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Welcome, RotoBallers, to Week 5 of the 2023 MLB season and the fourth edition of our first-base and third-base waiver wire pickups. In the article below you will find our first base and third base fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 5 – April 24 through April 30.
As April winds down, the waiver wire could help you either sustain your success or help to catch up in the standings. While there's still plenty of time left to make up ground in your league, it's important to keep an eye on the waiver wire for players who can give you an extra boost. With the first month of the season down, the All-Star break will be here before we know it!
Let’s get rolling with some names to consider as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for this upcoming week of the MLB and fantasy baseball season:
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues (40-60% rostered)
Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (58% rostered)
To the surprise of many around the league, the Pirates are off to a hot start in 2023. The Bucs are 15-7 and their lineup is clicking on all cylinders. One of the key pieces to their offense is Hayes. The former first-round pick is slashing .310/.364/.483 with a double, two triples, three RBI, and three walks in his last seven games.
The 26-year-old hit an absolute moonshot back on April 15 off of St. Louis Cardinals starter Steven Matz. Hayes' homer traveled 440 feet with a 108.2 mph exit velocity. Should Hayes continue to unlock his power, he could be well on his way to his first All-Star nomination. Not to mention, he's also playing elite defense at the hot corner, ranking in the 98th percentile in Outs Above Average, per Statcast.
Joey Gallo, 1B/OF, Minnesota Twins (37% rostered)
It seems that the entirety of the baseball world has waited with bated breath for Gallo to return to form since his departure from Texas. He certainly wasn't able to do that with the New York Yankees, or in a short stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out the 2022 season. The 29-year-old then signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, hoping for a fresh start away from larger media markets.
It appears the move has helped him, as the two-time All-Star has clobbered five home runs as a member of the Twins thus far and collected 11 RBI across 31 plate appearances. Strikeouts have been a major problem for Gallo in the past, and although he did miss some time with an injury, the Gold Glover has been fanned 11 times. That's an improvement from last season, where he went down on strikes 15 times in his first 11 games—including a game where he whiffed a whopping four times.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues (20-40% rostered)
Harold Ramirez, 1B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays (27% rostered)
The Rays have hit a home run in each of their 21 games this season. Four of them have come off the bat of Ramirez. In his last seven games, the 28-year-old is batting .500 and slugging .750 with a home run and five RBI. He's been a dominating force in Tampa Bay's lineup during their torrid start to the season.
On Saturday's matchup with the White Sox, he logged his first triple of the season, bringing his extra-base hits total to eight in 60 PA. Overall, Ramirez has an impressive 1.124 OPS across 16 games this year and ranks in the 91st percentile in xBA and in K%, per Statcast. Adding anyone from the red-hot Rays lineup is a great idea, and Ramirez may be an essential one.
Connor Joe, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (16% rostered)
If the name Connor Joe rings a bell, that’s probably because the 30-year-old journeyman has played on your favorite team. Joe, a former Rule 5 draft selection, is already playing for his third major league ball club in just four seasons. And while Joe may not be the sexiest of names in a fantasy draft, he is certainly one that can be picked up in the hopes of adding bench depth.
With a slash line of .360/.448/.680 in his last seven games, Joe has quickly become one of the more attractive waiver pickups of the early fantasy season. Having struck out just 156 times in his ML career thus far, he is an excellent option when it comes to putting balls in play and making things happen. Is Joe going to win you your fantasy game by hitting three home runs in a night? No, but the San Diego native is a scrapper and there's something to be said about that.
Deeper Waiver Wire Options to Consider
- Rodolfo Castro, 2B/3B/SS - Pittsburgh Pirates (16% rostered)
- Spencer Steer, 1B/3B - Cincinnati Reds (13% rostered)
- Jake Burger, 3B - Chicago White Sox (10% rostered)
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