Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Brett Baty leads new faces among add candidates

The following players are widely available in Yahoo Fantasy Baseball formats and might be worth grabbing, depending on your league’s depth.

Brett Baty, 3B, New York Mets (51% rostered)

Baty is reportedly getting recalled to the Mets on Monday, so he won’t be available in most fantasy leagues much longer. Baty is a top-50 prospect with 70-grade power who’ll likely get a shot as New York’s new starting third baseman. Rookies are always a crapshoot, but he was off to an incredible start in Triple-A (239 wRC+) with a combined seven homers and steals over 35 at-bats. Baty will have to hit in one of the best pitcher’s parks, though for whatever a six-game sample is worth, moving in the right field fences during the offseason has resulted in a more favorable place for lefties to hit early on.

Baty’s exit velocity was through the roof in the minors, and systems are projecting him to be an above-average hitter immediately (with Steamer projecting a 120 wRC+ rest of season). Add the rookie in all fantasy leagues.

Taj Bradley, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (30%)

Bradley should become a fixture in Tampa Bay’s rotation with Jeffrey Springs out for at least two months due to an arm injury. Bradley’s K rate fell after a promotion to Triple-A last season, but the 22-year-old has legit stuff, as the rookie recorded a 40% K rate and a 34.6% CSW in his first start in the majors.

It also helps to play for a Rays team that’s racking up wins. Bradley is slated to start next in Cincinnati, so don’t be discouraged if he struggles in one of baseball’s best hitter’s parks. Bradley could easily be a top-40 fantasy starter (if not better) moving forward, and he remains available in 70% of Yahoo leagues.

Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels (12%)

The Angels had seemingly left their shortstop role open for Neto, but most assumed that his opportunity would come later this season. The rookie has instead been called up to the majors less than a year after being drafted. The top-15 pick was a decorated college hitter who theoretically could be ready to help sooner. Neto had six homers and steals over just 27 at-bats in Double-A to open 2023, and the Angels have said they will give him a chance as the team’s every-day SS moving forward. Neto is worth adding in deeper fantasy leagues.

Garrett Whitlock, SP/RP, Boston Red Sox (43%)

Boston is temporarily going with a six-man rotation, but Whitlock should be a fixture the rest of the season. Fenway Park and Boston’s poor defense do him no favors, but Whitlock should still be added in fantasy leagues; pitching becomes even more of a priority with offense up across the league in 2023. Some of it has come out of the bullpen, but Whitlock owns a career 21.3 K-BB% over 160-plus innings in the majors; that would’ve ranked top-10 among starters last season.

Max Kepler, OF, Minnesota Twins (3%)

Kepler hit 36 homers in 524 at-bats in 2019 and is one season removed from totaling 29 homers/steals in just 426 ABs. Injuries remain an issue, but Kepler just returned from the injured list and will be a regular in Minnesota’s lineup. He’s off to a slow start at the plate, but THE BAT X projects a 118 wRC+ rest of season. Kepler is a good hitter who’s widely available in fantasy leagues.

Kyle Isbel, OF, Kansas City Royals (1%)

For those in deeper leagues, Isbel continues to hit toward the middle of Kansas City’s lineup and in a home park among the leaders in boosting batting average and run scoring the past three seasons. Isbel has an ugly .609 OPS to open the year, but he has cut down his Ks and sports a .286 expected batting average to go with a Hard Hit% in the 84th percentile. THE BAT X projects Isbel to rack up 27 homers/steals over 415 ABs the rest of the season.