender at the deadline, his fantasy value might also increase over the final two months.
Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez was a full-time starter with the Chicago White Sox from 2018 to 2020. Lopez had some mixed results in that starting role and eventually transitioned to the bullpen shortly after. But the Braves signed him this offseason to be a part of their rotation. Still, with a 352.2 ADP, he was not on anyone's radar entering the year.
Why has Reynaldo López been so good this year?
He says it's all in his mental approach to games. pic.twitter.com/peoIWL6Lip
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 19, 2024
The right-hander, though, soon became a hot commodity on waivers after giving up just two earned runs across his first 25 innings of work (0.72 ERA) to begin the year. That consistency has continued for Lopez, as he currently leads the league with a 1.88 ERA. The 30-year-old has gone from undrafted to one of the best waiver wire pickups in 2024.
Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
No one expected White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet to have the season he is currently having. The left-hander owns a 3.02 ERA and a league-leading 150 strikeouts through his first 20 starts. After throwing just 25 total innings over the last two years, his 414 ADP across all platforms made sense.
But Crochet has turned into an elite fantasy option. He ranks top five in points scored at the pitcher position in most leagues this year while continuing to pitch at a high level. There are question marks on how limited he will be in the second half, considering he has already pitched 107 1/3 innings this season. However, when looking at the first half alone, he might be the best waiver wire pickup.
Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck really struggled as a full-time starter in 2023, finishing with a 5.01 ERA across 21 starts. As a result, Houck went undrafted in most leagues this spring. However, the right-hander quickly became a waiver pickup after tossing six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Oakland A's to open the season.
Since then, Houck has continued to be a consistent fantasy option. He was selected to his first All-Star game this season behind a 2.54 ERA and 112 strikeouts. The 28-year-old has gotten hit hard recently but still ranks top 15 in points scored at the pitcher position in 2024.
Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill was an interesting case in 2024 fantasy baseball drafts because no one knew if he was going to make the Opening Day roster. There's a chance that someone in your league took a chance on him in the last round, but in most leagues, he went undrafted with an ADP outside the top 260.
Merrill, though, has since become a consistent fantasy option in his first major league season. The 2024 All-Star is hitting .278 with 12 HRs, 12 doubles, two triples, 10 stolen bases, and 46 RBI through his first 95 games. The Padres outfielder has struggled as of late in fantasy. However, for the most part, managers have been happy with his production in 2024, considering he has done it all.
Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres
The potential was always there for San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar to put up strong fantasy numbers. He was once the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball (2013), but Profar never reached those lofty expectations. In his first 10 major league seasons, the outfielder had a combined .239 average with just 87 HRs and 359 RBI. That's why he went undrafted in almost all formats this season.
After more than a decade in the Major Leagues and back in the same city where his career began, Jurickson Profar is introduced at his first MLB All-Star Game.
What a moment. pic.twitter.com/ftLzw2o3b6
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) July 17, 2024
However, the 31-year-old is enjoying a breakout campaign in Year 11. The switch-hitting outfielder is hitting .305 with 14 HRs, 16 doubles, and 59 RBI across 97 games in 2024. Those stats have helped Profar become a consistent fantasy option, as he ranks top 30 in points scored this year.
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
There's a chance someone in your league took Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes in the last round of your fantasy draft. Nevertheless, no one knew when Skenes was going to make his MLB debut after pitching in just five minor league games in 2023. So, his ADP outside the top 250 was not unusual to see.
But as Skenes started to dominate more and more in the minors, his rostership started to slowly increase. Now, he has emerged as one of the top fantasy pitchers. In his first 11 career starts, the flame-throwing right-hander has a 1.90 ERA and 89 strikeouts. If you were able to pick him up before he made his debut on May 11, congratulations because he should finish as a top fantasy pitcher in 2024.
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo had a strong 2023 season with the San Diego Padres, finishing with a 3.57 ERA and 140 strikeouts across 26 starts. However, for some reason, the veteran right-hander was ranked outside the top 300 in CBS, ESPN, and Yahoo! leagues.
Lugo, though, has been even better in 2024 than he was last year. He currently owns a 2.48 ERA with 116 strikeouts while winning 11 games in the first half. Given the 34-year-old ranks top 10 in points scored at the pitcher position this season, he has been a first-half waiver gem for fantasy managers.
Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants
The last waiver gem from the first half is San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos. Ramos struggled at the plate in 2023 and failed to make the Giants' Opening Day roster this year. However, since he was called up on May 8, he has been a strong fantasy option.
Ramos is hitting .298 with 14 HRs, 11 doubles, and 46 RBI across 60 games this season. It might be a small sample size for the Giants outfielder in fantasy, but it's hard to ignore what he has done over the past two months. He has been a top 50 fantasy option since making his season debut.
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