It’s hard to believe that the final FAAB period is around the corner. If you’re still in it, congratulations! Keep doing what you’ve been doing all year — working the fantasy baseball waiver wire for players who can help you out in the standings.
The players listed below are rostered in fewer than 70% of Fantrax leagues. They all offer fantasy goodness that can help you for the final push, depending on your team’s needs. With that, let’s get to the Week 27 fantasy baseball waiver wire targets.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets
Victor Mesa Jr., OF, Rays (42%)
Victor Mesa Jr. has been one of the league’s best hitters in September. He’s been a five-category contributor while boasting a .383/.431/.681 slash line and 210 wRC+ in 51 plate appearances. Mesa racked up seven extra-base hits in those 14 games, including three home runs, and added eight RBI, 12 runs scored and three steals. He also flexed strong plate skills with a 9.8% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate.
A hamstring injury shelved Mesa at the end of August, but he’s played in 12 of 14 since his return. Most notably, he started in three of four games versus lefties in that stretch. Mesa produces across the board and bats in the heart of a potent Rays offense. He’s one of the best targets to close out the season, and should get plenty of at-bats with seven games on the docket next week.
Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics (62%)
Henry Bolte was a top recommendation last week, but still isn’t getting the love as he deserves. He’s been crushing it this month, hitting safely in 12 of 14 games while slashing .308/.438/.615 with five dingers and six steals. His 34.4% K% in that stretch is ugly, but he’s still getting on base thanks to a hefty 15.6% walk rate.
Overall, Bolte has swung it well since August (.309 BA, .893 OPS in 187 PA) and should be a productive bat to finish the year. He has 100th-percentile sprint speed, gets on base, and provides a nice blend of pop and speed from the top of the order. Bolte is an easy add with all six games in Sacramento next week.
Coby Mayo, 1B/3B, Orioles (63%)
Coby Mayo has been on fire, crushing five dingers in his last 10 games while driving in eight runs and stealing a base. The hot hitting continues a productive second half for the slugger. Since the break, he tallied 12 long balls, 29 RBI, 31 runs and three steals across 174 plate appearances, along with a robust 15.3% barrel rate. Mayo has swing-and-miss to his game, but still has a healthy .269 BA in that stretch with an .890 OPS. He’s a strong addition to power-needy rosters next week.
Anthony Volpe, 2B/SS, Yankees (44%)
Anthony Volpe has been tearing up the basepaths since his recent recall, snagging four steals in just seven games. Over those 25 plate appearances, he also popped a home run while sporting a .348/.400/.565 slash line.
Volpe is no stranger to stealing bases. He has 23 steals in 109 games this season, between the majors and minors. He also averaged 23 swipes per year over his previous three seasons. Don’t overthink this one, folks. If you need to shore up steals, Volpe is a nice option. Plus, the Yankees and Rays are the only teams with seven games on tap next week; take advantage.
Leo Bernal, C, Cardinals (32%)
Leo Bernal has been on fire since his September 1 call-up. He logged a hit in 12 of 14 games while hitting .295 with an .830 OPS. Over those 65 plate appearances, he collected three doubles, three long balls, 15 RBI, and eight runs with a 129 wRC+. Bernal isn’t just piling up hits; he’s also tearing the cover off the ball with a 10.9% barrel rate, 67.3% hard-hit rate, and 95.1 mph AVG EV.
Bernal brings power and a strong batting average to the table while hitting in the heart of the order. He’s a no-brainer add in two-catcher leagues and is worth considering in shallower formats, as he’s been the sixth-best backstop in the last 14 days.
Ryan Johnson, SP/RP, Angels (40%)
Ryan Johnson is off to a hot September. In three starts, he’s sporting a 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 20.8% K-BB% in 18 innings. He benefited from a high strand rate in that stretch, but a 3.36 xERA under the hood is more than solid, and comes with an uptick in Ks — his 25% mark is up from 17.5% in his previous 13 starts. Johnson also curbed the free passes, dropping his 10.8% BB% to 4.2% during that span.
Overall, Johnson has been a reliable arm since the start of August, allowing more than two earned runs only once in his last 13 trips to the mound. Up next, he faces a beatable Twins team this weekend, followed by a Mariners club he just tossed six innings of one-run ball against with seven punchouts. Johnson is a solid streamer to close out the year.
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