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 arrival of one of the top prospects in baseball and an unheralded starting pitcher taking full advantage of his opportunity with a rebuilding franchise.
Brett Baty, 3B, Mets
Available in 66 percent of Yahoo leagues
Baty didn’t leave the Mets with much of a choice with his early-season performance for Triple-A Syracuse, batting a surreal .400 (14-for-35) with five home runs, 15 RBI and two stolen bases through nine games. The 23-year-old corner infielder, who got into 11 games last season in his first taste of the majors, and is headed back to the big leagues on Monday when New York opens up a three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Universally-regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball, Baty forecasts as an immediate four-category fantasy contributor, thanks to plus raw power and above-average plate skills. It’s entirely possible that he’s a legitimate .280 hitter with 25-to-30 home runs right out of the gate. He’ll even chip in a handful of stolen bases, just for good measure. The risk is that he doesn’t tap into his above-average raw power consistently enough at the highest level, and settles in as more of a pedestrian all-or-nothing power plus counting stats contributor.
The central question for fantasy managers is whether Baty will get the opportunity to usurp veteran incumbent Eduardo Escobar as the Mets’ starting third baseman. The 34-year-old has gotten off to an ice-cold start at the dish this year, batting .125 (6-for-48) with one homer through 14 games. Clearly, Baty deserves the opportunity to take over as New York’s primary option at the hot corner, and he’s talented enough to make a significant impact for fantasy managers. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats and could be a significant difference-maker over the final five months of the year.
Johan Oviedo, SP/RP, Pirates
Available in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues
There isn’t a lot for fantasy managers to get excited about in Pittsburgh, especially in the wake of Oneil Cruz‘s serious ankle injury. However, Oviedo is capitalizing on his opportunity in the Pirates’ starting rotation to open the 2023 campaign, posting a sparkling 2.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 19/5 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings (three starts). The unheralded 25-year-old righty never quite blossomed into an option for the division-rival Cardinals at the highest level over the last two years, but appears to be putting it together in his Pittsburgh debut.
The hard-throwing right-hander, who is averaging a career-best 96 mph this season on his four-seam fastball, recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings of one-run ball last Friday against his former club. He generated 13 swinging strikes, including seven on his slider alone, and finished with an elite 38 percent CSW (called strikes plus whiffs). Simply put, Oviedo is throwing harder, which is leading to less contact, an uptick in swinging strikes, and improved results from a run-prevention standpoint. He’ll face an extremely tough test on Wednesday in a road matchup against the Rockies at Coors Field, but still might be worth a gamble in deeper mixed leagues. He’s made some noticeable improvements this season and is clearly making the leap towards becoming a reliable fantasy contributor.
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