Waiver wire adds can make or break teams this time of the season. With only over a month to go, fantasy leagues are already in playoff mode. Here are a few potentially under-the-radar waiver wire adds for fantasy week 19.
Waiver Wire Adds For Fantasy Baseball Week 19
Waiver Wire Breakout #1
Cole Ragans
Newly acquired Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans came over from the Texas Rangers in the Aroldis Chapman trade. Ragans was an early-season AL West sleeper pick while still with the Rangers. But the organization chose to keep him in the minors as trade bait.
Nevertheless, Kansas City should have spent more time reinstalling Ragans to the Show, where he has continued to showcase newfound velocity.
In four starts with his new club, Ragans has tallied a stellar 2.38 ERA and an Ace-like 10.72 K/9. His walk rate is a respectable 3.18, including a hiccup against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he uncharacteristically walked four.
That Cardinals blip may still render Ragans acquirable. Wins may be iffy, even though the Royals have been playing well recently. But Ragans’ 15.1% Swinging Strike rate with his new team implies excellent ratio help for managers in need.
Stuff+ grades Ragans as having three above-average pitches in the fastball, slider, and curve. His excellent starter’s arsenal is rounded out by a decent cutter and a changeup that was graded plus at 60 by Fangraphs.
While Ragans draws the Seattle Mariners as a Week 19 matchup, his potential opponents for the next few weeks are less formidable. The southpaw could line up to start against bottom-tier offenses like the Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Breakout #2
Kerry Carpenter
As the dog days of summer wear on, another early-season sleeper pick, Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter, finds his performance trending in a positive direction.
Carpenter lost the month of May to a shoulder injury. In limited playing time over 273 plate appearances, the lefty has stroked 15 home runs to underpin his excellent power-hitting ISO of .229.
For the season, he’s slashing .281/.341/.510, with a 22% strikeout rate – exceptional for a power hitter. Since returning from injury, he’s improved with a .306 average and .364 OBP, with a healthy 19% strikeout rate.
With an ownership of only 18% in Yahoo, Carpenter is criminally under-rostered. After smacking two home runs at Fenway Park over the weekend, Carpenter may finally be a significant waiver wire addition for Week 19.
Breakout #3
Emerson Hancock
An injury list stint to fellow rookie Bryan Woo has opened the door for Seattle Mariners top prospect Emerson Hancock to join the rotation. The righty was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Hancock features a four-seam and a two-seam fastball, which he accompanies with two off speeds in a slider and changeup. He repeated the AA level this year and posted lackluster results overall. But Hancock has come on strong in his last four starts.
After posting a 1.44 ERA with over a strikeout an inning in those four AA starts, the Seattle Mariners have decided to play Hancock’s hot hand as they push for a playoff spot.
In his first major league start against a rather potent San Diego Padres offense, Hancock acquitted himself nicely. While he didn’t get a decision, he only needed 87 pitches to make it through five innings and record three strikeouts.
Hancock won’t necessarily overpower batters, but his excellent command of a few solid pitches make him an ideal streamer for the last few weeks of the season.
Week 19 lines him up for a two-start against the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros. The matchups get even better in the following weeks with a rematch against the Royals and a home start against the Oakland A’s.
Waiver Wire Sleeper #1
Everson Pereira
With a grip of rookie debuts already made, traditional September call-ups may be few and far between. However, reports out of New York indicate the New York Yankees intend to promote outfielder Everson Pereira.
Graded by Fangraphs as having plus raw power, his minor-league maximum exit velocities of 114 mph bear out that esteemed estimation. He has hit for both power and average over two minor-league levels encapsulating around 300 plate appearances.
He’s hitting .325 in AAA, cutting his AA strikeout rate by 3%. So, a promotion to the Yankees is warranted.
The team will likely call up the talented 22-year-old before September to make him playoff eligible. Flashing the exit velos Pereira does, Yankee Stadium beckons for the dongs to rain.
Any managers who need a boost in power would do well to get ahead of the curve and make a sneaky good move with Pereira.
Sleeper #2
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Another soon-to-be sexy waiver wire adds my also make his debut before September for playoff roster reasons. Chicago Cubs’ number one overall prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong has long been ready defensively to play in the major leagues.
In just a few minor league seasons, the 21-year-old has improved some facet of his game at each level of ascension. While it’s only a 49-plate appearance sample, performance indicators point to Crow-Armstrong putting it together lately.
He’s maintained a strikeout rate in the mid-20%, which is perfectly acceptable for a player with his kind of pop. But Crow-Armstrong is also walking at an elite 16.3%. This kind of batting eye should also lead to higher batting averages at the significant league level.
For fantasy managers, there’s particular appeal in the combination of power and speed within Crow-Armstrong’s profile. In under 400 plate appearances in 2023, he’s stolen 30 bases and jacked 17 bombs.
The Cubs are taking the playoff push seriously. If so, PCA will no doubt be part of the season’s last month. Make Crow-Armstrong a waiver wire in week 19 to stash some category juice for the last few weeks.
Main Photo Credits: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Cole Ragans, Aroldis Chapman, Kerry Carpenter, Everson Pereira, Bryan Woo, Pete Crow-Armstrong
