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.
Alex Wood SP, Giants
Available in 87 percent of Yahoo leagues
I’m really digging Wood as a two-start pitcher this week. The veteran southpaw gets the Marlins in Miami on Tuesday before finishing his week at home with a start against the Mets on Sunday.
There’s a reason Wood is still available in so many leagues, as he simply hasn’t been very efficient so far. He’s yet to complete five innings and has walked five batters in 7 2/3 innings of work. Still, he held the Dodgers to just one hit over 4 2/3 scoreless frames last Tuesday.
The Marlins are 23rd in MLB in OPS (.693) and will have the erratic Edward Cabrera on the hill, so this is a winnable matchup. If you still have the ability to pick him up today, do it. As for the Mets on Sunday, there’s risk there, but they have proven vulnerable against left-handed pitching for quite some time now.
J.D. Davis 1B/3B, Giants
Available in 55 percent of Yahoo leagues
We’re all in on the Giants today. Davis is doing his best to lock down a prominent spot in Gabe Kapler‘s lineup by slashing .311/.360/.600 with four homers and 13 RBI through 14 games. There was some concern that Davis would end up in the weak side of a platoon, but he’s been a mainstay of late, even against right-handers.
Davis has been in the starting lineup for nine out of the past 10 games, regularly in the heart of the lineup. He’s hit third or fourth in nine out of his 12 starts this season. Prime real estate, even in a situation that doesn’t knock your socks off.
Hitting the ball hard has never been a problem for Davis, but making contact has been over the past two seasons. So far this year, his strikeout rate sits at 22 percent, down from 33.4 percent in 2022 and 32.2 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, Davis finds himself in the 87th percentile in hard-hit percentage and well above the league average in other quality of contact metrics, so the xBA (.324) backs up what he’s done so far. He’s done nothing but hit since coming over to the Mets last summer, so it’s time for him to be rostered in most leagues.
