Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 13
It's waiver time. One of the keys to any fantasy success is not only nailing your draft, but scouring that waiver wire for players who can give your team a boost. Even though fantasy baseball can be a really long season, it's key to scour those waivers and take it week-by-week to cement your fantasy status.
The four players below are all owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and could give your team a lift as you start off the season. It's never too early to consider some adds and drops for your team.
Zac Gallen - Miami Marlins (SP)
We talked about stashing Zac Gallen a few weeks ago when he a prime candidate for a soon-to-be call-up from the Miami Marlins. And now he's in the bigs, making his debut start against the St. Louis Cardinals. So what did we learn?
Dude is gonna be special, for sure. Firing 99 pitches over five innings, it wasn't the most efficient outing. But Gallen showcased a gorgeous four-pitch arsenal, including a plus changeup and plus curveball that he threw a combined 33 times. This particular changeup was a thing of beauty.
Zac Gallen, Filthy 86mph Changeup (first major league K). pic.twitter.com/M5xlTm3u5m
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 20, 2019
Now here's the conundrum -- will Gallen stay in the rotation for good? That remains to be seen. The Marlins seem to have a surplus of decent arms, and inevitably, both Caleb Smith and Pablo Lopez will return from the Injured List. But if Gallen keeps throwing well during his chance, it's hard to envision Miami sending him back down. I mean, the guy had a 1.77 ERA and 33.6% strikeout rate in Triple-A, so he's got nothing left to prove down there.
Gallen is a top-level prospect we have been drooling over all year, and now that he's up and looked the part in his debut, he's worth chasing after on the wire.
Jordan Yamamoto - Miami Marlins (SP)
Don't think for a hot minute that I didn't consider just writing up the entire Marlins new rotation -- with Gallen, Jordan Yamamoto, and Elieser Hernandez all throwing well this week.
The strength of this team lately has been it's starting pitching, and Miami has surged its way to some wins thanks to a staff ERA of 3.95 over the last calendar month -- good for sixth-best in all of baseball.
While Yamamoto may be less heralded than Gallen, he has been getting the job done. In two starts, both against St. Louis, the righty owns a 25.0% strikeout rate and has allowed only nine base runners in 14 innings.
Prior to his big league debut, Yamamoto made eight minor league stops across various levels, and he posted a strikeout rate of at least 20 percent in seven of those stops, showcasing his ability to generate swings and misses even without a blazing fastball.
If your rotation needs some help and Gallen is already owned, Yamamoto is a nice consolation prize.
Ramon Laureano - Oakland Athletics (OF)
After a ridiculously awful offensive start to the 2019 season, Ramon Laureano kept firing missiles across the diamond from centerfield, and his bat has finally caught up.
RAMÓN LAUREANO IS NOT OF THIS UNIVERSE #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/M4DijfHIVl
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) April 3, 2019
While most fantasy leagues don't give you points for outfield assists, Laureano's bat has played well in recent weeks. After a 75 wRC+ April, Laureano has bombed his way to a 124 wRC+ in June, including a spicy .293 isolated power (ISO), six home runs, and four steals. And his defense is going to keep him in the lineup nearly every single day.
He's a multi-category asset worth adding.
Jeff McNeil - New York Mets (2B/3B/OF)
Positional flexibility is often overlooked in fantasy leagues, and Jeff McNeil continues to fill the Swiss Army knife-type role for the New York Mets this season, making his first ever start in right field this week.
Just because someone plays a lot of positions doesn't mean they're automatically a solid fantasy asset, but McNeil's bat is plenty valuable. McNeil owns an .898 OPS this season, and if batting average leagues are your type of jam, his .343 average plays in any setting.
He also helps in other areas, totaling five home runs and two steals on the season. With Jed Lowrie still sidelined and yet to suit up for the Mets in 2019, McNeil is likely to continue to see a lot of playing time, especially against righties. If you need help at any of the above positions or could use a depth bat who can help at multiple spots, McNeil is your guy.
