Folks, this is all she wrote. The fantasy baseball season is entering its final week. What a wild ride it’s been, eh? In a way, it doesn’t even feel like it actually happened. I mean, normally, by Week 9 we’re talking about who’s for real and who isn’t for real, which slumping superstar is primed to bounce back and carry your team the rest of the way, whatever. But now we’re already bidding farewell.
I think for my next piece I’m going to put together a 2020 Waiver Wire All-Star team. Take a standard Yahoo lineup format and fill it with waiver gems. So be on the lookout for that!
For this week, it’s gonna stay in line with how last week looked. More names to look at (with some repeats from previous weeks) and my quick thoughts on each.
It’s been a pleasure writing these up for you every week! Hope they’ve been helpful to some of you. My apologies if not. I blame 2020, in that case.
Let’s do it to it.
Note: Stats accurate as of 9/20/2020, before games began.
Bats
Kole Calhoun: More like Swole Calhoun, amirite? Sweet mercy has this dude been mashing lately, and is still only 32% owned in Yahoo and 55% in ESPN! Calhoun may have been one of the quietest 33-HR hitters ever after doing so last year, and he’s kinda doing it again this year. It’s just a little louder since the majority of them have come in the past nine games. SLG is better this year, so the OPS is a full 103 points better than he finished last year, but the BA is still poop.
Brian Anderson: I saw this guy’s name on a lot of lists heading into the 2020. Not a sexy 3B pick, but is eligible in the OF and was supposed to be a safe floor kind of pick. He look good early on, then got super cold in the latter part of August. But for September, he’s slashing .357/.425/.586 with 4 HR and 16 RBI in 21 games. He’s gonna be on lots of lists going into 2021, too. Plus he’s a former Hog – #WPS! Still pretty widely available, and MIA has 7 games this week.
Garrett Cooper: Another Marlins bat for yinz. Cooper missed a good deal of time with injury, but now he’s flexin’ and showing why he was also on lots of lists heading into 2020. He’s got a .916 OPS for the month and is slashing .412/.583/.882 over his last six, adding 2 HR, 5 RBI, and 6 BB over that span. 1B/OF eligible, too.
Jared Walsh: Walsh is still out there in a lot of leagues. The dude is utterly bonkers right now. So many XBH in the past two or so weeks. So, so many.
Clint Frazier: Available in just over half of Yahoo and ESPN leagues. Frazier is making that OF look extra crowded the way he’s swinging the bat these days. Rocking a 1.024 OPS for September. Has 11 hits (3 HR) and 8 RBI in his last seven. The Yankees are doing themselves and Frazier a disservice not giving him a starting gig in 2021. He’s better against RHP, but he’s still hitting .280 with a .917 OPS against LHP.
Alec Bohm: This kid is raking. He was a little up and down throughout the year but has really found the magic mojo to close out 2020. Listed as DTD as I write this, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll be anything to keep him out long. I’m sure no one is stupid enough not to have this guy rostered in a keeper league, but if by some stroke of insanity that has happened in your league, you gotta snatch this guy up. He’s making a serious, serious case for NL ROY. The power isn’t there right now, but it’s only a matter of time.
Brandon Nimmo: Nimmo is a must-own in OBP formats. There’s not a lot of power or even speed, but he gets hits and draws walks like a bastard. His career OBP in the bigs is .390, and it’s .408 this season. Hits have come like crazy in September, too – monthly slash line sits at .370/.433/.611 right now.
Tommy La Stella: Need a versatile infielder to move around your lineup? Oakland plays seven games this week, and La Stella is raking still after getting traded. He’s arguably the best contact hitter in baseball, boasting a ridonk 91.1 Z-Contact% right now. Tommy The Star has 22 H and 14 R in his last 18 games, chipping in 10 RBI.
Arms
Chris Bassitt: He’s not super widely available, but decently so. Bassitt is usually a stream-and-drop type for me, but he’s pitching very well right now for a first-place squad. Over his last three, he’s 3-0, with only 1 ER, 5 BB, and 19 K in 19.2 IP. He should get the Mariners to finish out 2020.
Stefan Crichton: Don’t always find a closer on the wire this late in a season, but Crichton now has four straight saves in the past week or so. He’s only allowed a single run in his last eight appearances. Doesn’t rack up the Ks, and the DBags are bad, but he’s saving games when he gets the chance.
Deivi Garcia: Garcia is obviously one to watch for 2021 given how good he’s been as a rookie this year. So mainly this entry is to mention that, but he should get one more start (in addition to today’s) to finish out the year against Miami. That’s a good matchup, despite the two bats I mentioned above.
Tanner Houck: Another name to watch for 2021. Looked pretty ding dang electric in his first outing, and we’ll see how today goes against those Bronx Bombers. He’ll also get one more start to finish out the year, and that’ll be against the Bomber Braves. Both are obviously poo-poo matchups, but again I just wanted his name on your radar. Control is an issue for him, but he could be nasty if he could get his control…under control.
Kris Bubic: Bubic looked good against the Brew Crew even though he took the L. Gets the Tigers in his last start of the year, which is another good matchup. Very widely available.
Brady Singer: So 2020 to have back-to-back Royals SPs listed. Singer has been untouchable in his last two outings, taking a no-no deep into his game against Cleveland, and then dominating Detroit the next time out. He’ll get the Cardinals this week, who can either be really good or really bad. With the way Singer is missing bats right now, I like his chances.
Spencer Turnbull: Been a pretty decent year for Turnbull. Control has been a problem, as has going deep into games, but he’s not allowing a ton of runs. Only two times all year has he given up more then 3 ER in a start. Mind you, a lot of his starts have been of the 5-IP-or-less variety, but still. Gets the Royals next week, which is always a good play.
JKJ is just an Arkansas guy who loves to play, watch, and sometimes write about sports. Loves his Hogs, St. Louis teams, US National teams, and Liverpool FC (since way before it was cool). He also teaches high school English. He greatly enjoys bourbon, bourbon cocktails, craft beer, and coffee at all times of the day. Married to a foxy nurse. Is a #girldad. Plays too many video games. Doesn’t care about sentence fragments despite his profession.
Follow him on Twitter (@jkj0787), where his DMs are always open for average to above-average advice. Complaints are welcome, too.
