Don’t talk about how you’re going to be the champ in your fantasy baseball league, use the waiver wire, and be a champ!
Manny Machado, 3B, Baltimore Orioles – After taking infielder Manny Machado with the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, the Orioles immediately saw their young stud as a major part of the club’s future. On Wednesday, they decided that the future is now. Machado made his major league debut on Thursday afternoon against the Kansas City Royals, collecting the first and second hits of his big league career.
Being only 20-years-old, understand there is no guarantee that he will be able to duplicate the feats of fellow youngsters Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, but give him time. Machado hit two home runs in his second game in the big leagues and has three total through four games. He has superstar potential and is being referred to by scouts as a perennial All-Star. After drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., now seems like a good time to add Manny to your fantasy squad before his value begins to skyrocket.
Rajai Davis, CF, Toronto Blue Jays – Perhaps the fastest player in the major leagues, Blue Jays center fielder Rajai Davis casually stole his 33rd base of the season on Sunday. His misleading .258 batting average disguises the fact that he has hit .328 over his last 61 at-bats, with 9 steals over that time. With lingering injuries to slugger Jose Bautista, and also smooth-moving outfielder Colby Rasmus, Davis continues to see playing time during a season in which he wasn’t guaranteed much at all.
Davis is a .271 career hitter, with over 200 stolen bases in his seven years in the big leagues. Not only can Rajai help your team in the speed department, he can also score a good amount of runs atop the Blue Jays order. The return of Bautista from the disabled list and with red-hot teammate Edwin Encarnacion having a career year – Davis’s owners will continue to reap the benefits of him batting leadoff.
Joe Blanton, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers – The 31-year-old Blanton is in the midst of a strange season, in which he has struck out a ton of batters, walked very few, and has surrendered a large amount of home runs. The right-hander was sent from the Phillies to the Dodgers after Los Angeles claimed him on waivers two weeks ago. With hopes that Dodger Stadium will trim his home run total, Dodger management seems to believe that Blanton was the best replacement for a slowly recovering Ted Lilly.
“We felt that a veteran starter who has pitched in big games and pitched in the month of October is someone we should pursue,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said.
Sometimes, the thrill of a pennant race is just what a struggling pitcher needs in order to re-establish himself. In 9 years pitching in the major leagues, Blanton has a career record of 81-71, with a 4.34 ERA. He is 8-9 with 120 Ks and a 4.52 ERA in 2012, but with the large majority of those stats recorded while playing in hitter friendly Philly, fantasy owners in need of an arm should consider looking into him. Blanton lost his last start to the Miami Marlins on Saturday and is now 15-6 for his career in the month of August. He also has a 17-6 career mark in September so his track record would indicate good things are on the horizon.
