MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

It's been obvious for several years now that there is a significant disparity in talent and competitiveness between the NBA's Eastern and Western Conferences, and I'm beginning to wonder if we're starting to see a similar problem in Major League Baseball. At the time I'm writing this, the American League has just three teams with a winning record: New York, Tampa Bay and... whatever city the Athletics are associating themselves with these days. Meanwhile, the National League has nine teams sitting above .500, which somehow includes all five teams from the NL Central. This would certainly be a reversal of the norm, as the AL has widely been considered the stronger league for most of my lifetime. However, teams in the NL have faced more pressure over the past couple of years to add talent and keep up with the Dodgers in order to have a shot at making it to the World Series. There's still plenty of time for things to even out between the two leagues, but it could be something interesting worth keeping an eye on going forward. In the meantime, let's make sure that your fantasy squad also doesn't get left in the dust.

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Kyle Harrison, Milwaukee Brewers (41%)

There are a lot of things that I like about Harrison. The fact that he pitches for the team I root for and has a pretty cool first name are admittedly a couple of them, but it also helps that he's been doing a great job using his slurve to get batters to chase outside the zone, helping him to limit hard contact and put up an exceptional 11.4 K/9. Those skills were on full display during his most recent start against Pittsburgh on Sunday, during which he struck out 12 batters while allowing just one hit and one walk over six innings. He occasionally could get into trouble with walks while trying to bait hitters into chasing, but he's more than capable of working his way out of jams and is well worth rostering as he takes a 2.28 ERA and 1.06 WHIP into his next outing against the Nationals this weekend. FAAB: $5

 JR Ritchie, Atlanta Braves (38%)

Ritchie was stellar during his first five starts at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, surrendering just three earned runs in 27.1 innings. His performance prompted Atlanta to promote its highly touted prospect to the majors last Thursday, and he appears to be handling the transition well while posting a 2.92 ERA and 1.30 WHIP alongside an 11:6 K:BB through 12.1 innings across his first two MLB starts. With Spencer Strider (oblique) set to return from the injured list to make his season debut Sunday, there was concern that Ritchie would be on his way back to Triple-A, but manager Walt Weiss has already said that the 22-year-old rookie will remain in the rotation for now and make his next start in his hometown of Seattle this weekend. That matchup will see him take on a Mariners offense that's posted an .808 OPS over its last 10 games, but he's already proven he can hold his own against teams with capable offenses like Washington and Detroit. FAAB: $3

Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals (13%)

Since getting torched for four earned runs over just 1.1 innings against the Pirates on April 13, Cavalli has given up just five earned runs in 15 frames across his last three starts and notched 10 strikeouts in each of his last two. He now boasts a 3.82 ERA and an impressive 38:14 K:BB through 30.2 innings heading into a two-start week against the Twins (.706 OPS) and Marlins (.712). The 27-year-old's 1.66 WHIP definitely sets off some alarms and suggests that his hot streak isn't likely to last, but he could be worth a low-cost add while he's still finding success on the mound. FAAB: $1

Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!

Relief Pitcher

 Bryan Baker, Tampa Bay Rays (46%)

Edwin Uceta (shoulder) suffered a setback in his recovery that forced him onto the 60-day injured list, and Griffin Jax has struggled to the tune of a 6.35 ERA through 11.1 innings this season, so it seems like Baker isn't facing any competition for the closer job in Tampa right now. It certainly helps the 31-year-old's case that he's performed well as the go-to ninth-inning option, posting a 3.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP to go with a 13:3 K:BB through 11.1 frames and logging a save in each of his last three appearances. The Rays have also proven to be one of the few American League teams capable of consistently winning games through the first month of the season, which means that Baker – already second in the AL with seven saves on the year – will have more frequent opportunities to collect saves than the majority of his Junior Circuit counterparts. FAAB: $7

 Tyler Phillips, Miami Marlins (6%)

The competition for saves is wide open in Miami now that Pete Fairbanks (hand) is on the injured list, though Phillips could be the front runner after receiving the Marlins' first two save opportunities sans Fairbanks. Phillips' first opportunity resulted in a blown save, though, to be fair, he was thrown into a bases-loaded situation against the Dodgers that came immediately after Fairbanks went down. He was successful in his second attempt, however, giving up one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to record his second save of the season Tuesday. Anthony Bender and Calvin Faucher are also likely to be in the mix for saves until Fairbanks returns, but Phillips has far outperformed them by posting a 1.47 ERA through 18.1 innings. FAAB: $1

Catcher

 Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins (20%)

Jeffers has been swinging an extremely hot bat for the Twins this month, slashing .341/.463/.591 with three homers, 15 RBI and 10 runs scored over his last 14 games. He's been known to have more success against southpaws than right-handers throughout his big-league career, but his production hasn't varied much between lefties (.890 OPS) and righties (.859 OPS) this year. Instead, defense has been his limiting factor, as the 28-year-old's poor defensive presence behind the plate has kept the door open for Victor Caratini to make an occasional start. The value that Jeffers brings when he's in the starting nine is hard to ignore, though, and he would make for a suitable replacement if you're looking to make a switch at catcher. FAAB: $2

First Baseman

 Nathaniel Lowe, Cincinnati Reds (3%)

Lowe finished last season with a career-worst .689 OPS through 609 plate appearances between the Nationals and Red Sox, but he's bounced back in a significant way to begin his time with the Reds. The 30-year-old is slashing .265/.345/.571 with 11 RBI and six runs scored through 55 plate appearances on the year, and all four of his home runs have come within his last five games. The Reds will have an opening in their lineup for Lowe to work as their primary DH as long as Eugenio Suarez (oblique) is on the injured list, but Cincinnati may find a way to keep Lowe in the lineup if he continues to produce consistently while Suarez is sidelined. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Travis Bazzana, Cleveland Guardians (34%)

Bazzana was promoted to the majors Tuesday after slashing .287/.422/.511 with two homers, 10 RBI, 18 runs scored and eight stolen bases over 24 games with Triple-A Columbus. He remains in search of his first big-league hit two games into his tenure with Cleveland, but he's already begun reaping the benefits of his patient approach at the plate by drawing two walks in his first eight plate appearances. The 23-year-old's knack for getting on base, combined with his plus speed, makes him a legitimate source for steals, and he also has enough raw power to flirt with a 20/20 season if he stays healthy. The Guardians spent the first overall pick on Bazzana in 2024, so they'll likely give him a long leash as he settles into the majors and takes over as the club's everyday second baseman. FAAB: $12

 Cole Young, Seattle Mariners (16%)

In addition to tallying an RBI in each of his last six games, Young has collected a base hit in 11 of his last 13 contests while slashing .383/.423/.489 with a homer, 10 ribbies, eight runs scored and two steals in that span. The 22-year-old is virtually guaranteed to start at the keystone every day due to his great defensive skills, and he now seems to be coming into his own as a major-league hitter. He's a very capable contact hitter but is likely to hold more value in leagues that value OBP, as he currently owns a .357 on-base percentage through 126 plate appearances this year and posted a .388 OBP over the course of his minor-league career. FAAB: $3

Third Baseman

 Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks (21%)

With Ildemaro Vargas now rostered in 58 percent of Yahoo leagues, he is ineligible to three-peat and receive yet another profile from me, but that doesn't mean I can't move on to another Diamondback infielder! Arenado started the year slowly but has quickly turned things around over his last 10 games, during which he's gone 14-for-32 (.438) with three homers, eight RBI and nine runs scored. Keep in mind, this is coming from a player in his age-35 season who set career lows last year with a .237 batting average and .666 OPS. Is he going to completely turn back the clock and become the 30-HR, 100-RBI threat he was while with the Rockies and during his first two years in St. Louis? Probably not, and his lack of hard hits reflects that. But he isn't doing too badly for someone you can probably get for cheap off the waiver wire. FAAB: $2

 Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates (8%)

Gonzales has raised his OPS by 156 points while slashing .450/.476/.500 over the course of his 10-game hitting streak. He's added five RBI, six runs and a steal on top of all his hits during that span and has also taken back his role as Pittsburgh's primary third baseman from Nick Yorke. Jared Triolo (knee) is expected to return from the injured list within the next couple of days but had posted just a .569 OPS before getting hurt. The Pirates haven't announced their plans for their starting infield unit once Triolo is back, but it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Gonzales continues to receive regular time at the hot corner. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

 Jose Fernandez, Arizona Diamondbacks (17%)

Another Arizona infielder who simply continues to impress, Fernandez has reached base in each of his last 11 starts and is slashing .349/.391/465 with five RBI and 10 runs scored during that stretch. That's not bad for someone who essentially jumped directly from Double-A to MLB (he played one game at Triple-A this year before getting called up). I was a bit skeptical at first about whether the 22-year-old would be able to remain in the Diamondbacks' lineup once the team begins to return players like Carlos Santana (thigh), Pavin Smith (elbow) and Jordan Lawlar (wrist) from the injured list. However, Fernandez seems to have what it takes to stick around with the big club and continue seeing regular starts at shortstop and as a DH. FAAB: $4

Outfielder

 Daniel Schneemann, Cleveland Guardians (27%)

The 29-year-old Schneemann has hit safely in 14 of the last 15 games in which he's recorded a plate appearance and is currently enjoying a seven-game hitting streak. He owns a mere .400 batting average and 1.192 OPS during that 15-game stretch while adding four round-trippers, 12 RBI and nine runs to his counting stats. Travis Bazzana's arrival in the big leagues will make it a bit harder for Schneemann to make starts in the infield, which could affect his positional eligibility for next season. But as long as we're only worried about that right now, he carries significant value as a bat with a .955 OPS in a near-everyday role for the Guardians, and has fantasy eligibility at second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield. FAAB: $3

 Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants (18%)

Lee earned a spot on this list by recording nine hits during San Francisco's three-game series against the Marlins last weekend. His 0-for-4 performance on Wednesday snapped his brief stretch of games with multiple hits, but he still boasts an incredible .410/.438/.623 batting line over 64 plate appearances with two homers, five RBI and 10 runs scored across his last 16 games. The 27-year-old has hit sixth in the Giants' batting order for the vast majority of the season but has been elevated into the leadoff spot in each of their last two contests. If that trend holds, Lee could be expected to see a spike in his run volume, though he would still be stuck acting as the table-setter for MLB's lowest-scoring offense. FAAB: $3

Carlos Cortes, Athletics (25%)

Cortes was thrust into a regular starting job with the A's when Brent Rooker went on the injured list April 10. Since then, Cortes has batted a cool .400 (22-for-55) while belting four home runs, driving in 11 runs and coming across the plate seven times over 17 games. Rooker has since returned from the IL, but the A's have continued to find ways to keep Cortes' white-hot bat in the lineup against right-handed starters. His most likely path to regular starts likely would be replacing Lawrence Butler as the Athletics' primary right fielder, as Butler owns just a .568 OPS through 100 plate appearances on the year. However, the team likely will wait until both Tyler Soderstrom (head/shoulder) and Denzel Clarke (foot) are fully healthy before it considers shaking up the outfield depth chart. FAAB: $1