With the 2022 baseball season getting revved up, nailing the waiver wire and the players available are critical to beating out your league-mates in season-long formats.
Each week we will take a look at players who are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and can help out your season-long squads. Remember, if you aren’t scouring the waiver wire, you are falling behind.
Daniel Bard, RP, Colorado Rockies
Roster Percentage: 28%
What a confusing bullpen. I guess that's really a fair and adequate statement to make about nearly every bullpen, but the Colorado Rockies' situation is even more peculiar.
Carlos Estevez was the incumbent closer, and newly acquired Alex Colome was assumed to be the new closer. So who gets the first save chance in the Mile High city? Of course, none other than Daniel Bard.
While he may not have the prettiest of stuff, as evidenced by his 5.21 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 65 2/3 innings last year, Bard might be the guy in Colorado. Go out and see if he's available.
Kyle Gibson, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Roster Percentage: 41%
Make no bones about it -- fantasy owners had very high hopes for Kyle Gibson in 2021, and the veteran righty didn't exactly sparkle. While he logged okay numbers in 182 innings pitched (3.71 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), the 155 strikeouts were a bit of a struggle.
Hopefully, his first start of 2022 is a harbinger of things to come.
He spun a gem against the Oakland Athletics, striking out 10 in seven scoreless innings in a win. The Phillies have loaded up their offense, which should give Gibson plenty of shots at wins this year. Pick him up.
Andrew Vaughn, 1B/OF, Chicago White Sox
Roster Percentage: 44%
The young slugger, who is a precocious talent (former third overall pick in 2019 draft), seems destined for stardom in a Chicago White Sox lineup we want many pieces of. So can Andrew Vaughn find some playing time?
Let's hope he's not in a true platoon. With A.J. Pollock sidelined, Vaughn has popped two long balls already this year. He did miss some time with a hip ailment late in Spring Training, but that seems like a thing of the past.
Watch and see if he garners more playing time, and if he does, the second-year man who hit 15 homers last year could have a big season.
Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians
Roster Percentage: 22%
Looking for Michael Brantley 2.0? If so, look no further than Steven Kwan.
Kwan went 5-for-5 on Sunday, and he sports an absurd (and unsustainable) .800 batting average so far this season. While that's clearly not going to continue, hitting high in the lineup as a table-setter in front of stars Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes should give him some staying power.
Kwan hit just 12 home runs last season in the minors, but he does possess an above-average hit tool and should swipe some bases, too. If you need some outfield help, look to Kwan.
Games in Coors Field This Week
Chicago Cubs (4)