The latest Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column breaks down the arrival of a top pitching prospect and emergence of a new stopper in Milwaukee. We also take a look at a pair of new leadoff specialists in Toronto and Seattle, respectively, along with an unexpected closer breaking through in Colorado.
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Robert Gasser, SP, Brewers
Available in 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues
There’s a strong possibility Gasser would’ve made Milwaukee’s season-opening pitching mix if he hadn’t landed on the shelf in the late stages of spring training due to a bone spur in his left elbow. The 24-year-old southpaw reeled off six shutout frames in his major-league debut last Friday against the Cardinals and will square off against the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon in his next outing. He offers enough strikeout upside, thanks to a four-seam fastball, sweeper, cutter and changeup mix that is enough to keep right-handed hitters from getting too comfortable. There will be some bumps in the road as he adjusts to pitching at the highest level, but there’s enough potential to warrant consideration for a roster spot in deeper mixed leagues, especially if he’s going to stick in Milwaukee’s starting rotation permanently.
Davis Schneider, 2B/OF, Blue Jays
Available in 77 percent of Yahoo! leagues
Schneider has been an early Statcast standout thanks to his combination of immaculate 12.1 percent barrel rate, which represents the fifth-best mark among qualified hitters, and his impressive plate skills, which have led to a .387 on-base percentage through 69 career games since last year in the majors. The unheralded 25-year-old has gotten an opportunity recently in the leadoff spot for the Blue Jays in three of their last four contests with George Springer dealing with an illness and off to an extremely slow start at this dish. Toronto manager John Schneider (no relation) has been noncommittal in terms of giving Springer his usual leadoff spot back once he’s past his recent viral illness, which seems to signal that Schneider could oust him from the role permanently. It’s difficult to forecast Schneider as a potential fantasy stalwart, but his on-base skills offer an extremely high floor and he projects as a double-digit homer threat with the ability to chip in a handful of stolen bases. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy formats at the moment, especially with all of the recent injuries to superstar-caliber outfielders.
Trevor Megill, RP, Brewers
Available in 58 percent of Yahoo! leagues
We’re reluctant to commit to any closer locking up a job for an extended period, but we’re fairly confident Brewers manager Pat Murphy will continue to summon Megill in the ninth inning until All-Star stopper Devin Williams (back) is ready to return sometime around midseason. The 30-year-old righty, who missed time last month after suffering a concussion, has reeled off six consecutive scoreless appearances since April 24 and has converted all four of his save chances this season to accompany a microscopic 0.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 8/3 K/BB ratio across 9 2/3 innings (nine appearances). Simply put, Megill needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats until Williams, who is just starting a throwing program this month as he recovers from stress fractures in his back, is ready to reclaim the role at some point later this summer.
Josh Rojas, 2B/3B, Mariners
Available in 73 percent of Yahoo! leagues
Formerly a fantasy darling thanks to his stratospheric minor-league numbers and power/speed combination, Rojas is finally emerging as viable mixed-league contributor in his full-season Seattle debut. The extremely versatile 29-year-old is batting .375/.426/.571 with two homers and three steals in 16 contests since being bumped up to the leadoff spot back on April 24. He’s always possessed exceptional talent, but it never really came together for him earlier in his career. He figures to continue leading off against right-handed pitching and the move atop the Mariners’ lineup card should provide a boost in runs scored, while also leading to more opportunities to steal bases. He’s eligible at multiple positions and is rapidly emerging as an intriguing option for fantasy managers, especially in deeper mixed leagues.
Jalen Beeks, RP, Rockies
Available in 91 percent of Yahoo! leagues
Don’t look now, but the Rockies might have a closer. There’s been almost zero stability in Colorado’s bullpen the last few years, but Beeks appears to be solidifying his status as their primary stopper with saves in three of the last four days. The 30-year-old southpaw was once an intriguing starting pitching prospect with the Red Sox and Rays, but never quite panned out in the role, eventually settling in as a multi-inning reliever. He’s somehow managed to tame Coors Field in his Rockies debut, converting four of five save chances to go along with a stellar 2.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 14/11 K/BB ratio across 20 1/3 innings (18 appearances). The Coors Field factor and lackluster control are glaring warning signs, but he’s making it work right now, and manager Bud Black clearly trusts him in the role right now. That’s more than enough to put him on fantasy managers’ radar screens until further notice.
