X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 4

Brady Grove's fantasy baseball middle infield targets for Week 4. Second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS), for fantasy baseball owners to consider adding to their rosters to kick-off the 2019 MLB campaign.

The 2019 MLB campaign has reached Week 4, and there has been no shortage of friction and shake-ups among middle infielders on major league rosters. With many players still dealing with injuries, splitting time with their fellow teammates in hybrid platoon situations, straight-up ugly starts to the year, and the threat of prospect call-ups to take their spot, I find myself spinning on this Easter Sunday trying to make heads or tails of it all. Thankfully, a a handful of individuals have stepped up in the past week, or have displayed a specific skill set that shines bright enough to stand out among the pack.

As always, the second base and shortstop positions are notoriously lacking in waiver wire depth and are therefore quite fickle to navigate. Each week of the season, we are going to be taking a look at seven middle infielders who are worthy of acquisition (or strong consideration at the very least), and are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo Leagues. Staying on top of the injury, roster, and statistical trends regarding the middle infield positions will ensure that your team has year-long robust depth and is ready if a crisis situation were to arise.

With that, let's have at it and take a look at a fresh batch of second base and shortstop waiver wire targets for Week 4.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Week 4 Middle Infield (2B/SS) Waiver Wire Targets

Ryan McMahon (1B/2B/3B, COL) - 40% Owned

24-year old Ryan McMahon has been a consensus top-100 prospect for the last few years, and he has certainly earned that distinction with 25 HR, seven SB, and a slash of .337/.379/.577 across 513 AB at Triple-A. McMahon didn't have a good rookie stint for the Rockies in 2018, finishing with five homers and a less-than pedestrian OPS of .683, but 2019 is already looking up in a big way for the Mater Dei High School alumni.

He finished this year's round of spring training with three dingers and an impressive slash figure of .439/.476/.789 through 57 AB, and has kept the ball rolling for the Rockies since his return from the ten-day IL with a left elbow sprain. Since being activated by Colorado, McMahon has already notched two HR (four XBH), one stolen base, and an OPS of .808. He is a defensively versatile player, and has already made starts at first base over Mark Reynolds and third base in replacement of Nolan Arenado. While second base is currently occupied for Colorado (by the next player we will be discussing), McMahon's meteoric rise has securely supplanted his place at first over Reynolds, and his spot directly behind Trevor Story in the batting order should make for some explosive results in Coors Field. He has been one of the most heavily added assets off of the waiver wire in the past week, so don't waste any more time deciding if this is a ride you want to be a part of.

Garrett Hampson (2B/SS, COL) - 38% Owned

While his teammate Ryan McMahon has been off to a hot start for Colorado, Garrett Hampson has coincidentally been off to...a rocky start. Over the first 20 games of the season the former Cal State Long Beach 49er has produced just one HR, one SB (in two tries), and a hideous slash of .191/.211/.294. However, despite this disappointing start to the regular season, there is still plenty of reason to be optimistic about the 24-year old replacement in the second base slot that was long occupied by DJ LeMahieu.

After three seasons and 1,233 AB in the Colorado farm system, Hampson had amassed 20 yard-knocks, a well-rounded slash of .315/.389/.457, and an incredible 123 stolen bases out of 146 attempts for an 84% success rate. Hampson's competence at the plate paired with his top-tier ability to swipe bags finally earned him a top-100 prospect distinction before 2019 by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Hampson carried his minor league momentum successfully into spring training where he tallied four homers, hit for a .991 OPS, and once again demonstrated his base-running prowess with seven steals (out of nine attempts) in just 42 AB. While he has gotten off to a slow start to his first MLB regular season and he typically hits out of the #2 or #7 spot in the order, his security at second base paired with his ability to consistently reach base and steal a high volume of bases is the makeup of an extremely interesting middle infield asset. Look for his uncharacteristically high strikeout rate to subside as he adjusts to major league pitching, and his bat will start to find a rhythm in notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Willy Adames (2B/SS, TB) - 27% Owned

Another piece in the Tampa Bay Rays youth movement warrants waiver wire consideration, though this one isn't making it easy on the surface. I'm talking of course about 23-year old former top-25 prospect, Willy Adames, who has gotten off to a troubling start of just one HR and a .232/.293/.333 slash over 69 AB. While he achieved slightly more power/speed success during spring training with two homers and two steals (in three tries), he still came up extremely flat at the plate with a .627 OPS over 16 games. So we can all agree: Adames hasn't exactly set the world on fire in 2019. Despite that, there is still plenty of reason to keep him under your watchful eye.

In 751 AB at the Triple-A level, Adames produced a slightly above-average slash of .280/.358/.414, which reflects his greater skill in plate-discipline as compared to power propensity. However, in that time he also consistently displayed the ability to pair a modest yet significant power/speed game with his fantastic BA and OBP, hitting for 14 HR and stealing 14 bases in 22 attempts. This is also consistent with his major league production from 2018 in which he managed ten homers, six steals, and a slash of .278/.348/.406 in 288 AB. He typically bats near the end of the order and the Rays aren't exactly hurting for young and talented infielders, but Willy Adames appears to be valued highly enough at shortstop from a defensive perspective to remain safe in the lineup. With that being said, despite his struggles thus far in 2019, he remains an excellent candidate to put up a solid HR/SB total with a solid BA and OBP moving forward.

Jed Lowrie (2B/3B, NYM) - 22% Owned

It is rather important to note that Jed Lowrie remains on the IL with a capsule sprain in his left knee and is slated to be out until May. With that in mind, given his low rate of ownership, let's make the case for stashing the former Stanford Cardinal before it's too late. It's pretty rare that a player breaks out for the two best seasons of a lengthy MLB career at the age of 33 and 34, but that's exactly what Lowrie did for Oakland in 2017 and 2018. In those two consecutive campaigns he produced 37 HR (14 in 2017 and 23 in 2018) and slash figures of .277/.360/.448 and .267/.353/.448, respectively. He even earned his first All-Star selection and a top-20 finish in the AL MVP voting last season in his pinnacle year with the Athletics.

A change of scenery from Oakland to Queens may have been appropriate for Lowrie, considering the fact that last year he managed to produce just four homers and a .710 OPS in 284 AB at the Coliseum while he fared much better in 312 AB on the road with 19 knocks and a .282/.362/.522 slash. The drawbacks are clear: this injury paired with his age of 35 years deserves a healthy level of skepticism and trepidation, and even his best seasons are characterized by month-to-month inconsistency. Though the Mets currently sport some fresh pieces in the infield like J.D. Davis, Lowrie should be coming back from his injury with sufficient clout from the last two seasons to find his way into the third base slot, at least until the Todd-Father returns. Even then, while Robinson Cano has second base locked down, Lowrie should still carry considerably more value than Amed Rosario at shortstop. Taking that into consideration, Jed Lowrie is available in way too many leagues, and is well-worth a low-risk/high-reward stash for May.

 

For the Sneaky and Savvy

Leury Garcia (2B/SS/OF, CWS) - 7% Owned

We can all always go for a robust BA/OBP player with a high volume of steals to boot, and "El Molleto" appears to fit the bill. With a .296 BA, .344 OBP, and 63 swipes in 87 tries through 900 Triple-A AB, he commands attention for his base-running totals alone. Though he has started at a mediocre clip at the plate for the south side to start the season, he has still stolen four bases and can continue to offer speed until he begins reaching base at a more respectable pace.

Daniel Descalso (1B/2B/3B, CHC) - 6% Owned

Veteran utility man Descalso is off to a hot start in his first 51 AB for the Cubbies, mustering up one homer, one steal, and a laser-focused slash of .314/.386/.451. Addison Russell remains suspended until the start of May, and until then Descalso has a firm grasp of second base, even over Ben Zobrist. With his hot hitting and wise work at the plate, he could quite easily remain a fixture in Chicago's lineup after Russell returns, and he has plenty of opportunity to do statistical damage with a frequent slate at the top of the order.

Neil Walker (1B/2B/3B/OF, MIA) - 2% Owned

Neil Walker has definitely started trending downward at the plate since 2017, but it seems that everyone was quite quick to forget about what the 2014 Silver Slugger brings to the table. He's still hit three balls yard despite ugly results on offense to kick off the 2019 regular season, and he hit four bombs with a .500 slugging percentage across 40 spring training AB. He remains eligible across the infield, and has majority share of the work at first base in Miami. If nothing else, he is a ubiquitously available asset who is a strong bet to hit for power down the road this year.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF