It’s an exciting All-Star Week in baseball land but a quiet week in fantasy baseball. No one checks their teams until Wednesday or Thursday which makes these next couple of days a great opportunity to snatch a great get while no one’s looking. They may not be in Tuesday’s game but let’s take a look at some future All-Stars in this week’s waiver wire.
Danny Salazar (3% owned): Salazar made a very impressive Major League debut last Thursday against the Blue Jays, allowing one run, two hits, one walk, and striking out seven through six innings. The 23-year-old has really come into his own in the minors over the last two years. In 2012, Salazar went 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 76 K/27 BB over 87.2 IP. This season he’s 5-5 with a 3.08 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a ridiculous 100 K/23 BB through 76 innings pitched. He has grown tremendously from the 5.5 K/9 pitcher that he was at 20 and is expected to be part of the Indians rotation after the All-Star break so I’d definitely snag him.
Chris Archer (21%): The 36th top prospect in the league has struggled with control at times but has been everything the Rays had hoped for and more. Through his first nine starts of the season, Archer is now 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 40 K/21 BB through 51.2 IP. That’s not even indicative of the job he’s done since he ran into trouble in his first start and has not allowed more than three earned runs in a game since. If you remove his first start, Archer has a 2.27 ERA and .194 BAA. The Rays do a great job of developing great pitchers and Archer looks well on his way.
Darin Ruf (5%): Ruf has really made his presence known in his first nine games of the season, putting up a .321/.441/.643 line with two homers, three RBI, six runs, and three doubles. Last season, Ruf put up a similar .333/.351/.727, three homers, four runs, and 10 RBI over 12 games. He batted .317 with 38 home runs and 104 RBI last season so he’s definitely worth taking a shot on with this kind of potential.
Luke Scott (4%): Scott is one of my favorite sleepers every year and I’ve been waiting all season for him to come around. He finally seems recovered from a calf injury that cost him a month of the season earlier this year and is catching fire. Over his last 22 games, Scott owns a .342/.405/.671 line with five home runs, 14 extra base hits, 10 runs, and 16 RBI. He’s not a full season option but when he gets hot he’s definitely good for a healthy dose of home runs and RBIs.
Adam Eaton (32%): He’s hasn’t gotten back into the swing of things in his first six games back but Eaton is finally healthy and leading off for the DBacks. Through a very limited 28 Major League games, Eaton owns a .248/.367/.396 line with two homers, seven runs batted in, eight extra-base hits, two steals, and 21 runs. Of course, the Eaton hype comes from the potential he flashed in the minors last season when he put up a very impressive .375/.456/.523 line with seven homers, 48 RBI, 44 steals, 47 doubles, and 130 runs. There’s a lot of potential but I’m not sure if he’ll really translate well to the Majors – at least this season.
Hector Santiago (13%): Santiago has been one of the most underrated fantasy producers this season and one of the most under-owned guys in the league. As a starter, Santiago is 3-3- with a 3.13 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 76 K over 69 innings pitched. That’s not even that accurate since his ERA was really hurt by one 2.1 IP start on June 28 against the Indians when he gave up five runs. If we take that start out, Santiago has a 2.59 ERA over his other 11 starts. He’s definitely a pitcher to own after the All-Star break.
Eric Young (14%): Some guys just need to play everyday and Young is showing that with his dramatic turnaround from the Rockies’ 25th man to the Mets’ leadoff hitter. Since coming to the Mets, Young owns a .308/.380/.402 line with eight stolen bases, nine extra-base hits, 10 RBI, and 17 runs over 24 games. Over his last seven games, he’s batting .344 with four steals and seven runs scored. He’s not a shallow league option but if you need a solid hitter with runs and steals you can do a lot worse than Young.
Evan Gattis (45%): Gattis has been activated from the DL and is ready to resume his breakout rookie campaign. Through his first 54 games, the Braves catcher-turned-occasional-outfielder owns a .246/.310/.563 line with 14 HR, 37 RBI, and 24 runs. The Braves will surely get him time in the outfield with everyone banged up and he’s a must-own since he’s eligible at catcher.
Tony Cingrani (50%): In a season filled with rookie hype, Cingrani has put on one of the most impressive beginnings of any first-year player. As a starter, Cingrani is 3-1 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 66 K/19 BB over 56.2 IP. Cingrani’s worst start came on May 4 when he allowed four through six innings to the Cubs. He owns a 2.70 ERA in his other nine starts and should be owned in every league.
