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.
Ross Stripling, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Roster Percentage: 22%
With the Toronto Blue Jays desperately searching for an identity, as the offense has struggled and starters like Yusei Kikuchi have really struggled, they are quickly falling behind in the AL East divisional race.
One guy that sneakily has been pretty darn solid is veteran right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling. After twirling five scoreless innings in his last start, the right-hander now sits with surprisingly solid ratios of a 3.65 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 37 innings pitched, including 31 strikeouts.
With Hyun-jin Ryu also on the Injured List, he could make for an intriguing boost to your fantasy rotations.
Jake Burger, 1B, Chicago White Sox
Roster Percentage: 16%
While the Chicago White Sox are in a total backslide and their veteran manager is making some curious decisions, one player that's been playing well as of late is Jake Burger.
The Missouri State product has been really hot at the dish -- despite not garnering a full-time role at the plate to begin the year, in only 125 at bats, the slugger now has eight home runs, including 22 RBI, this year.
While he won't give you much in the way of speed -- he has yet to steal a base this season -- Burger's other metrics are quite palatable. If you need some pop at first base, or in deeper leagues, maybe at corner infield, Burger looks like a solid add.
Jason Adam, RP, Tampa Bay Rays
Roster Percentage: 30%
After starting the season white hot in the closer role, Andrew Kittredge was placed on Injured Reserve, and sadly, it looks like he will go under the knife and have Tommy John surgery.
If that's a player you had rostered, or you are hunting for saves like nearly everyone else in fantasy baseball, look no further than Jason Adam, Kittredge's teammate. He's allowed only two earned runs this season and struck out 30 batters in 25 innings.
It may be a bit of a shock in the dark, but there's a solid path to saves here for Adam.
Spencer Strider, SP/RP, Atlanta Braves
Roster Percentage: 44%
Playing catch up in the NL East, it looks like the Atlanta Braves have finally come to their senses and put stud reliever Spencer Strider into the starting rotation. It's about damn time.
Strider, who primarily worked in a long relief role, was absolutely dominant in his last outing. He generated 18 swings and misses in 92 pitches, and he struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball.
This season, Strider's numbers almost read like a misprint -- in 38 1/3 innings pitched, he's struck out a ridiculous 57 batters, including a 2.35 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Add him everywhere.