Focusing on fantasy baseball waiver wire targets available in 50% or more in most leagues. Here are five waiver wire targets to buy for Fantasy Week 13.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets
Must-Add
Maikel Garcia
During his 2022 minor-league season, Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia swiped 39 bags. He stole 35 his previous year.
Many players capable of that kind of base theft can also usually have the bat knocked out of their hands. And while Garcia hasn’t set the world on fire with his slugging yet, there are reasons in his peripheral indicators to suggest the speedy 23-year-old infielder may be growing into some burgeoning power.
Garcia’s Average Exit Velocity of 91.7 mph ranks in the 85th percentile. Additionally, his Hard Hit percentage ranks in the 88th percentile. He also has an excellent eye at the plate with a Chase Rate in the 95th percentile.
Getting on base at a decent .337 clip, Garcia is currently hitting .280. And his near-elite Zone-Contact of 88% indicates his average should stay near .300.
The Royals typically bat Garcia fifth, but when he hit leadoff recently, he left the game with three stolen bases – giving him 10 over 44 games. He also has yet to be caught. So even though Garcia isn’t flashing flashy sprint speeds, he’s shown himself to be a highly capable base stealer.
With the ability to hit the ball hard, Garcia only needs to raise his 6.7 Launch Angle to become a double-digit home run threat. Regardless, he’s getting on base enough to net another 20+ stolen bases and possibly more if the Royals decide to put him permanently atop the lineup.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Breakout #1
Joey Votto
Injured, Not Old
ICYMI Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto is back. And the 39-year-old iconoclast has reemerged at a pitch-perfect time for arguably the most exciting team in baseball right now.
As the unique slugger has eased into his late 30s, the quality of his production over the past few years has wavered from outstanding to below average. After undergoing season-ending rotator cuff surgery in August 2022, Votto ended his career-worst season by also addressing issues in his biceps – all of which were all clearly contributing to his substandard output.
Notorious for being a conditioning beast and a workhorse at his craft, Votto also has the rep as a thinking man’s player. He’s been on record the past several years as conscientiously attempting to adjust to an increasingly competitive game that he finds in constant flux.
So while it’s possible Votto’s inconsistent play in recent years is age-related, it’s more probable that it’s injury related. Especially if the early returns since his return from the IL are to be considered.
Big Red Return
Talk about Small Sample Size City. It’s only 12 batted balls, but Votto’s Barreled three of them. Votto also happens to have three homers in just five games, so that’s pretty good. And also, Barrels possibly accounted for.
In 2021, the year prior to his surgery, Votto mashed 36 home runs over 129 games to go along with a career-best .297 ISO. Put simply, Joey Votto experienced his best power surge at age 37.
While some players can’t always maintain optimum performance as they get older, Votto actually unlocked some untapped power in his stroke after tinkering with mechanics at an age when most players have already called it quits.
Votto now finds himself in prime position as the veteran leader of a team that has engaged its premium prospects to take the Reds on a potential playoff run. In what could be his last year with the Reds, playing alongside uber-prospect Elly De La Cruz and the merry gang of Big Red prospects, expect Joey Votto to put up some sick numbers over the rest of the season.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Breakout #2
Luis Garcia
If Maikel Garcia is already scooped up, another infielder with the same surname might be able to help. It’s time to ring the fantasy bell on a guy who’s totally riding the sleeper/breakout rail at the moment, Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia.
With a solid season contribution of .274 to go with five homers and 3 steals over 286 plate appearances, Garcia could only fly under fantasy manager’s radar for so long, now hitting at the top of an improving Nationals lineup. In fact, the team has been near the top of the league in batting average for much of the season.
Garcia has pitched in as a contact maestro. He makes contact about 87% of the time. But more importantly, he makes Zone-Contact at an elite 92%, according to FanGraphs. In other words, he’s attacking balls that he can do the most damage on.
Adding to his contact wizardry, Garcia rarely strikes out at 11%. His strikeout rate ranks elite in the 97th percentile, as does his Whiff rate landing in the 95th percentile.
The best time to buy a contact hitter is when he’s being bit by the BABIP gods, and Garcia’s hitting .192 over the last week. Also, if he can ever “Yandy Diaz” it and lift his 3.2 Launch Angle, Garcia could catch a few more Barrels and raise his current Barrel Rate of 7.5% into the double digits – where he could become a power threat and an all-categories contributor.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Sleeper #1
Kutter Crawford
With a name like Kutter, how could Boston Red Sox sophomore starting pitcher Kutter Crawford not throw a cutter? Kutter does, in fact, feature a cutter, which is his second-most-thrown pitch at 30%.
But Crawford actually deploys as many as six pitches, according to Statcast. He utilizes his fastball almost 40% of the time. And by all appearances, the pitch is pretty special.
Cutter’s four-seam possesses that special “late life” that explodes on a hitter and can now be quantified in a few different ways. While his fastball averages just under 95, it gets filthy vertical movement that comes in 3.3 inches above the average fastball. Also achieving well above average horizontal movement, the fastball qualifies in the 92nd percentile of spin rates.
By Eno Sarris’ Stuff+ model, Crawford’s four-seam gets a 129 Stf+ FA, which is among the best in the league. Crawford’s stuff overall rates at 110 Stuff+, and that’s well above average.
Crawford garners almost 30% Whiffs on the pitch, which is terrific for a fastball. Hitters are batting only .167 against his four-seam which appears to be a plus pitch from every angle.
Cutter also harnesses his six-pitch arsenal with masterful control, giving up only a 4.8% BB rate – good for top 7% in the league. And his six pitches overall generate a 12.9% Swinging Strike, so his already great 9 K/9 looks poised to go higher with consistent starts.
Mixing time between bullpen work and sporadic starts, Crawford has posted a solid 3.74 ERA. Crawford’s above-average skill set has possibly been flying under the fantasy radar. Now looking like he has a spot in the Red Sox rotation, he could be a sneaky add for anyone who needs pitching help.
Kutter Crawford, Nasty Cutter. ✂️
Nominative determinism pic.twitter.com/ePuw9q5fac
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 21, 2023
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Sleeper #2
Reese Olson
Detroit Tigers starting rookie pitcher Reese Olson definitely wasn’t blowing up any prospect lists, despite having some unequivocally filthy stuff. The mark against him coming up through the minors related to issues with control.
With 24 2/3 innings under his belt, Olson’s doling out a stingy 2.19 BB/9 rate. Control issues, so far, seem to be under control. This can happen with many prospects whose stuff moves so much, it takes a while to harness into pitchability. Once players reach the Majors, superior coaching and development coupled with top-flight talent, and skills get unlocked.
Olson represents the perfect buying opportunity in any league. His surface stats aren’t pretty to look at, but the underlying metrics promise better results ahead.
Olson’s pitching repertoire, and the way he executes his array, optimizes his weaponry. Olson is one of those clever pitchers who uses his elite off-speed pitch as his primary one. His slider is devastating no matter how you cut it, and he uses it 31%. The pitch gets 3+ inches more horizontal and vertical movement than average.
By Stuff+, Olson’s slider tracks as 150 Stf+ SL, which ranks near the top five among starting pitchers this year. He also has very good location by Stuff+.
Already eliciting a near 12% Swinging Strike, Olson’s current 10.2 K/9 may soon tick up closer to his minor league rates near 12 K/9.
Wins may be somewhat tough to come by on a Tigers team that battles for them, but Olson stands ready to leap to a next level of strikeout machine for fantasy owners.
Main photo credits:
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Maikel Garcia, Joey Votto, Elly De La Cruz, Luis Garcia, Yandy Diaz, Kutter Crawford, Reese Olson
