Before we dive into this week’s MLB Waiver Wire article, I wanted to remind you of two new features here at FanatsyData. One of which is our MLB Lineups tool, a new page designed to help the fantasy user with seeing starting lineups, match-ups, and learning which pitchers are confirmed or projected. The other new feature at FantasyData is our MLB lineup optimizer, perfect those who play DraftKings, Fanduel, or Yahoo. Our Optimizer takes our MLB player projections and feeds it into a fast loading, mobile-friendly optimizer to generate the best possible lineup for MLB Daily.
We are entering week six of the fantasy baseball season. Although these waiver wire pickups may not be overly exciting, they provide sneaky fantasy value. Since the season is over halfway complete, there is no time to wait on struggling players. There are not as many exciting rookie prospects this week, but rather several veteran players worth a roster spot. Let’s dive into the week six waiver wire.
Hitters
Brandon Belt, 1B/OF, San Francisco Giants
15% FAAB
Surprisingly, the Giants hitters have performed well with a 104 wRC+ (No. 13). So far, Brandon Belt is hitting well with five home runs, 12 runs, and 15 RBI while slashing .324/.416/.623. Belt’s .396 BABIP is likely contributing to the high batting average. However, he increased his line drive rate to 34.6% and dropped his ground ball rate to 25%. Belt is crushing the ball with a 91.9 mph average exit velocity (83rd percentile), 54.7% hard-hit rate (97th percentile), and 20.8% barrel rate (99th percentile). Add Belt in all leagues since the batted ball profile and Statcast data backs up his blazing hot start.
Brandon Belt tonight (so far)
• 4 hits
• 2 home runs
• 5 runs batted in
• 1 walkHe’s now reached base safely in 11 straight plate appearances 🦒🔥 pic.twitter.com/Eihb7sVyzs
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 26, 2020
Jon Berti, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Miami Marlins
10% FAAB
If you need steals, then add Jon Berti. He has one home run, 15 runs, six RBI, and eight steals with a triple slash of .260/.345/.329. Although he only logged 84 plate appearances with postponed games, Berti has the second-most steals in the league. He does not typically hit the ball hard with an 86.3 mph average exit velocity and a 31.9% hard-hit rate that both rank in the bottom half of the league. However, Berti’s on-base skills and 97th percentile sprint speed make him valuable in rotisserie leagues.
Brad Miller, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
10% FAAB
Veteran Brad Miller is swinging a hot bat with two home runs, seven runs, 11 RBI, and one steal while slashing .340/.467/.596. Miller’s Statcast data is all red, meaning he is crushing the ball. He has a 91.9 mph average exit velocity (89th percentile), 54.1% hard-hit rate (97th percentile), and an 18.9% barrel rate (93rd percentile). In the small sample, Miller also increased his walk rate to be roughly identical, with his strikeout rate around 18% each. His expected stats are all in the 90th percentile and above with a .366 xBA, .691 xSLG, and .504 xwOBA. Add Miller if you need a corner infielder, especially in deeper leagues.
Evan Longoria, 3B, San Francisco Giants
5-10% FAAB
Another veteran Giants hitter in Evan Longoria is quietly producing with four home runs, 18 runs, and 17 RBI while slashing .301/.342/.505. Longoria is striking out at the lowest rate of his career at 12.8% with a career 19.9% strikeout rate. When looking at his Statcast data, it also backs up the hot start with a 90.6 mph average exit velocity (81st percentile) and a 42% hard-hit rate (70th percentile). Longoria’s expected stats are all in the top 10% of the league with a .315 xBA, .589 xSLG, .403 xwOBA. Similar to Brad Miller, add Longoria if you need a corner infielder spot in deeper leagues.
Starting Pitchers
Ian Anderson, SP, Atlanta Braves
10-12% FAAB
One of the Braves top pitching prospects Ian Anderson pitched well in his start against the Yankees. He allowed one hit, one earned run, two walks, and six strikeouts in six innings. He struggled with walks in the minors, so that is something to monitor. Anderson uses a three-pitch mix with his changeup being his best pitch. Through one start, his changeup resulted in a 20% swinging-strike rate and a 44.4% whiff rate. If you need a streaming pitcher with upside, then add Ian Anderson.
Watch all six strikeouts from Ian Anderson’s outstanding MLB debut 😤 pic.twitter.com/wF1AR4Ktfi
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) August 26, 2020
Michael Pineda, SP, Minnesota Twins
8-10% FAAB
After serving his suspension, Michael Pineda should be back next week. We are attempting to be proactive and add him a week early in case Pineda looks like the 2019 version of himself. In his final 20 starts of 2019, Pineda threw 117 innings with a 3.46 ERA and 118 strikeouts. The Twins rotation has room for Pineda to earn a starting spot with injuries to Homer Bailey and Jake Odorizzi.
Taijuan Walker, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
8-10% FAAB
The Mariners sent Taijuan Walker in a trade to the Blue Jays last week. Over the weekend, Walker made his first start with the Blue Jays against the Orioles and threw six scoreless innings with four strikeouts. His cutter continues to perform well with a 23.1% swinging-strike rate, 24.4% whiff rate, and .170 wOBA. I mentioned Walker last week in the week five waiver wire article, and he is still worth a spot as a streaming pitcher.
Logan Webb, SP, San Francisco Giants
2-5% FAAB
In deeper leagues, Logan Webb falls into the streaming pitcher category. In 31 innings, Webb has 30 strikeouts with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. His low 21.9% strikeout rate and high 9.5% walk rate are concerning, but Webb did not allow more than three earned runs before his last start against the Dodgers. Webb uses a four-pitch mix with his slider and changeup being his best two pitches. His slider results in a 6.1% swinging-strike rate and a 23.5% whiff rate, and his changeup results in a 16.4% swinging-strike rate and a 34.9% whiff rate. He could hurt your ratios but may be worth an add in deeper leagues as a streamer.
Relief Pitchers
Devin Williams, RP, Milwaukee Brewers
5-8% FAAB
Middle reliever Devin Williams is dominating with 25 strikeouts, a 0.73 ERA, and 0.73 WHIP in 11.2 innings. Williams is rocking a 53.2% strikeout rate with a plus fastball at 96.4 mph and a plus-plus changeup at 84.1 mph with 40.2 inches of drop, which is 7.8 inches above average. Although Williams has not recorded any saves, he provides elite ratios and strikeouts.
Devin Williams, 5 Consecutive Changeups.
2Ks.
Complete Filth. pic.twitter.com/R7q0m6hQxF
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 26, 2020
Richard Rodriguez, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates
5% FAAB
With Keone Kela on the injured list, Richard Rodriguez looks to receive the majority of save opportunities. In two of his last three relief opportunities, Rodriguez recorded two saves. In 12.2 innings, he recorded 18 strikeouts with a 3.55 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP. He has a 36.7% strikeout rate and a 2% walk rate, which both rank in the 94th percentile and above. Add Rodriguez if you need saves.
Daniel Bard, RP, Colorado Rockies
3% FAAB
Similar to Rodriguez, Daniel Bard recorded two saves in his last three relief appearances. Be cautious with a Rockies reliever, but Bard appears to be in a closer committee with Carlos Estevez.
Caleb Ferguson, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers
3% FAAB
Caleb Ferguson is dominating as a reliever with 20 strikeouts, a 0.63 ERA, and a 0.63 WHIP in 14.1 innings. Ferguson is using a four-seam fastball and cutter mix that results in swings and misses. The four-seam fastball has a 19.1% swinging-strike rate and a 33% whiff rate while the cutter has a 26.9% whiff rate and a .067 wOBA. On Fangraphs, it looks like he throws a slider and not a cut fastball, and it could be a misclassification of pitches. Regardless, Ferguson provides elite ratios and strikeouts.
