Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire 2024: Aroldis Chapman, Justin Verlander - Week 1
Thursday, March 27th, is now right around the corner and although we’ve already had two games of the regular season take place, the real Opening Day of the season is all but here. That means the first run of MLB Fantasy Waiver Wire will be taking place over the weekend, so the players listed below will keep you ahead of your league mates. There is some great upside sitting there on the waiver wire waiting for YOU to pick them up. Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm Fantasy baseball waiver wire column. Let’s dominate the season together!
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers
Aroldis Chapman, RP Boston Red Sox
ESPN: 24% / Yahoo: 50%
FAAB: 8-10%
Death, taxes, and Aroldis Chapman throwing really hard and missing bats. His spring training has been impressive and is going to open as the Red Sox closer as Liam Hendriks is trending in the opposite direction. Chapman’s 17.2 K/9 and 2.45 ERA are quite elite, his issue continues to be the same thing that’s plagued him since 2021; walks. He’s walked at least 5.5 opponents per nine innings in four consecutive seasons and it hasn’t improved this spring, but he’s pitched around it. With how many closer situations are still up in the air, adding Aroldis Chapman to your staff in the early onset of the year could be quite useful in categories such as saves and strikeouts.
Justin Verlander, SP San Francisco Giants
ESPN: 15% / Yahoo: 34%
FAAB: 2-3%
There are not many professional athletes that are massive success stories after the age of 40 but Justin Verlander, at 42, is trying to outduel – and out pitch – father time. Through 16 innings, he’s pitched to a 1.69 ERA and is hovering just below a full strikeout per inning. This tweet from Bob Nightengale of USA Today is certainly interesting.
This is interesting because last season Verlander’s average fastball velocity was 93.5, so it’s great to see his ability to still get up near 97 MPH, even at 42. Some of the numbers in spring do suggest regression, but the ballpark he’s going to pitch in will play into his flyball-first style.
Hayden Birdsong, SP San Francisco Giants
ESPN: 4% / Yahoo: 20%
FAAB: 5-7%
Hayden Birdsong made his debut in 2024 and there was a lot to like when he toed the rubber and what we liked the most were how many bats he missed. The issue was the control, but this spring, in the middle of a battle for the final rotation spot, his control has been a strength of his. He has an 18:0 K:BB so far through 12 innings. He’s definitely the favorite to win the final starters job and it’s not often there is this high of a strikeout ceiling sitting there on the waiver wire. The strikeouts, ballpark, and potential command improvements are all things we can hang our hat on with Birdsong. Verlander likes what he sees too.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outfielders
Jorge Soler, OF Los Angeles Angels
ESPN: 23% / Yahoo: 48%
FAAB: 7-9%
Has Jorge Soler had a 36% K-rate in spring training? Yes he does. Has Jorge Soler belted four bombs, hitting north of .300 with a 1.000 OPS? Why yes, yes he is. If the power is this prevalent, we can live with the strikeouts that are even way above his career average. He’s carried over his second half success from a year ago after he posted a .513 SLG% and .900 OPS. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that he’s a 30-home run threat when he plays a full season. In fact, in the four seasons he’s played at least 137 games in, his season low is 21 HR while he’s hit as much as 48. He’s a cheap source of power available in a LOT of leagues. For what it’s worth, according to Baseball Savant, Angels Park ranked 11th in baseball for home runs a year ago while his two home parks in Miami and San Francisco ranked 20th and 30th respectively.
Victor Robles, OF Seattle Mariners
ESPN: 10% / Yahoo: 43%
FAAB: 12-14%
Something simply clicked for Victor Robles when he signed with the Seattle Mariners last season hitting .328 across 77 games and swiped a whopping 30 bases. The discrepancy between rostership on ESPN and Yahoo! Fantasy is crazy because the Mariners projected leadoff hitter is available in 90% of leagues on ESPN and in over 50% on Yahoo!
Can we expect Robles to hit anywhere close to .300 again? He’s a career .247 hitter, so it isn’t likely, especially factoring in the .388 BABIP he had with the Mariners, but he’ll have PLENTY of opportunity to repeat as he hits in front of Julio Rodriguez. With that in mind, Robles is a 100 run and 40 stolen base candidate if his 2024 is repeated. I’m willing to bet on this many stolen bases that are just floating out there on the waiver wire.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Infielders
Connor Norby, 2B Miami Marlins
ESPN: 18% / Yahoo: 24%
FAAB: 4-6%
The primary issue with Connor Norby’s game are the strikeouts. That’s where the improvement needs to come from, but the power for a guy with 2B eligibility is extremely valuable given how poor that position is. There were only FOUR second baseman last year that hit 20 home runs and most projection sites have Norby penciled in for around that mark.
There’s also the chance he begins running more. He’s amongst the top players in the league in sprint speed according to Baseball Savant:
He has multiple seasons at the minor league level in which he notched double-digit steals and home runs and he’ll have all the opportunity in the world for a bad Marlins team hitting at or near the top of their lineup.
Kristian Campbell, 2B Boston Red Sox
ESPN: 12% / Yahoo: 21%
FAAB: 14-16%
The Red Sox haven’t announced it officially, but the expectation is Kristian Campbell is making the team out of camp as the starting second baseman. The 2024 season at the minor league level showed everyone what Campbell is capable of as a 20-20 guy with a ceiling for even higher. Second base depth in fantasy baseball is absolutely atrocious and there truthfully aren’t many players that have the type of upside at the position that Campbell does. I’m confidently saying that and he hasn’t played a single game at the major league level and has struggled this spring. That’s how good he can be and how you should be prioritizing him on your fantasy baseball waiver wire this week before it’s too late.
Joey Ortiz, SS Milwaukee Brewers
ESPN: 10% / Yahoo: 15%
FAAB: 3-5%
The Brewers came out and put a stamp on the fact that Joey Ortiz was their starting shortstop this season. Ortiz has 3B and SS eligibility on Yahoo! Fantasy and it’s only a matter of time before he gains that same eligibility on ESPN as well. He has swiped four bags through 14 spring training games while casually slashing .412/.535/.853. We’ve seen him post a near-20 home run minor league season back in 2023 and if this spring is teaching us anything, he’s not just a plus glove, he’s a plus defensive shortstop with power and some speed too. Being in the 85th percentile in sprint speed is no joke.
Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.