Waiver Wire Pickups for Late-May
I’ve provided you guys with a variety of fantasy baseball pickups you should consider picking up by the end of May. If you haven’t seen any of our previous fantasy baseball articles, make sure you look at them. If you’re in a deep league or a highly competitive league, consider picking up the following players today.
Phil Hughes, Min SP
At 5-1 on the season, Hughes seems to have found his comfort zone at the front end of the Twins’ unpolished rotation. I’m sure that he and ex-teammate A.J. Burnett would have a lot to talk about these days considering their late success after departing from the Big Apple. Hughes’ impressive 1.03 ERA in May is the second lowest by a Twins pitcher in team history.
The one-time Yankee is 5-0 in his last six starts and has gone 33.1 stellar innings without issuing a single walk. He owns a 3.23 ERA on the young season with dreams to pitch his way to this year’s All-Star game in Minnesota.
Oddly, Hughes continues to fly under the fantasy radar screen. The beefy right-hander is owned in only 46% of ESPN leagues, so hurry up and see if this “must add” player is still floating around on your league’s waiver wire.
Drew Pomeranz, Oak SP
This southpaw has come in handy so far this season for the Athletics after being moved into the starting rotation due to Dan Straily’s recent demotion to Triple-A. The 25-year-old holds a respectable 4-2 record on the 2014 campaign and his 1.38 ERA has fantasy owners foaming at the mouth. His 30 K’s in 32.2 innings pitched proves that opposing hitters aren’t exactly comfortable stepping into the batter’s box against the 6’5, 240-pound Pomeranz.
Now it’s highly unlikely that this level of dominance continues all season long, but if the A’s continue to score runs at a decent pace, the young left-hander should have a good chance at winning a hefty number of ballgames from here on out.
Zach Britton, Bal RP
It was a no-brainer for Orioles manager Buck Showalter to name left-hander Zach Britton as the team’s new closer. Left-handed closers seem to be a recent trend in the Major Leagues these days, so why not give it a try?
Britton has been nearly unhittable this year giving up just two runs in 28.2 masterful frames. The 26-year-old owns a flawless 0.94 ERA on the season, not to mention his outstanding 0.91 WHIP. He has managed to collect 3 saves in just 4 opportunities and will look to hold down the back end of that struggling Oriole bullpen as long as his skipper continues to have faith in him.
At 50% owned, it would be wise to make a move on Britton if your team is in need of some saves.
Gordon Beckham, ChW 2B
It can be tough finding a useful middle infielder on the waiver wire at this point in the season, so we went ahead and found one for you. Beckham owns a cool, nine-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 24 of his last 28 games.
The second-baseman just hit a game-winning solo homerun in Tuesday night’s win over the Indians, bringing his big-fly total to four. The Sox have been surprisingly impressive on offense all year and with a respectable .296 on the season, Beckham is starting to get some well-deserved fantasy recognition. The Georgia native is just 25% owned, making him one of this weeks’ easiest waiver wire targets. “He gone!”
A.J. Pollock, Ari OF
Pollock has been just shy of fantasy gold these days delivering six multi-hit performances this month. Besides Paul Goldschmidt, the former first-round draft pick is one of the few bright spots in the Diamondbacks order right now. He is hitting .301 with six homeruns and six steals thus far, which isn’t too shabby if you are looking for help in multiple categories.
The 25-year-old from Connecticut is all the way up to 65% owned and rising. Even though the Diamondbacks have been a mess all year, you probably won’t find a much better outfielder than Pollock on the waiver wire.
Yan Gomes, Cle C
Indians catcher Yan Gomes really got off to a slow start this season, but has gradually improved at the plate over the past couple of weeks. The Brazilian backstop has found himself in the starting lineup for the majority of the month of May, surely upping his fantasy value (43% owned) in a position thin in talent. The recent injury to a struggling Carlos Santana guarantees Gomes even more playing time.
The 26-year-old is batting .266 with six homeruns and 18 RBI, making him a productive addition for owners playing in deep or two-catcher leagues.
Lonnie Chisenhall, Cle 3B
Chisenhall has been raking lately hitting an eye-popping .370 with a .429 on-base percentage in 40 games this season. His 44 hits in 119 at-bats include a pair of homeruns and 16 extra-base hits. These numbers are very promising for any fantasy owner looking to replace an injured or struggling third-baseman.
The former South Carolina Gamecock will get the majority of the starts at third base while Santana is out of the lineup. The 25-year-old is obviously on pace to have a career year and at only 31% owned, consider him a gift from all of those idiotic fantasy owners who are sleeping on him.
