The fantasy baseball season is officially underway and beginning to gain steam. We have seen a number of surprises and disappointments already, but fantasy managers need to remember that the season is young. For those who were panicking over Shohei Ohtani's slow start, he has already displayed why you should have never lost faith in him. Trusting who you drafted is of the utmost importance.
With that being said, working the waiver wire is also a vital piece to the puzzle in fantasy baseball. Today, we are looking at the top 10 best waiver wire options for Week 2 of the season. Each of these players will be rostered in 50 percent or less of leagues according to ESPN. Some of them will be strictly streaming options for this week, while others could end up being mainstays on your roster for the long haul.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 2.
Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
10. David Robertson, RP, Cubs
42.2% Rostered
David Robertson is a name that fell of the radar in recent years. However, he is back with full force as the primary closer for the Cubs. The right-hander has converted all 3 of his save opportunities and has only surrendered 1 hit and 1 walk on the season. Robertson's appeal only increases when you consider the fact that many MLB managers are implementing a closer-by-committe approach. Robertson's value is bound to skyrocket once people begin to realize that he is actually pretty good and the sole closing option for Chicago.
Make sure to get ahead of the curve and add Robertson if you want to see an uptick in saves on your team.
9. Josiah Gray, SP, Nationals
18.4% Rostered
The Nationals like what they have in Josiah Gray. They believe he has the potential to develop into an All-Star caliber pitcher who could be an integral piece for their rotation moving forward. Gray was scheduled to start on Monday against the lackluster Diamondbacks at home. However, the game was postponed due to rain and is expected to be made up as part of a double-header on Tuesday.
I would have preferred to see Gray pitch on Monday since that would have guaranteed him a two-start week. However, unless Washington changes up their rotation, Gray could still be on track for a two-start week. The only difference is that he would get the nod on Tuesday and Sunday instead of Monday and Saturday. He has a tougher opponent over the weekend in the Giants, but scooping Gray up off the waiver wire should prove to be worth it, if not for the Diamondbacks start alone. And at just over 18 percent rostered, there is a very good chance he will be available in your league.
8. Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks
26.6% Rostered
Merrill Kelly is scheduled to pitch in one of the double-headers scheduled for Tuesday between the Diamondbacks and Nationals. However, Kelly could be more than just a streamer for your fantasy baseball roster. The right-hander has always offered quality potential and could finally be putting it all together in 2022.
He is off to an excellent start and has yet to surrender a run through his first two outings. And those outings were far from a cakewalk, as they came against Houston and San Diego. Kelly struck out 6 against the Astros and 7 against San Diego. He is slowly progressing in terms of pitch count and could be in line to throw six innings against the Nationals if he pitches well once again.
Go ahead and roll the dice on Merrill Kelly.
7. Joc Pederson, OF, Giants
13% Rostered
Joc Pederson is the kind of player who you typically pay attention to in real life but not fantasy. He's never been a big OBP guy and the majority of his production stems from home runs off of right-handed pitching. Fortunately, he is facing a whole lot of righties this week.
The Giants are scheduled to play seven games this week and are facing mostly right-handed pitching. They will have to deal with the strong Mets pitching staff to open the week, but Pederson is more than capable of handling his own against right-handers regardless of who they are. He then gets to close out the 7 game slate by facing the Nationals in Washington. He should be a good bet to play in most of the games and will likely offer the necessary production that will make him worth adding.
And for those who are still skeptical about adding the righty masher, Pederson is slashing .400/.444/.765 with 2 home runs over his last 17 at-bats. That will play.
6. Jeremy Pena, SS, Astros
32.6% Rostered
I'm buying high on the young shortstop who happens to be in one of baseball's better lineups. Jeremy Pena had mighty shoes to fill when Carlos Correa signed in Minnesota. However, so far so good for the 24-year old. Pena hasn't produced a whole lot of over-the-fence power this season. He has just 1 home run in 29 at-bats. But he still is slashing an impressive .345/.375/.621 with 3 doubles to his credit. But it isn't even the surface numbers that stand out for Pena.
The shortstop has a hard hit percentage of 56 percent. He also has a ground ball rate of just 32 percent. He tends to utilize the center of the field more than pull side or opposite field which bodes well for a young hitter. Pena is potentially a star in the making for Houston. There is destined to be more home runs if he keeps hitting the ball as hard as he has. I was hoping to see a bit more willingness to steal bases, but that could still come. Take a flier in your fantasy baseball league on Pena while you have the chance.
5. Aaron Hicks, OF, Yankees
5.9% Rostered
I had no intention of drafting Aaron Hicks despite his high upside because of his injury-riddled past. But with an incredibly low rostered percentage and numbers that speak volumes, Hicks might be worth a shot off the waiver wire. The outfielder has led off multiple times for the Yankees this season and his hitting over .330 while getting on base an an elite .438 clip. If Hicks continues batting near or at the top of the order for New York, he could be a valuable source of runs and OBP. He could also be a sneaky source of power.
He currently has just a 13 percent fly ball rate and a 52 percent ground ball rate. So if he can start working on his launch angle and elevate some of those ground balls, Hicks could end up being a 20-25 home run guy for the Yankees.
4. Ji-Man Choi, 1B, Rays
24.3% Rostered
People don't realize how valuable Ji-Man Choi really is. He often gets overlooked since people always make the claim that Tampa Bay somehow randomly wins games. But that comment is disrespectful to players like Choi. The fact is that the Rays would not be where they are without him.
Choi has always been a decent OBP guy. However, he currently leads the league with an insane .613 OBP. Additionally, the first baseman is hitting over .450 with an .846 slugging percentage. His 1.477 OPS over 31 plate appearances is also remarkable. Can he keep it going all year? Maybe not, but fantasy owners should ride the hot hand.
He is also squaring up almost everything he puts in play. Choi has posted a 66.7 hard hit percentage leading into Week 2.
3. Nestor Cortes, SP, Yankees
47.7% Rostered
Nestor Cortes is approaching the 50% threshold on ESPN fantasy baseball and he is rostered in even more leagues on different sites as well. It is beginning to become clear that Cortes's strong 2021 was not a fluke and he is somebody worthy of a roster spot in fantasy.
What stands out about Cortes is his strikeout-walk ratio. In 9.1 innings pitched, the southpaw has struck out 17 batters and walked just one single hitter. He most recently struck out 12 against the Orioles in a masterful performance. Cortes is also building up his pitch count after throwing just under 90 pitches against Baltimore.
He could be a diamond in the rough for a Yankees pitching staff that could use the help. He could also be a vital piece of your fantasy rotation so be sure to add him before it is too late.
2. Mackenzie Gore, SP, Padres
36.4% Rostered
A left-handed flame-thrower with wicked breaking stuff and sky high potential? Sign me up.
Gore is finally receiving his chance following the Blake Snell injury, and I believe he has an opportunity to become a true star in the big leagues. Gore was decent in his first ever outing, throwing 5.1 innings while striking out 3 and surrendering 2 runs. But his pitch mix suggests that his strikeout potential is far higher than what he displayed in his first MLB performance.
Gore is projected to take on the weak-hitting Reds this week, and it could be the outing where he breaks out and their is a race to grab him off the waiver wire. So be sure to strike now while he still has a low rostered percentage. Gore could be the waiver wire pickup of the season if he fulfills his potential.
1. Jesus Luzardo, SP, Marlins
46.2% Rostered
Jesus Luzardo was one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game last year before fracturing his finger playing video games in a truly bizarre incident. The injury, mixed with underperformance, led the A's to trade Luzardo to the Marlins and it seemed as if much of the baseball world had forgotten about the lefty.
But Luzardo announced his return with authority in Spring Training this season. His velocity was up 2-3 MPH and his off-speed pitches looked better than ever. He kicked off the regular season by posting a career high in strikeouts against the Angels with 12 over 5 innings. The 12 strikeouts led to a 66 percent strikeout rate in the game. Luzardo has a chance to be not just an All-Star caliber arm, but a Cy Young caliber pitcher in Miami. As long as he can avoid freak accidents, you can feel confident adding Jesus Luzardo in your fantasy baseball leagues.
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