Did you guys happen to pick up Edouard Julien last week for runs scored? He snagged eight of them this week while hitting .500. He was only rostered in four percent of Yahoo leagues at the time but is now up to almost 40! He’ll likely continue to climb, so if he’s still available, now is the time to add him! There were a few other standouts from last week that made me look good as well, including Encarnacion-Strand. If he’s still somehow unrostered in your league, make sure you remedy that immediately.
If you missed out on those guys or some others mentioned last week, don’t fret, I have a fresh bunch of stars ready to help you. As always, all players featured are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. However, many of them won’t last, so make haste when making your decisions!
I’ve broken them down into one of the standard 10 categories where they’re most likely to help you. Many of these studs will aid you in multiple ways, but their primary contributions should come from the category in which they are listed.
Without further ado, here are this week’s top waiver-wire add’s based on category.
Fantasy Baseball Category Pickups
RBI
Alex Kirilloff (1B, OF – MIN): 23%
Kirilloff is mashing like the hero Minnesota fans hoped he would be when he was drafted 15th overall way back in 2016. (That’s right, I said way back. Can you believe that was seven years ago?) The oft-injured first baseman is hitting .327 in July with four homers and 17 steaks (RBIs) to his credit. His OPS over the last seven days is 1.316, and he’s been hitting third in the lineup. It helps that Edouard Julien is getting on base nearly half the time, setting Kirilloff up with plenty of RBI opportunities. If you require ribbies, add Kirilloff asap.
And don’t forget about Tyler O’Neill. The chiseled outfielder was just activated off the 60-day IL and should garner regular playing time the rest of the way. O’Neil can be streaky at times, but his upside makes him worthy of a roster spot.
Batting Average
Our old friend Keibert is driving the ball all over the yard while rarely striking out. His 9.4 K% continues to impress while his power has increased lately. Since July 13th, the Nationals’ backstop has collected 11 hits over 24 at-bats, including three doubles and two home runs. He even attempted two steals (but was only safe once). The former Dodger hasn’t hit for a great average for most of the year, but any time a catcher is producing like this, he’s worth a speculative add. Ruiz is set to face the Rockies and Mets this week.
Stolen Bases
Jon Berti (2B, SS, 3B, OF – MIA): 15%
Berti has nine hits over his last 14 at-bats and has three steals in three out of his last four starts. Berti is hardly a regular for the surprisingly decent Marlins, but since getting on a hot streak, the 33-year-old has started three out of the last four games. Anytime Berti is on the field, the stolen base is in play, and while he’s earning semi-regular playing time, he can earn you more than a handful of swipes. Plus, he qualifies for nearly every position.
Home Runs
Josh Bell (1B – CLE): 36%
Don’t look now, but Josh Bell is finally hitting dingers. After a dismal first two months of the season, Bell has slowly gotten better. The switch-hitting first baseman clubbed four homers last month and already has three to his credit in July. His OPS since the calendar flipped is .823 while sporting a low 16.1 K%. Bell has mashed seven homers over his last 113 at-bats and could be in store for more with KC and the White Sox up next. Add Bell now in leagues where he was dropped to help boost your homers and RBIs.
Runs
Gelof was called up last week, and he’s already contributing across the board. Oakland’s fifth-ranked prospect has done a little bit of everything since his debut, clubbing his first home run while adding in a couple of steals. The 23-year-old is already batting in the two-hole, where he’s scored six times in just eight games. Gelof can work a walk as well and has all the makings of a five-tool player. He’s worth a look in deeper leagues and for those in search of runs scored and stolen bases.
Strikeouts
Edward Cabrera (SP – MIA): 48%
Cabrera looked sharp in his return from the IL. The electric Dominican-born hurler held the hot-hitting Cardinals to just one run over five innings while striking out six. Control has always been the righties biggest hurdle, but he does limit hits (55 over 72 IP) and gets whiffs with ease. Cabrera’s CSW and K% both hover around 30%, and if you’re you’re looking for K’s, he’s your guy. He’s averaging 11.25 K’s/9, and in the right matchups, he can help lower your ERA and WHIP as well. If he stays healthy the rest of the year, Cabrera could snag you another 65+ strikeouts.
ERA
Allen has a 3.21 ERA and is lined up for a two-start week. The 24-year-old Southpaw was fantastic in his return to the Big Leagues, striking out eight over five shutout innings. With Triston McKenzie, Cal Quantrill, and Shane Bieber on the IL and the trading block (although I don’t think he’ll be dealt), Logan Allen should have plenty of starts coming his way. He was very good in the Minors last year and is actually ranked higher on the FanGraphs prospects list than both his teammates, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee. Allen’s got nasty stuff and should be rostered in most leagues.
Saves
Ginkel earned the last two saves for Arizona and has put up exceptional numbers for the Snakes all season long. Boasting a robust 2.39 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, Ginkel has been the closer of choice lately for Torey Lovullo and company, and it may stay that way. Arizona’s earlier closer, Scott McGough, has been crushed since the All-Star break and hasn’t earned a save in three weeks. Ginkel is far from a sure thing, but he’s pitched well for most of the season, and Arizona does win more than half their games. He’s worth a shot if you’re desperate for saves.
Wins
Ryu is set to make his 2023 debut this week after a 13-month-long absence. The 36-year-old looked sharp in his latest rehab outing, allowing two runs over six innings. Ryu was once a top-100 player, and while no one is expecting that, he could earn you more than a handful of wins pitching for Toronto.
His velo is down a bit, but his accuracy has been on point. Over 18 rehab innings, Ryu’s walked just one batter while striking out 16. He surrendered just 13 hits and four runs and recently defeated a sound Triple-A Mets club. He may not go the distance at first, but with keyhole accuracy, expect Ryu to keep his WHIP down to a minimum (as he’s done his whole career) and gather you a few wins along the way.
WHIP
Ross Stripling (SP, RP – SF): 15%
After an awful start to the year, Stripling made some necessary adjustments to his pitch selection, similar to what he did last year. After registering an ERA of nearly 5.00 over the first two months in 2022, Stripling started using his changeup more which resulted in a massive uptick in results. This year, after getting pummeled in April and May, Stripling upped his slider usage and is once again a valuable weapon. His 0.93 WHIP over his last five outings has been impressive, and his pitch count lasted until nearly 80 pitches his last time out. The metrics tend to agree that he’s been good lately, and if he’s handed the ball on Monday in Detroit, Stripling is nearing must-start status for his two-start week.
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Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
