RADIO
This is the point in the season where things start to get interesting, especially in fantasy circles. Prospects continue to rise and the real life trade deadline is just a month away, which means potential new opportunities for some of baseball’s brightest.
It also means sample sizes are getting ever so larger, helping us make decisions on struggling or apparent overachieving players. This week’s watch list features some interesting rookies, a post-hype sleeper and a few of baseball’s most versatile hitters who are still widely available.
Here is this week’s Waiver Wire Watch List:
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Players to watch in 10-team leagues
Kike Hernandez (2B/3B/SS/OF, LAD) - 33% owned
The super-utility man has gone wild over the last seven days, notching 3 HR, 7 RBI and 9 R with a .419 OBP and a steal to boot. His playing time may revert to inconsistent with Chris Taylor back, but with the injuries the Dodgers have had to deal with there’s a great chance he picks up at-bats through the rest of the season. With eligibility at four positions, he’s an attractive bench option, especially for those in daily leagues.
Zach Eflin (SP, PHI) - 44% owned
The 24-year-old Eflin is a repeat offender on the watch list - in a good way, of course. Eflin just keeps getting it done, having reeled off five consecutive victories. In that time, he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs and is coming off a seven inning shutout of the Yankees while striking out six. For the season, he’s sitting pretty with a 3.02 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 9.05 K/9. At nearly 50% owned, he’s well on his way to watch list graduate status.
Jose Peraza (2B/SS, CIN) - 47% owned
Peraza’s ownership keeps rising, and for good reason: he just keeps hitting. Over the last week he’s hit .308 with 2 HR, 7 R and 4 SB and has walked as much as he’s struck out (3:3). He doesn’t hit the ball hard often, but there are signs of developing power as he’s upped his pull percentage to 36.4% and his flyball percentage to 35.4%, both career bests (excluding a seven-game cameo in 2015). Peraza also appears to be improving on the basepaths, having been caught stealing just twice in 16 attempts. It could be simply a hot streak but a post-hype breakout is also a distinct possibility, something you don’t want to miss out on.
Jason Kipnis (2B/OF, CLE) - 34% owned
On the surface Kipnis has not been great this season. An overall triple slash of .218/.297/.345 is unplayable, but if you stop the analysis there, you’re missing the big picture. A look at Kipnis’ expected stats paints a much different picture: a respectable .254 xBA and .468 xSLG. In fact, the difference between Kipnis’ real and expected slugging percentage is the 16th largest discrepancy among all qualified hitters, meaning he could be due for some serious positive regression. Perhaps the last two weeks are a sign of things to come: .432 OBP, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 8 R.
Players to watch in 12-team leagues
Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) - 10% owned
Since returning from injury after an abysmal start, Grichuk has been on an absolute tear. He’s posted a 163 wRC+ and a .974 OPS in June and has homered four times in the last 14 days. With Steve Pearce off to Boston, the outfield logjam in Toronto is at least partially relieved.
Nathan Eovaldi (SP, TB) - 7% owned
We added the flamethrowing righty to the watch list last month and a quick glance at his numbers shows he’s more than staying afloat. Eovaldi’s 3.57 SIERA is a half run lower than his actual ERA (4.08) and he’s managed a tiny 1.27 walk rate while inducing ground balls at a 47.4% rate. For someone with his arm, he doesn’t strike out enough batters, but his current 22.4% K rate is the best of his MLB career by far. If this is Eovaldi turning a corner, it might be soon time to get in on the ground floor in standard mixed leagues.
Scott Schebler (OF, CIN) - 22% owned
No respect for Schebler, who’s been a solid contributor over the past 30 days especially. During that span, Schebler has knocked 5 HR, driven in 12 and scored 17 times. The only downside is he’s part of a timeshare in the Reds outfield unless someone gets moved or hurt, but that’s the beauty of a watch list.
Jonathan Loaisiga (SP, NYY) - 25% owned
Three starts in and we’ve seen some good and some bad with Loaisiga. His most recent outing was his best, as he threw 5.1 innings of shutout baseball while allowing just three baserunners and fanning eight. Control is an issue thus far (8 BB in 14 IP) but his minor league track record shows that this is likely an anomaly. We’ve said it before, but starters with strikeout rates in the double digits are automatic must watches.
Players to watch in deeper leagues (14-team or AL/NL only)
Matt Thaiss (1B, LAA) - 0% owned
There’s no room on the roster currently, but it’s hard to ignore what Thaiss has been doing in the minors - mashing. After posting a solid .843 OPS at Double-A, Thaiss was promoted to Triple-A where he really took off. In 31 games since the promotion, the 23-year-old first baseman has hit .312/.349/.572 with 7 HR. Despite a low 4.8% BB rate, he’s dropped his K rate to an excellent 14.4%. Thaiss appears to be progressing rapidly, so he’s worth keeping a close eye on as we get later into the season.
Graduated
Derek Dietrich (1B/2B/3B/OF, MIA) - 58% owned
Tucked away down in Miami, Dietrich has quietly put together a solid half season. He’s gone from 18% owned back in our Week 11 column to nearly 60%. The past seven days have cemented his status as a rosterable player, as he’s homered three times and posted a 1.175 OPS.
Freddy Peralta (SP, MIL) - 61% owned
The young righty continues to hum along and is now in must-own territory after firing seven innings of one-hit ball with 10 strikeouts Tuesday against the Royals. He’s been a bit fortunate in terms of stranded runners and HR/FB rate, but a 41.7% K rate is incredible no matter which way you slice it. There’s no reason not to roster Peralta at this point.
