FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
Evan Carter (OF Rangers): Rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues
After hitting .167 with one extra-base hit in his first 15 big-league games this season, Carter has suddenly caught fire, going 10-for-16 with three homers and seven RBI in his last four games. That’s more pop than one should expect from Carter going forward, but what’s really promising is all of this running he’s doing; he’s stolen five bases in 19 games, matching his total from his 68 career MLB games entering the season.
Carter has always had elite speed, but he was a mediocre basestealer in the minors, getting thrown out over 30 percent of the time. In the majors, though, he’s been caught on just one of his 11 career attempts. That the Rangers offense has been so stagnant all year likely has led to more aggression on the basepaths. Carter might slow it down if he gets thrown out a few times, but the Rangers will encourage him until then.
Carter’s sudden surge has left him with an impressive .293/.369/.534 line through 65 plate appearances. That he’s struck out just 10 times in that span is probably a fluke; he has worse contact numbers now than he did while striking out 28 percent of the time his first two seasons. Still, it helps that he’s been less passive at the plate. Most likely, he’ll be a pretty average hitter the rest of the way, but that should lead to some long-term value as long as he keeps running. He’s pretty well locked in as a regular now, and the Rangers offense isn’t going to be this bad all year. In truth, it seems like the turnaround has already started.
Ben Casparius (SP Dodgers): Rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues
The Dodgers originally began to stretch Casaprius out as a starter at the end of April, only to reconsider the plan with Clayton Kershaw nearly ready to return and injuries taking a heavy toll on the pen. The bullpen is in better shape now with Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech back, so Casparius made his second start of the year Wednesday, pitching four innings of one-run ball against the Padres. Expectations are that he’ll remain in the rotation and face the Padres again next week.
Casaprius isn’t a lock to wind up as a quality starter, but the four-pitch arsenal, which includes a mid-90s fastball, is there. His mid-80s slider is particularly impressive, and his cutter helps him out against lefties. Walks held him back as a minor leaguer, and it’s a really nice surprise that he’s issued just nine in 44 innings this season. He’s a pretty big flyball pitcher and will give up some homers, so it’s important there are no free runners on for those.
Since Casparius is still being stretched out and will probably be limited to 70-75 pitches in his next start, he isn’t a great immediate play in mixed leagues. However, he offers ample upside while being backed by such a strong roster. It should be worth sticking with him even if his next couple of outings prove bumpy.
Christian Moore (2B Angels): Rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues
Many thought the Angels might promote Moore, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, down the stretch last year, but he ended up going down with a knee injury. Still, that didn’t hold him back for long. Just 79 games into his professional career, the 22-year-old is set to make his MLB debut Friday after hitting .279/.374/.422 in 238 plate appearances between Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake. He had five homers and eight stolen bases in 54 games this season.
Moore hit a ridiculous .338/.447/.697 with 61 homers and 22 steals in 186 games for the University of Tennessee, but he’s been whiff prone as a minor leaguer, with a 27 percent strikeout rate between two levels this season. His exit velocity numbers are more good than great, with his hard-hit rate coming in at 39 percent since he moved up to Triple-A. Because they’re inept at player development, the Angels have mostly thrown talented collegians to the wolves, a strategy that seem to have worked with 2022 first-rounder Zach Neto but less so with 2023 first-rounder Nolan Schaneuel. In terms of pure talent, Moore rates between those two; he hits the ball harder than Schanuel but all he really has over Neto is more patience at the plate. He certainly projects as an above average regular at second base. He just might be on the wrong team to help him become one.
As a rushed prospect, Moore seems like a weak choice in mixed leagues for now. Maybe he’ll surprise his first time around the league, and he has the kind of pull power that could lead to several homers. Still, his approach is subpar, and no one on the Angels staff figures to improve it in the short-term. He’s a fine long-term prospect, but the odds are against him amassing much value over the remaining 60 percent of this season.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- Michael Toglia is hitting .324 with four doubles and three homers in nine games since the Rockies sent him to Triple-A, and Orlando Arcia’s game-winning hit Thursday aside, Colorado is getting zero production from first base without him. He’s probably not going to be in the minors for long, and he’ll be worth taking a chance on once he’s brought back.
- Shelby Miller is still unrostered in two-thirds of leagues, but he should be the guy in the ninth for Arizona with Justin Martínez out and potentially done for the year. A.J. Puk might return from his elbow injury next month and overtake Miller, but that’s hardly a certainty.
