If your fantasy roster is sputtering on fumes as it enters the all-star break, we’re here to help. Let’s repair those damaged lineups. Here are nine recommended fantasy baseball pickups to consider ahead of the final weekend of the season’s first half…
On the one hand, Hinds was batting just .216/.290/.409 at Triple-A prior to his promotion, with an outrageous 126 Ks in 77 games. We would not typically expect success from such a profile.
On the other hand, he’s been an unstoppable hitting machine since he made his way to Cincinnati, going 8-for-16 in his first four games with two bombs, 4 RBI and two steals. These home runs aren’t cheap, either:
Hinds is coming off a 23/20 season at Double-A, so his fantasy profile has plenty of appeal (which, at this point, should be obvious). There’s, of course, zero chance that he continues to hit scorching lasers in every at-bat moving forward, but perhaps the binge will continue through the weekend series with Miami. It should go without saying that he deserves attention. Just please understand that, eventually, he’s gonna deliver a few 0-for-4s with multiple Ks.
Hey, if you’re not looking for new and inventive ways to invest in the Cubs lineup … well, it’s understandable. Busch hasn’t been one of the season’s various Chicago disappointments, however. He’s cleared the fence a dozen times so far, and he’s raised his average 30 points since the beginning of June. The Cubs have a doubleheader coming up on Saturday, so here’s a chance to gain an extra game ahead of the break. Busch’s multi-position eligibility enhances his fantasy utility, so he’s an excellent bench option.
If somehow you happen to have missed Keith’s recent explosion, just have a look at his game log. It’s beautiful. Keith has been on a ridiculous tear, full of bombs and multi-hit games. This is a 23-year-old who hit .306/.380/.552 with 27 homers and 68 XBHs in the high minors last season across two stops, so it’s not a huge surprise to see him feasting. When players like this begin to crush, it’s an actionable event. Every league has a team (or three) that can use him. He shouldn’t be unattached much longer.
Winn has delivered something close to a best-case scenario first half for the Cards, hitting for average (.286), swiping nine bags and vaulting up the batting order to the leadoff spot. Winn is just 22 and coming off an 18/17 season at Triple-A Memphis. Like Busch, he gets an extra game over the weekend due to Saturday’s doubleheader, so he’s potentially extra-useful in the near term. If you have no use for a shortstop with multi-category eligibility, please scroll on.
Whenever De Los Santos gets the call, you will want to have him stashed and ready to roll. He’s been doing bad things to baseballs all year in the high minors.
With 80 games in the books, the 21-year-old is hitting .335/.384/.658 with 27 home runs and 82 RBI. His defense is (allegedly) the thing keeping him at Triple-A for now, but the bat is clearly beyond ready. He’s the best power stash in the minors at the moment — a potential difference-making hitter in the second half.
Manaea is taking a 3.43 ERA and 8.8 K/9 into Friday’s home matchup with Colorado, and he may draw a post-break start at Miami the following week. The veteran lefty is halfway through a season that looks an awful lot like his excellent 2021 campaign, plus a few walks and minus several homers. When the matchup is friendly, this is a guy we can generally trust. Over Manaea’s last three starts, he’s allowed just two runs (one earned) in 18.0 innings, striking out 14.
Look, whenever it’s my turn to write the baseball waiver wire feature, you’re definitely gonna get a Soriano rec. That’s just how it goes around here. As we’ve mentioned previously, Soriano combines a mid-90s splitter, a wicked knuckle-curve and vicious triple-digit heat:
He enters Friday’s start against the Mariners with an extreme ground-ball rate (60.6%) and a WHIP of 1.18. The Angels have an exceedingly friendly schedule in the weeks following the all-star break, so Soriano belongs in your plans through the end of July.
Reese Olson, SP, Detroit Tigers (49%)
Olson closed the book on a stellar first-half with a six-inning win over the Guardians on Wednesday. He was weirdly win-challenged early in the year, but the run-support situation has corrected itself over his last four starts. Olson enters the break with excellent ratios (3.30 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) and 92 Ks in 101.0 innings. He won’t pitch in his team’s weekend series with the Dodgers (which is good news), lining him up for the Jays and/or Guardians after the break.
Alex Vesia, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers (16%)
Vesia is a verifiable relief ace. His fantasy ratios are impeccable; he’s struck out 52 batters in 41.1 innings and earned five saves over the season’s first half. If you can’t use a RP like that, then it’s possible your league settings are flawed. Evan Phillips remains atop the bullpen depth chart for the Dodgers, but the team is willing to scramble things, depending on handedness and matchups. Any reliever with a sub-1.00 WHIP and an extreme K-rate is worth rostering.
