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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for 2B and SS and Week 7 of the 2023 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these shortstops and second basemen.
As we barrel through May, the fantasy baseball rankings are starting to become clearer. Hot and cold starts have had time to normalize, the sample size for each player grows larger by the day and, as a result, roster rates have somewhat stabilized as fantasy managers settle on a starting lineup.
That doesn't mean there isn't value to be had, however. Quite the opposite, actually, as some of those cold starters that were dropped in April have begun to heat up and may be worth a spot in fantasy lineups after all. Let's take a look at some widely-available options that could help in the middle infield positions.
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting prospects in the single digits who may get the call and deserve a spot on your watch list at the very least. These are your second base and shortstop fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 7 – May 8 through May 14.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Miguel Vargas, 2B/1B, Los Angeles Dodgers (41% rostered)
In the intro, we mentioned how some players were dropped after a cold start to the season and Miguel Vargas fits the bill. Vargas began the season way too rostered for this column but was dropped in a ton of leagues as he was batting just .179 through two weeks. Since mid-April, however, the Dodgers prospect has improved across the board as he's batting .262 with a .462 slugging percentage since April 15. He's displayed elite plate discipline all season long as evidenced by a sub-20 percent K-rate and a 15.4 percent BB rate. Now that he's hitting the ball better, Vargas should be rostered in about twice as many leagues as he is right now.
Ezequiel Duran, 2B/SS/3B, Texas Rangers (34% rostered)
the Rangers have been on fire as a team lately thanks in no small part to 23-year-old prospect Ezequiel Duran. On the season, Duran is slashing .328/.357/.522 with three homers and two steals. He's been on fire lately as he's got eight RBI in his last six games as he's making the case to keep playing every day when Corey Seager (hamstring) returns from the injured list. Seager's return casts a shadow on Duran's immediate future, but with the ability to play all over the infield surely manager Bruce Bochy can keep Duran on the field if he continues to mash.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (26% rostered)
Just like Vargas, Ezequiel Tovar is a top prospect in the NL-West who was dropped after a miserable start to the season. And, just like Duran, he is named Ezequiel. Tovar is still batting just .222 on the season with a sub-.300 on-base percentage, but he's riding an eight-game hit streak and is batting .314 with a .543 slugging percentage since April 23.
Throw in Coors Field, and you've got a player who should be closer to 50% rostered rather than the 26% he is today.
Chris Taylor, 2B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (23% rostered)
Sticking with the theme of slow starters, we turn our attention to Chris Taylor who has been on fire for the white-hot Dodgers. The veteran utility man is still batting just .205 on the season, but that's mostly been due to bad luck as his batted-ball metrics are as good as ever. Taylor's 14.6% barrel rate is a career-best and his .523 xwOBA on contact ranks in the 95th percentile among all players. The issue has been a BABIP that is 66 points below his career garage. Now is a great time to buy back in on a talented player in a great lineup.
Other Options to Consider:
- Rodolfo Castro, 2B/SS/3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (16% rostered)
- Luis Rengifo, 2B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Angels (10% rostered)
Prospect Watch
Royce Lewis, SS, Minnesota Twins (7% rostered)
Normally in prospect watch we check in on a minor leaguer worth stashing, but this week it's a former prospect who has been out with an ACL injury. That's right, Royce Lewis is nearing a return as he's been playing in Florida Complex League games and will begin a rehab assignment later this month. The 23-year-old flashed in 12 games last season batting .300 with two homers, five runs, and five RBI. He's worth a stash in deeper formats.
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