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Waiver Wire Targets For Fantasy Baseball Week 17

It’s time for waiver wire targets, and the volatility index resides in Bonkersville. When FAAB acquisition Sunday falls 48 hours before the trade deadline – and seemingly every player in baseball could be traded – advantages may be had. Focusing on some of these players in flux, here’s five free agent waiver wire targets for Week 17.

Fantasy Baseball Week 17 Waiver Wire Targets

Waiver Wire Targets Must-Add

Sal Frelick

It’s only been a seven game sample size, but there is a lot to like in recently promoted outfielder Sal Frelick’s performance. Coming into the year as a top 50 MLB prospect and number two in Milwaukee’s system behind phenom Jackson Chourio, Frelick hauls around a boss hit tool as his carrying card.

Early sprint speed indicators also confirm his 60 grade speed tool. So even though he’s yet to steal a base, that should change soon.

First place Milwaukee is in need of offensive production from anywhere, so promoting Frelick was an obvious call. Even though he’s scuffled in the minors this year, he’s done nothing but reward the organization in the Show – churning up a slash of .368/.481/.579 over 27 plate appearances.

His exceptional batting eye has already translated from his minor-league track record, sporting a 22% walk rate against an 11% strikeout rate. And with a superheroic 100% Zone Contact rate over this early stretch, that Hit tool seems like it should keep Frelick’s bat in the lineup.

For good reason, his roster ownership has skyrocketed, which is why he finds himself as a Must-Add in the waiver wire targets list. As Milwaukee hunts the playoffs, they’ve installed Frelick in the cleanup spot. He’s primed to help managers in Batting Average, Runs, RBI to go with a handful of stolen bases.

Waiver Wire Targets Breakout #1

Randal Grichuk

Particularly in Yahoo leagues, Colorado Rockies outfielder Randal Grichuk’s ownership rates have been noticeably low all season. This is despite posting an excellent batting average of .312 that lines up quite nicely with a .367 OBP and a .502 slugging.

The veteran has discovered a next level over the last month, slashing .367/.397/.717. That slugging percentage is where he’s really turned it on – popping six of his eight home runs over that span. Ironically, it’s when Grichuk is likely to be traded away from baseball’s most friendly hitter confines that owners are starting to get wise. While his batting average is higher at Coors, he’s popped an equal amount of home runs both at home and away.

Grichuk should thrive on any contender after an adjustment to his swing has led to last month’s heater. Apparently, this mechanical fix has helped him generate more power from his already solid approach.

His above average 88.2% Zone Contact and 44% Hard-Hit back up Statcast’s xBA for Grichuk, which puts him in the 88 percentile. He’s also top 9% in wOBA.

Any fantasy owner who needs a boost in offense without sacrificing batting average should grab Grichuk. Because even if he doesn’t get traded to a contender, his current home park allegedly is pretty decent.

Breakout #2

Gregory Santos

If it’s not too late in your league, fantasy managers should jump on a Boston Red Sox hitter and pitcher recommendation from previous pieces. Kutter Crawford is beginning to live up to his potential. Meanwhile, Trevor Story is due back in week 17 as the Red Sox shortstop.

Now pivoting to a player of a different color socks, newly presumed Chicago White Sox Closer Gregory Santos may find his ownership rates leveling up in Fantasy Week 17.

Santos is equipped with a moving fastball that flirts with 100 mph and a plus-plus slider FanGraphs grades as 70. The 23 year-old rookie seems poised to fill a bullpen vacuum, as the team jettisons relievers.

His 70 grade slider generates terrific swing and miss game with a 37.1 Whiff%. In fact, his Statcast page in general pops with juicy red balloons all over. Over 51 innings, his fire Swinging Strike rate of almost 14% has netted nearly a strikeout per inning. A characteristic any Closer should have is limiting base runners, which Santos does with 1.93 BB/9. He’s also shown a penchant for generating soft contact, sitting in the 100 percentile of Barrels allowed.

Santos collected his second Save on July 28. With a glance ahead at the White Sox schedule, he may have more Save chances. While August doesn’t look terribly formidable, strength of schedule in September is even better – with multiple series against both the Tigers and Royals.

Waiver Wire Targets Sleeper #1

Luis Medina

For the Oakland A’s, even the worst pun might crack a smile for a team that hasn’t had a lot going for them this season. For those in deeper leagues or hunting upside, it’s funky cold Medina time.

Rookie starting pitcher Luis Medina possesses some talent that can be quantified as potential front end.

Particularly, Stuff+ sees Medina as a top 20 starter with an above average overall rating of 108 Stuff+. Additionally, Medina flashes three well-above-average pitches – according to this model – in the four-seam, sinker and slider. What’s noticeable is Medina’s sinker rates as a ridiculous 136+, but he only uses it less than 10% of the time. Perhaps going to the sinker more often could elevate Medina’s game.

But the major hurdle Medina will have to overcome is his shoddy control, demonstrated by over a 4 BB/9. Stuff+ rates his control as below average with a 93 Location+. His last two starts against Houston and Boston went well, though. He notched 12 strikeouts over 10 innings and picked up the Win against Boston.

His week 17 match-up has him lined up in a home start to face Bay Area neighbor San Francisco Giants, who happen to be a bottom third offense.

Sleeper #2

Michael Massey

Kansas City Royals’ Michael Massey made some noise in Spring Training, but for the most part, his 2023 season has been underwhelming. Because as Ted Williams famously expressed and science quantifies, baseball is really hard.

But don’t tell Massey that. Because the lefty hitting keystone infielder finds himself on a bit of a tear.

For the season Massey has collected eight home runs and four stolen bases over 268 plate appearances. These figures, along with his slash line of .220/.272/.358, don’t leave much to recommend the sophomore player. His past eight games, though, have told a far different tale. Over those 32 plate appearances, Massey smashed four dongs and only struck out 12% of the time, giving him a batting average of .290. The pop potential is there in his bat  with a 9.4% Barrel rate.

Statcast also likes Massey’s chances for improving his power giving him a 70 point increase in his expected slugging percentage. Statcast also seems optimistic with Massey’s current batting average of .220 to be more in an acceptable range of .250.

Apart from a couple of series against the Mariners’ excellent pitching staff, the Royals’ August doesn’t look too shabby for an offense that has underperformed all season. Shallow league owners and those in keeper formats can watchlist. Deeper league managers and DFS players should help themselves to Massey’s current hot streak.

Waiver Wire Targets For Fantasy Baseball Week 16

 

Photo Credit- Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Players Mentioned- Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Randal Grichuk, Kutter Crawford, Trevor Story, Gregory Santos, Luis Medina, Michael Massey

Sebastian Taylor

Sebastian Taylor

Coming from a semi-successful screenwriting background in LA, Sebastian now pursues his passion for baseball content creation in self-imposed Hollywood exile not too far from a place called Hollywood, FL. He indulges his statistical obsession through both the predictive methods of baseball analytics, as well as Vedic astrology - and Sebastian spends a fair amount of time opining these two wildly divergent subjects converge in fascinating ways. Sebastian splits his time as a podcaster of baseball & astrology content on Youtube and does IRL stuff as a Certified Personal Trainer + Yoga Teacher. Sebastian has been a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan - claiming some Bravo street cred via a grandmother who worked 30 years for Braves pitching guru Johnny Sain.

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