Happy Father’s Day Weekend to all the dads out there as I continue to wonder who has the voodoo doll for the 2023 Mets. There’s just no other way to explain the clear misfortune that has happened in Flushing. That Pete Alonso injury could have been worse, but he was a consistent source of power in the middle of a lineup for a team that has just been snake bitten in 2023. A late-season run of good luck will have to happen if the Mets are to keep the Braves from running away with the NL East.
I hope if you get out to games, you get to see a win-and-save combination from your starter and closer. With the NBA and NHL postseasons in the rear-view mirror, baseball has almost three months to be center stage before the NFL returns.
Here is this week’s Deep Sleepers breakdown, with players listed who are rostered on less than 30% of teams. Take a look at the Rest of Season rankings so we can help you uncover these hidden gems.
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Fantasy Baseball Deep Sleepers & Waiver Wire Pickups
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B, 3B – CIN) Rostered: 18%
On the heels of Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz getting promoted to the big leagues and immediately contributing to the Reds, Encarnacion-Strand is looking like the next Big Red One. In his last 10 games at Triple-A Louisville, he laid waste to that league: 17-for-39 for a ridiculous triple slash of .436/.542/.769. Add to that three homers, 10 RBI, 12 runs scored, and an equal number of walks and strikeouts (9:9). The kid looks ready, and fantasy players would be smart to snatch him up early, if possible. His position versatility and the universal DH should mean close to everyday at-bats from the start. Could be a fun summer in Cincy with all this youthful exuberance.
Luis Matos (OF – SF) Rostered: 17%
Speaking of youthful exuberance, the 21-year-old Matos blew through the two top levels of the minor leagues to the tune of a .350 average and a .976 OPS. He’s the Giants’ No. 4 prospect, according to MLB.com, and he put an exclamation point to Triple-A with four homers in his final three games before an injury opened up a spot in the Giants’ outfield. This erased the .215 batting average last year at A-ball, though he did deal with a severe quadriceps strain that reportedly hampered his swing. With 10 home runs and 15 steals in 55 minor-league games, Matos is the power-speed prospect who makes fantasy managers dream.
Josiah Gray (SP – WAS) Rostered: 29%
Gray may not become a frontline pitcher like some may have projected, but he’s very much a serviceable player who can be spot started on a fantasy roster even though he’s on a team that won’t help him win many games. In his last seven games, he’s allowed two or fewer runs five times. He struck out a pedestrian 29 in the 40.1 innings over that span but will stay in the rotation for the remainder of the season. Taking on the Cardinals in his next turn, Gray’s catching a team that started June by losing 10 of its first 12 games.
Julio Teheran (SP – MIL) Rostered: 24%
Teheran has a home start against the struggling Pirates tonight, and he could be a good streaming option in daily transaction leagues. Since joining the Brewers, the right-hander has put together a nice four-start run where his 0.95 WHIP complements his 1.48 ERA very nicely. He’s not going to wow the opposition with stuff, as his 89.8 average fastball speed will attest to that. But the 32-year-old veteran knows how to pitch, and Craig Counsell will keep him from running into trouble too deep into games.
Adbert Alzolay (RP – CHI) Rostered: 13%
The Cubs feel like a team that’s going to be selling at the trade deadline, which could create a closing opportunity for Alzolay down the line. The righty has two saves and a hold in his last six games and sports a sparkling 2.03 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP. With 31 strikeouts against five walks, his control has been good. Mark Leiter and Brad Boxberger are veterans who could be moved sometime in July, so Alzolay will be a good stash to be a saves play the final two months of the season on a Cubs team that will retain enough offense to be more than competitive in August and September.
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