With the first week and some change of the fantasy baseball season in the books, we now have a better idea of who’s legit and who’s not. Technically, we really still don’t, but that is the joy of a small sample size. It leaves a lot of room to analyze where you think a player goes from here.
Last week we discussed a lot of guys off to hot starts who I already felt should have been rostered. Guys like Adam Duvall and Jorge Mateo are still doing well for themselves and doing what they can to put up numbers. In fact, Duvall has been off to such a hot start his roster percentage has risen to a point that he’s graduated from the list. Mateo is working his way there as well.
Now let’s get to the good stuff, the list of waiver wire targets for week two!
- Weekly Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Trade Value Chart
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Week 2 Waiver Wire Targets
Top Tier Waiver Options
Surprise, surprise, the Dodgers have done it yet again. One week into the season, rookie James Outman is proving he’s worth every at-bat he can get. He came into the year with speculative add potential and is quickly becoming must-watch TV. He is in the 99th percentile in barrel rate, 79th in xBA, and 93rd in xSLG and is sitting at a cool .348 average with two triples, three home runs, and a 1.429 OPS. And although he’s stolen only one base, his 28.9 fps is good for the 93rd percentile in sprint speed. Outman has legitimate 20/20 potential.
Garrett Mitchell (OF – MIL) 32%
The youth of Milwaukee is starting to take the league by storm, and it should be taking your fantasy league by storm as well. Mitchell has gone from an “I wonder how high his ceiling is” prospect to raking at the major league level. His combination of power and speed makes him a viable option in 12-team or more leagues. He’s chasing just 24% of pitches, making hard contact (94th percentile max exit velo), and has sprint speed in the 99th percentile. His three home runs already may be a bit of an overachievement, but Mitchell has the skills necessary to make him a great add-in fantasy.
Jason Vosler (1B, 3B – CIN) 6%
Last week I had Orlando Arcia on the list, and I had a disclaimer that he should be rostered as long as Grissom is down in the minor leagues. I feel a similar disclaimer should be in place for Vosler, with Joey Votto returning at some point. What Vosler has been able to do, though, is prove he is worth a roster spot beyond that point. His .250 batting average isn’t lighting the world on fire, but his double, triple, and three home runs already give a reason for intrigue. Be hesitant in points leagues, his 36.8% strikeout and 40.9% whiff rate are brutal, but he is putting up worthy enough numbers at a weak third base position to be still useful.
Elder was on essentially nobody’s radar coming into the season. With youngsters Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster the talks of spring training and Michael Soroka working his way back from injury, there was seemingly no opening. That all changed when Elder got called to make a start last Wednesday and went six innings of two-hit ball with six strikeouts. Now starting again on Monday against Cincinnati, there is some intrigue there. The Reds are beatable, and Elder is in line for a two-start week during a time when a lot of the two-start pitchers leave much to be desired. At 4%, he should be in my deep league section, but Elder has too much upside not to be on my top targets list.
Deep League Potential
Anthony DeSclafani (SP – SF) 8%
A quick peek at his 2022 numbers would tell you DeSclafani wasn’t great. A longer look at his 2021 numbers shows that DeSclafani has it in him to be a very viable fantasy baseball option. Thirteen wins, 152 strikeouts, and a 3.17 ERA are what you dream of getting from waiver-wire pitchers. He seems to be picking up where he left off that year in 2023. In his first start, he went six innings, three hits, no walks, and four strikeouts. It may have just been one start, but his sinker saw a major jump in effectiveness. In the last three seasons, it saw a whiff rate of 5.6%, 15.5%, and 4.2% while being his third most-used pitch. In his one start this year, it generated a 33.3% whiff rate while being his second most-used pitch. Should this continue, DeSclafani just took his game to another level.
Ji Hwan Bae (2B, OF – PIT) 11%
I wanted to find a way to add him to my list last week but couldn’t do it. This week, things are different. I’m still not entirely sure how much playing time Bae will get over the course of the season, but for now, he’s worth an add. His power is limited, but where he excels is with his speed. At 29.1 fps, Bae is already amongst the fastest players in baseball. The two doubles show he still has some XBH potential, and the 21% strikeout rate makes him enticing in points leagues. As a guy who can hit .260 and steal 40 bases, Bae has enough potential to be worth a stash.
Edmundo Sosa (3B, SS – PHI) 1%
With Darick Hall getting hurt and Alec Bohm headed to play first base, a window of opportunity has opened for Sosa to contribute. His ceiling is limited, but getting regular at-bats in a star-studded lineup like the Phillies means Sosa should be relevant enough for at least 15-team leagues. The power is lacking, just nine home runs in 204 career games, but the speed is there. He’s currently hitting .357 with a home run and a double with 97th-percentile sprint speed. Take a flyer on him, especially with the dual position eligibility.
What’s a waiver wire article mentioning a Milwaukee youth infusion without adding a SECOND young Brewers player to the list? He hasn’t flashed anything crazy in the power department with just one double and one home run, but Wiemer offers much more than that. He’s currently hitting .333 and has great plate discipline. His 20.5% whiff rate and 90.5% zone contact rate are both much better than the league average. The .407 OBP and 94th percentile sprint speed with a little pop have Wiemer on my list of guys who will be steady contributors throughout the season.
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