On Sunday, the Major League Baseball 2022 All-Star Game rosters were announced. Of course, many of the players listed were the who's who of baseball. But there were also a number of breakout stars this season that helped fantasy baseball managers in the process.
Starting pitchers like Shane McClanahan, Nestor Cortes, Tony Gonsolin and Alek Manoah have carried pitching staffs of fantasy baseball rosters all season. Those guys were primarily either un-drafted or went very late in deep mixed leagues. But it's not just pitchers that have made a huge difference. Jazz Chizholm Jr, C.J. Cron, and Alejandro Kirk had have a massive impact on fantasy baseball this season. I actually drafted Kirk in the 23rd and final round of one of my draft and took Cron around the 15th in two others. Sadly, I made the mistake of dropping Kirk before he started getting regular at-bats and caught fire.
The MLB All-Star Game rosters have been announced 👀
Full list here: https://t.co/rYzDG0L6xo
— ESPN (@espn) July 10, 2022
As the All-Star Game approaches, and baseball gets to showcase its top talent, there are still opportunities just waiting to be had. Here are the four priority waiver wire adds for Week 14 of the fantasy baseball season.
Top 4 Waiver Wire Priority Adds for Week 14 of Fantasy Baseball
1. Jarren Duran – Boston Red Sox OF
It's a bit shocking that Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran is not owned in more leagues. He has much of what fantasy baseball managers are looking for.
Duran has the pedigree, as he is listed as the number three prospect in the Red Sox farm system. He offers elite base stealing, which is generally at a premium. Duran has performed very well since getting his call up over a month ago. The Red Sox center fielder is hitting .291 this season with a home run, five stolen bases and 13 runs scored in only 86 at-bats.
Jarren Duran has led off an inning 34 times for the Red Sox this year. He's reached base 17 of those — a .500 OBP. He's been the consummate tablesetter. Hard to imagine him being supplanted as the primary leadoff hitter anytime soon.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 6, 2022
Maybe the best part is that Duran is consistently hitting atop the Red Sox lineup. Boston's offense, after a sluggish start, has really come on the last couple of months. The heart of the order, consisting of Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts, are all having fantastic seasons.
Yet, Duran is only owned in 39 percent of 12-team mixed leagues. There have been recent reports of Kike Hernandez nearing a return, as he recently appeared in his first rehab stint. However, there appears to have been a setback. But even when he does return, there is a very good chance Boston keeps the 25-year-old Duran up with the big club. They are falling further and further behind the Yankees in the AL East and are in a dog fight for a wild card spot. Those are all good reasons for fantasy baseball managers to scoop up the talented infielder.
2. Aaron Hicks – New York Yankees OF
Seemingly every season, Aaron Hicks is sitting on the waiver wire and goes untouched until it is too late. Well, that time to grab him is upon us once again.
After early season struggles at the plate, and inconsistent playing time, he was left for dead by fantasy baseball managers. Rightfully so at that. But over the last couple of weeks, his production has skyrocketed. Entering Sunday, Hicks is 11-for-35 with three home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in a lethal Yankees lineup. All three of the home runs have come in the last five games.
He's been garnering everyday at bats, mostly hitting out of the six-hole. That means Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and company are hitting right in front of him. Hicks is likely to see plenty of run-producing opportunities. We've seen this in the past. He catches fire for about a month to six weeks. That means he still has a few good weeks left of production. Don't be the one who grabs him when he cools back down.
3. Alex Kirilloff – Minnesota Twins 1B, OF
I mentioned Alex Kirilloff in this article in a previous week. His rostered percentage has gone up since then, but not by enough. He's still owned in just 40 percent of fantasy baseball leagues. Yet, the talented Kirilloff is producing.
The Twins outfielder has drive in 18 runs in 103 at-bats and has a 56 hard hit rate since he was called back up. Minnesota likely will have a spot for him somewhere the rest of the season. The only real question surrounding the 24-year-old is his health. He struggled to stay on the field during his brief career. But when he is healthy, he produces.
BOOM: Alex Kirilloff is DESTROYING baseballs for the #MNTwins since being recalled from Triple-A. 💥💪 pic.twitter.com/n6p2J2hjPY
— SKOR North (@SKORNorth) July 6, 2022
4. Daniel Vogelbach – Pittsburgh Pirates 1B
The final waiver wire add for the week comes with a catch. Pirates first baseman Daniel Vogelbach has always shown to have power at the plate. However, the slugger generally tanks a fantasy baseball team's batting average. In 2018, he hit a career-high 30 home runs, but that came with a .208 average.
This season, his first with the Pirates, he's hitting slightly better at .241. But his power numbers and contract rate have remained the same. Vogelbach has 12 home runs and 32 RBI in 220 at-bats. With so many fantasy baseball leagues ditching batting average for on-base percentage, he is a sneaky good pick up.
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