The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis

Fantasy BaseballFantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds for Week 16

By Taylor Tarter
Mickey Moniak Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Here are some waiver wire targets ahead of Week 16 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/OF Blake Sabol – SF

San Francisco has hit the jackpot with catchers in Patrick Bailey and Blake Sabol. Bailey’s defensive prowess has kept him in the lineup, while Sabol’s bat has been his calling card. Here is proof of that:

Sabol has 10 homers, 27 runs, 34 RBI, 2 SB, and a .259 AVG in 227 PAs this season. The power output should be no surprise as he hit 19 home runs across AA and AAA last season in 513 PAs. He launched 13 homers across A and AA in 288 PAs in 2021.

So far this season, Sabol has a 13% barrel rate and a 40% HardHit rate. Those would rank first and seventh among qualified catchers respectively if he had enough PAs to qualify.

Sabol’s AVG may be in danger of some regression as his BABIP sits at .347, especially since his line drive rate is under 20% and his pull rate is under 40%. If those rates were higher, it would make a higher BABIP more sustainable. He did sustain high BABIPs across the minors but with much higher LD rates.

The rookie also has some work to do when it comes to discipline at the plate if he wants to sustain his AVG. His 76.2% zone contact rate would rank third worst in baseball if he qualified. This is likely a major reason why projections have him batting anywhere between .226-.245 rest of season.

Despite his concerns, Sabol has the power to remain relevant and very useful in deep leagues. He should continue to get consistent playing time since he is eligible at outfield as well. He should be a priority waiver wire add going forward.

1B Tyler Soderstrom – OAK

Tyler Soderstrom received the call from Oakland after the All-Star break. In most leagues, he is eligible at first base only but could see time at catcher with Manny Pina dealing with a wrist injury.

Image

Oakland is expected to find ways to get him in the lineup, but that could come at the expense of Ryan Noda at both first base and DH. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on how the Athletics mix and match their lineup.

As far as fantasy expectations, Soderstrom has shown a lot of pop in his bat this season, blasting 20 home runs at AAA. He had 45 runs and 59 RBI to go along with a .259 AVG.

Soderstrom has shown the ability to drive and pull the ball well. That should help him keep his batting average up in the majors, especially with high strikeout tendencies.

Fantasy managers looking for help at corner infield and potentially catcher should consider adding Soderstrom from the waiver wire.

2B Nick Gonzales – PIT

Nick Gonzales has not developed as Pittsburgh expected when they drafted him with the seventh overall pick in 2020. After hitting 18 homers with a .302 AVG in his debut minor league season, he had just 13 total in the following two seasons.

Part of Gonzales’ issues in the minors have been due to high strikeout rates. This has manifested in the majors already, as his strikeout rate sits at 27%. In spite of the high strikeout rate, he has a .278 AVG, likely buoyed by a .351 BABIP.

In the majors, however, Gonzales has looked solid, tallying two homers, eight runs, 11 RBI, and a .278 AVG in 16 games. Check out this stat from his first 13 games:

His line drive rate is a very low 10% but in a very small sample size. If his LD% stays low, his BABIP and AVG likely will drop. Still, he has shown the ability to drive the ball well in the minors and his LD% in the majors could improve with more time. Gonzales already has a solid 41% pull rate, and pulled the ball well in the minors. This could equate to Gonzales being able to maintain an AVG north of .250, even with high strikeout totals.

For a batter with a 27% K rate, Gonzales has just a 28% chase rate. Where his plate discipline needs to improve is his contact rate. His O-contact and Z-contact rates would both rank among the 11 worst in baseball if he qualified. Of course, his sample size is a very small 58 PAs. Those stats could improve with more time to adjust to major league pitching.

Even with his concerns, the Pirates need help at second base, and Gonzales should have a long leash and plenty of time to figure things out. As long as he can maintain a respectable AVG, he is fantasy relevant and should be considered as a waiver wire add for the week ahead.

OF Colton Cowser – BAL

Colton Cowser earned the call from the Orioles after hitting 10 homers, 54 runs, and 40 RBI, while swiping seven bags and batting .330 in AAA.

Cowser is the type of player that can do it all. He ended four of six minor league stops with a batting average over .300. In his second minor league season in 2022, Cowser launched 17 homers with 18 steals across three levels.

The rookie drove the ball well across all minor league levels and has done so thus far in five major league games. He also pulls the ball well, which should help bring up his .188 AVG and his .214 BABIP. Here is his first hit and RBI:

Perhaps one of Cowser’s most impressive qualities is his plate discipline. His strikeout rate improved after he was promoted in his first year in the minors. It improved again in 2022 going from A+ to AA, though it worsened in his move to AAA that year. But in AAA this season, he dropped his strikeout rate by 7% from last year. He also improved from a .219 AVG in 2022 to a .330 AVG in 2023.

The Orioles have a lot of mouths to feed in the outfield including Austin Hays, Aaron Hicks, Cedric Mullins, and Anthony Santander, but Cowser should figure to get plenty of at-bats. The Orioles have shown their willingness to let their rookies figure it out. That makes Cowser a priority waiver wire add where available.

SP Tommy Henry – ARI

The Diamondbacks have had some trouble filling out the back end of their rotation. Zach Davies, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt have struggled, leaving the opportunity for Tommy Henry to lock down a role.

Outside of four starts where Henry allowed at least four earned runs, he has pitched well. Eight of his starts this season have resulted in two or fewer earned runs allowed. In his last four starts dating back to June 17, he has three quality starts and allowed four earned runs in 24.1 innings for a 1.49 ERA.

While Henry does not possess high strikeout rates – his K/9 rate is just 6.1 – he has done other things well. He lowered his walk rate from his 47 IP debut last season to 3.5. His strand rate is up to an impressive 82% so far this season. He also has a BABIP nearly identical to his career average and has a league average 11% HR/FB rate.

One thing Henry could do to potentially improve his strikeout rate is to throw his fastball less and his breaking and offspeed pitches more. He throws his fastball 48% of the time and it is his worst-performing pitch.

His changeup, curveball, and slider all have a batting average against of .229 or better, and an xBAA of .235 or better. His changeup has a 32% whiff rate, which he throws mostly against righty hitters. But his slider is arguably his best pitch. It has a 29% whiff rate and a 21% putaway rate.

Here he is flashing some of his best pitches:

At the very least, Henry should be stashed and played in good matchups in deep leagues. He is absolutely worth a waiver wire add ahead of next week.

Shallow League Targets

C Francisco Alvarez – NYM

Francisco Alvarez and Sean Murphy are tied for most homers among catchers this season, each with 17. Including ties, Alvarez also ranks top-10 in runs (30) and RBI (35). I mean…

Alvarez has a .238 AVG with a .244 BABIP, and while the BABIP may seem due for positive regression, his 11% LD rate suggests that the BABIP is reasonably low. If Alvarez can convert some of his grounders into liners, it would greatly help his AVG, since he already pulls the ball well at 44%.

Alvarez is trending in the right direction in many of his plate discipline stats. His chase, contact, and swinging strike rates have all improved over last season.

The power does not seem to be a fluke at all. His 12.5% barrel rate and 40.8% HardHit rate would rank first and fifth respectively among qualified catchers if he qualified.

The power and playing time are there, and a minor adjustment could result in an improved average. Alvarez should be added from the waiver wire in all formats.

1B Garrett Cooper – MIA

Garrett Cooper has 12 homers, 26 runs, and 43 RBI in 281 PAs and is on pace to obliterate his career highs (other than AVG). He has been great at producing runs like this one:

Cooper has always carried some strikeout risk – his 26% career K rate and 28% K rate for this season reflect that – but he hits the ball hard and typically makes a lot of contact, which keeps his AVG up.

Cooper has a 10.4% barrel rate and a 43% HrdHit rate, both consistent with his trends from the last three seasons. His 24% LD rate is nearly identical to last season and his career average, which suggests his .333 BABIP is reasonable when compared to his .351 career BABIP. He is a career .271 hitter, hit .261 last season, and has a .262 AVG this season.

The home run burst this season is definitely the real deal, considering the amount of contact and the quality of contact that Cooper makes. His HR/FB rate is 19.7%, just over his 17% career rate, but only 1% over his average rate from the last four seasons.

Cooper’s biggest issue right now is that his contact rate on pitches outside of the zone is 58.6%, the second lowest of his career. That has driven his overall contact rate down to 71%, also the second lowest of his career. More time at the plate, with more opportunities to see pitches could help Cooper make adjustments to improve that issue.

Cooper is a great waiver wire add that is somewhat off the radar.

SS Jordan Westburg – BAL

Jordan Westburg has split most of his time so far between second and third base, so he should acquire eligibility at those positions in fantasy very soon.

In his first 11 games so far with the Orioles, Westburg has yet to hit a homer but has eight runs and six RBI with a .325 AVG. He has a .400 OBP, which has kept him in the lineup and could earn him playing time over Jorge Mateo and Adam Frazier who have OBPs below .300. Hits like this one into the gap have helped him get on base:

Westburg definitely has the ability to hit home runs despite not having one yet. He had 27 across AA and AAA in 2021 and 18 in AAA this season before his contract was selected. He has yet to barrel a ball, but a 47% HardHit rate is promising.

Westburg excels at driving and pulling the ball and has done both so far in the majors, which should help keep his AVG up.

He is an exciting player with skills that are enticing for fantasy baseball. If available, he should be scooped up from the waiver wire as soon as possible.

OF Mickey Moniak – LAA

Mickey Moniak never quite panned out for the Phillies as he struggled through their system from 2016 to 2022. Something must have clicked in his time in the Angels farm system. In 33 games at AAA his season, he had eight home runs, 27 runs, 23 RBI, two steals, and a .308 AVG.

In 38 games for the Angels this season, Moniak has 10 homers, 21 runs, 28 RBI, two steals, and a .308 AVG. His batting average is likely unsustainable, with a strikeout rate above 30% and a .390 BABIP. Everything else looks legit, leading to homers like this one:

He has a 16% barrel rate and a 33% HardHit rate, both of which are improvements over last season. His 20% HR/FB rate is slightly higher than his career average rate, but not surprising considering the added barrels and an increased launch angle.

Moniak also has a 20% LD rate and a 47% pull rate, helping to keep his BABIP and AVG up somewhat, although regression should be expected.

Some of his plate discipline numbers are a bit frightening, like a 50% chase rate, but Moniak should get plenty of time to figure things out. With Mike Trout on the IL recovering from a hamate surgery, Moniak should get continued opportunities in the outfield.

Moniak is definitely worth a waiver wire add, especially if he can improve his plate discipline.

SP Tarik Skubal – DET

Tarik Skubal has looked excellent in his return from flexor tendon surgery. He tossed four innings each in his first two starts, allowing a total of two hits and two walks, while striking out 11 and not letting anyone cross the plate.

Concerns about his elbow should be eased after averaging 96 MPH on his fastball and 96.7 MPH on his sinker so far. Those are up from 94.8 and 94.1 MPH respectively last season. His fastball even touched 98:

On top of that, his changeup has looked electric, thus far possessing whiff and putaway rates in line with what he did across a larger sample size last season.

The Tigers are clearly going to be cautious with him early, but as he continues to recover, he should get deeper into games. Early limitations on innings could make him more valuable in Win/Loss leagues than in Quality Start leagues, but he should be rostered in most formats.

Skubal gradually improved his walk, home run, and groundball rates each of the last three seasons. If he can continue those improvements, he could be one of the more dominant pitchers down the stretch.

The (very) early returns look great for anyone who stashed Skubal ahead of his return. For those that did not, now is the time to add him from the waiver wire anywhere he is 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: Kyle Higashioka, Yainer Diaz, Tom Murphy, Victor Caratini, Bo Naylor, Henry Davis
  • CI: Spencer Torkelson, Joey Votto, Jeimer Candelario, Corey Julks (OF), Mike Ford, Joey Meneses (OF), Ryan O’Hearn, Zach McKinstry (2B/OF)
  • MI: Ha-Seong Kim (3B), Maikel Garcia (3B), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (3B/OF), Ezequiel Tovar, CJ Abrams
  • OF: Luke Raley (1B), Jarren Duran, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Leody Taveras, David Peralta, Jesus Sanchez, Chas McCormick, Harrison Bader, Randal Grichuk
  • SP: Domingo German, Aaron Civale, Kyle Bradish, Kyle Hendricks, J.P. France, JP Sears, Seth Lugo, Tanner Bibee, Wade Miley, Josiah Gray, Brayan Bello
  • RP: Craig Kimbrel, Joel Payamps, Tanner Scott, Hunter Harvey, Adbert Alzolay, Michael King

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.

  • OAK 2B/3B Zach Gelof – also getting the call with Soderstrom; may split time with Peterson and Kemp
  • CLE SP Gavin Williams – gave up 7 ER in last 12 IP before All Star Break; 4 ERA overall; 1 QS
  • BAL SP Grayson Rodriguez – has looked much better in AAA since demotion; could be recalled after All Star Break
  • SEA SP Bryan Woo – settled down, 43:9 K:BB in 34 IP, ERA down to 3.63, innings limit concern
  • MIL OF Sal Frelick – late start because of injury, but has looked good in the minors
  • MIA 2B Jacob Amaya – on the weak side of platoon, but could work his way into more time
  • SF OF Luis Matos – 11 runs, 2 steals, and batting .264; power should come
  • LAD SP Bobby Miller – last four starts have been bad, 20 ER in 21 IP; 4.50 ERA
  • CIN SP Andrew Abbott – looking amazing; 48:14 K:BB across 41.2 IP with a 2.38 ERA
  • CIN SP Brandon Williamson – struggling so far with an ERA over 5
  • CIN 1B/3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand – .321 AVG and 20 homers in 65 games at AAA, played OF
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.