New Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickups for August 2011. This is the time of the year that a few prospects will hit the ground running, or hitting, as they get called up to their Major Leagues teams with their talent being evaluated to see how they fit into a team’s plans for the future. Here is a list of prospects to pick up to fill voids on your Fantasy Baseball team and to provide additional support to get your squad into the postseason.
Brett Lawrie, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays – The youngster made his debut recently and has been quickly picked up in leagues since. Lawrie, a highly touted prospect in the Blue Jay organization, had two hits in his first Big League game on August 5th and hit is first career homerun two days later when he also recorded a pair of hits. He was traded to Toronto last offseason in the deal that sent Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee, and should pay high dividends for both the Jays and your fantasy team the rest of the season. The 21-year-old has a lot of developing left before reaching his full potential, but with a .352 batting average and 18 homeruns at the Triple-A level this season, so he can obviously hit very well.
Jesus Guzman, 1B/SS, San Diego Padres – Owned in the majority of ESPN leagues but just over 25 percent of Yahoo Leagues, Guzman isn’t your typical prospect at the age of 27 and was drafted in 2000. He has busted out in his chance to play this season and is currently riding a 10-game hit streak in which he has racked up five doubles and 12 runs batted in. He also leads the Major Leagues in RBIs after the All-Star break and will continue to get regular playing time in the Padres line-up. Guzman is both first base and shortstop eligible in ESPN leagues which boosts his value, but only first base eligible in Yahoo Leagues. Fantasy owners in need of help should ride his hot streak as long as it lasts and he could prove to be extremely useful if he continues to hit for average and drive in runs like he has.
J.D. Martinez, OF, Houston Astros – This isn’t a player to pick up right away unless you are desperate to find help in the outfield and are in a very deep league. Martinez is a prospect who has played very well since coming up the Show after the departure of Hunter Pence who was dealt to the Phillies last month. In his first 10 games in the Major Leagues, Martinez has hit four homeruns, knocked in 12 runs and has three multi-hit games which is impressive for a guy no one is paying attention to in fantasy baseball. Keep a keen eye on him going forward even if you don’t end up adding him to your roster because he may be a mainstay in the Houston line-up next year if he continues to play well.
Jesus Montero, DH/C, New York Yankees – With designated hitter Jorge Posada’s lack of production this season, General Manager Brian Cashman may turn to Montero to fill his line-up spot sooner than September when rosters get expanded. Once the Yankees officially commit to removing Posada from the DH role, Montero is the likely candidate to get the opportunity to show what he can do at the plate. His catching ability is still in question, so don’t expect him to take many starts away from Russell Martin, but he definitely can swing the stick and should be considered in deeper leagues as a waiver option. The future looks bright for this kid who has been waiting for his chance to play since the Yankees have gone away from trading their prospects in recent years for bigger named players, in order to develop them.
