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It comes down to this, RotoBallers. It’s about crunch time with the playoffs about a week and a half out in many fantasy baseball leagues. As always, it’s been a year full of pleasant surprises, like Justin Steele and Cody Bellinger, and frustrating busts, such as Dylan Cease and Tim Anderson.
As the dog days of summer start to cool down into the breezy fall, there’s still time to make a hot pickup off waiver wires to bolster our rosters down the stretch. It’s tough to find power numbers on waivers since the MLB’s best hitters occupy those premium lineup spots. Batting average and speed tend to be more easily accessible, however, and we’ll be taking a look at the runs category in this piece.
Let’s investigate some of the table-setters available in over half of Yahoo leagues as we enter September!
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Fantasy Baseball Hitters To Add For Runs
Tim Anderson- SS, Chicago White Sox
In the grand scheme of things, it’s far more interesting to wonder what Tim Anderson’s prospects will look like in 2024 in new digs potentially. The 30-year-old is almost certain to be a popular bounce-back candidate, but that doesn’t mean Anderson has nothing left to offer even in a lost 2023. It’s been really ugly for TA7 -- even infamously getting dropped by Jose Ramirez at one point -- but he at least provides a decent source of run-scoring upside while hitting ahead of AL MVP candidate Luis Robert Jr. in the White Sox lineup.
J.P. Crawford- SS, Seattle Mariners
J.P. Crawford’s tendency to draw walks is not always appreciated in rotisserie-league fantasy circles, but the on-base machine is set up in a nice position the rest of the way. Even if he’s a lower-end option in these formats, the 28-year-old should score plenty of runs while batting in front of Julio Rodriguez, who’s staging a historic August with 43 (!) knocks, 10 doubles, and 29 RBI in his last 20 games.
Crawford is swinging a hot bat himself since coming off the seven-day concussion list, hitting .294 (10-for-34) with two homers, two doubles, and six RBI since August 21.
Ji Hwan Bae- 2B, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
As another lost Pirates season unravels, it seems Pittsburgh is affording rookie Ji Hwan Bae a bit of a leash as a leadoff man against right-handed pitching. The 24-year-old has displayed some on-base skills lately on top of his blazing speed, registering a .357 OBP (42 plate appearances) with four doubles and one stolen base since returning from a left ankle sprain on August 18. With Oneil Cruz likely out for the remainder of the campaign, fantasy managers can turn to Bae for his speed and favorable lineup placement.
DJ LeMahieu- 1B, 2B, 3B, New York Yankees
There was a time not long ago (but it feels like a lifetime) when DJ LeMahieu served as a must-start fantasy asset in a once-explosive Yankees lineup. The 35-year-old has really begun to look his age in the past three years. But at least LeMahieu has been taking a stand against Father Time in August, slashing .291/.391/.506 with five homers in 79 at-bats this month.
In a New York offense desperate for consistency, LeMahieu profiles as one of their few dependable contact hitters. The veteran's role atop the club's batting order appears somewhat safe for the rest of the season unless Anthony Volpe really catches fire.
Nolan Schanuel- 1B, Los Angeles Angels
In what has devolved into an utterly tragic Angels season, Nolan Schanuel’s developmental fast-track should be viewed as a glimmer of hope for Anaheim’s future. The 2023 first-round pick looks ahead of his time, slashing a revealing .324/.457/.351 with two RBI in his first 46 big-league PAs.
Schanuel’s roster spot appears safe at this stage after the Halos recently purged what remained of their playoff-hopeful team. In short, anyone operating in a lineup before the amazing bat of AL MVP front-runner Shohei Ohtani should project quite well in the runs department.
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