Rotoworld’s brand-new Pickups of the Day column is designed to help fantasy managers uncover a handful of widely-available targets over the course of the season. It could be a breakout candidate, a prospect stash, an injury replacement, a pitcher with a favorable matchup or week, a player who is due some better luck, or any other number of scenarios. If there’s value to be found on the waiver wire, we will find it and bring it your way.
In today’s column, we’re looking at a couple of solid streaming options for Wednesday – and into the weekend – with the potential to develop into regular contributors in mixed leagues for the remainder of the season
PICKUPS OF THE DAY
Matthew Liberatore, SP, Cardinals
Available in 80 percent of Yahoo leagues
The Cardinals made some waves in fantasy baseball circles late Tuesday night when they announced that Matthew Liberatore would be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to start against the Brewers on Wednesday night.
Look, we all know how poorly the 23-year-old southpaw pitched during his time with the Cardinals in 2022 – registering a miserable 5.97 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and a 28/18 K/BB ratio over 34 2/3 innings in his nine appearances (seven starts). This doesn’t look like the same pitcher that we have seen this season.
Liberatore has been pitching with increased velocity at Triple-A Memphis this season – and he has also incorporated a new sweeper into his pitch mix, which has led to an increased swinging-strike rate and more punchouts overall. In eight starts there, he went 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 56/17 K/BB ratio over 46 innings.
Sure, it’s possible that this winds up being just a spot start and a way for the Cardinals to give everyone else in their rotation an extra day of rest. If Liberatore goes out and dominates on Wednesday night though, it’s going to be quite hard to send him back to Triple-A Memphis – especially given the overall struggles that they have experienced in their rotation this season.
Whether he sticks around or not, he’s worth a look as a streaming option against the Brewers on Wednesday night and you just may find a gem that could stick around for much longer as a regular rotation option in mixed leagues.
Jorge Soler, OF, Marlins
Available in 71 percent of Yahoo leagues
I’ll be honest, I was surprised to see that Soler was so widely available in Yahoo leagues given the prodigious power that he has shown (when healthy) throughout his big league career. Batting average has always been a concern for him - and that hasn’t changed this season – as he’s hitting just .238/.317/.503 to go with 10 homers and 22 RBI through his first 40 games.
He has also always been a streaky hitter though, and he appears to be on one of those power binges at the moment. Over his last 11 games, Soler has slashed a robust .326/.396/.698 with five homers and 12 RBI – including a mammoth walk-off two-run blast to beat the Nationals on Tuesday night.
It’s hard to find reliable power sources off the waiver wire, and Soler is as good as it gets in that department. Even if he doesn’t look like a long-term hold in your particular league, he’s worthy of an addition to ride this hot streak. He also has four games at Coors Field on tap beginning on Monday, and you’ll certainly enjoy having him in your lineup for those games.
