The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis

Fantasy BaseballFantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds for Week 20

By Taylor Tarter
Freddy Fermin Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Here are some waiver wire targets ahead of Week 20 that you should consider adding. The following recommendations are organized as deep and shallow league targets. Of course, the players you choose to add and drop from your team should largely depend on your league size and the roster construction of your team.

More great fantasy baseball advice and analysis: Waiver Wire & FAAB Recommendations | Daily MLB Injury Report | MLB DFS Picks | Line-up Analysis | Dynasty Rankings and Strategy | MLB Bullpen Updates | MLB Player Props | Prospect Rankings & Analysis | Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Recommendations

Deep League Targets

C Freddy Fermin – KC

Freddy Fermin has been crushing the ball over the last seven days. During that span, he hit three homers with six runs, four RBI, and a .375 AVG. On the season, he has nine home runs, 22 runs, 27 RBI, and a .303 AVG. Here is his latest homer:

Fermin had been playing sporadically in the first half of the season but has earned more time since the All-Star break. Five of his nine homers have come since then. He has also raised his batting average by nearly 40 points during that span.

Part of Fermin’s success this season is due to his quality of contact. His 12% barrel rate and 43% HardHit rate would rank first and fourth among qualified catchers if he qualified. He has a 20% LD rate with a 43% pull rate, which allows for his high BABIP.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Fermin’s season is that he has significantly outproduced Salvador Perez in the last 30 days. Not only that, but he has done so in 34 fewer at-bats than Perez. In ESPN leagues, Perez has an 85% roster rate, while Fermin sits under 3%.

Fermin needs to be rostered in more leagues, especially considering how hot he has been over the last several weeks. He has earned playing time for the Royals and should earn a waiver wire add across more fantasy leagues.

3B Curtis Mead – TB

Curtis Mead has struggled in the majors so far. He has yet to accrue any roto stats aside from picking up one hit, giving him a .111 AVG. Here is his first hit:

Do not worry, though, as his performance in the minors tells us he should come around.

Mead left just two of nine minor league stints with a batting average under .278, with one stint being four games and the other being two. His four-game stint at AAA in 2021 was also his only season in the minors where he had a strikeout rate over 20%, so his 54% K rate this season in the majors seems out of place. As he gets more time against major league pitching, Mead should be able to adjust and turn that around. His rest of season projections for batting average range anywhere from .240-.260, which is more palatable and fantasy-friendly.

One major adjustment that could help Mead immensely would be lowering his launch angle. He appears to be upper-cutting the ball too much, with a 37-degree launch angle. Mead subsequently has no line drives and a 66% flyball rate. Those numbers are unsustainable and should even out as his sample size grows. Making those changes should positively affect his batting average.

Mead finished 2021 and 2022 with double-digit homers across multiple levels of the minors, so he has modest power. He can also steal a few bags as well. Trust the process, and at the very least, make Mead a waiver wire stash if you have the room on your roster.

2B Davis Schnieder – TOR

Davis Schneider earned the call to the bigs on August 4, and has been hot since then. He already has two homers, three runs, five RBI, and a .474 AVG. His first homer came in his first at-bat:

The Blue Jays have found room for him in the lineup, rotating him in at second base and in the outfield. He has sat out just once since his debut.

Schneider did not light up the minors until moving to AAA this season. Prior to that, he flashed decent power, finishing with double-digit homers and double-digit steals both for the first time in 2022. This season, he had 21 homers, 61 runs, 64 RBI, nine RBI, and a .275 AVG in AAA. That performance earned him a place on the Jays’ roster.

His calling card throughout the minors was his stellar ability to get on base. He struck out a bit, but finished with a walk rate under 11% in just one of 10 minor league stints. That resulted in an OBP over .340 in all but two of those stints. Schneider already has a .565 OBP in the majors this season. He has a 13% walk rate and nine hits in 19 at-bats.

Not only that, but Schneider has a 14% barrel rate, which is impressive, albeit in a small sample. He drove and pulled the ball well in the minors. That is a skill that has transitioned to the majors and should also help to keep his BABIP and AVG up. He has also shown a solid eye at the plate, chasing just 16% of balls outside of the zone so far.

As long as he continues to get playing time, he should be fantasy relevant. Schneider should be added from the waiver wire in deep leagues for the week ahead.

OF Max Kepler – MIN

Max Kepler may not help out fantasy managers with steals or batting average, but his 18 home runs, 45 runs, and 44 RBI are valuable enough that he should be rostered in more leagues. Those stats make his .237 AVG more palatable, especially considering that his rest of season projections for batting average range as high as .254. Here is his latest nuke:

Kepler has bounced back after a disappointing 2022 season. Last year, he tallied nine homers, 54 runs, 43 RBI, three steals, and a .227 AVG in 446 PAs across 115 games. While his K% and BB% have worsened from last season, he has performed much better in nearly every roto category otherwise this season.

It seems like Kepler has sold out for power this season compared to last year, considering he has career highs in barrel and HardHit rates – 11.7% and 44% respectively. Plus he added a degree to his launch angle while dropping his groundball rate by 6% and adding 9% to his flyball rate. Kepler has a 46% pull rate as well, his best since 2019.

His chase rate and contact rate have suffered slightly though, which could partially be due to a more aggressive approach at the plate this season. Kepler has a 47% swing rate, his highest since 2019. Even still, his 80% contact rate would rank 20th among qualified outfielders if he qualified.

There is more than enough good to go with the bad that Kepler presents, and in deep leagues, he should absolutely be a waiver wire priority where available.

SP Cole Ragans – KC

Cole Ragans made 17 appearances in relief for Texas this season before the Royals acquired him. He ended his tenure with the Rangers possessing a 5.92 ERA, but has since dropped it to 3.86 after transitioning to a starting role in Kansas City.

Ragans has a 1.05 ERA as a starter for the Royals, picking up one win while striking out 22 and walking four. He has a 9.8 K/9 on the season but has some work to do to lower his 3.8 BB/9. If his last three starts tell us anything, it is that he could very well improve not just his walk rate, but his strikeout rate as well.

Ragans carries a 70% LOB rate and a 44% groundball rate. He has done well limiting line drives and pulled balls, and has a .290 BABIP, slightly under his career mark. He also has a 9.8% HR/FB rate, which is just barely under league average. All of this means that his ERA is right on the money, which his 4.03 xFIP and 3.91 SIERA reflect.

The biggest keys to Ragans’ success have been his changeup, curveball, and slider. His changeup has a .163 batting average against, a 34% whiff rate, and a 22% putaway rate. His curveball has a .174 batting average against, a 25% whiff rate, and a 17% putaway rate. But his best pitch is his slider, which has a .091 batting average against, 47% whiff rate, and 50% putaway rate. No other pitcher who has thrown a slider in at least 10 PAs has both a better whiff and putaway rate than Ragans, making his one of the best, if not the best, in baseball.

Here is the slider in action:

Cole Ragans should be on everyone’s radar in all fantasy league sizes and formats and should be a waiver wire addition for the week ahead.

Shallow League Targets

C Gary Sanchez – SD

Gary Sanchez has bounced around this season, finally settling with the Padres. Lately, he has been battling Luis Campusano for at-bats, but San Diego has found time for both catchers. They have rotated them both in as designated hitters. For the season, Sanchez has 15 home runs, 28 runs, 37 RBI, and a .219 AVG. Here is Sanchez’s latest homer:

Over the last 15 days, Sanchez has outproduced Campusano in runs, homers, and RBI in just four more at-bats. That could earn him more playing time over his counterpart going forward.

This has been quite the comeback campaign for Sanchez, who is one homer shy of his 2022 total in less than half as many PAs. He also has his best batting average since 2019. Plus, Sanchez lowered his strikeout rate from last season thanks in large part to career bests in his 28% chase rate and 87% zone contact. Those improvements have led to a 76% contact rate, the best of his career.

Sanchez has been one of the hardest hitters in baseball over his career, and that has not changed. Although he doesn’t qualify, his 14% barrel rate would rank first among qualified catchers, and his 44% HardHit rate would rank fourth. They are nearly identical to his career marks. Sanchez also has an excellent 47% pull rate, though his 13% LD rate is subpar and a likely culprit for his low BABIP.

Even with his flaws, Sanchez has made some clear improvements that have led to one of his best seasons recently. He should be on your waiver wire radar if you are struggling for consistency at catcher.

3B Eugenio Suarez – SEA

Eugenio Suarez appeared to have fallen off the rails in 2020 and 2021, possessing a .199 AVG across those two seasons. He did better last season, homering 31 times with a .236 AVG, and has 16 homers and a .232 AVG this season. Here he is launching his latest bomb:

Although he likely will finish with fewer home runs and runs than last season, this season has been a success in other areas for Suarez.

He dropped his strikeout rate to its lowest since 2020, while also making more contact than last season. He also increased his line drive rate and lost just one percent off his pull rate from last season, yet his BABIP moved up just one point. Those sorts of metrics suggest that his BABIP and AVG could experience some positive regression over the rest of the season.

He could also hit more homers over the rest of the season considering how hard he hits the ball. His 12% barrel rate ranks fifth among qualified third baseman, while his 44% HardHit rate ranks 10th. He has nearly an identicaly flyball rate to last season, and higher than his career norm, yet his HR/FB rate is down 7% from last year and 6% lower than his career rate.

Suarez could be in line for a great final two months of the season, just in time for the fantasy playoffs. Make him a waiver wire add if he is available in shallow leagues.

SS Jordan Westburg – BAL

Despite being eligible at shortstop, Westburg has appeared mostly as a second or third baseman for the Orioles. His multiple position eligibility makes him very valuable. His ability to produce in all five roto categories also makes him valuable. This season, Westburg has two homers, 16 runs, 11 RBI, two steals, and a .272 AVG in 31 games. Here is homer number two:

Westburg has not barreled the ball much, but has an impressive 44% HardHit rate. He has a 21% LD rate and a 50% pull rate. Throughout the minors, he did well at pulling and driving the ball and was able to maintain a high BABIP in most seasons.

Between his batted ball numbers, a 20% K rate, and a 78% contact rate, Westburg should maintain his AVG. As long as he can maintain them, he should outproduce his .230-.250 projections for AVG.

One area that should improve for Westburg over the rest of the season is his home run rate. He has a 6% HR/FB rate despite possessing much higher rates in the minors. He hit 18 homers in AAA last season and 18 again this season, so he has power in his profile. Westburg just needs to make some adjustments to tap into it at the major league level.

If you need infield depth for your fantasy team, now is the time to add Westburg from the waiver wire.

OF TJ Friedl – CIN

TJ Friedl has been one of the hottest hitters over the last 15 days. During that span, he has three homers, 12 runs, seven RBI, five steals, and a .265 AVG. Friedl ties Juan Soto and Sal Frelick for the third most RBI during that span. His five steals land him in a five-way tie for second during that span. On the season, Friedl has 10 homers, 45 runs, 45 RBI, 21 steals, and a .281 AVG. Here he is producing one of his latest RBI:

Friedl appears to be the real deal. He has an impressive 17% K rate and an 83% contact rate. That contact rate is among the 30 best among all qualified players. His 19% LD rate and 40% pull rates, plus his excellent discipline, align with his high BABIP and AVG.

Friedl also plays in a great park for his skill set. Great American Ballpark ranks among the top-3 for lefty contact over the last three years. It is also the best park in terms of home runs over the last three seasons for lefty batters.

In spite of a glut of outfield-eligible players in Cincinnati, Friedl plays consistently. His performance this season, especially lately, makes him worthy of being rostered universally in fantasy. He is a must-add from the waiver wire wherever available. Snag him now!

SP Gavin Williams – CLE

Gavin Williams’ debut was less than stellar, as he gave up four earned runs across 5.2 IP. Since then, he has pitched to a 2.45 ERA, lowering his season ERA to 2.90.

Williams has an 8.8 K/9 rate which is much lower than what he did across every level of the minors. In fact, his worst K/9 rate was 10.5 in 70 IP at AA in 2022. This is something that should improve for Williams as the season goes on, especially considering how impressive his stuff is.

His fastball, slider, and curveball have batting averages against of .212, .200, and .179 respectively. All of his pitches, including his changeup, have whiff rates between 23% and 28%. His fastball has the highest putaway rate of his four pitches at 21%. These types of numbers should result in a better strikeout rate than 8.8 per nine innings.

Here is a look at a few of his pitches in action:

Williams has also done well at stranding runners so far this season. He has an 81% LOB rate that would rank fourth among qualified starters if he had enough innings. Stranding runners is something he excelled at in the minors. Even though his 3.9 BB/9 rate is high, at least he has not allowed many of the players he has walked to come around and score.

Williams is at risk of some regression, with a low BABIP and HR/FB rate, but he has the stuff that should entice fantasy managers. He is definitely worthy of a waiver wire add where available.

Other Players to Add from Waivers

Here are a few other players available in a range of league sizes that you should consider adding if they are on your waiver wire.

  • C: Ryan Jeffers, Cal Raleigh, Yainer Diaz, Andrew Knizer, Luis Campusano, Mitch Garver, Yan Gomes
  • CI: Ryan McMahon (2B), Joey Meneses (OF), Mike Moustakas, Brandon Belt, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Luis Urias (2B/SS), Jake Alu
  • MI: Maikel Garcia (3B), Wilmer Flores (1B/3B), Jon Berti (3B/OF), Zack Gelof, Brice Turang, Isiah Kiner-Falefa
  • OF: Willi Castro (3B), LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B), Mike Tauchman, Nolan Jones, Matt Wallner, James Outman, Harrison Bader, Sal Frelick, Jake Myers, Marcell Ozuna, Cade Marlowe, Randal Grichuk
  • SP: Graham Ashcraft, Johan Oviedo, Jesse Scholtens, Andrew Heaney, Chase Silseth, Jose Quintana, Steven Matz, Braxton Garrett, Miles Mikolas, Kenta Maeda, Nick Pivetta, Bryan Bello, Seth Lugo, Wade Miley, Eury Perez, Walker Buehler
  • RP: Kyle Finnegan, Adbert Alzolay, Andres Munoz, Will Smith, Matt Brash, Pete Fairbanks, Trevor May, Giovanny Gallegos

Prospect Waiver Wire Watch

A number of prospects are worthy of consideration for waiver wire claims due to being called up or potentially being called up. Here are a few to consider adding.

  • SEA SP Emerson Hancock – the next SEA SP to make it; 5 IP, 3 K, 3BB, 1.80 ERA
  • STL SS Masyn Wynn – could get the call with DeJong’s departure; 17/17/.284 at AAA
  • PIT SS Liover Peguero – 6 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, .239 AVG; likely in platoon or bench role if Cruz returns
  • PIT SP Quinn Priester – 20:15 K:BB; 8+ ERA
  • OAK 1B Tyler Soderstrom – struggling so far, .161 AVG
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites over the last few years, and we’re not stopping now. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
More fantasy goodness More from author
Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.