The 2023 MLB season is now in full swing. With that, we are entering the second weekend of the waiver wire run for your fantasy baseball leagues. I’ll be touching on some of the best hitters and pitchers who might be available on the waiver wire as we wrap up the first week of the 2023 fantasy baseball season.

As expected, the first week of baseball has been a very interesting one. Pitchers have been giving up a lot of runs, and we are already seeing some big-name call-ups from the minors. I have hitters and pitchers listed here and gave a few prospects as well to stash.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets

The Mets will be calling their top prospect up to the majors. Francisco Alvarez is up with the news of Omar Narvaez going on the injured list. The power upside for Alvarez is immense. That being said, he is worth an add in either one or two catcher formats. The Mets initially sent Alvarez down to AAA to work on his glove, but now their hand is forced. Moving forward, he should be seeing regular at-bats for the foreseeable future. Alvarez will not last on the waiver wire so grab him now.

Logan O’Hoppe, C, Los Angeles Angels

Logan O’Hoppe was initially sent down to the minors to start the season but was quickly called up to the majors when Max Stassi was sent to the injured list. He has been red hot in his five games so far. On top of that, he is batting .278 with two home runs and eight RBIs. O’Hoppe has top-ten catcher material and needs to be rostered in all two catcher formats.

Blake Sabol, C/OF, San Fransisco Giants

Another catcher makes this list. Blake Sabol is very valuable, as he plays the outfield as well. Sabol has played in six games and on Thursday went three for six with his first career home run. Before Thursday, Sabol was cold swinging the bat, but this performance could jump-start a hot stretch. The Giants are giving him regular at-bats, and even if he plays the outfield, he can start in your catcher spot for fantasy baseball leagues.

Jorge Soler, OF, Miami Marlins

Back in 2019, Soler hit 48 home runs. Then in 2021, he hit 27 home runs. More recently, this past Wednesday, Soler hit two home runs and had four RBIs. Needless to say, Soler is off to a hot start in seven games, he has three home runs and six RBIs. Furthermore, he is batting .259 on the season. If Soler can regain his old form, we could see a potential 30-home run bat. Overall, he may drag your average down, but his power will make up for it.

Brian Anderson, 3B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Brian Anderson is having a good start to his Brewer career. In six games played, he has hit three home runs while driving in ten RBIs. He is also batting .500 in 18 plate appearances. Is this sustainable? Probably not, but it’s a great start. I was a big fan of Anderson in Miami, and coming to hitter-friendly Milwaukee is a good boost to his career. However, 3B is very shallow as it is, so this would be a great addition to your fantasy teams if you’re in need of that position.

Myles Straw, OF, Cleveland Guardians

Myles Straw has the potential to be an elite stolen base contributor. In seven games, Straw has stolen five bases already and is batting .364 in 22 plate appearances. He has scored six runs and has a low strikeout rate. In 2021, Straw stole 30 bases and in 2022, he stole 21 bases. With the new rule changes, Straw has the potential to easily top 30 stolen bases this year. Not to mention, he has also played in over 150 games each of those two seasons.

Jorge Mateo, SS, Baltimore Orioles

Jorge Mateo is enjoying early season success so far. Mateo in five games has hit .312 with two home runs to five RBIs. Additionally, he has stolen four bases. Is this sustainable? Maybe not, but Mateo has always been a contributor in the stolen base department. Last season he stole 35 in 150 games. Finally, if he sees 150-plus games this season we could see him top 40 with the new rules in place.

Brett Baty, 3B, New York Mets

A prospect to stash if they are on your waiver wire is Brett Baty. With the Mets calling up Francisco Alvarez, you have to wonder how far behind Baty is. The Mets want him to work on his glove, but he is currently batting .400 with two home runs and two steals in the minors.

Despite a thumb injury, everything checked out fine. If he continues to hit for power and average, you have to think he will force the Mets to make an early decision. Overall, he could end up making a fine addition to your fantasy baseball teams this year if things play out right.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Josiah Gray, SP, Washington Nationals

Josiah Gray just pitched very well at Coors Field and took a tough loss. He threw six innings of one-run ball and struck out six batters. He did allow eight hits but only walked one batter. Furthermore, he was rocked in his first outing against the Braves giving up five runs in five innings, but this was a great turnaround for Gray. It still would be tough to trust him in his next outing, which is scheduled against the Angels. However, if he pitches well there, he is someone that could be a good streamer.

Mitch Keller, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Mitch Keller has made two starts this season. His first start in Cincinnati did not go so well giving up four runs in 4.2 innings. However, in his most recent outing in Boston, he went seven innings and allowed only one run. He gave up four hits and walked two while striking out seven. Keller lines up to face the Astros next which is less than ideal, but similar to Gray if he pitches well in Houston, Keller is going to be a good streaming option from here on out.

Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Baltimore Orioles

I don’t expect Grayson Rodriguez to be on your waiver wire. If he is, then he is a must-add. The top Oriole prospect made his MLB debut this week against Texas and Jacob DeGrom. He went five innings and allowed two runs while striking out five. Rodriguez has high upside and is a must-roster in any format. Furthermore, Rodriguez lines up to face Oakland next which makes him a must-start.

Anthony DeSclafani, SP, San Francisco Giants

In 2021, DeSclafani had a career year. During that time, he threw 167.2 innings and posted a 3.17 ERA with 13 wins and 152 strikeouts. After that, he had a very bad 2022 which he only started five games. In his first start this season against the White Sox, he threw six innings of shutout ball and struck out four. If he can regain his 2021 form, DeSclafani can be a major asset to your ERA. Also, he lines up to face the Royals next which should be a solid matchup.

Bryce Elder, SP, Atlanta Braves

Bryce Elder is the next Atlanta Brave arm up in the rotation. Elder in his first start at St. Louis threw six shutout innings and struck out six. How long Elder lasts in the rotation is a question mark as Max Fried should be back soon. Additionally, Jared Shuster is up and down in the majors and minors. Elder lines up to face the Reds and Royals next week in a two-start week which makes him an intriguing streaming option.

Aroldis Chapman, RP, Kansas City Royals

Veteran Aroldis Chapman seems to have regained his former shutdown ability. In two innings thrown so far, Chapman has struck out four batters and has not allowed a run. Additionally, he is throwing over 100MPH, and if Scott Barlow struggles for any reason, Chapman has the experience closer to stepping in. Another option is Chapman could be traded closer to the deadline. Right now, he can help a fantasy baseball team out with their ratios, with the potential to close.

Matthew Liberatore, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

Matthew Liberatore is down in the minors for the Cardinals but should be the next player called up when a rotation spot opens up. In his two starts in AAA this year, Liberatore has thrown ten innings, allowed no runs, struck out 14, and only walked four batters. Overall, he looked impressive in the Spring, and it is carrying over to the minors. It is only a matter of time before he is up in the majors, and is a great stash option.

Gavin Stone, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Need a good dynasty fantasy baseball stash? Or a possible rookie of the year call-up in June or July? Gavin Stone has that potential. In his last start in the minors, he struck out five batters in five innings, only allowing one run. Additionally, he looked dominant to end the outing. Furthermore, he has a really good changeup in his pitches, and figures to be a high strikeout arm when he gets called up.

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