The influx of young talent in the majors right now is borderline overwhelming. It feels like a highly-touted prospect is making their MLB debut on a weekly basis. As we all know, before a prospect makes their MLB debut, they’re usually sitting on the waiver wire, waiting to be picked up. This means that if you have the space to stash a talented prospect who could be called up soon, you need to stash them for as long as it makes sense for your points league roster – be proactive.
In this week’s points league waiver wire article, I dove into a few players who had very low rostership percentages at the beginning of the season, but are now deservedly receiving more attention. We’re not even halfway through the season yet, so make sure that you’re still being as active as possible on the waiver wire. Let’s take a look at who you should be targeting in your points leagues.
Points League Options
(Players rostered in under 50 percent of ESPN leagues)
Aaron Ashby SP/RP, Brewers (35 percent rostered)
Aaron Ashby’s raw stuff has never been the issue. His inability to consistently command his raw stuff is what’s holding him back. The 24-year-old southpaw is armed with a low-80s slider that has a ton of movement, a sinker with arm-side run, a fastball, a changeup, and a curveball that has late bite. Clearly, Ashby possesses a deep arsenal that’s filled with putaway pitches. It’s no wonder he had a 28.7 percent strikeout rate as a minor leaguer (247 innings). However, he’ll never be able to reach his potential if he doesn’t learn how to command his offerings.
To start the 2022 season, he has a 3.13 ERA (3.01 SIERA), a 60/22 K/BB, and a 64.6 percent ground ball rate over 46 innings. He’s always been able to induce ground balls at a high rate, so his well-above average ground ball rate is no surprise. Additionally, the fact that his metrics look so strong despite having an 11.2 percent walk rate speaks to the quality of his raw stuff. As his career progresses, I can see his command becoming more and more refined.
Since May 25th (three starts), Ashby has a sparkling 2.09 SIERA and a very promising 28.4 percent K-BB. In his most recent start against the Padres, he attacked the zone with all of his pitches. He did allow four runs, but considering everything, Ashby has been a more effective pitcher in his second season as a major leaguer. If he’s sitting on your waiver wire, you need to pick him up. If you don’t have the space, make space. You should always be looking to grab the next pitcher who could help boost your chances of winning a fantasy championship.
William Contreras C, Braves (29 percent rostered)
The Braves signed William Contreras as an international free agent in early 2015. In his minor league career, he slashed .280/.346/.413 with 31 home runs, a 8.2 percent walk rate, and a 18.5 percent strikeout rate over 1,540 plate appearances. In his first taste of Triple-A action in 2021, he had the best at-bat/home run ratio of his professional career – a sign that he was growing into more power. Still, many saw him – and might still see him – as a future back-up catcher at the major league level. But to start the 2022 season, he’s made notable improvements to his overall profile – both offensively and defensively.
Seeing time at catcher, designated hitter, and in left field, he has a .292/.378/.667 slash line with seven home runs and a stolen base (82 plate appearances). In 2021, he hit eight home runs over 185 plate appearances. He’s hitting the ball harder than ever (50 percent hard-hit rate), and as a whole, his plate approach looks better than it did in 2021. Now, he does not have a set position – making him a somewhat risky gamble – but it’s clear that the Braves want his bat in the lineup. If you’ve been looking for free upside at the catcher position, give Contreras a look.
Edward Cabrera SP, Marlins (10 percent rostered)
In the first start of his 2022 campaign – pitching at Coors Field – Edward Cabrera threw a 96 mph changeup. According to Baseball Savant, his 96 mph changeup was the fastest changeup to ever strike out a batter in the pitch-tracking era. Cabrera’s changeup has always been one of his best offerings, but now he’s throwing his changeup harder than some pitchers throw their fastballs. The pitch did average 92 mph in 2021 (114 thrown), but it topped out at 94 mph. Now, on top of the uptick in velocity, his changeup was his most-used pitch in his first start. Additionally, his fastball topped out at 98.6 mph, and he showcased his slider and curveball.
Cabrera has the stuff to be an above-average MLB starter, and his command and control skills have improved as he’s garnered more experience. His 25.7 percent strikeout rate over 368 ⅔ minor league innings is no surprise given his stuff, and I see that strikeout rate being even better at his peak. There’s been no official announcement that he’ll be sticking in the rotation moving forward, but he’s tentatively lined up to face off against the Nationals on Tuesday. Folks, this is an arm who has the potential to significantly help your points league rosters. If he starts and performs well on Tuesday, his rostership percentage is going to soar. Don’t miss out.
Christopher Morel OF, Cubs (16 percent rostered)
There are few things more exciting in fantasy land than a player who possesses an intriguing power/speed combo. Enter Christopher Morel, a 22-year-old outfielder who’s spent his entire career in the Cubs’ organization following his signing in 2015. His hit tool and plate approach were never his strong suits, but Morel has one of the highest ceilings in the Cubs’ farm system given his electrifying raw tools.
Some have compared his overall profile to that of Javier Baez’s, but over the first 92 plate appearances of Morel’s career, he has a 21.7 percent strikeout rate, 12 percent walk rate, and a 27.7 percent chase rate. This is a tiny sample size, but Javier Baez’s plate approach is not this good. However, Morel does have an awful 47.5 percent whiff rate against breaking pitches and a 52.9 percent whiff rate against off-speed pitches. So as his sample size grows, the similarities to Baez that some see could become more noticeable.
Now, over 79 at-bats, Morel is batting .291 with two home runs and a 75 percent steal rate (6-for-8). His sprint speed ranks in the 93rd percentile (29 feet per second), and he has a 112.9 maximum exit velocity – highlighting the pop that he has in his bat. Players like this shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated. He’s far from perfect, but it’s looking like he could be a rock solid outfield option in points leagues for the remainder of the season.
Deep Points League Options
(Players rostered in under 10 percent of ESPN leagues)
Riley Greene OF, Tigers (7 percent rostered)
Before Riley Greene fractured his right foot in early April, he was one of the most popular late-round selections in fantasy drafts – and for good reason. The 21-year-old outfielder came into the 2022 season as the second-best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He possesses a fluid left-handed swing, plus bat speed, plus raw power, above-average baserunning skills, and a truly professional plate approach. There aren’t many holes in his profile, and there’s a good chance that he’ll be an All-Star at some point in his MLB career.
In his minor league career – playing at every level – Greene slashed .293/.375/.493 with 30 home runs and a 91.7 percent steal rate (22-for-24). He was tearing up Spring Training before his injury, but fortunately, he’s now back on the baseball field and preparing for his imminent MLB debut. Simply put, not many players have as much upside as Greene. As long as he remains healthy, he should make his MLB debut at some point this summer. If you have the space, stash him on your bench and exercise patience.
Brendan Donovan 3B/OF, Cardinals (5 percent rostered)
While his power upside is limited and his sprint speed borders on average (57th percentile sprint speed), Brendan Donovan could be a useful pick up in deep points leagues. The versatile defender is slashing .319/.439/.447 with a home run and two stolen bases over the first 114 plate appearances of his big league career. On top of that, he’s sporting a 15.8 percent walk rate and a 13.2 percent strikeout rate. His contact percentages are well above average, his chase rate is very encouraging (25.3 percent), and as a whole, he’s had an advanced approach at the plate early on. Donovan hit .285 with a 12 percent walk rate and 17.9 percent strikeout rate over 1,024 minor league plate appearances. His hit tool and plate approach have always been his biggest strengths, giving him a low ceiling, but also a reliable floor.
The 25-year-old is currently on a six-game hitting streak, and no one should be shocked to see him finish his first major league campaign with a batting average in the .280-.300+ range. Moreover, because he’s still fairly young, he could grow into more power as his major league sample size increases. But for now, the majority of his fantasy value stems from his advanced hit tool and plate approach. His upside’s limited, but he’s worth an add if you can see him helping your teams.
