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Welcome, RotoBallers, to our AL-only and NL-only deeper fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 26 -- September 16 through September 22. The waiver wire can be difficult to navigate. Knowing who to add and when is a game within the game of fantasy baseball. Doing this in a mono league where the player pool is half the size of a full league makes it even more challenging. Every drop and add is significant.
One of the keys to success with roster management is opportunity. A player given the chance to get on the field and produce is one of the first signs of potential. After all, they can't accumulate statistics if they're sitting on their team's bench. These opportunities can arise because of either a promotion from the minor leagues, an injury to another player, or simply because the team has moved on from another player. Whatever the case may be, these players are now given a chance to shine.
It's important to note that these players are on a short leash to see if they can produce. If they don't, they can be dropped for the next man up. All that being said, here are some of the best players with opportunities.
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Reid Detmers - SP Los Angeles Angels
23% owned
The first recommendation this week is for someone on a resurgent path forward. Considered a breakout in 2022, Detmers took a small step back in 2023, though nobody considered it significant enough to be worried. This season, however, he was all over the place on the mound and subsequently got demoted to get his head back into the game.
Gone for three months in Triple-A, he found himself by the end of August and got a chance for redemption with the Angels. He has been tremendous thus far.
Reid Detmers in his first four starts of the season and first two starts since returning from Triple-A:
34 2/3 innings
1.81 ERA
48 K
11 BB
23 H
1 HRDetmers in his eight starts before being optioned to Triple-A on June 1:
40 1/3 IP
8.93 ERA
40 K
20 BB
51 H
10 HR— Brent Maguire (@bmags94) September 10, 2024
There are two noticeable differences between then and now, with the first being that the spin rate on all of his pitches has increased significantly, alongside a slight velocity increase. This ultimately makes those pitches harder to hit. However, possibly the most important change here is his mindset.
Part of the reason why he was demoted was to get his thoughts and frame of mind in check, which he said he did and helped turn around his struggles over the summer. It feels like he was humbled, but now he is set on using these last few starts to remind everyone of who he is going forward. Motivation can be an asset; in this case, it just might be.
This week he gets the historically awful White Sox at home in a tremendous matchup before a callous road game at the Astros. Take a chance on him returning to form and use this as a volume play in your playoff run.
On a side note, the Angels will also be using Griffin Canning (9% owned) and Jack Kochanowicz (2% owned) against the White Sox as well, and I would recommend them both because Chicago is truly awful.
Nick Gonzales - 2B Pittsburgh Pirates
8% owned
Gonzales started the season off in the Minor Leagues before getting recalled to Pittsburgh in May. He had a surprisingly great first half of the season due to some mechanical changes in his swing. After hitting a bump in the road at the plate, he suffered a groin injury as well, costing himself a month of playing time. Since his return, he's returned to his old form of being productive at the plate.
Gonzales also said that going through the ups and downs of a long season has been tough because the human-nature feeling is to change something. Instead, he has adamantly believed in those aforementioned offseason mechanical changes and continues to do well as a result. Now that he is fully healthy, he is being productive at the plate.
He wants to have a strong end to the season to show the team that he is a part of their future. Next week, the Pirates play at the Cardinals before heading to Cincinnati. He is worth a shot in deeper leagues to help with batting average with the potential for some power too.
Tyler Holton - RP Detroit Tigers
30% owned
Bordering the threshold of where available players could be considered deep, Holton makes the list here. He has been outstanding in various roles for the Tigers this season, whether it be as an opener for the team or shutting things down for the hold or the save.
These are outstanding numbers that don't get enough attention. In addition to them, of the five pitches he throws at least 15% of the time, four of them have a batting average against well under .200 on the year.
For the year, he has eight saves, eleven holds, and six wins, giving fantasy owners a bit of everything. The Tigers remain competitive in the hunt for the Wild Card, and even though it may be out of reach for them soon, they look poised to continually compete down the stretch. If Holton is available, he is worth adding.
Jonathan Aranda - 1B/2B Tampa Bay Rays
1% owned
Jonathan Aranda had been considered by many to be one of the top prospects in the game before he arrived in the Major Leagues in 2022. Since then, his time with the team has been sporadic because of injuries and inconsistent playing time. After all, he is on the Rays, and that's something they're known for doing. However, as of late, he has been getting more and more opportunities to play, and he's made the most of it.
While he has yet to officially qualify with enough at-bats, you can see through the foggy window that he's been doing a lot of positive things thus far. This past week alone, he hit well above .300 with multiple home runs and came close to a three-home run game as well.
A reminder too that this is a player who last year hit 23 home runs and batted .339 while with Triple-A Durham, and had his season derailed with a broken finger early in the season. His ownership is too low here and he has a chance to break out now and be a real sleeper pick in 2025 drafts.
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