I’m going to start off this week’s installment by letting you know that I am not here to tell you to pick up Elly De La Cruz. Not because I don’t think you should add him, but because adding him is so incredibly obvious that it would be a disservice to add him to this list. You don’t need me to tell you to add him. You don’t need anyone to tell you to. But just in case you do, add him right now if you can.
Now let’s pretend Elly doesn’t exist. I know it’s tough because he’s been the talk of the baseball world lately, but just for this article, let’s pretend he doesn’t. Who else would you add? I know the guys I have my eye on. I’m going to try and make this an article without multiple guys from the same team…but I make no promises.
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Waiver Wire Priority Additions
Joey Wiemer (OF – MIL)
Wiemer graduated from deep league addition last week to priority addition this week. Rostered in 53% of Fantrax leagues, 24% on Yahoo, and just 6% on ESPN, Wiemer is still widely available. Highly touted for his speed, Wiemer has shown vast improvements in the power department as well. 10.5% barrel rate and a 40.6% hard-hit rate compliment his 92nd percentile speed very well. Since the 31st, he’s hitting .412 with five doubles, three home runs, and three stolen bases. Add and start him with confidence in week 11.
Gary Sanchez (C – SD)
Admittedly I don’t like this addition in the long run, but I like it right now while he’s hot. After bouncing around the league a bit, Sanchez landed with the Padres and has proven the power still exists. He doesn’t offer much else, but the power is legitimate. Since joining the Padres, he’s hitting .294 with a pair of doubles and five home runs. As I said, he’s not likely to keep this up all year, but he’s been known to be a streaky hitter, so he’s worth rostering while he’s hot.
Gary Sanchez is so back pic.twitter.com/8ZBSYgIlsP
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 10, 2023
Eddie Rosario (OF – ATL)
If you read my weekly planner article, you’d know that Rosario is one of my favorite players for week 11. The Braves play a seven-game schedule, and Rosario has been hot. Really hot. In his past 10 games, he’s hit .357 with seven XBH, eight RBI, and eight runs scored. He’s routinely hitting in the heart of that loaded Braves lineup and should be added and started right now in every format.
James Paxton (SP – BOS)
Paxton has come back with a vengeance this season. After starting out the year injured, as usual, he has really come around. In his last two starts, he’s gone 12 innings, given up just three runs, struck out 17, and has an ERA of 2.25. Despite going with the usual heavy fastball usage, his secondary pitches have been dominant, which is contributing to his success. The cutter and curveball both have an xBA of under .200 and whiff rates of 38.5% and 35.7%. Next week he’s set to make two home starts against the Rockies and Yankees. Two offenses that have been atrocious of late. Paxton sets up nicely to make a pair of great starts.
Deep League Additions
Will Brennan (OF – CLE)
Brennan had a decently good 2022 season, started slowly in 2023 but has really found his footing as of late. And it doesn’t feel like the fantasy baseball world has picked up on it yet. In his last 10 games, he’s hitting .462 with five doubles, two home runs, and eight RBI. He’s also striking out just 9.5% of the time, which makes him a great points league addition. As a guy with decent speed (82nd percentile) and a low whiff rate (84th percentile), Brennan makes a great fantasy asset, especially when he’s on a roll.
Emmanuel Rivera (3B – ARI)
Rivera is on this list only because he splits time as a lefty platoon with Evan Longoria. Were he to play more, I think he would have been on the waiver wire priority list long ago. You’ll need to temper expectations a bit due to the playing time, but Rivera can hit when he’s in the lineup. He has hits in 10 of his last 11 starts. In those 11 games, he’s hit .422 with five doubles, 11 runs scored, eight RBI, and even stole a base. He’s also struck out (8.2%) the same amount as he’s walked (8.2%), which is a hard-to-find stat these days. Again, temper expectations due to playing time, but as long as he’s in the lineup, he’s going to be producing.
Ryan Noda (1B, OF – OAK)
Did you know that when it comes to barreling the ball, Ryan Noda is one of the elites this season? For as bad as the Oakland Athletics have been this season, they still have some very fantasy-relevant bats in their lineup. His 15.2% barrel rate, 45.5% hard-hit rate, and 91.1 MPH average exit velocity show Noda makes great quality contact. His 95th percentile whiff rate and 19.8% walk rate show he has equally as good plate discipline. His walk rate is second in the league only to Juan Soto. Look past his Oakland A’s ties and add Noda in whatever league you’re able.
Barrel Rate Leaders For The Month Of May
Judge (37.8%) ?
Noda (23.8%) ?
Alvarez (22.4%)
Olson (21.7%)
Soler (20.8%)
Alonso (20.8%)
Mountcastle (19.7%)
Casas (19.6%) ?
Swanson (19%)
Salvy (18.2%)#FantasyBaseball | #Ready2Reign | #Athletics | #RepBX— Blake Meyer (@Buhhlockaye) May 29, 2023
Rich Hill (SP – PIT)
Ol’ Dick Mountain has seemingly found the fountain of youth this season. Especially as of late. In his last two starts against the Mets and Cardinals, Hill pitched 13.2 innings, struck out 12, and had an excellent ERA of 1.98. He doesn’t necessarily have one overly dominant pitch, but what he does throw are consistently effective pitches. His four-seam, cutter, and sweeper all have whiff rates north of 20%. Those should help him greatly when he faces the Rockies at home come Wednesday. The Rockies bats struggle to wake up away from home, but old man Hill is always awake and ready to dominate. Look for a great start for Hill and for him to be one of the best streaming options for week 11.
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