I hope you enjoyed your Fourth of July, however you decided to spend it. I’m still hearing the popping of fireworks outside my window as I type this right now, quite a different soundtrack than I’m used to while writing this column.
While many people are traveling or celebrating this holiday weekend, the waiver wire never rests. Depending on your league set-up, there are advantages to be found right now. Perhaps this week’s column will give you a head start on that end.
[[ad:athena]]
This is also a good time to reflect on the first half as a whole, so make sure to watch the first-ever Rotoworld Midseason Classic, which you’ll find below. It’s a 30-minute show detailing the top pitchers and hitters relative to their draft position from the spring, players to buy and sell for the second half, and prospects to watch moving forward.
Have specific questions about your roster? Ask @djshort on Twitter.
MIXED LEAGUES
(Players rostered in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)
Note: Percentages are from the afternoon of Thursday, July 4th
Dylan Cease SP, White Sox (Yahoo: 36 percent rostered)
The past couple of weeks have ushered in an interesting group of young starters to the majors. The general consensus is that Brendan McKay and Zac Gallen are more of a priority than Cease in fantasy leagues this year, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the situation. You still should take a shot depending on your roster set-up. Cease held his own in his MLB debut against the Tigers on Wednesday, allowing three runs in five innings with six strikeouts and four walks. While he was probably throwing harder than usual with the excitement of his MLB debut, he averaged 97 mph on his fastball and topped out at 100 mph. He included 13 swinging strikes in his 101 pitches, including six on his changeup. The control needs to get better and he wasn’t dominating Triple-A this year, so there’s certainly some blowup potential here. The stuff is great, though, so it’s just a matter of how much risk you are willing to take on.
A.J. Pollock OF, Dodgers (Yahoo: 41 percent rostered)
The Dodgers are cruising to the NL West title, but they are getting a key reinforcement for the second half. Out since late April with an infection in his right elbow, Pollock began a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with High-A Ranch Cucamonga and could reportedly be ready to rejoin the Dodgers for their series against the Red Sox to begin the second half next weekend. The 31-year-old was batting just .223 with two homers and a .617 OPS in 28 games prior to hitting the injured list, but he’s obviously capable of helping in most fantasy leagues when healthy. With a return imminent, be sure he’s stashed away.
Yandy Diaz 1B/3B, Rays (Yahoo: 35 percent rostered)
Diaz fell into a bit of a slump prior to landing on the injured list with a left hand contusion in late May, but he’s been locked in since his return, hitting .326 with two homers, eight doubles, 10 RBI, and 19 runs scored over 23 games. With his strong on-base skills, he should continue to pile up runs scored. Diaz won’t match the power upside of other corner-infielder types, but he makes contact and hits the ball extremely hard while holding down a spot in the middle of the Rays’ lineup on most days. He should continue to be relevant in most formats.
Danny Jansen C, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 24 percent rostered)
Francisco Mejia C, Padres (Yahoo: 23 percent rostered)
In March drafts, Jansen and Mejia looked like two young players who could potentially break through at the catcher position in a big way this season. It hasn’t worked out so far, as Jansen has really struggled and Mejia has had some playing time issues in addition to missing time due to injury, but we’ve seen some positive signs recently. Jansen has slugged six homers in his last seven games — including two on Thursday — while Mejia is 9-for-32 (.281) with two homers and one double in 11 games since returning from the minors. Jansen is a safer option as far as getting regular at-bats, but both were interesting this spring for a reason.
Sonny Gray SP, Reds (Yahoo: 49 percent rostered)
Gray found his way into this column a little bit over a month ago and while the results weren’t great in June, I sure hope you were patient with him. Facing the potent Brewers’ offense on Wednesday night, Gray struck out a season-high 12 batters over eight scoreless frames while allowing just four hits and one walk. He induced 19 swinging strikes in his 111 pitches, including a whopping 10 of them on his curveball. Even before Wednesday’s start, he was sporting the best strikeout percentage of his career. Still, an outing like this is a reminder of why he needs to be rostered in nearly all formats.
Willie Calhoun OF, Rangers (Yahoo: 10 percent rostered)
Calhoun is hitless over his last three games, but he’s still batting .297/.342/.527 over 79 plate appearances during his limited time with the Rangers this season. There’s also the matter of playing time, as Hunter Pence recently aggravated his groin injury during a rehab game. In addition to missing the All-Star Game — a true bummer — his return date is now up in the air. This gives Calhoun a little more time to state his case. Interesting, Calhoun got some pregame work at second base the other day, a position he’s played in the minors but was considered a liability there. With Rougned Odor struggling, the Rangers are thinking of creative ways to keep Calhoun around. Fantasy owners should do the same.
Jose Martinez OF/1B, Cardinals (Yahoo: 23 percent rostered)
You know the drill with Martinez by now; he’s a talented hitter without a true position. However, the only thing that matters to us fantasy players is if he’s in the lineup. And lately, he has been. Martinez has started 13 out of the last 14 games for the Cardinals, mostly hitting either fifth or second. No complaints about that, obviously. Martinez has popped three homers during that time along with a .314 batting average, so he’s producing enough to justify at-bats in the Cardinals’ outfield even with his obvious flaws.
Dinelson Lamet SP, Padres (Yahoo: 15 percent rostered)
Making his first start back in the majors after Tommy John surgery, Lamet looked flat-out unhittable at times against the Dodgers on Thursday before coming unglued in the fifth inning. He allowed two runs in the frame while walking two and hitting a batter. Still, there were a lot of positives to take away from the outing, as he fanned seven out of the 21 batters he faced while registering in the mid-to-high 90s with his fastball. We also have to take into account the quality of the lineup he was facing. Not an easy task in your first start in the majors since September of 2017. His potential warrants a stash.
