Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Maikel Garcia, Bryan Woo, Ha-Seong Kim (2023)

Oh boy, it’s Week 14, and I could not be more excited. We’re in the dog days of the fantasy baseball season, and baseball is the only major professional sport currently active. These are the days that baseball fans like myself live for. It helps that we’ve had some pretty damn good baseball to watch thus far as well.

Speaking of good baseball, Elly De La Cruz has now proven he can live up to every bit of the hype we had for him. In his last six games, he’s slashing .519/.519/.936 with just a 14.6% strikeout rate. Not bad for a guy who many said strikes out too often. He’s racked up seven XBH and two stolen bases in that timeframe as well. He’s the talk of the baseball world, and there was no way I was about to write this article and not at least mention him.

Now let’s get to the real meat and potatoes of this article. We’re all here for one reason and one reason only; waiver wire gems. The later you get into the season, the harder it becomes to pinpoint guys. All the top-tier options end up being taken, so you have to really dive in and find the unsuspecting guys with upside. With that in mind, I have just the players for you.

Waiver Wire Priority Additions

Bryan Woo (SP – SEA)

I was high on him last week, and I’m now even higher on him than before. Woo just shut down the Yankees over 5.1 innings allowing just two hits while striking out five. He ended up taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning and was pulled after Anthony Rizzo tattooed a ball off the top of the wall. Needless to say, Woo has proven to be an excellent under-the-radar fantasy option. 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings, and over the last three starts, he has a 2.30 ERA and 3.28 xFIP. Seattle may limit his innings in the future, but ride out having him on your roster for as long as you can.

Maikel Garcia (SS, 3B – KC)

I highlighted Garcia back in my Week 6 waiver wire article, and honestly, my opinion hasn’t changed. He hit a bit of a slow patch for a week or two, but since June 11th, he’s been on fire. He’s slashing .362/.400/.489 in that stretch and has strung together three XBH and nine runs scored. Most of Garcia’s value comes from hit above-average hit tools and speed. He’s stolen five bases in that same stretch and 10 on the season. He’s also managed to lower his strikeout rate to just 8% in those last 12 games as well. His average and speed give him value in all formats, but combining that with the low strikeout rate makes him even more appealing in points leagues. Keep riding the Garcia hype train.

Ha-Seong Kim (SS, 2B, 3B – SD)

Kim has seemingly gone from “I wonder where he fits in that stacked lineup they have” to now leading off for the Padres the last two games. And for good reason. Over the last eight games, he’s hitting .419 with an OPS of 1.100, two home runs, and two stolen bases. He’s very silently on pace for 15 home runs and 29 steals. In June, he’s raised his barrel rate to just shy of 8% and is proving he can be a solid contributor in all categories. We’ll have to see how his batting average fairs moving forward, but he’s shown enough pop and speed as of late to be worth the add.

Yainer Diaz (C, DH – HOU)

With Yordan Alvarez being out with an oblique injury, an opening in the everyday roster opened up for Diaz, and he’s taken full advantage. In his last 16 starts, Diaz is hitting .323 with 11 XBH, 11 RBI, and just a 15.6% strikeout rate. It would be nice if he walked a bit more, but he’s done too good of a job at making contact to worry about that too much. A 91.8% zone contact rate and 79.6% overall contact rate are excellent. It’s been quality contact as well. In those 16 starts, he has a healthy 17% barrel rate and 49.1% hard-hit rate and has shown no signs of slowing down. Catcher has been a surprisingly productive position this season, but there’s still room for Diaz’s hot bat in many lineups.

Deep League Additions

Mike Tauchman (OF – CHC)

Flying under the radar a bit as of late, Tauchman has put up some numbers as of late that should have fantasy managers paying attention, especially due to the fact he’s leading off for the Cubs. Any time you can find a leadoff hitter on the waiver wire, it’s worth finding a way to get them on your roster in some capacity, especially when they’re a productive one. In his last 11 games, Tauchman is hitting .325 with four XBH, 12 runs scored, and eight RBI. His 12.9% barrel rate hints at his ability to get the bat on the ball, and he’s hitting fastballs exceptionally well (.436 BA, .564 SLG, .418 xwOBA). He won’t be lighting the fantasy baseball world on fire, but there’s still plenty of production to be had here for deeper leagues.

Tony Kemp (2B, OF – OAK)

Kemp being on this list is a testament to the fact that sometimes just getting on base is all it takes to have fantasy value. For the season as a whole, Kemp has not been good. Hitting well below the Mendoza line with little pop and little speed in a lineup that doesn’t score a bunch of runs. That’s changed as of late. In his last eight games, Kemp is slashing .429/.538/.619 with seven runs scored and even stole himself a base. He’s had a 100% zone contact rate and 94.9% overall contact rate, which has led to an impressive 3.7% strikeout rate. He’s worth a speculative add, especially in points leagues.

MLB Waiver Wire MLB Elly De La Cruz Bryan Woo (SP – SEA) Anthony Rizzo Maikel Garcia (SS, 3B – KC) Ha-Seong Kim (SS, 2B, 3B – SD) Yainer Diaz (C, DH – HOU) Yordan Alvarez Mike Tauchman (OF – CHC) Tony Kemp (2B, OF – OAK)