Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Grayson Rodriguez, Christian Encarnacion-Strand ready to help

This week’s fantasy waiver wire got a big shot in the arm Sunday, when two of the most exciting prospects in Triple-A, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Grayson Rodriguez, both received word that they were heading to the majors. Of course, Rodriguez has already let fantasy managers down once this year, but he should fare much better this time around.

There are also a pair of less famous youngsters who are ready to help fantasy squads (Zack Gelof and Oswald Peraza) and some veterans who should be streamed this week.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B, Cincinnati Reds, 39%)

Every reader should close this article right now and try to add Encarnacion-Strand in all their leagues. Of course, please come back after adding him and read the rest of the article, plus Andy Behrens' look at the phenom! CES is the most exciting prospect who will make his big-league debut in the second half, having hit .331 with 20 homers and a 1.042 OPS in 278 at-bats so far this season. The 23-year-old should be added in the shallowest of leagues, as there will always be opportunities in those formats to pivot to a different player if he gets off to a slow start. But the expectation here is that he takes advantage of seven games this week at his hitter-friendly home park to get his career off to a memorable start.

Mike Ford (1B, Seattle Mariners, 7%)

Ford faces a handful of skilled hurlers this week, which gave me some pause before ultimately putting him into this article. The southpaw slugger will face right-handed starters in six of his seven games, and against righties, he has hit .264 with nine homers and 87 at-bats this season. The odds are good that he goes deep at least once this week.

Zack Gelof (2B, Oakland A’s, 8%)

Gelof had a respectable showing in his first weekend of MLB action (.333 BA, 2 SB) and will find his name on the lineup card nearly every day going forward. The 23-year-old has the multidimensional skill set that fantasy managers covet (12 HR, 20 SB, .304 BA in Triple-A this year) and should be added by roto managers in 12-team leagues who are looking for steals.

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Oswald Peraza (3B/SS, New York Yankees, 4%)

Peraza entered draft season as an exciting, late-round pick after hitting .306 with an .832 OPS in 57 plate appearances with the Yankees last year. But he lost the shortstop job to Anthony Volpe in spring training and has spent most of 2023 in Triple-A. He was promoted Sunday after Josh Donaldson landed in the IL, and manager Aaron Boone has already said the 23-year-old needs to play regularly while in the majors. Peraza can contribute in multiple ways, as evidenced by the 31 homers and 44 steals he racked up with 145 games at the Triple-A level across 2022-23.

Chas McCormick (OF, Houston Astros, 12%)

McCormick has been in the starting lineup the past seven games and has logged a 1.036 OPS since June 1. He and his Houston teammates are in perfect position to score plenty of runs this week, as they play two games at hitter-friendly Coors Field before facing an A’s pitching staff that owns a 6.07 ERA. McCormick is even more appealing with southpaws starting all three games from Wednesday to Friday, as he has logged a lifetime .931 OPS in such matchups. Although I prefer McCormick, managers who need steals could instead grab Corey Julks (18%) off the waiver wire.

Danny Jansen (C, Toronto Blue Jays, 17% rostered)

Yahoo managers who are looking for a spark at the catcher position have been adding Tyler Soderstrom in recent days, which isn’t a terrible idea. But they would be better off adding Jansen, who sits ninth at the position in home runs and fifth in RBIs, despite spending three weeks on the IL earlier in the season. In fact, since the outset of 2021, the slugger has profiled as an elite power hitter by compiling 37 homers and 112 RBI in 588 at-bats.

Bryan Woo (SP, Seattle Mariners, 47%)

Although persistent rumors of Woo having his innings limited by the Mariners have kept his roster rate in check, he remains in the rotation for now and is arguably the best two-starter pitcher this week who remains available in most leagues. Managers should add Woo for his outings at his pitcher-friendly home park against the Twins and Blue Jays while keeping their ear to the ground regarding Seattle’s long-term plans for him.

Grayson Rodriguez (SP, Baltimore Orioles, 49%)

Fantasy managers should look past Rodriguez’s poor major-league results thus far (7.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP) and give the 23-year-old a fresh start. He was terrific during a demotion to Triple-A, posting a 1.96 ERA and a 56:19 K:BB ratio across 41 1/3 innings. And Rodriguez remains one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. As part of a team that is destined for the postseason and calls a pitcher-friendly park home, the right-hander has the potential to be a difference-maker down the stretch, which is something I will be able to say about very few prospects who get promoted from this point forward.

Joel Payamps (RP, Milwaukee Brewers, 29%)

As the season progresses, finding effective starting pitchers on the waiver wire becomes increasingly difficult. The smart move during the summer months is often to add effective relievers who can log outstanding ratios while also occasionally picking up a win or save. Payamps perfectly fits the bill, having posted a 1.41 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP and a 42:5 K:BB ratio since May 1. The right-hander’s effectiveness has made him a regular in high-leverage roles, which has resulted in a win and two saves so far in July.