Waiver wire prospects have officially become a thing. As rosters expand in September, teams get a sneak preview of their top-tier talent. Major league organizations have begun to rely more heavily on their minor league systems to win now. As fantasy managers move into playoff contention time, here are four waiver wire prospects already in the bigs and one prospect poised to jump to the majors in Fantasy Week 21.
Fantasy Baseball Week 21 Waiver Wire Prospects
Parker Meadows
Power and speed can be fantasy managers’ greatest allies. Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows carries both of these talents in his tool bag. Meadows is the younger brother of teammate Austin Meadows. Parker ranks as the number seven prospect on an exciting, emerging Tigers club, who might surprise as underdogs in the next couple of years.
After making a conventional ascension the past couple of minor league seasons, the 23-year-old Meadows has already admirably seized his cup of coffee. Through 21 plate appearances over five games, Meadows launched his first major league bomb and stole his first bag.
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This cup of coffee was earned after two consecutive minor league seasons where Meadows came just shy of hitting 20 home runs and stealing 20 bases in each. FanGraphs grades his Raw Power as above average at 50 and his speed as elite at 60. Statcast has early returns on his speed in the 80th percentile. Set to get plenty of playing time over the next several weeks, the former second-round pick has the potential to contribute in all five fantasy categories.
Kyle Harrison
San Francisco Giants number one prospect Kyle Harrison debuted against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 22. The 22-year-old southpaw threw 65 pitches in a characteristically short outing for this team. Nevertheless, of his ten outs, half were recorded in dominant fashion, via the strikeout.
Harrison marks a classic September-type callup. Posting some of the best Stuff+ numbers in the minors, the talented hurler has clearly ticked some key performance indicator boxes to earn the Giants’ trust. This is despite some pretty dismal walk rates. Though his walk rates in the minors stood out in a negative sense, his 14.39 K/9 pops out as skills a major league team could use. And even though the sample size is a small 3 1/3 innings, his major league Stuff+ corroborates how he tracked in the minors.
Generating two elite pitches in his fastball and changeup, Harrison also grades out as above average in overall Stuff+ performance. Great peripheral numbers such as 104 Location+ and 109 Pitching+ indicate Harrison’s control and command could already be improving. Meanwhile, FanGraphs grades him as an elite 55 Future Value and their 17th-ranked overall prospect. He may not get a chance to go six or seven innings just yet. But he possesses a frontline starter’s arsenal that could do so.
The Giants could stretch him to five innings, where he would be qualifying for wins. Regardless, Harrison’s ability to pile up strikeouts makes him an intriguing speculation for this pre-September round of waiver wire prospects.
Jordan Wicks
The surging Chicago Cubs called an audible on August 26 and selected the contract of their 2021 number-one draft pick. Lefty starting pitcher Jordan Wicks pitched five innings of one-run ball and won his debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wicks’ major league debut got off to a rockier start than his final line might suggest. After giving up a home run, a hit, and a walk to the first three batters he faced, Wicks would then proceed to shove. Showing steely nerves in settling down, he went on to dominate and strike out a whopping nine batters, while issuing only that initial free pass.
Wicks primarily relied on an 81 mph changeup, which was considered one of the best in the minor leagues. He threw the pitch almost 34 percent of the time and got 75 percent whiffs. Equipped with a deep six-pitch arsenal, Wicks has also demonstrated amazing control and command for a pitcher his age. FanGraphs ranks him as the 60th overall prospect and fourth in a deep Cubs farm system. The Cubs have serious intentions for a postseason push. After such an encouraging first step, their prized prospect Wicks could become a major part of that plan.
Wilyer Abreu
When the Boston Red Sox lost fantasy breakout outfielder Jarren Duran to a toe injury, the team selected the contract of their 17th-ranked prospect Wilyer Abreu. Acquired from the Houston Astros in the deal for Christian Vázquez, the Red Sox, whether strategically or accidentally, debuted Abreu perfectly. Against the team that traded him, Abreu went 6-for-14 and launched his first major league home run, while contributing five RBI.
First big league HR for Wilyer Abreu!! #RedSox pic.twitter.com/8dp7itzt2x
— NESN (@NESN) August 24, 2023
The 24-year-old Abreu may seem a little old for a traditional “prospect.” He was one of a swath of players whose development was victimized by the 2020 shutdown. Arguably, he’s quite a different player from the one many scouts valued as an average major leaguer at best. Adjusting his launch angle has improved Abreu’s ground balls from his previous era. This improved approach has tapped into some major Raw Power, which FanGraphs grades at an exceptional 55 value. FanGraphs also likes his speed, graded at a 55. Abreu stole 31 bases last season. Though he’s only swiped eight in 2023, the power improvements more than compensate.
This season, Abreu improved his already excellent power indicators. He launched 22 home runs in Triple-A to back a whopping ISO of .264 and a slugging percentage of .583.
Abreu’s ability to control the strike zone and draw plenty of walks profiles him as the kind of player the Red Sox organization has perpetually churned out. The power surge could make him a ridiculous steal for that team. Abreu’s power/speed skill set also makes him a terrific under-the-radar value for keeper and dynasty leagues.
Colt Keith
The final name to make this list of waiver wire prospects is another Tigers position player. Colt Keith still lingers in the minor leagues, but that may change once rosters expand in September.
Keith ranks as the Tigers’ number two prospect and 53rd overall by the scouts at FanGraphs. He’s an infielder without a true position, but his bat headlines as his foremost tool.
Keith possesses an excellent feel for contact while keeping his strikeout rates around a manageable 20 percent. When paired with his beastly ISOs that measure overall power performance, Keith profiles as a peak 25-homer/.280 batting average player. As the 6’2″ 22-year-old develops, that power could spike into the 30-homer range.
Keith has been quietly climbing the keeper and dynasty rankings as he marches toward a likely September call-up. Even in redraft leagues, Keith might be helpful for fantasy managers who require a burst of unexpected offense to bring home some fantasy gold.
Photo Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
