Welcome to the Waiver Wire for Fantasy Baseball Week 16 in 2023.
As the season comes to a close, Grayson Rodriguez is prepared to assist Fantasy teams as he rejoins the major-league team. Expected to excel in the league, Christian Encarnacion-Strand is the upcoming Reds prospect. In anticipation of his first game of the season, Trevor Story, a two-time All-Star, is beginning a rehabilitation assignment and should be picked up on the Waiver Wire this week.
After the recent call-up for the Oakland Athletics, we now have three under-the-radar veteran outfielders who can add immediate value to our Fantasy team. They bring a sneaky good season, with the ability to use their speed and hit tool.
To assist you in winning the week, we have included an extra 19 batters and 21 pitchers below for our All-Access Members.
Trevor Story, 2B/SS, Boston Red Sox
Couple swings from Trevor Story during BP in Portland. pic.twitter.com/XfUosMjkSA
— Ian Cundall (@IanCundall) July 21, 2023
The Red Sox will not rush their star shortstop back. Expect this rehab assignment to take up to a maximum of 20 days. Alex Cora, the manager of the Red Sox, told reporters that Story will play shortstop on Friday, designated hitter on Saturday, and shortstop again on Sunday. He began his rehab assignment on July 21 with the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox. Story is preparing to make his much-awaited debut season with the Boston Red Sox.
The attention drawn to Fantasy Baseball is expected to be a lot, regardless of how long this rehab assignment will last. Nonetheless, his value is only going up from here and he was a prime candidate to stash at the beginning of the season.
In the year 2022, he participated in a total of 94 games and achieved a remarkable tally of 16 home runs, 13 stolen bases, 53 runs, and 66 RBI. Story, being a player of immense talent, has earned the prestigious distinction of being selected for the All-Star team twice, as well as being honored with the Silver Slugger award twice. Throughout his career, he has managed to accumulate an impressive count of 174 home runs, 113 stolen bases, 516 runs, and 516 RBI.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds
Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s first career hit is a pinch-hit homer and gives the @Reds the lead! pic.twitter.com/DrGNvnX0yc
— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2023
Encarnacion-Strand has received immense hype from Fantasy Managers and fans this season, as he finally came to the majors after his long-awaited promotion, with impressive numbers of 67 Games, 62 RBI, and 65 runs, along with 20 home runs and a .331/.405/.637 slashing line.
He is one of the hitters who took over third base, and he also made appearances as a pinch hitter and as the first baseman. In just two appearances as the designated hitter, he has four RBIs, three runs, one home run, and three singles. In 13 plate appearances, he has only struck out once. There have been no explanations provided for the inverted English in this paragraph.
The Reds and manager David Bell are willing to insert the top prospect in various positions to retain his spot in the lineup. In even the tiniest leagues, fantasy managers should consider adding Encarnacion-Strand. In due time, he will be selected in over 90% of leagues, just like his teammate Elly De La Cruz.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Grayson Rodriguez, 101mph ⛽️⛽️ pic.twitter.com/LAnIYJWiG7
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 17, 2023
The prospect ranked as the top 50 player is now preparing to assist the Managers Fantasy team by stretching and strengthening. After making his first ten starts in the majors, he was sent to the Orioles’ Triple-A team where he made seven starts next.
LevelIPW-LERAFIPSOBBHR MLB50.12-27.335.63602313 Triple-A41.14-01.963.5856194.
This gives me hope that Rodriguez can finish his rookie season strong. Although Rodriguez has been stellar in Triple-A this season, his performance in MLB hasn’t been great.
Rodriguez’s main concern is that his fastball, which he heavily relies on, has been performing poorly. He uses it 45.2% of the time with an average speed of 96.8 MPH. Among his five pitches, it is the least effective, with a value of -8. His changeup, on the other hand, has a value of +3, and his slider has a value of +1. Both his curveball and cutter have a value of -4.
In the realm of Fantasy Baseball, I am prepared to acquire him from the waivers and provide him with another opportunity. In order for Rodriguez to thrive in the major leagues, it is crucial for him to master his fastball. Nevertheless,
Zack Gelof, 2B, Oakland Athletics
Zack Gelof’s first MLB hit was SO CLOSE to going out 😳 pic.twitter.com/c89haQN3cw
— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 15, 2023
Soderstrom Tyler has been impressive, hasn’t he? The Oakland Athletics recently called up two of their top-three prospects, Gelof Zack and another player. He has earned his way into the Fantasy Baseball Lineups.
Gelof had a rough start to the season as he struck out three times, but unfortunately, he also had two stolen bases, two RBIs, eight strikeouts, and one walk. He has managed to hit one triple, three doubles, and one single in 25 plate appearances so far. His speed and hitting ability have caught the attention of fans, and according to FanGraphs, Gelof has above-average power and an average hit tool.
Gelof shouldn’t have much difficulty stealing numerous bases in the majors, considering his sprint speed is in the 97th percentile. Throughout 69 games, Gelof demonstrated his dominance in Triple-A by recording 60 runs, 44 RBI, and 20 stolen bases while maintaining an impressive slash line of .304/.401/.529. Nevertheless, his performance overall was noteworthy.
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Chas McCormick, OF, Houston Astros
AL Player of the Week Chas McCormick. pic.twitter.com/RWl2qPfrq8
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 19, 2023
Chas McCormick is having a sneaky good season for the Houston Astros. He has 12 home runs and is slashing .530/.373/.288 through 57 games. He has also stolen ten bases and has 35 RBIs, scoring 30 runs and hitting ten doubles. In addition, he has an above-average barrel rate (10.9%) and xSLG (.439), as well as an xwOBA (.388).
Despite solid statistics, McCormick is only rostered in 34% of leagues. This roster should include Kris Bryant and Jeff McNeil, as well as Amed Rosario, Brendan Donovan, and MJ Melendez. I’m willing to drop some players for McCormick, and he should be much closer to 60% rostered.
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