So much happens over the typical weekend that it can be difficult to pin down who the top waiver wire priorities are.
But this weekend was different. This weekend offered up two obvious standouts among those available in enough CBS Sports leagues to garner a mention here. And it just so happens that one is a pitcher and one is a hitter.
Alek Manoah and Luis Matos, you've earned your place on Fantasy Baseball rosters.
Possible waiver wire pickups
The turnaround for Alek Manoah actually began in his previous start, when he allowed no earned runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts over seven innings against the Twins. He said then that he focused on attacking the zone and trusting his defense, which seemed like a good starting point, but it was only a one-off. Now, it isn't. This latest start was even better in that he allowed only one hit, once again walking one over seven innings. I'm stressing the walks because they were a big part of what wrecked his 2023 campaign, when he threw just 61 percent of his pitches for strikes. In these past two starts, he's thrown 69 percent of pitches for strikes. For those without a frame of reference, that's basically opposite ends of the spectrum. And it may be the key to unlocking Manoah's ace potential.
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Luis Matos' exit velocities are never going to inspire poetry, but there's a reason why he slashed .331/.401/.543 in the minors last year. And we finally caught a glimpse of it in the majors this weekend, when he collected 11 RBI on six hits, including three doubles and a homer, in the span of two days. Also notable is that it took eight games for Matos to strike out for the first time, and that's where it starts for the 22-year-old. What he lacks in quality of contact he makes up for in quantity of contact, boasting an 11.9 percent strikeout rate for his entire minor-league career. Unlike his stint in the majors last year, he's rarely putting the ball on the ground (27.6 percent of the time so far), and better yet, he's pulling the ball when he elevates it. That's the tried-and-true way of maximizing power with modest exit velocities, and it makes Jung Hoo Lee's replacement in center field worth a flier in all leagues.
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What more do you need to see from John Means? Now fully recovered from Tommy John surgery (after a perhaps-too-hasty return late last year), he's doing all the things that made him a success prior to the surgery. He has yet to issue a walk in three starts and has a fly-ball rate that would rank tops among qualifiers, according to FanGraphs. It's a profile that lends itself to a spectacular WHIP, if some vulnerability to the long ball, but home runs don't figure to be as big of a problem as when Means last pitched extensively given the much deeper left-field fence at Camden Yards. He's even missing bats at a nice rate thanks to his changeup, which was responsible for eight of his 11 swinging strikes in his quality start Friday. You shouldn't expect a big strikeout total, but you may get a respectable one.
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Matt Chapman is here for two reasons: He plays third base, and he's hot right now. If you're in need of a replacement for Max Muncy (or perhaps even Austin Riley), then you're only now coming to learn of the waiver wire wasteland that is third base. The good news is that Chapman just went 8 for 10 this weekend, collecting four doubles and two stolen bases. His home run output has been disappointing for a second straight season as he leans into an opposite-field approach that's even more misguided in San Francisco than it was in Toronto, but the speed is new. I wouldn't say I'm particularly optimistic about his rest-of-season outlook, but the fact is you can only afford to be so picky at this position.Then again, if Joseph Ortiz is also available (see below), it makes for a more elegant solution.
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A quick glance at Lars Nootbaar's .218 batting average might steer you away, but clearly, things have taken a turn for the better over his past 13 games. It's reasonable to think rust played a factor in his first couple weeks back from rib fractures -- or maybe even bad luck, judging from his Statcast page. His .275 xBA and .490 xSLG are more indicative of his talent level than his year-to-date numbers are, and his recent performance should make you more confident in him closing the gap. He has a walk rate in the 14-to-15-percent range for the third consecutive season, making him a Head-to-Head points darling, and he's already set a career high for hardest-hit ball this year at 113.5 mph. The power-and-patience profile is generally one with high-end outcomes, and Nootbaar is more available than he should be considering.
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The truth is Reed Garrett's 0.72 ERA and 14.8 K/9 already made him useful enough for 5x5 categories leagues. But now that he's part of what manager Carlos Mendoza describes as a "fluid" closer situation, collecting a two-inning save Sunday, it's a no-brainer. Truthfully, I don't think Edwin Diaz will be displaced for long. While he's hit a rough patch here with seven earned runs in his past three appearances, he's also the best closer of his generation. He's still getting multiple strikeouts more innings than not, and his velocity is only down slightly. He probably just needs a confidence boost after a year lost to injury, and he's likely to get it working in lower-leverage spots for a week or two. Garrett could provide a handful saves in the meantime.
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I made the case for picking up Joey Ortiz in the last edition of Waiver Wire, and his roster rate has jumped 27 percentage points since then. But it needs to keep going after he started every game this weekend, going 5 for 12 with a home run and a double. That's now seven straight games that he's started and 11 of 13. His OPS is up to .925, which places him behind only Mookie Betts among second base-eligible players and behind Gunnar Henderson and Rafael Devers among third base-eligible players. His strikeout and walk rates are both 79th percentile or better, and his max exit velocity is 84th percentile. He's a talented hitter making good on a newly realized opportunity, and most any Fantasy player would benefit from his eligibility at two trouble positions.
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A former Dodgers prospect once considered the headliner in a trade for Yu Darvish, Willie Calhoun may seem like a lost cause at age 29. But the Angels are a team for lost causes and have let him hit cleanup for basically all of May. It's gone well, as you can see. Most of the hits have been singles and doubles, but they're legitimate hits, as his .359 xBA can attest. And given his 9.4 percent strikeout rate, there's no denying that he's seeing the ball well. It would be easier to dismiss as a small-sample fluke if the high contact rate wasn't a long established part of his skill set. He may have sold out for power in the past but is more line drive-focused now. The biggest drawback is his DH-only status, which may limit his appeal to deeper leagues.
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