Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Or, as they’re saying in Wrigleyville this morning, Happy Matt Mervis Day!

Yes, the Northsider faithful’s dreams have come true just as the ivy is about to turn green. Mervis is getting the call to the big leagues today, and when you get a look at his Minor League stats below, it may take a few moments to wonder what took so long. Before we get into that, Mervis’ debut brings up a memory celebrating an anniversary today.

On May 5, 2006, Russell Martin got his call to the big leagues. He was as ballyhooed a prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system as Mervis is now. Maybe even more. I ran into Martin in the clubhouse about an hour before batting practice that afternoon. He was already dressed and ready for BP. It was that first-day-of-school feeling.

I shook his hand and wished him good luck. He said what better day to make his debut than Cinco de Mayo? Martin is from Montreal, a city with a heavy French influence. I gave him the unfortunate news that the holiday was a celebration of a battle victory by Mexico over France.

“They beat us?” I remember him asking incredulously. I told him to have a great debut anyway. He got his first big league hit that night and first home run two days later. And he even became a fantasy star, falling a home run short of going 20-20, all while playing catcher during an All-Star season in 2007. So his dampened spirits didn’t last.

I’ll save for another day the story of Nomar Garciaparra wearing a Dodgers sarape during warmups and then getting a walk-off hit that same night.

Here’s to Mervis having his own memorable debut as fantasy managers clamor to the waiver wire, empty their FAAB and target a few deep sleepers as we move into May of the baseball calendar.

Deep Sleepers & Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 6 (2023 Fantasy Baseball)

Lars Nootbaar (STL – OF) | ECR: 220

One of the underrated stars of Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, Lars Nootbaar has hit leadoff for the Cardinals in nine of the past 11 games. Even with a .214 batting average, he’s getting on base at a nice clip of .389. What’s encouraging is that his hard-hit rate is 38.9 percent, which is the same as teammate Nolan Arenado had last year when he hit 30 home runs. The Cardinals have too much talent in their lineup to continue to scuffle, and with Nootbaar batting at the top, he’ll be the ignitor for the offense.

Domingo German (NYY – SP) | ECR: 280

Domingo German’s 4.46 ERA appears average at best, but his 0.90 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 34.1 innings tell more of the story of a pitcher off to a good start. The Yankees righty has allowed one run in three of his last five starts, including a stellar 8.1-inning outing where he allowed just a run and struck out six. He’s taking on a tough Rays lineup on May 6. With him being a Yankee, it’s hard to believe that he’s available in 66% of Yahoo leagues.

Rich Hill (PIT – SP) | ECR: 268

Yes, Rich Hill is 43 and has a fastball averaging 87.7 MPH. That’s probably why he’s throwing his curveball (38.0%) more often than his heater (35.6%). It’s working, as he’s on a three-game winning streak, striking out 19 hitters in 17.1 innings. He’s allowed four earned runs in that stretch, which included a game at Coors Field when Hill allowed just a run over six innings. Hill takes on the Blue Jays’ powerful lineup tonight in Pittsburgh, so you wouldn’t be blamed for waiting one more start before picking the lefty up.

Josiah Gray (WAS – SP) | ECR: 296

After a dud of a 2023 debut where he allowed five runs in just as many innings, Josiah Gray has quietly pitched very well since then. In the five games after his season debut, Gray has allowed no more than two runs in any games. In those 28.2 innings, he has 27 strikeouts, a 1.57 ERA (five runs total) and a 1.186 WHIP. With Gray and MacKenzie Gore, the Nationals have the makings of a one-two punch for the future.

Seranthony Dominguez (RP – PHI) | ECR: 306

After Craig Kimbrel gave up a walk-off grand slam to Max Muncy on Wednesday, one of the great closers of the past decade has his ERA sitting at 8.25 and WHIP at 1.75. The Phillies are struggling, but they have too much offense. They’ll be in plenty of games. Enter Seranthony Dominguez, who got off to a brutal start to 2023. He’s since righted the ship with eight straight scoreless outings, covering 9.1 IP with 10 strikeouts. He has four holds and a win in that span, so he’s a good bet to start picking up saves. I just did a speculative cut of Kimbrel for Dominguez in one of my deeper leagues.

Matt Mervis (CHC – 1B) | ECR: 379

We’ll see how the Cubs’ lineup shakes out, but Mervis is hitting so well in the Minor Leagues that he warrants promotion to the big leagues. The 25-year-old has hit six home runs while driving in and scoring 27 runs. What is almost as impressive is that he’s walked (18) almost as often as he’s struck out (19) and has an OPS of .890. This comes on the heels of a 2022 season when he hit .309 with 36 home runs and 119 RBI. The only thing that’s a little alarming is his .179 batting average this past Spring Training in big league action. Don’t be surprised for a small slump at some point, but also be ready to see Mervis in the middle of the lineup for the remainder of the season.

Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.

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