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If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for some potential pickups who could help you with your championship aspirations. The weather’s getting brisk, students are heading back to school, and unfortunately, the 2021 fantasy baseball season will soon be over. Still, for those of you who are in the playoffs, you need to remain focused. You just endured a grueling five months of baseball, so now is not the time to take your foot off the gas -- not at all.
With players returning from injuries and late-season call ups being made around the league, there are players out there who could truly give you the boost you need to beat your opponents. With all this being said, in this week’s points league waiver wire piece, I’ll once again be breaking down a handful of players who I believe can help your fantasy teams. And with most leagues in the midst of the playoffs, each pickup is more important than ever. Let’s get into it![[ad:athena]]
Points League Options
(Players rostered in under 50% of ESPN leagues)
Nestor Cortes Jr. RP/SP, Yankees (39% rostered)
“Nasty Nestor” is a comedian. A deceptive comedian. From his wacky windups to his trademark moustache, all he does is entertain. A true homegrown talent, Cortes was drafted in the 36th round (1,094th overall) of the 2013 MLB draft by the Yankees. He never projected to be much of an impact player at the MLB level and as a minor leaguer, he bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. Although it does seem like it would be rather difficult to guess where he was drafted when you take into account how productive he was as a minor leaguer. Over 494.0 career innings pitched (65 starts), Nasty Nestor earned a 2.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 503/126 K/BB (19.2% K-BB). His ability to limit runs while using different arm angles and deliveries is clear, but his improved command and control are helping him become a viable fantasy asset.
He started the season as a bullpen arm, but since his first start on July 4th, he’s sporting a 3.26 ERA (4.39 SIERA), 1.09 WHIP, and a 46/13 K/BB (16.3% K-BB). Despite being armed with a low-90s four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, and sinker, the 26-year-old lefty lacks a true put away pitch. To make up for this, Cortes has to consistently demonstrate solid command and control skills, something he’s done for most of the season. With the Yankees considering a six-man rotation, Cortes could make a few more starts before the season ends. Now is not the time to overthink pickups. If you see Cortes out there and you need some pitching help for your playoff run, grab him.
Leody Taveras OF, Rangers (17% rostered)
A popular sleeper from this past offseason, Taveras has had a rather underwhelming and disappointing 2021 campaign. After a respectable spring training (.250/.313/.386 over 44 at-bats) and minor league career (.258/.326/.375 over 2,190 at-bats), Taveras was awarded the center field job to start 2021. However, he looked lost at the plate in this small sample size. From Opening Day to his demotion on April 26th, he had just four hits (all singles) over 46 at-bats, with a 46% strikeout rate. Given his strikeout rate in the minors (18.7% strikeout rate over 2,454 plate appearances), his plate discipline metrics will likely improve as his MLB sample size grows.
So, say Taveras does stop striking out as much, where does his fantasy appeal come from? His 99th percentile sprint speed and developing pop. Taveras is a speedy player and a legit stolen base threat every time he’s on-base, he just needs to get on-base more at the MLB level to utilize this elite skill. Beyond this, after his demotion on April 26th, he hit 17 home runs over 322 at-bats playing in Triple-A for the first time. We could see a 15/15 campaign from him in time. Given his path to regular playing time, blossoming game power, and elite speed, he makes for an intriguing add -- even if his strikeout rate remains a tad bit too high.
Andrew Kittredge SP/RP, Rays (36% rostered)
Since July 1st (24 innings pitched), the 31-year-old righty has a 0.75 ERA (2.01 SIERA), 0.83 WHIP, and a 33/4 K/BB (31.9% K-BB). He’s tossed a career high 63 innings this season and he’s sporting a career best 1.29 ERA. So who exactly is Andrew Kittredge?
As a former 45th round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, Kittredge has been a professional baseball player for well over a decade. He played in the Mariners’ minor league system from 2011-2016 before being traded to the Rays in November 2016. He ended up making his MLB debut in 2017 at 27-year-old and ever since, he’s been an inconsistent bullpen option. Around that time, he was primarily utilizing a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a strong slider, and a seldom used changeup. Then, in 2019, Kittredge added a sinker to his arsenal, a decision that has turned out to be a great one. Additionally, Kittredge reportedly visited Driveline in 2019 and over 49 ⅔ innings in his 2019 season, his four-seamer averaged what was a career high 95.3 mph. Kittredge stated that Driveline helped him refine his mechanics and fast-forwarding to 2021, he’s now performing better than ever.
The increased velocity and new sinker have helped him significantly, but I believe his improved command has truly been driving his success. As aforementioned, he’s only walked four batters since July 1st and on the season, he has a 5.8% walk rate. As a result of his solid command, he hasn’t allowed too much hard contact (34.6% hard) and he’s limited hits (.183 batting average against). As long as his command of his sinker, slider, and four-seamer remain adequate, he’ll continue to be an effective bullpen option. And more importantly, an effective relief pitching option for your fantasy teams.
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Deep Points League Options
(Players rostered in under 10% of ESPN leagues)
Edmundo Sosa 2B/SS, Cardinals (7% rostered)
I love players who have exciting offensive metrics and Edmundo Sosa is just the latest example. Believe it or not, Sosa’s max exit velocity ranks in the 93rd percentile and his sprint speed ranks in the 98th percentile. In fact, his 114.6 max exit velocity from this season is higher than Freddie Freeman’s, J.D. Martinez’s, and others. There’s some untapped potential in the 25-year-old’s bat and while he likely won’t fully unlock it by October, he could be an inexpensive and valuable addition to any points league fantasy roster over these last few weeks of the season.
The talented infielder was originally signed out of Panama as an international free agent by the Cardinals back in July 2012 and he hasn’t left the organization since. In his minor league days, his ability to consistently make contact was clear. He wasn’t a big base stealer, but we know he’s a fast player. Furthermore, he didn’t demonstrate much game power until his 2019 season in Triple-A, when he hit 17 home runs over 453 at-bats. All in all, Sosa looked like a borderline every day starter in the making. And over his first 254 at-bats of 2021, he looks like a player who *will* carve out an everyday role in future seasons.
He’s currently sporting a .286/.357/.408 slash line with five home runs and three stolen bases. Moreover, he has an encouraging 17.3% strikeout rate, a good sign that he’ll likely always have solid plate discipline skills at the MLB level. Given the skills that he’s demonstrated at the plate and his above average defensive abilities, there’s reason to believe he’ll continue to receive regular playing time for the rest of the season. Paul DeJong is back and healthy, but the Cardinals seem to prefer Sosa at the moment. Don’t overlook him if you see him out there.
Carter Kieboom 3B, Nationals (6% rostered)
Just two years ago, Kieboom was the top prospect in the Nationals’ farm system. He was originally drafted in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft by Washington and now he’s finally beginning to receive regular opportunities as their starting third baseman. His plus bat speed and bat control matched with his plus raw power makes it easy to see him as an every day player in time. On top of all this, Kieboom knows how to get on-base consistently via his keen eye when at the plate. Over 1,643 career plate appearances in the minors, he had a 11.9% walk rate (.377 on-base percentage). All of these factors help us understand why he was universally considered a top prospect.
Unfortunately, between 2019-2020 (138 MLB at-bats), he had an unappealing .181/.309/.232 slash line with two home runs and a 29.7% strikeout rate. While these are ugly stats, this is a very tiny sample size. Not every young player will develop similarly, so taking this sample size with a grain of salt was the most ideal viewpoint to have. And so far in 2021, he’s made some real improvements to his game.
For one, he’s been swinging and missing less against offspeed pitches. In the chart below, we can see how he’s performed against offspeed pitches to start his career:
| Whiff Rate | xwOBA | Average EV (mph) | |
| 2019 | 36.4% | .176 | 85.9 |
| 2020 | 40.0% | .274 | 82.3 |
| 2021 | 26.1% | .403 | 89.0 |
As we can see, he’s been gradually improving against offspeed pitches. He’s still not as effective against breaking pitches as we’d like him to be, but I believe those improvements will come in time. Beyond his improvements against offspeed pitches, he’s been swinging in the zone more than ever (72% zone swing rate) while continuing to chase pitches outside of the zone at rate below 30%. As a whole, he’s starting to sound more and more like the disciplined hitter that helped him become the Nationals’ top prospect in 2019. Over 121 at-bats this season, Kieboom is slashing .231/.336/.405 with six home runs, a 11.2% walk rate, and a 25.9% strikeout rate. Only injury will stop him from receiving regular playing time down the stretch, so if you’ve been looking for a cheap third base option, it sounds like he’s your guy.
Joe Ryan SP, Twins (6% rostered)
This is a special young arm, folks. You might have read that he throws a low-mid 90s four-seam fastball majority of the time, leaving you wondering how on earth his minor league strikeout numbers are so high (37.2% strikeout rate over 226 innings pitched). Discovering the potential answer starts with understanding that Ryan’s low-mid 90s four-seamer is not your typical low-mid 90s four-seamer. So what makes it different? Well, unfortunately, not even Ryan knows.
Ryan on his four-seamer:
“I couldn’t tell you. I kind of like it being a secret, I guess,” Ryan said. “I don’t even know, and yeah, the less I know, the better.”
Nice. What we have here is a truly unique situation. So, let’s dive into who he is on the mound and see if we can figure this one out. For starters, Ryan has an extremely repeatable delivery. His mechanics are pristine, as every part of his body works together when he’s pitching. Utilizing the same delivery each time helps a pitcher find that consistent release point and arm angle. I believe it’s possible that Ryan has discovered the perfect combination of mechanics that just work for his body type.
Beyond this, Ryan commands his four-seamer exceptionally well. In his first MLB start, he was locating it beautifully to his arm side -- up and away to left-handed hitters, and up and in to right-handed hitters. All things considered, I believe that he possesses one of the best overall fastballs in baseball. And aside from this great fastball, he possesses secondary pitches that he can throw for strikes. More than likely, Ryan will remain in the rotation for the rest of the season. Given who he is, the opportunity he has in front of him, and his low rostership, he sounds like *the* waiver wire pick up for those of you looking for an upside add who could help you win your championship.
Jesus Sanchez OF, Marlins (4% rostered)
At 6-foot-3, 222 pounds, Sanchez’s imposing physique immediately stands out when you watch him play. It also helps us better understand why so many claim the 23-year-old possesses immense power upside. Now, it’s important to note that Sanchez is not just a power hitter, he’s simply a good hitter in general. Given his brawny lower half and quick hands, Sanchez possesses plus bat speed that helps him routinely make hard contact with a balanced, purposeful swing. He has a promising future as a major leaguer and over his first 138 at-bats of 2021, we’ve seen glimpses of this fun upside.
Sanchez currently has a .246/.320/.457 slash line with seven home runs, a 8.5% walk rate, and a 28.8% strikeout rate. Beyond this, his early quality of contact metrics help support his power upside. Over 94 batted ball events this season, he has a 42.6% hard hit rate, a 8.5% barrel rate, and a 111.9 max exit velocity. Still, like most young players, he has plenty to work on. For one, his tendency to hit ground balls at a high rate has carried into big leagues. He has a 46.8% ground ball rate this season and as a minor leaguer, he almost always had a high ground ball rate. Additionally, he’s struggled to produce against breaking pitches early-on (.196 xwOBA against breaking pitches). These are common and understandable tendencies for a player as young as Sanchez. I believe that as his sample size grows, he won’t let his ground ball rate hold him back and he’ll surely improve against breaking pitches, as he’s already hitting them hard (89.3 mph average exit velocity against breaking pitches). For the remainder of 2021, he’ll likely hit a few more home runs while maintaining a respectable batting average. In fact, he’s hit three home runs over his last 14 at-bats dating back to August 28th.
Lane Thomas OF, Nationals (1% rostered)
Oh look, another talented, young bat whose rostership is very low. In his early days as a prospect playing in Toronto’s minor league system, there wasn’t much to be excited about regarding his upside. He was striking out at a high rate, sporting a mediocre batting average, and his game power was clearly still a work in progress. Then, in his first season playing in Double-A in 2018, Thomas hit 21 home runs over 384 at-bats. More than that, his strikeout rate was sitting around 23% and his batting average was solid. He was making the improvements he needed to make and over the first 177 at-bats of his MLB career, some of these improvements have seemingly carried over into the big leagues. Since his MLB debut in 2019, he’s slashing .215/.325/.384 with six home runs and four stolen bases (4/7).
While his batting average is not ideal, his home run and stolen base upside is clear. To be more specific, over 126 career batted ball events, he currently has a 109.7 max exit velocity, a 7.1% barrel rate, and a 42.9% hard hit rate. In addition to this, his sprint speed ranks in the 96th percentile. Playing for a rebuilding Nationals team, Thomas should continue to bat leadoff and receive regular opportunities down the stretch. Given the tools he possesses and the opportunity he has, it feels like his current rostership is too low. Take advantage.
