Sneaky Fantasy Baseball Category Specialists - Undervalued Hitters and Pitchers

June 1, 2023

Deep league fantasy baseball category specialists who are waiver wire pickups. Pierce Johnson, Casey Schmitt, Jack Suwinski, Alex Faedo are sleepers to target.

This article will discuss fantasy baseball deep league waiver wire players that are currently top ten in a specific category. The following names are undervalued and are all under 40 percent rostered in Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues. These waiver wire finds can help you round out your roster in saves, batting average, stolen bases, home runs, and WHIP.

Whether you feel lost due to injury or can’t seem to find an edge in a specific category, we’ve got you covered. The following set of players may not have the longest track record or their production could be looked at as unsustainable. However, you have to take more risks in deeper league formats in order to find category coverage. 

The ensuing players are in order of roster percentage, not confidence ranking. Depending on your league format or the size of your league, these players should not be overlooked. Position eligibility and roster percentage are based on Yahoo so be sure to check your leagues for availability!

Pierce Johnson, RP - Colorado Rockies

40% Rostered

Pierce Johnson worked a clean ninth inning for the Rockies on Saturday versus the Mets, converting his 11th save of the season. Johnson is now tied for fifth in Major League saves for the season. Fantasy managers typically pay up for saves during the draft season so finding a top-five category contributor on your waiver wire is a move you should take advantage of. 

Johnson’s season-long numbers are uninspiring as he’s struggled with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP over 21 2/3 innings pitched. The good news is that no other Rockies pitcher has recorded a save in 2023 so the job is Johnson’s to lose. The team could potentially look to former closer, Daniel Bard down the road but he’s been limited so far after starting the season on the injured list. Ride with Pierce Johnson until the Rockies make a change. 

Casey Schmitt, SS/3B - San Francisco Giants

33% Rostered

Casey Schmitt has done a phenomenal job defensively for the Giants to start out his Major League career. He’s also made a great first impression with his bat, registering nine multi-hit performances in his first 21 games played. Batting in the back half of the San Francisco lineup, Schmitt has made starts at shortstop, third base, and just needs two more starts at second base to gain eligibility on Yahoo. 

Schmitt is a talented batting average contributor in category leagues, ranking amongst the top in the league at .325. He’s also shown upside to be valuable in points leagues in a small sample, producing an 18.5 percent strikeout rate. Schmitt’s max exit velocity sits at 111.6 mph, ranking in the 79th percentile, per Statcast for the season. 

Ji Hwan Bae, 2B/OF - Pittsburgh Pirates

27% Rostered 

Ji Hwan Bae is tied for the sixth most steals in Major League Baseball and has put together a productive start to his rookie season. Bae has showcased his defensive versatility, making starts at second base, in the outfield, and needs just two more starts at shortstop to gain eligibility on Yahoo. 

Bae’s sprint speed ranks in the 97th percentile according to Statcast, racking up 15 steals so far. When Bae gets on base, he has the green light to run. This trend has continued all season for the Pirates as they’ve racked up the second-most steals as a team in the league. Bae’s pace has slowed of late, registering only one steal since May 7 but has been caught three times in that span. 

Jack Suwinski, OF - Pittsburgh Pirates

19% Rostered 

Jack Suwinski ranks in the top ten for home runs on the season but has been wildly streaky so far. Suwinski has been a one-category contributor once again in 2023. Within the month of May, Suwinski has hit five home runs but has sported a batting average of .207 through 25 games played. Unfortunately, the games of production seem to be unpredictable as four home runs came in the span of two games. 

Suwinski ranks in the top six percent in league-wide barrel percentage and max exit velocity according to Statcast. His problem has been making contact, not quality of contact. His strikeout rate for the season sits at 33.5 percent, way above the league average of 22.1 percent. Suwinski is worth a shot in deeper daily category leagues where your team is lacking power but his strikeout rate will continue to hurt his batting average. 

Alex Faedo, SP - Detroit Tigers

5% Rostered

Alex Faedo ranks amongst the league leaders in the WHIP category for the season while rocking a 1.9 percent walk rate through five starts. Per Statcast, his walk rate ranks in the top one percent of the league in a small sample. Before returning his worst start of the season against the Rangers, the top offense in baseball, he registered three earned runs or less in his first four. Faedo had a 4.15 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 22:1 K:BB through his first four starts. 

Alex Faedo has speculative fantasy value in 2023 while sporting a great WHIP because of his mediocre fastball that averages 93 mph. He has been productive against weak offenses with an impressive 49.3 whiff percent with his slider but can’t be trusted in all matchups. Faedo has returned quality starts in two of five games started and is lined up to face the Phillies next week who rank 10th in wOBA against right-handed pitching. 

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