The 2022 fantasy baseball season is just about a month away from the All-Star Break which provides managers a nice little break from MLB lineup watch and scouring the weather center for updates. But until then we must be proactive in trying to make our team better. Each week, we get another shot at improving our teams as it’s almost a fresh start as you set a new lineup. Part of that is determining who is available on the MLB Waiver Wire, so let’s take a look at who we can expect to see moving up the fantasy baseball rankings that can help your team find success with all stats through Thursday night’s action. 

Waiver Wire Hitters

 

Dylan Carlson, OF (STL); FAAB Bid: 3%

After a stint on the Injured List, Carlson made his return Friday night and is rostered in just 42% of Yahoo leagues. In 39 games prior to his injury, Carlson was hitting .247 with two home runs, 11 RBI, and 15 runs scored, but the good news is that he only struck out 14.6% of the time. From a batted ball perspective, Carlson struggled with just a 3.2%-barrel rate and 20.8% hard-hit rate, but after a solid 2021 campaign the outfielder is worth a closer look now that he is back. 

 

Ramón Laureano, OF (OAK); FAAB Bid: 5%

Laureano was on my radar prior to his return from suspension, and it’s a little surprising to me that he is still available in 67% of Yahoo leagues as of Friday night. While the outfielder did get off to a slow start and he is hitting just .255 on the season, that mark jumps up to .340 over the last 14 games. Prior to going hitless on Thursday, Laureano had racked up a 12-game hit streak and with four steals on the year, that aspect of his game can’t be overlooked as we wait for the power to present itself. 

Riley Greene, OF (DET); FAAB Bid: 2%

Prior to his foot injury this spring, Greene was on his way to Detroit. Ultimately it will just prove to be a slight detour for the top prospect and now that he is healthy and back on the field, his time in Triple-A will likely be short lived. Considering Greene is already rostered in 41% of Yahoo leagues your time to add him is quickly coming to a close. In nine games at Triple-A, Greene was hitting .257 with a home run and two stolen bases, but it’s all about what we saw from the outfielder last year and this spring that has our attention. 

 

Cal Raleigh, C (SEA); FAAB Bid: 1%

Catcher, especially in those leagues that require you start two catchers can often be difficult to navigate. You are forced to make decisions and tradeoffs, and in the case of Raleigh, it is the power we are after. While he is still stuck at the bottom of the batting order, Raleigh has been seeing an increase in playing time as of late, and if he continues to hit, that should continue. A .167 batting average isn’t going to generate much buzz, but Raleigh has suffered from a .160 BABIP and it’s hard to miss his .160 BABIP and seven home runs in 99 plate appearances. Thus far in June, Raleigh is hitting .250 with three of those home runs and it’s also hard to miss his 15.8%-barrel rate. 

 

Joey Gallo, OF (NYY); FAAB Bid: 1-2%

Gallo has massive power skills. The outfielder also struggles in most cases to put the bat on the ball, but if you are chasing power Gallo is always going to un up on your radar. At the same time, Gallo is bound to frustrate you and tank the batting average (.193 on the season) but he is hitting .278 over the last 14 days. Gallo went deep twice on Thursday which caught our attention and gives him eight home runs overall for the season. It’s possible that this is a turning point for Gallo as the track record was there in the past even if this year has been tough. 

Waiver Wire Pitchers

 

Mitch Keller (PIT); FAAB Bid: 1%

Targeting St. Louis and San Francisco is tough as both have solid offenses, but both can be beaten as well (although that can apply to anyone). Keller takes the mound twice this week with a start against each so that puts him on our radar, but he is also one of those pitchers that is hard to every truly give up on given the talent. In his last three starts, Keller has struck out 14 batters in 15 innings to go along with a 4.60 ERA but the right-hander also walked nine in that stretch. Keller does have a 4.14 xERA for the season while striking out close to a batter an inning, so there is some value here. Both average exit velocity (86.8 miles per hour) and hard-hit rate (32.7%) against have dropped this season and Keller is allowing a launch angle of just 8.5 degrees, so all is not lost here. 

 

Alex Faedo (DET); FAAB Bid: 2%

If we are going to play the matchup game with pitchers making two starts this week, Faedo is the more attractive option going against the White Sox and Rangers. In seven starts so far this season, Faedo has yet to allow more than two earned runs despite a groundball rate of just 34.2%. The FIP does trend in the wrong direction from his 2.92 ERA (3.93 FIP) but it’s still not completely alarming. With about seven strikeouts per nine innings, Faedo isn’t necessarily going to be overpowering, but opponents haven’t’ been squaring him up as of late and we should see solid production out of him both this week and on a continuous basis moving forward. 

 

Merrill Kelly (ARI); FAAB Bid: 2%

Kelly is more of an option in shallower leagues as he is rostered 43% of Yahoo leagues, but that number certainly should be higher. The right-hander picked up his fifth victory of the season in his last start against the Reds with six shutout innings, and Kelly gets the face Cincinnati once again this coming week. Through 64 innings this season, Kelly has a very good 3.32 ERA to go along with a 1.32 WHIP while striking out 54 batters. One of the best things Kelly has done this season is eliminate the home runs (0.42 per nine innings) and with a FIP of 3.37 we can feel good about the right-hander moving forward.

 

Ian Kennedy (ARI); FAAB Bid: 1%

Despite allowing a run on Thursday, Kennedy picked up his fourth save of the season. While Mark Melancon hasn’t exactly been dominant in the closer’s role it wasn’t performance related and instead a case of Arizona’s closer getting work in the eighth inning before the Diamondbacks turned the game into a save situation. With that being said, Melancon’s hold on the closer’s job is tenuous at best based on his performance but he is also a trade candidate. Kennedy has a 3.57 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 22.1 innings this year and he also has experience in the role. Granted he is a trade candidate too, but there can be a few more saves to mine here as well. 

 

Tanner Scott (MIA); FAAB Bid: 1-2%

After showing some flashes of success last season, Scott found himself in Miami this year and picked up two saves this week which included one on Thursday. That still gives him just three saves for the season, but the closer job for the Marlins is very much up for grabs and I wouldn’t read too much into the 4.43 ERA as Scott also has a 3.05 FIP while striking out 14.10 batters per nine innings.

 

Fantasy Alarm is the home of all things Fantasy Sports. Bringing you the best Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Basketball content all year long. Be sure to also check out the best fantasy promo codes on offer today!

Related MLB Links: