There’s no better time to be a baseball fan. We have just three weeks left in the regular season, and this is when we need to get these guys right. This is where fantasy managers get paid, and you better believe I’ve done my research to get these pickups correct.
This list comprises the 10 main categories in roto leagues. Under each category, you’ll find a player who can specifically help you with that individual stat. Most players will offer help in more ways than one, but their primary contributions should come under the category in which they are listed.
I’ll be putting out a similar piece every week, so check back every Sunday, as I’ll have a new list of players not previously mentioned. Without further ado, here are this week’s category-based fantasy baseball waiver wire additions.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 24)
Home Runs
Jhonkensy Noel (1B, OF – CLE): 57%
It’s hard to understand why Jhonkensy Noel has been sitting in half the games over the last week, but we still trust him to go deep a couple of times. The power numbers speak for themselves, with Noel posting a .326 ISO, .563 slugging rate (SLG) and .879 OPS. He’s also got seven homers over his last 21 outings, posting a .621 SLG in that stretch. That sort of power and form makes it challenging to avoid him when evaluating this schedule because Cleveland is one of the only teams with seven games, facing subpar pitching staffs like the White Sox and Rays.
RBI
What if I asked you who would be the two best players in baseball to hit behind for RBI? The easy answer would be Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, with those two getting on base at a 45% clip this season. That’s beneficial for a guy like Austin Wells because New York has been hitting him cleanup behind those two. That opportunity is impossible to overlook, especially since Wells has a .290 batting average (AVG), .379 on-base percentage (OBP), .531 SLG and .910 OPS across his last 49 games. He’s also got a .832 OPS against righties this year and faces five of them, all in Yankee Stadium, this upcoming week.
Runs
Parker Meadows was one of the top prospects in the Pittsburgh organization a few years ago, but some issues have held him back. In any case, he’s starting to find it in Detroit, totaling a .306 AVG, .537 SLG and .876 OPS across his last 30 games. That fantastic form has moved him to the leadoff spot in the Tigers’ lineup, and that’s the optimal spot to score runs, given the way he’s hitting right now. They couldn’t ask for better matchups, facing five righties in weak pitching staffs like Colorado and Baltimore.
Batting Average
Matt Wallner sitting at 15% is laughable. This guy should be above 50%, tallying a .290 AVG, .388 OBP, .599 SLG and .987 OPS across his last 50 games. That’s two months of crushing it. Wallner has been moved up to the cleanup spot in this dangerous Minnesota lineup. That makes him an attractive option to boost your average, especially since Wallner has five games against righties this week. The slugger has a .381 OBP, .579 SLG and .960 OPS against right-handers this season and matches up with guys like Jack Kochanowicz, Griffin Canning, Nick Martinez Rhett Lowder and Julian Aguiar.
Steals
Washington has been stocking up on elite prospects over the last few years like Dylan Crews. This kid recorded 25 steals on 30 attempts in the Minors this year, maintaining a .277 AVG, .352 OBP and .811 OPS throughout his minor league career. That’s why the Nats have stuck him in their leadoff spot, with Crews collecting three steals over his last nine games. Six home games against Miami and Atlanta won’t deter us because he might become a must-roster player in the final few weeks when examining his prospect pedigree.
ERA
Luis Ortiz (RP, SP – PIT): 40% (vs. MIA)
Luis Ortiz has quietly been one of the most underrated pitchers in the National League, posting a 3.19 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. That’s no surprise since PNC Park is one of the best pitcher parks in the sport. There’s no chance a team like Miami will get to him. The Marlins rank 29th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA, with Ortiz throwing four scoreless innings against them earlier in the year. That was when he wasn’t starting, but we love that Ortiz hasn’t allowed a run in his last two starts, throwing six innings in both of those gems.
Strikeouts
MacKenzie Gore (SP – WAS): 37% (vs. ATL, vs. MIA)
MacKenzie Gore has been all over the map this season, but it appears he’s recapturing the form that made him a must-roster player earlier in the season. The lefty has a 2.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 rate across his last three starts. That’s on par with the stud we saw through his first 11 starts, generating a 2.91 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 11.0 K.9 rate. That strikeout stuff is what intrigues us in this two-start week. We already discussed how bad Miami has been, but we also don’t mind that Atlanta ranks 24th in strikeout rate while missing their two best bats.
WHIP
Ben Lively (SP – CLE): 43% (at CWS, vs. TB)
This is a sensational two-start week for Ben Lively. The Guardians righty has been underrated all season, posting a 3.62 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through his first 23 starts. Allowing 10 runs over his last two starts has hurt those averages, but he should recapture that prior form in these two matchups. Chicago is last in every offensive statistic, while Tampa Bay ranks 25th in wOBA, 26th in strikeout rate and 28th in runs scored. He is probably the best streamer of the week for each category, but a WHIP below 1.20 across 12 innings would be far from surprising.
Wins
Matthew Boyd (SP – CLE): 29% (at CWS)
We foreshadowed that Chicago has the worst offense in baseball, so let’s give you some stats. The White Sox are last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA, sitting nearly 100 runs behind the Miami Marlins in 29th. That’s the most telling stat out there, and it’s even scarier since they have just five wins in nearly two months. That should have Cleveland entering this matchup as a -300 favorite, with Matthew Boyd posting a 2.20 ERA and 0.77 WHIP through five starts, limiting the Yankees, Dodgers and Rangers over his last four starts.
Saves
Jorge Lopez and Porter Hodge were battling for this closing gig once Hector Neris was demoted, but with Lopez landing on the injured list (IL), this is Hodge’s job. He’s earned it with his pristine pitching, providing a 1.75 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. He’s been even better recently, going 12 straight outings without allowing a run. That’s allowed Hodge to record three wins and two saves over his last nine outings, pitching in the ninth inning in most of those contests.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.