Ok, I’m not going to lie to you guys. When I put Eddie Rosario on this list last week and told you I thought he was lined up for a big week, I did not think it was going to be this big of a week. Three home runs, six runs scored, and five RBI made him one of the best performers of the week. His teammate Orlando Arcia, a former member of this list, had an amazing week as well. They’re two players who were also highlighted in my weekly planner from last week, which has become a must-read article.
This week is a bit tougher. At this point of the season, it can be hard to find guys who are widely available and will also offer top-tier production. It’s not impossible, though. Many of the choices just end up coming with a lot more inherent risk. That’s how you win championships, though: calculated risks. You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Waiver Wire Priority Additions
Eddie Rosario (OF – ATL)
Did I already talk about Rosario leading off this article? Yes. Do I care? No. At this point, he should be the apple of every fantasy baseball manager’s eye. The production has extended beyond this crazy week he’s already had. For the month of June, Rosario is hitting .308 with eight XBH, 12 runs scored, and 13 RBI in 13 games.
All of his games will come on the road this coming week, but they’re against the struggling Phillies pitching staff and then on the road at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. A hitter’s dream. He’s rostered in just 40% of Fantrax leagues, 15% of Yahoo, and 6% of ESPN and deserves a lot more attention than he’s getting.
Tommy Pham (OF – NYM)
A first-timer on this list for me, and it’s been well-deserved as of late. Pham has become a regular in the Met’s starting lineup and is producing at a very good, under-the-radar level. In 12 June games, he’s hitting .317 with eight XBH and 11 RBI. His Statcast is also the most beautiful shade of bright red all over the place. His 94.1 MPH average exit velocity, .395 xwOBA, .554 xSLG, 16.7% barrel rate, and 17% chase rate are all in the 94th percentile or higher. He’s a good mix of power and speed, and everyday at-bats are only going to produce an excellent amount of counting stats moving forward.
Bo Naylor (C – CLE)
Coming into the season, Francisco Alvarez and Gabriel Moreno were all the rage when it came to young catchers. So far, both have lived up to the hype in some regard. The next man on that list was Bo Naylor, and he’s someone who should be added in all formats. A great mix of power and speed which is usually only reserved for the likes of JT Realmuto. Through 60 games in 2023, he has an 11% barrel rate, 85% zone contact rate, and 26 XBH. He’s only stolen three bases, but after stealing 20 in 2022, there’s reason to think he could be very active on the basepaths at the major league level. Currently my #13 catcher, he should quickly rise into my top 10.
Bryan Woo (SP – SEA)
Woo had one of the roughest starts to a major leaguer a pitcher can have, surrendering six earned runs in just two innings. Since then, though, he’s been electric. In his last two starts, he has 16 strikeouts in 10.1 innings, a 3.48 ERA, and 2.62 xFIP. Overall he has a 37.7% strikeout rate and a 34% K-BB rate, both of which are absolutely absurd. His fastball and slider both have whiff rates above 32%, and he lines up next against a Yankees team whos striking out 23% of the time and batting just .199 in the month of June. Woo is locked into that Mariners rotation and should be owned and started.
Wooing the crowd ?
In his third MLB start, Bryan Woo racked up 18 swings-and-misses and struck out nine for the @Mariners: pic.twitter.com/IxFY3fgivE
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 17, 2023
Deep League Additions
Donovan Solano (1B, 2B, 3B, DH – MIN)
The veteran utility man has snuck his way into the Twins lineup and proven himself to be effective. At this point of the season, that’s about all you can ask for. He’s on a particularly hot streak in his last nine games. Hitting .435 with four XBH, seven runs scored, a 20.7% strikeout rate, and a 20.7% walk rate. Not usually known for his power, he’s put up a 99.1 MPH average exit velocity and 82.4% hard-hit rate in that same time frame. Still readily available on all platforms. Take advantage of his hot streak while you’re able.
Ryan O’Hearn (1B, OF, DH – BAL)
Apparently, all O’Hearn needed for his power stroke to come back was a change of scenery. Now in Baltimore, he’s hit seven doubles and five home runs in just 27 games. His .338/.381/.623 slash line shows he’s been effective in all aspects so far. Especially when you take his 93 MPH average exit velocity and 10.3% barrel rate into account. He’s hit seven balls at 95+ MPH in his last five games. As long as he’s making solid contact look for O’Hearn to give you the counting stats you’re looking for in leagues bigger than 12 teams.
Matt Vierling (3B, OF – DET)
Vierling was the darling of many coming into this season. While the stats weren’t there in years prior, many underlying stats pointed to him being a potential weapon at the plate. Overall this season, he’s been a bit underwhelming by those standards, but his last 13 starts have shown a glimmer of that upside. .377/.431/.679 with five home runs, nine RBI, and a strikeout rate of just 13.8% are what you look for in a fantasy asset. The Tigers have six home matchups next week against Kansas City and Minnesota, thankfully missing a matchup against Sonny Gray. Vierling is set up for continued success.
Matt Vierling just decided to crush baseballs today pic.twitter.com/FLTLXAxSh4
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 17, 2023
Emmet Sheehan (SP – LAD)
Sheehan is the new kid on the block in Los Angeles and was impressive in his debut. Before his call-up, he led the minor leagues in SwStr% and was second in strikeout rate. He followed that up by striking out just three in his big league debut but allowed no hits across six innings. He throws an unorthodox pitch mix of sinker, changeup, and slider, which should continue to bode well for him in the future. The reason he’s on just my deep league list is that it’s unknown how long he’ll be up. He may just get one more start, and if that’s the case, be hesitant when picking him up, but if he plays well, he will become a must-add in all formats.
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