In the realm of fantasy baseball, the waiver wire is a treasure trove of hidden gems, waiting to be discovered by astute managers. Today, we delve into the realm of the undervalued, the overlooked, and the potentially game-changing players who could be the difference between a winning season and a losing one. From the rising stars to the consistent veterans, this article will guide you through the waiver wire, offering insights and opinions on the players who could be the next big thing in fantasy baseball.
One player who has caught my eye is Shane Drohan, a 27-year-old rookie reliever from the Milwaukee Brewers. Drohan has been stretched out as a starter, and while his innings limit is a concern, his early results are excellent. With a 2.87 ERA and 33 Ks in 31 innings, and a 16.6% swinging strike rate, Drohan is a pitcher who could be knocking on the upper echelons of the list in a few weeks. The fail case with rookie pitchers often involves blowup starts, but with Drohan's complete performance thus far, the fail case here would most likely be him being pushed back into the bullpen towards the end of the season. I'm adding Drohan in all league sizes; you won't find many better pitchers at 9% owned this season.
Another player who has caught my eye is Gleyber Torres, a 2B from the Detroit Tigers. Torres is a glue guy who will hit 20ish homers with a .260ish average, and while he might not have a spot on the roster in two weeks, he's a player who should be more than 49% rostered. There was some concern about his performance at the start of the year, but his average exit velocity has improved, and he's hitting for power. I'm thinking he'll be just fine, and his 100th percentile sprint speed makes him a player worth adding.
When it comes to streaming pitchers, there are a few names that stand out. Walbert Ureña, for instance, gets the road-Rockies today, and while his teammate Grayson Rodriguez didn't have a great game, Ureña has been over 5.00 ERA better. Seth Lugo, on the other hand, will draw a start against the Twins tomorrow, and with tomorrow's short slate, there aren't many better matchups. Connelly Early is another name to watch, as he has been excellent and should be rostered in all leagues, except for yesterday, when he gave up four runs in 5.1 innings.
In the deep league, Heriberto Hernández is a player to watch. With two HR, 2 SB, and a .983 OPS in the last two weeks, Hernández could hit into playing time against right-handed pitching. He's batting leadoff against lefties, so they clearly like his bat. Ezequiel Duran, on the other hand, has been ablaze for the past month, batting .314 with 3 HR and 2 SB. While I'm seeing a hot streak here rather than a level-up, it's absolutely worth adding him while he's playing this well.
In conclusion, the waiver wire is a place where managers can find undervalued players who could be the difference between a winning season and a losing one. From the rising stars to the consistent veterans, there are players out there who could be the next big thing in fantasy baseball. So, take a step back, think about it, and add these players to your roster while you can. After all, in fantasy baseball, the early bird often catches the worm.
