Good morning, afternoon, evening, or night, everybody.
I’m super excited to say I will be writing these FAAB insights for you all for the rest of the season. I currently write Is It Legit? columns on Fridays and recap the Friday slate of games for Saturday morning’s batter’s box, but now I’m here to share my picks for which players are worthy of your FAAB bids.
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues make the best choices in 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
SEVEN GAMES: BOS, NYY, TBR, TOR, DET, KCR, HOU, TEX, NYM, PHI, WSH, CHC, STL, ARI
Batters
Outfielders
Dominic Canzone ($$$): 28% rostered on Yahoo
Canzone appears not to be just a platoon bat anymore, as he is a key contributor for the Mariners now on a nightly basis. He’s having an outstanding June (a 211 wRC+!), and the Mariners lineup is going through some major injury woes, which is why his playing time has seen a major spike. Canzone is also one of the better hitters in terms of underlying numbers; he’s barrelling up the ball quite a bit, and it’s allowing him to become an extra-base machine. If available in your leagues, he could quickly become one of your everyday outfielders, so bid accordingly, knowing that others may want to pounce too.
Mickey Moniak ($$): 46% rostered on Yahoo
This is one of those IL stash plays that could pay off in the near future. Moniak has recently begun his rehab stint in Triple-A Albuquerque and could be back within a couple of weeks. The former first overall draft selection looked unreal this year at Coors before going down, as his slugging on the season is over .600. Plenty of other outfielders are out for a longer stretch of time, and some people might underestimate him due to a lack of sustained success in his career, but Moniak really has the potential to be a difference-maker coming off the injury.
George Springer ($$): 79% rostered on Yahoo
There are plenty of managers who dropped Springer, which was probably a good idea at the time. He struggled to start the year, and the prevailing theory was that age had caught up to him. It’s not certain that he is totally out of his slump, but he has a wRC+ above 130 in June, and he’s really seemed to carry the Jays’ offense on his back at some points. He’s worth a couple of bids if still available in your leagues, especially if he heats up even more in the coming months (and with how beat up many outfields are right now).
Jonny DeLuca ($): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Deluca returns from the injured list to join a Rays team that is somewhat spiralling out of control. This squad’s biggest weakness, apart from perhaps bullpen depth, has definitely been their horrible production from the outfield. Deluca isn’t necessarily going to set the world on fire, but there’s a player in there that can get hot. He’s an injury risk always, and his on-base skills aren’t the greatest, but for teams in deep leagues, he could be a solid power-speed option that may be worth throwing a buck at if desperation prevails.
Joshua Baez ($): 16% rostered on Yahoo
Baez is a fun player who, unfortunately, still isn’t seeing time in the majors. However, that isn’t stopping fantasy managers for picking him. He really has gotten on people’s radars after he mashed four homers in one game, an incredible display of his sheer raw power. This game also might help move him up to the majors quicker, which is why people are speculatively adding now. With him being one of the more added stash players recently, it might be worth it to drop a dollar or so to stash him on the bench in case you need some power following a late-season call-up.
Infielders
Paul Goldschmidt (1B, $$$): 36% rostered on Yahoo
While his first season was solid for the Yankees, it’s Goldschmidt’s second campaign in pinstripes that has seen him quickly become a hero for his third franchise. We all know how good Goldschmidt has been in his career, but it’s impressive how he hasn’t slowed down. With injuries to the Yankees’ lineup, he’s had to step up big, becoming an everyday player instead of a platoon bat. He often leads off against lefties, as getting on base against them is perhaps his most valuable skill. He’s hitting high up in the lineup against righties now, too, often in the cleanup spot. Even without their superstar slugger, the Yankees’ lineup is so deep that it will continue to score plenty of runs, and Goldschmidt will be able to take advantage of the talent that surrounds him.
Zack Gelof: (2B, 3B, OF, $$$): 65% rostered on Yahoo
Quite a few people are making note of Zack Gelof and his breakout campaign, which is not something I would’ve really expected entering the year. Gelof seemed destined to become an AAAA player, especially with a horrific strikeout rate over 45% last season. I was clued into this breakout a month ago, right around the time he was starting to break through again, but I didn’t think that he’d become one of the most sought-after fantasy pieces.
It makes sense, as he has some power in the bat, is hitting for a high average, and gives you plenty of positional versatility. The main takeaway for Gelof is that his decision-making has gotten better. He’s still not walking at a great rate, but he’s cut down on swinging at bad pitches, which has brought his whiff and strikeout rates way down. He won’t be playing in Las Vegas anymore (that stretch inflated plenty of A’s players’ numbers), but his home in West Sacramento is pretty great for hitting as well.
Samad Taylor (2B, OF, $$): 12% rostered on Yahoo
Now, technically, Samad Taylor has been seeing more time in left field than at second base, but I kept him in the infielders category because that’s more likely the hole in a roster that he’s going to fill. Taylor has been amazing since being called up from Triple-A at the beginning of June, hitting his first career home run and becoming one of the Padres’ most reliable hitters. His excellent batting average has been rewarded, and he has climbed up the Padres’ lineup. Why not ride the wave while it’s still rolling and pick up Taylor? Don’t bid too much money on him, but he has a solid enough foundation of discipline that there is a world where he maintains some of this production.
Willi Castro (1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, $): 51% rostered on Yahoo
Castro is now up to 51% rostership, so he may have been picked up in your leagues. Honestly, if he has, I wouldn’t sweat it too much. He’s hitting at a really torrid pace right now, but the key words here are right now. This is a hot hand play that definitely could be successful, and it’s always smart to get value now. Though outside of his excellent hitting environment in Coors Field, we may see a dip in production. He doesn’t have a great offensive profile, and while he’s speedy, he doesn’t steal bases at the rate you would like. He leads off for a Rockies lineup that has some oomph in it compared to some in recent years, but it’s still not great, and it can fall really flat in road games. Maybe chip in a small bid if he’s still available and try to ride the hot hand, but again, don’t be sad if you miss out, because those picking him up now might have already missed out.
Cooper Pratt (SS, $): 1% rostered on Yahoo
Pratt was recently signed to an eight-year deal by the Brewers before he played his first major league game, which showcases how much the team believes in their #4 prospect. While Jesús Made is the man of the hour, Pratt has some nice skills that make him a worthy member of the Brewers’ future core. This is mostly a contact and speed play, as he is a good line drive hitter who will collect a bunch of singles as long as he’s in the lineup. He’s speedy and aggressive, as he’s had 30 stolen base campaigns in the minor leagues. He also doesn’t strike out a bunch, although that number is perhaps a bit higher than you would like to see.
Catchers/UT
Carter Jensen (C – $$$): 40% rostered on Yahoo
Jensen was one of the most popular late-round hipster draft picks this season, as many prospect evaluators had him ranked really high going into the year. He has been alright so far, putting up the numbers you’d probably expect from a catcher with high pedigree but little experience. Jensen has been on a bit of a hot stretch where he has shown steady signs of improvement, and thus, many managers are looking to pick him up. He has solid bat speed and should be improving his on-base skills. Pick him up now while he’s still adjusting to being a major-league regular, and perhaps you will see him put up a great second half. He’s very capable.
Gabriel Moreno (C – $$): 45% rostered on Yahoo
Moreno has traditionally felt like more of a points league player, as his strength in fantasy comes from compiling stats and not doing anything to hurt you in any tangible way. Still, this is one of the best starts to a season of his career, and the month of June is a big reason for that. He’s been mashing this month, with a wRC+ of 166 and a batting average near .300. He’s doing everything a bit better than he has in previous years, and it’s enough for him to jump up a couple of tiers in terms of value.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Shane Bieber (SP – $$$$): 49% rostered on Yahoo
I originally was going to have Shane Bieber included anyway, as it felt like the time for him to start was coming. Well, here it is. Bieber is one of my personal favorite pitchers, as I just love watching his great breaking stuff get the job done. Last year, he came back from Tommy John surgery and looked really solid for the Blue Jays, especially in the postseason. This year, he’s dealt with some weird soreness that kept him out of the rotation for the first half of the season, but now he’s ready to have a great back half of it. The stuff is great, and the command might be even better. This is a potential ace whose return isn’t really being talked about enough.
Mick Abel (SP – $$$$): 20% rostered on Yahoo
I think that Abel can be a true difference-maker for fantasy teams down the stretch. He struggled a little bit in rough weather conditions to open the season, but after that, he fired off two excellent games before joining the injured list. Now, he’s ready to return (he makes his start today if all goes well), and it’s imperative to pick him up if he’s available. I know I did. Abel has a really awesome four-seamer that gets a lot of whiffs due to his ability to locate it at the top of the zone incessantly, combined with great extension and an ultra-flat attack angle. His secondaries can be a bit chaotic as well, but he has a pretty well-rounded arsenal, all things considered, if he can execute. I’m hitching my wagon to Abel, as I feel he can potentially even become the ace of the staff if they are to trade Joe Ryan.
Update: Abel has not been activated and appears to be dealing with another injury. We shall see whether this is just a minor injury or potentially a season-ender.
Gage Jump (SP – $$): 36% rostered on Yahoo
People are cluing into the Gage Jump breakout now, so if you want to roster him, it’s probably the time to do so. His four-seamer is awesome, and it’s driving his candidacy for AL pitcher of the month. I’m not as high on him as the other two starting pitchers listed this week, though, as there is plenty of volatility here. Mainly with his ballpark, but also with his lack of reliable secondaries. This is a hot hand play, though, and a good heater is always the foundation for a breakout.
Griffin Jax (SP, RP – $$): 36% rostered on Yahoo
There are some pros and cons to rostering Griffin Jax. The cons? The Rays are babying him for various reasons, not letting him go past six innings. He’s dealing with hand blisters, and he’s still new to this starting thing. The pros? Well, there are many. He has excellent stuff, throwing a three-fastball mix and a bunch of GIF-able and whiff-able secondaries. He also has an excellent schedule coming up, facing the Royals twice, who are injury-riddled and not too intimidating even when healthy. Some people may harp on his bad outings that he’s had this year, but even those (apart from the Tigers mess) weren’t too bad. He could end the year as a top 50 starting pitcher, especially if he gets stretched out a bit more.
Relief Pitchers
Jacob Latz (RP – $$$): 53% rostered on Yahoo
This is one where I can’t lie, we might’ve missed the boat on. If he’s still available, though, definitely go for it. Latz has become an excellent closer for the Rangers, shutting the door pretty much every time he’s called upon. Latz throws lots of strikes with an excellent four-seam/slider combo that helps ratios and gets managers some strikeouts in the process. Latz is a great example of why drafting top closers isn’t always the best priority, as pitchers like him (or Louis Varland, for example) get opportunities later in the year to lock down the closer role and do so with flying colors.
Yoendrys Gómez (RP – $$): 23% rostered on Yahoo
Gomez is another example of a closer who emerged throughout the season, though he’s definitely not as strong as Latz or Varland. Gomez has been good since joining the Twins’ bullpen from the Rays, helping stabilize what was perhaps the ugliest closer situation in the majors earlier this year. He’s been reliable enough that he can probably help you pick up a few saves and not hurt your ratios like other players forced into the closer role often can.
