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. Today’s edition features the emergence of a solid fantasy contributor in Boston and a pair of talented pitching prospects that could find themselves back in the majors relatively soon.
Garrett Whitlock, SP, Red Sox
Available in 66 percent of Yahoo leagues
It’s quite perplexing that Whitlock is still languishing on the waiver wire in the majority of fantasy leagues after compiling a sparkling 3.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 22/4 K/BB ratio across 23 innings (four starts) since returning from the injured list back on May 27. The 27-year-old right-hander got a late start to the 2023 campaign recovering from offseason hip surgery, and also missed a few weeks due to right elbow neuritis, but he’s looked quite sharp over the last few weeks, and is rapidly emerging as a viable option for fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues. He tallied a season-high seven strikeouts over seven innings of two-run ball on Wednesday in a win over the Rockies at Fenway Park and is in line for a favorable road matchup on Tuesday against the Twins. There’s no reason Whitlock should be on the waiver wire, especially in deeper mixed leagues at this point.
Brandon Pfaadt, SP, Diamondbacks
Available in 95 percent of Yahoo leagues
This is purely speculation at this point, but it sounds like there’s a realistic possibility that Pfaadt will get another shot in the majors next week after Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo refused to commit to Ryne Nelson, who was shelled for five runs on 10 hits over four innings on Thursday in a loss to the Phillies, making his next scheduled start. There’s a chance Arizona ultimately decides to continue rolling with Nelson, but the decision to pursue alternatives would create an opening on Tuesday against the Brewers. That’s where Pfaadt enters the picture. The 24-year-old righty registered a season-high 10 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Tuesday for Triple-A Reno and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three consecutive outings since being demoted earlier this month. He struggled to keep the ball in the yard during his brief five-start run in the big leagues earlier this year, but possesses stratospheric strikeout upside, and might get another chance next week. He’s at least worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Orioles
Available in 69 percent of Yahoo leagues
It feels like only a matter of time before Rodriguez gets another opportunity with the Orioles. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect piled up 11 strikeouts and allowed two runs over six innings on Thursday in an extremely impressive performance for Triple-A Norfolk. He’s recorded back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances and it’s fair to wonder whether the Orioles have seen enough progress to give him another shot in the majors. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect struggled earlier this year in his first taste of the majors, compiling a bloated 7.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 56/21 K/BB ratio across 45 1/3 innings (10 starts), but is worthy of another opportunity based solely on his raw talent. There isn’t a clear path to a rotiont spot in Baltimore at the moment, especially with Cole Irvin continuing to pitch well, but Rodriguez is going to get a shot at some point. It might take a few weeks for that to come to fruition, but it might be worth the wait, especially in deeper mixed leagues where he might’ve wound up back on the waiver wire.
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