Fantasy baseball managers are the highest peak of stress with the 2022 MLB season drawing to a close and this is not the time to slow down. Far from it in fact, and every potential opportunity to improve your team should be considered. From the perspective of the waiver wire, there always going to options to do just that with some moving the needle more than others. With that being said, here are some MLB waiver wire additions to consider down the stretch. 

 

 

 

MLB Waiver Wire Hitters

Jarred Kelenic, OF (SEA); FAAB Bid: 2-3%

Kelenic entered the season with a ton of buzz and hype, and unfortunately failed to live up to just about any of it. Seattle has shuttled the outfielder back and forth between the big leagues and Triple-A over the last two years in the hope that the young prospect can find his footing. We are not at the point of writing Kelenic off as a bust, and with him back in Seattle to close out the regular season, (and now with Julio Rodriguez sidelined with a back injury) I am willing to take another look at him. The good news is that Kelenic has hits in each of his first two games with Seattle (two on Thursday including a home run) but do not look at .138 batting average entering play on Friday. In 86 games at Triple-A this year, Kelenic hit .295 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI while stealing nine bases, and that is what we are looking for out of the 22-year-old. 

 

Josh Donaldson, 3B (NYY); FAAB Bid: 2%

Donaldson’s .227 batting average this season is not going to generate many good feelings but the veteran does have a track record of success to draw on over the last week and a half of 2022. Entering action on Friday, Donaldson was batting .278 in September with three home runs, eight RBI, and 10 runs scored and perhaps he is truly healthy for the first time all year. With a 10.5% barrel-rate and 43.5% hard-hit rate, Donaldson is making solid contact so that does work in his favor. 

 

Kolten Wong, 2B (MIL); FAAB Bid: 2%

No one is ever truly going to confuse Wong with being an elite option, but after stealing a base on Friday he sits at 15 home runs and 16 stolen bases for the season. That power/speed combination should not be taken lightly and that is especially the case when it comes with regular playing time and a .254 batting average that is not going to have any adverse effects on your roster. This body of work warrants being rostered in more than 38% of Yahoo leagues even if it simply is as a middle infield or depth option. 

 

Josh Naylor, 1B/OF (CLE); FAAB Bid: 2%

Naylor has hits in five straight games and seven of his last eight as he continues to put together a strong season as a middle of the order anchor for Cleveland. He is hitting .261 with 19 home runs and 73 RBI while posting career highs across the board with a 10.3-degree launch angle, 8.5% barrel-rate, and 42.6% hard-hit rate while finding sustained success. 

 

Juan Yepez, OF/1B; FAAB Bid: 1%

Yepez did pretty well in his first taste of major league action earlier this year before heading to the Injured List and then back to Triple-A. In 234 plate appearances prior to Friday’s game, Yepez was hitting a solid .251 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI to go along with a .277 average in 50 games at Triple-A with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. That type of performances is certain to get you noticed and it earned Yepez a call back to St. Louis on Thursday. If he continues to hit consistently there could be some value here to close out the season. 

 

 

 

MLB Waiver Wire Pitchers

Mitch Keller (PIT); FAAB Bid: 3%

After years of failing to live up to his talent and potential it seems that this will be year that Keller at least starts to truly put things together. In what was another lost year for the Pirates, Keller is primed to finish the season off on a high note with two more starts remaining; a favorable matchup against the Reds and then a start against the Cardinals. In six innings against the Cubs on Thursday, Keller allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven which brought his ERA down to 3.99 on the season (3.81 FIP). A 48.8% ground ball rate is critical here as opposing hitters had a barrel-rate off just 6.9% along with an eight-degree launch angle which helps to minimize the damage. 

 

Hayden Wesneski (CHC); FAAB Bid: 3%

Since his promotion to the big leagues with the Cubs, Wesneski has yet to allow more than three earned runs in any of his four starts and after picking up his second victory of the season on Thursday, his ERA sits at 2.45 overall (3.25 FIP). Wesneski followed up seven runs of one run ball against the Rockies by allowing two runs in Pittsburgh over 6.1 innings while picking up the second victory of his career. The right-hander has just under 10 strikeouts per nine innings while only walking 1.64 batters, and at this point, it is certainly worth it to see what can do in the remainder of 2022 as well as heading into next year. 

 

Kyle Bradish (BAL); FAAB Bid: 2%

It is not going to get much better for the rookie than it did on Thursday against the Astros. Bradish just missed tossing a complete game, two-hitter against Houston as he struck out 10 over 8.2 innings while not walking a batter. It was the second strong start for Bradish this season against the Astros as he brought his ERA down to 4.65 on the season (4.30 FIP and 3.89 xFIP). The right-hander strikes out close to a batter an inning and has a solid 45.5% ground ball rate which makes him a viable option along with his 10.1-degree launch angle and 7.9% barrel-rate entering action on Thursday. 

 

Matt Manning (DET); FAAB Bid: 2%

It is all about maximizing each and every start at this point in the season, and we get two of them from Manning to close out the last scoring period of the year. In 12 starts this season, Manning has a 3.43 ERA and aside from striking out just under seven batters per nine innings, he generally has been pretty solid. Opposing hitters have a barrel-rate of just 6.2% against Manning and it is worth noting that in the minor leagues the right-hander showed double-digit strikeout upside. He closes out the season with starts against the Royals and Mariners after posting a 2.41 ERA in his last three starts. 

 

Kyle Finnegan (WAS); FAAB Bid: 3%

Save opportunities for Washington have not exactly been plentiful this year, but Finnegan does have 11 which includes three over the past week. At this point in the season, that certainly qualifies as a trend so it is going to catch our attention. It has been a strong season for Finnegan overall with a 3.79 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 61.2 innings while striking out 66 batters as he sets himself up to enter the 2023 in the closer’s role as well for the Nationals. 

 

 


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

 

Related MLB Links: