Being a dad is hard. It’s the constant balancing act of making sure my children are respectful, humble, and grateful while also making sure that they are kind, empathetic, and feel loved. I’ve raised my voice to my children more than I care to admit. In moments of fatigue and frustration, I’ve said and done things I would never want them to hear, see, or say themselves. I’m not a perfect dad. But being a dad isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about being present. It’s about taking a half day off of work, even though I’m absolutely swamped at this time of year, to attend their end-of-the-year celebration at their school. It’s about tossing them lazy pop-ups in the backyard over and over (and over and over and over and over). It’s about checking the closet and under the bed and behind the curtains for ghosts and monsters. It’s about demonstrating unconditional love and support and guidance. It’s about showing up.
Happy Father’s Day to all the not-perfect dads out there. You’re doing an amazing job just by showing up.
And here I thought we were done with prospects outside of Bubba Chandler – the Milwaukee Brewers called up Jacob Misiorowski earlier this week, allowing the vaunted pitching prospect to make his MLB debut. Although he showed some of his typical control and command issues and was forced to exit with a minor injury, it was a great first taste of major league action and certainly has fantasy managers salivating for this weekend’s FAAB run, especially now that he’s been cleared for more action. Not only that, but the Los Angeles Angels called up infielder Christian Moore as well.
Just like last week, there are some really exciting prospects coming up and contributing at the major league level. But fantasy managers are going to be paying out the nose to claim them in FAAB runs this weekend. Savvy managers need to navigate their league’s bidding landscape, think critically about their team needs, bid accordingly, and have a contingency plan for their teams if their bids are unsuccessful. We still have a ton of season left. We can’t be throwing away our entire bankroll on one guy before the All-Star Break. Below are some names that could come a little cheaper that will help managers continue to climb their standings ladder, even if they aren’t as exciting or hyped as some of the young guns making their debut.
As a reminder, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues in making the best choices regarding who to target on the waiver wire. Specifically, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Let’s dig in!
Investment Rating System
A total of 12 teams have a full seven-game slate this week, though weather may factor into several teams’ ability to take the field. The Athletics host the Houston Astros for a four-game series before hosting the Cleveland Guardians over the weekend. The Rockies host Arizona for three games over the weekend ,while Cincinnati will host Minnesota for three games early in the week.
SEVEN GAMES: ATH, BAL, BOS, COL, HOU, LAA, LAD, MIA, NYY, PHI, SD, SEA, TBR, WSH
Batters
Outfielders
Roman Anthony ($$$$): He’s probably not available because the manager who drafted him didn’t drop him. But if he went undrafted, he needs to be scooped this week. This is a no-brainer. Don’t overthink it.
Evan Carter ($$$): Evan Carter might just be back. Over the past two weeks, Carter has batted 11-for-25 (.444) with three home runs and seven driven in, along with a pair of stolen bases. This is the guy we wanted all of last year! The strikeout rate is way down to 15.4%, the barrel rate is way up to 12.5%, and he’s looking like the ball player that we all (most of us at least) spent early draft picks on prior to the 2024 season. We saw just how good he could be a few years ago – I’m not saying this is that, but it’s at least promising.
Jake Mangum ($$): The Tampa Bay Rays rookie has been the most consistent outfielder in a large rotation deployed by manager Kevin Cash. Mangum has played in each of the Rays’ last seven games, earning starts in left field and center field. As one of the team’s only switch-hitters, he isn’t platooned for often and has managed to stick in the Tampa lineup. A solid source of speed with a decent hit tool, Mangum is closer to a rabbit than a five-tool player, but still has his uses for fantasy managers.
Jurickson Profar ($$): Eligible to return from his PED suspension soon, Profar could prove extremely useful if he’s able to match the level of hitting and production that he graced fantasy managers with in 2024. However, the 32-year-old outfielder could very easily revert to a .240 batting average with moderate counting stats like he posted the three seasons prior. He’s very replaceable if that becomes the case, but the ceiling is worth a flyer at this point in the season for fantasy managers with a bench spot to burn.
Jerar Encarnación ($): A hot name during Spring Training, Encarnación has sputtered out of the gate after finally returning from an injury, batting 1-for-17 to begin the season. With legit power, there’s a chance that he could get hot at some point in the near future and mash the way he did in the spring, where he drove in a bunch of RBIs and was tearing the cover off the ball. Until then, he ought to be cheap enough to take a chance on.
Lane Thomas ($): Thomas returned from the IL a few weeks ago and started 0-for-14. However, this past week he’s gone 4-for-8 with a home run and a stolen base. This isn’t to say that I’m proclaiming him to be back by any measure, but it could be a decent sign that the time off was warranted and he’s closer to healthy than he was at the beginning of the year, when he was downright bad. Thomas is the kind of bat that I’d rather be a week early on than a week late in deep leagues.
Infielders
Christian Moore ($$$): Full disclosure, I know next-to-nothing about Moore. He was one of the Angels’ top prospects, selected eighth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and did enough across AA and AAA to be escalated to the big league club. The Angels have jettisoned their top prospects through the farm system and to the bigs quickly over the past few years, with Nolan Schanuel and Zach Neto being prime examples of how it has worked out relatively well. If the trend holds, Moore should get ample opportunity to prove his worth, and with the pedigree he possesses, could be worth a flyer for fantasy teams looking for production at a shallow second base position.
Abraham Toro ($$): With Casas on the IL, Devers refusing the learn new things, and Romy González as the only real alternative, the Boston Red Sox have turned to Toro at first base in a near-everyday role. Toro has repaid the Sox’s faith with a quietly excellent stretch of hitting, batting 26-for-78 (.333) with four home runs and 11 RBI over the past four weeks. He might be Boston’s answer at first base for the rest of the season, or at least until the trade deadline. Either way, he should get regular at-bats for the near future and is worth a streaming pickup with potential to stick.
Max Muncy [ATH] ($$): Not THAT Muncy. The American League one. He’s almost universally available and has taken over at third base on a near-everyday basis for the Athletics. He’s got pop in his bat, as evidenced by the three home runs over the past two weeks, and can swipe a bag or two as well. Currently eligible at second base, shortstop, and probably gaining third base eligibility in the near future, the roster flexibility he creates is nice as well. Muncy is worth an add in deep leagues.
Cole Young ($): Young has taken over at second base in Seattle and has shown off a solid hit tool after a moderately slow start to his MLB career. Though he bats at the bottom of the Mariners’ order, he could still contribute at a shallow second base position, assuming he continues to hold off Dylan Moore and Jorge Polanco for playing time at the keystone position.
Catchers/UT
Victor Caratini ($$): I will continue to beat the drum for Caratini until the Houston Astros stop playing him at designated hitter. As one of the only left-handed (switch-hitting) bats on the Astros’ roster, he’s going to continue to get starts. He should be rostered in 15-team, two-catcher leagues.
Willie MacIver ($): Langeliers is injured, and MacIver has taken the brunt of the reps behind the plate for the Athletics since. The bat is not great, but he’s getting opportunities. That’s enough to justify a bid in deep two-catcher leagues.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Jacob Misiorowski ($$$$): He has what could arguably be the best fastball in the game. His debut earned him coverboy status on the SP Roundup and high praise from Nick Pollack. If he can spot the offspeed pitches reliably and continue to throw a nasty, nasty fastball with an awe-inspiring combination of extension, HAVAA, and velocity (Nick goes into much greater detail in the roundup linked above), he could be a dominant pitcher moving forward. But, he could also blow up your WHIP. If you have a couple of guys like DeGrom to offset it, scoop him immediately!
Sawyer Gipson-Long ($$$): Still only around 75-80% rostered, SGL has demonstrated over a very small sample size that he is capable. He was awarded a 4.2 inning hold on Tuesday after holding the Orioles to just one run on three hits and five strikeouts in a relief appearance. He may continue to pitch behind an opener, but if nothing else, that should increase his win potential, which was already high, pitching for one of the best teams in the major leagues right now.
Lucas Giolito ($$): For those that kept the faith after an absolutely abysmal starts against the Angels a couple of weeks ago, you were rewarded handsomely with a six-inning gem and a win against the Rays on Tuesday. Now Giolito has a handful of consecutive good matchups and a solid foundation to build off of with his fastball-changeup combo looking good last time out. He still needs to continue working on the slider – or literally any other breaking pitch to support his two better offerings – but hopefully it will come. For now, he’s worth a pickup in most leagues, including 12-teamers and maybe even some 10-teamers.
Marcus Stroman ($$): It might not be a bad time to take a flyer on the veteran Yankees arm as he completes his rehab assignment over the next few weeks. He looked solid in his first outing, going 46 pitches and allowing just one hit and two walks. If he earns a rotation spot upon his return, he may pay off exponentially with win potential and ERA, though it comes with WHIP risk.
Mitch Spence ($): Spence has been solid in consecutive outings, but could be getting removed from the Athletics rotation as JT Ginn returns. If Spence gets another couple of passes in the rotation, he matches up against a very right-handed heavy Houston Astros lineup and the Cleveland Guardians in what could be a two-step. The slider looked great last time out, generating eight whiffs. He could absolutely be worth a streaming start if he performs similarly against all the righties in the Astros lineup.
Relief Pitchers
Shelby Miller ($$$$): It’s not often that fantasy managers have the opportunity to add a locked-in closer from a good team in mid-June. With Justin Martinez on the shelf with another elbow injury, Miller is exactly that, and assuming he continues to pitch well, should hold that position even once AJ Puk returns from the IL (eligible to return July 1).
Dylan Lee ($): A speculative add for the Braves’ closer role. Lee has been one of the best and most consistent relievers out of the pen for Atlanta. However, manager Brian Snitker has so little trust in his bullpen that he allowed Spencer Schwellenbach to throw a season-high 105 pitches on Wednesday to throw a complete game rather than turn a four-run lead over to ANYONE in the bullpen. Iglesias is toast. Kimbrel is in the Texas Rangers‘ farm system. Pierce Johnson didn’t convert last time out. Daysbel Hernández is also very interesting, but I think Lee gets a shot at some point in the ninth inning.
Reid Detmers ($): Reid Detmers the reliever has been surprisingly solid this season, especially recently. The left-handed starter-turned-reliever has tossed 11 consecutive scoreless innings heading into the weekend and earned his second save of the season on Wednesday with Kenley Jansen unavailable. Detmers got demolished in three-straight outings in late April, but has since been outstanding. He can contribute from an RP role in strikeouts and ratios, and might continue to pick up some leftover saves here and there as well.
Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire) | Designed by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
