Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

In fantasy baseball, the waiver wire is a list of players who are not currently on any team’s roster. Players are added to the waiver wire when they are dropped by a team. Either that or when they are free agents who have not yet been claimed by a team.

Furthermore, to add a player from the waiver wire, you must submit a waiver claim. Waiver claims are processed in order of priority, with the team with the highest waiver priority getting the first crack at the player. If multiple teams submit waiver claims for the same player, the player will be awarded to the team with the highest waiver priority.

Well into July, we are now approaching the All-Star break. Additionally, we have the Home Run Derby coming up. We are coming into the season’s final few months and have seen numerous call-ups. This week the big minor league call-up was Colton Cowser. Baltimore has a loaded farm system, and Cowser is the most recent addition to the lineup. We also see Alek Manoah returning this week. Be sure to check your waiver wire to see if he was dropped.

As for the prospect watch, Cowser was the most recent big name to make it up. We all still await Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Another under-the-radar prospect promotion was Nick Gonzales of the Pittsburgh Pirates who is batting .333 on the season with a pair of home runs over 12 games.

Let’s get right into the top waiver wire options in fantasy baseball this week.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles

This week, Colton Cowser got the call-up from Baltimore and made his Major League debut. In his debut, he went 1-3 with a hit, a walk, an RBI, and a run. Needless to say, he certainly made his presence known. In AAA, Cowser batted over .300 with double-digit home runs. Cowser should be added in all formats and can immediately help your batting average. It seems as if he is up to stay for good in the majors.

Will Benson, OF, Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are sitting in first place as of now. They have gotten the help of numerous call-ups and have seen Will Benson start to heat up. Now for the season, Benson is batting .287 with three home runs, nine RBIs, and seven stolen bases. In his last seven games, Benson is 9-25 with four runs scored and has stolen three bases. Benson is quietly getting on a hot stretch and is worth a flier in deeper formats hoping this maintains.

Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels

With the news of Mike Trout being out for potentially two or more months, Jo Adell is now seeing the opportunity for everyday playing time in LA. He got the call-up a few days ago and in his two games, he has gone 2-5 with two RBIs and a double. It’s a small sample size, but Adell has the prospective pedigree to potentially be a breakout candidate. He last played on June 8^th when he went 1-3 with a solo home run.

Oscar Colas, OF, Chicago White Sox

Oscar Colas was a popular spring pick to break out this season. He started the season very slowly batting in the low .200s and was sent back down to the minors. He is batting near .300 in the minors this season and has a stretch where he hit seven home runs in ten games. Colas seems to have turned it around in the minor leagues, making him an intriguing flier addition in deeper formats.

Tommy Pham, OF, New York Mets

Tommy Pham has been heating up as of late. In his last eight games, he has gone 14-31 with two home runs, five RBIs, two stolen bases, and six runs scored. On the season, Pham has nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and ten stolen bases, and is currently batting .287. Pham is becoming a must-add in 12-team formats or deeper, and even worth a look in shallower leagues if he has this hot streak going.

TJ Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds

TJ Friedl is not seeing everyday at-bats in Cincinnati, but he has been effective when in the lineup. In his last 12 games, Friedl has eight stolen bases. He has his batting average at .309 this season and has six home runs and 32 RBIs. While he is not seeing everyday playing time as mentioned, Friedl makes for an excellent addition if you need stolen bases.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

J.P. France, SP, Houston Astros

A name going under the radar right now is J.P. France. France has started 11 games this season and has a 3.26 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. His profile reminds me of Bryce Elder in a way. Low strikeouts but keeps the ERA down. He has four wins and has thrown seven quality starts in his 11 games and has thrown six quality starts in a row dating back to June 4. Additionally, he pitched on 7/5 against the Rockies and went six innings, allowing three runs and striking out four batters. His rostered percentage keeps going up every week, and this may be the final chance to acquire him.

Ryne Nelson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

On the surface, Ryne Nelson doesn’t necessarily strike us as a must-add. He has a 4.67 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. He has started 17 games and has five wins and five quality starts. In his last three starts, he has pitched 19.1 innings, allowing five runs, striking out 18 batters. These three starts give hope Nelson has begun to turn it around, and if so, he makes for a great addition in deeper formats.

Mike Soroka, SP, Atlanta Braves

Mike Soroka since being placed back in the rotation on June 30 has started two games. He has thrown 10.2 innings, allowing 3 earned runs, 11 hits, and striking out 1 batters. The hits are a little concerning, but he has only allowed three walks. His next start hasn’t been announced yet. However, it seems as if he is likely to stay in the rotation for the time being and has the prospect pedigree to improve his standing in the rotation.

Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers

Making his debut on Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics, was Tarik Skubal. He threw four innings without allowing a run. Additionally, he struck out six batters and did not allow a hit or a walk. It is clear Detroit is easing him back into the rotation, and this is a great start for him. I would imagine his next scheduled start against Toronto could be something like this. Moving forward, hopefully after the All-Star break and into July, he will be able to go deeper into some ball games. However, he remains a must addition in all fantasy baseball formats.

Kenta Maeda, SP, Minnesota Twins

Next on the list this week is Kenta Maeda. While his 5.18 ERA and 1.27 WHIP are not something to be excited about for fantasy purposes, his previous three starts should give for optimism. He gave up ten earned runs on April 26th to the Yankees. He returned on 6/23 and gave a three-game stretch of 17 innings pitched, allowing three earned runs, five walks, 1 hits, and 21 strikeouts. Overall, the strikeouts stand out here in 17 innings pitched.

No, Maeda has not produced at a high level in recent years, after missing all of 2022. However, these last three starts give way to optimism that he can be a good addition in all fantasy formats.

Hunter Harvey, RP, Washington Nationals

Finding a reliable closer can be very difficult, especially in deeper leagues. Hunter Harvey seems to be the go-to closer in Washington now. He has recorded 8 saves this season with a 3.16 ERA. Additionally, he has 41 strikeouts in 37 innings and seems to be settled into the role. If you need saves, Harvey seems to be reliable right now for the opportunities.

2023 Home Run Derby Odds and Picks

Free MLB Daily Picks

Trending Now

Best Ways to Determine Your Fantasy Football Draft Order

2023 Best Ball Rankings

Fantasy Football Team Names

For the latest free agent news, check out the Fantasy Football News Tracker.