The Wire Troll: Hurston Waldrep Arrives in Atlanta
Hurston Waldrep could be a second half sleeper. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Welcome back to another week of Fantasy baseball. We’re halfway through June now, and it’s time for some serious machinations as you rise in the rankings. Employ the waiver wire!
This week, the Dodgers added versatility by trading for Cavan Biggio from Toronto; Joey Gallo (hamstring) is hurt again; and despite spinning their wheels lately, the Brewers still look like the team to beat in the NL Central.
So while the Chicago White Sox continue to lead the way towards the worst record in baseball for 2024 (currently -370 at FanDuel), let’s get to this week’s…
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Picks
Hurston Waldrep, SP, Atlanta Braves (ESPN: 4.6 per cent; CBS: 35 per cent): No. 66 on our Top 100 Prospects list this spring, Waldrep is the latest young starter to try to fill the No. 5 spot in the Atlanta rotation and while his first start wasn’t exactly inspiring, this hurler is a very intriguing Fantasy option based on his strikeout potential (see video below). He will generally pound the strike zone and his arsenal is good enough to take him a long way in time. At the very least, Waldrep is a superb dynasty asset with potential to provide early dividends in the second half.
Alex Cobb, SP, San Francisco Giants (ESPN: 0.7 per cent; CBS: 7 per cent): It’s been nearly three years since we last pimped Cobb, and it was a solid choice as he pitched very well that month before missing all of August and then returning strong. Since then, his performance has been remarkably consistent, last year making the All-Star team thanks to an elite groundball rate and superb control. Injuries have delayed the start of Cobb’s season, but he’s getting healthy now and is really needed with Blake Snell out.
Garrett Stubbs, C, Philadelphia Phillies (ESPN: 0.4 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): When Stubbs was a college star, we weren’t overly bullish on his chances of making it as a pro, but clearly we underestimated his abilities, because here he is in his sixth season in the bigs. And while his hitting has regressed significantly the past couple of years, he’s suddenly worth a look given that J.T. Realmuto has undergone knee surgery and will be out for at least a month. Perhaps Stubbs can hit better with extra reps; it’s certainly worth it to scoop him up in NL-only leagues to find out.
David Hamilton, SS, Boston Red Sox (ESPN: 3.1 per cent; CBS: 24 per cent): Hamilton has come out of nowhere to seize the Boston shortstop gig and he’s red hot, recording four straight two-hit outings (before managing just one hit on Thursday) while improving his contact rate this month. He’s been getting better and better as the season has progressed, having already soared past the limited action he saw in his debut last year. Need speed? Hamilton is currently tied for 15th in the majors in steals and has recently been elevated to the two-hole where he’s even more valuable. Grab him in all formats now as he’s sure to be among the weekend’s most popular additions.
Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN: 9 per cent; CBS: 55 per cent): Just ahead of Waldrep on our Top 100 Prospects list? You guessed it… Pages, who has played well of late (notwithstanding a baserunning gaffe). He’s riding a modest fiv-game hit streak and has seen his power spike this month (568 SLG). Pages is more than holding his own considering his MLB debut was just two months ago.
Trey Cabbage, OF/1B, Houston Astros (ESPN: 0.1 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): We recommended Cabbage late last season when he was with the Halos, but he didn’t show any extra-base sock and barely played down the stretch. Oops. Well, with Kyle Tucker (shin) still out for the time being, we’re giving Cabbage another taste. Cabbage is a bottom of the lineup type, so he’s just a temporary deep NL-only league option, but he has hit safely in five of six games this month with some pop (.500 SLG). His PT has been limited so far this season, but he’s performed better than he did as a rookie last year and he does have upside if he can stop striking out so much.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
Irish musician Bill Whelan is famous for his composition that was used for the interval in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Here’s “Marta’s Dance/The Russian Dervish,” another track from his 1995 album Riverdance: Music from the Show.
