In the world of fantasy baseball, the waiver wire is a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. It's where you find the players who are just about to break out, the ones with the potential to become your league champions. Today, we're diving into the top priority players to add to your roster, focusing on those who are likely to be available in most leagues. Get ready to boost your team's performance with these exciting additions!
Carlos Cortes: The Hitting Machine
One player who has been on fire is Carlos Cortes, an outfielder for the Athletics. With a 22% roster rate, he's a player you can't afford to ignore. Cortes has been on an incredible run, slashing .356/.417/.575 with a .396 xwOBA and 174 wRC+. What makes him so intriguing is his ability to post top-notch EVs while limiting swing-and-miss. It's not every day you see a player with a sub-10% K rate who also boasts 44% HH and 12% barrel rates. His SwStr% (7.7%) is the best mark of his career, including his time in the minors. This is a generational breakout, and I believe he's a must-add for any fantasy baseball team. The question is, can he keep this up?
Carson Benge: The Rising Star
Another player to watch is Carson Benge, a 23-year-old outfielder for the Mets. While his current stats are only .211/.283/.339 with a .308 xwOBA and 80 wRC+, he's started to show consistent quality at-bats over the past two weeks. Over his last 14 games, Benge has hit .326 with a .941 OPS and 167 wRC+. His K% is below 20%, and he's absolutely torching the baseball with an 91.4 mph EV and 50% hard-hit rate. This is a player who could be on the rise, and I think he's worth adding to your roster.
Max Meyer: The Dynamic Pitcher
Moving on to pitching, Max Meyer of the Marlins has been unreal to start the year. With a 2.79 ERA/2.89 FIP, a career-best 1.10 WHIP, and a 17% K-BB rate, Meyer is a force to be reckoned with. His success is fueled by a dynamic pair of secondaries — his slider has missed bats at a 44% clip with a .225 xBA, and his sweeper is nearly as effective, posting a .284 xwOBA and 37% whiff rate. His four-seamer, which was once a weakness, has been elevated thanks to the threat of these two secondaries. Meyer is a player who could be a key addition to your pitching rotation.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Let's take a look at some of the players who have been added to rosters on Yahoo and ESPN. Ryan Waldschmidt, a prospect with a high ceiling, has been a standout. He boasts a knack for taking ball four and popped 18 HR in his first year of pro ball last year. In his MLB debut, he went 1-for-1 with a 95.9 EV single. Ezequiel Duran, another player I've talked about before, is slashing .301/.379/.482 with a 141 wRC+. His K% has significantly improved, and his bat speed is up, fueling a gigantic increase in EVs, HH%, and FastSw%. Payton Tolle, a pitching prospect, has turned in a 2.04 ERA/2.45 FIP and 25% K-BB rate through three starts. His fastballs have been electric, and his improved curveball has been racking up whiffs with ease. Clay Holmes and Braxton Ashcraft are also players who should be rostered more.
Streaming Pitchers
For streaming pitchers, our friend Nick Pollack does a wonderful job at highlighting and ranking options. One player to watch is Bubba Chandler of the Pirates, who has a premium matchup against the Giants. While his 4.76 ERA/5.12 FIP in 34 innings hasn't been dazzling, the Giants are the worst team in baseball at drawing ball four (just 5.3%). His changeup, running a .263 xwOBA and 29% whiff rate, has been dynamic. Logan Henderson of the Brewers is another consistent performer, with a 0.76 FIP and elite 33% K-BB rate to start the year. While he may not fare well against the Yankees, he's still a must-add.
In the world of fantasy baseball, the waiver wire is a place where you can find players who are just about to break out. It's a place where you can add players who are likely to be available in most leagues and boost your team's performance. So, keep an eye out for these players and add them to your roster before they become too popular. Happy drafting!
