BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 20% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: The Texas Rangers have promoted pitching prospect Jack Leiter from Triple-A Round Rock and will make his big-league debut on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. It's unclear how long Leiter's first tour of duty in the leagues will last as the Rangers recently added Michael Lorenzen to the rotation and also have Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Dane Dunning, and Andrew Heaney in the rotation.
Nonetheless, Leiter is certainly worth an add for at least Thursday's start against a Tigers team that entered play on Tuesday sitting 27th with a .278 wOBA and 23rd with a 24.6% K%. The Rangers' No. 2-ranked pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, has one of the better matchups in the league you could ask for in his big-league debut.
Jack Leiter leads the Minor Leagues with 25 strikeouts through 14 1/3 innings.
He leads Triple-A with 24 whiffs on his four-seam fastball. That pitch has averaged 96.1 mph and 18.0 inches of IVB.
A big reason why he's joining the Rangers. pic.twitter.com/aKOvhyCBmo
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) April 16, 2024
If Leiter dominates the Tigers, it's tough to see the club sending the prized righty back to the minors right away. He leads the minors with 25 strikeouts in his 14 1/3 innings on the young season, walking just three in that time. He has allowed four homers as well and has struggled with control in his young professional career but the punchouts have consistently been there with authority.
He is certainly worthy of a pickup for Thursday's start against the light-hitting Tigers before a plan for the 23-year-old is revealed afterward.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
A.J. Puk - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 8)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues ROSTERED IN: 10% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Due to a rash of injuries to the Marlins rotation, left-hander A.J. Puk was able to snatch a rotation spot out of spring training, the first time in his big league career in which he would work as a starter. Needless to say, it... Read More
Connor Wong - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 8)
BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues ROSTERED IN: 31% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong has enjoyed a torrid start to his 2024 season but fantasy managers may want to pump the brakes on his surface production to this point. The 27-year-old (28 in four days) is hitting a hefty .340 with five... Read More
Matt Manning - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 8)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 7% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Matt Manning became the casualty of a numbers game in the Tigers rotation out of spring training as the club added veterans Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty as rotation locks in the offseason alongside incumbents Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. The final spot... Read More
Orlando Arcia - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 8)
BALLER MOVE: Leave on the wire ROSTERED IN: 20% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Orlando Arcia is getting reps as the Braves' everyday shortstop but not because of his bat. Arcia is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game but his production at the plate simply has not been there. The 29-year-old is hitting .248 with four... Read More
Eddie Rosario - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 8)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 34% of Leagues ANALYSIS: After spending the last few seasons in Atlanta, Eddie Rosario signed with the Washington Nationals in March. The 2021 NLCS MVP got off to a slow start (to put it mildly), going 6-for-70 (.086) with a .135 wOBA and a -19 wRC+... Read More
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!