This week’s waiver wire features a couple of young studs that just got the call-up, as well as a few players that could be flying under the radar. There’s big power, speed, strikeout and win potential in the five players listed below. All of these players are rostered in fewer than 18% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Get ahead of those fantasy baseball managers that check out after the All-Star break to start thinking about fantasy football, and nab these players while they are available!
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B (CIN)
Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports
The top waiver claim for this week is -- you guessed it -- a Cincinnait Red. It’s almost comical how much talent they have available for call-up. Encarnacion-Strand is in the same tier as Elly De La Cruz. Yep, I said it. Some sharp fantasy baseball players have been holding Encarnacion-Strand since their drafts in March, and they should be rewarded. The young first baseman was slower to be called up since Cincinnati still has Joey Votto at first base, but the Reds should be able to deploy him at DH or find ways to get his hot bat into the lineup. Encarnacion-Strand was slashing .331/.405/.637 with 20 homers among his 43 extra-base hits at Triple-A before this call-up, and he hit 32 home runs in 122 games at Triple-A last season. In his minor league career, he’s hitting .322 and he’s eligible at the thin 3B position, too. His home stadium should be a boon, as Great American Ballpark has produced the fifth-most home runs and the seventh-most extra-base hits this season.
Go ahead and navigate away from this article to put in your claim now. Come back when you’re done. We have more.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP (BAL)
On the surface, the numbers don’t look encouraging. Rodriguez’s ERA for the first part of the season at the major-league level was 7.33. However, after being sent down, Rodriguez may have figured a few things out. Across seven starts at Triple-A ,Rodriguez pitched to a 1.69 ERA while striking out 13 batters per nine innings. Considered by many the top pitching prospect in baseball, he’s worth an add despite tough matchups with the Rays and Dodgers this week. He should at least be warming your bench. After all, he plays for a team that should be able to help him log some wins.
Kutter Crawford, SP (BOS)
After a strong start vs. the Cubs, striking out nine and allowing only one hit and no runs on July 16, Crawford’s ERA is down to 3.74 for the season. If Crawford can find the right mix of his six pitches, he should be a valuable starter for your fantasy team. He has the swing-and-miss ability to be worth an add in deeper leagues.
Chas McCormick, OF (HOU)
Perhaps no hitter in baseball has been hotter since the All-Star Break than Chas McCormick. O.K., maybe Shohei Ohtani -- but he isn’t available on any waiver wires. McCormick is still somehow not an everyday outfielder for the Astros, but he’s playing in a way that Houston fans will be livid should the Astros trade him at the deadline. Surely, Dusty Baker will find a way to keep McCormick in the lineup now that he’s hitting .636 with an OPS of 2.188 and three home runs since the All-Star break. All those hits have been clutch, too. On the season, McCormick is hitting .280 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases.
CJ Abrams, SS (WAS)
Do you need stolen bases? Look no further than the shortstop in Washington. Abrams has eight stolen bases since July 8th, bringing him to 17 for the season. He has power potential, too, with a max exit velocity in the 82nd percentile of the league, and he won’t kill your batting average. Once considered a top prospect, there’s reason to be very optimistic about CJ Abrams.
