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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our first base and third base fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 4 – April 15 through April 21. The baseball season has already brought its fair share of surprises, from breakout performances to unexpected slumps.
Among the standouts emerging early in the season is Michael Busch, the Cubs' recent acquisition from the Dodgers. With three consecutive home runs and an impressive .769 OPS over his last seven games, Busch's performance has turned heads and sparked interest among fantasy baseball managers looking to bolster their rosters.
Meanwhile, former first-round picks like Jordan Westburg and Brett Baty have also been making waves with their standout performances, while seasoned veterans like Josh Bell and Hunter Renfroe seek to reignite their offensive prowess. As the season unfolds, these players provide an intriguing narrative. Here are more about these players.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues (30-50% rostered)
Michael Busch, 1B/3B, Chicago Cubs (30% rostered)
Acquired by the Cubs in January, former Dodgers first-round pick Michael Busch has made quite the impression during his first few weeks with Chicago. The 26-year-old has gone yard in three straight and owns a .769 OPS in his last seven, totaling 16 bases in four games.
Michael Busch extends his home run streak to 3 games! pic.twitter.com/yzXkzdvuWH
— MLB (@MLB) April 14, 2024
Busch has been on fire since the start of the month, raising his average, on-base, and slugging percentage from .154/.313/.154 on April 2 to .311/.385/.644 as of April 14. Seeing that he's only 30 percent rostered right now and that his batted ball metrics suggest Busch isn't just getting lucky, with his profile a sea of red, it'd be wise to add him expeditiously.
Jordan Westburg, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles (50% rostered)
Although Jackson Holliday made his highly anticipated debut this week, another former first-round pick of the Orioles has been on a tear. Jordan Westburg appeared on the first edition of first and third-base waiver wire pick-ups, and if you haven't rostered him yet, I just have one question: Why not?
WESTY'S TURN pic.twitter.com/dg7FEuefAl
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 13, 2024
It's a bit surprising he's still hovering around 50 percent rostered, considering he's slashing .296/.387/.593 in his last seven games. On Saturday, he went 3-for-5 in a loss against the Brewers, hitting his third homer of the year, adding two singles and collecting two RBI. Earlier in the week, he hit a go-ahead blast versus the Red Sox and swiped his first bags of the season.
Waiver Wire for Deeper Leagues (10-30% rostered)
Brett Baty, 3B, New York Mets (19% rostered)
Speaking of first-round selections, Brett Baty has finally been looking like one for the Mets. A seven-game hitting streak that began on April 5 ended on Saturday, but he still boasts a .323 average and has gathered 10 hits, four runs, and five RBI across his last seven games.
BRETT. BATY. 😤 pic.twitter.com/ubqHkkXDey
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 13, 2024
Due to his offensive performance and superb defense at third base, Mets fans have begun drawing comparisons to franchise legend David Wright. He's not quite at the level of the seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover yet, but the 24-year-old has played a large role in New York's success this week following a rough first stretch of games.
Josh Bell, 1B, Miami Marlins (27% rostered)
Perhaps no team began the year as cold as the Marlins. They lost their first nine games and are still only 3-12, a record only better than the White Sox's. Perhaps if slugger Josh Bell can get it going, Miami can start stringing together some wins. On Saturday, he launched his second homer of 2024 against the Braves at home and added a walk.
Josh Bell cranks this Chris Sale fastball over the wall for his second homer of the season.
Bell entered today slashing just .148/.258/.185 against left-handed pitching. pic.twitter.com/QHo3Tk5Pjd
— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) April 13, 2024
The 31-year-old is known for slugging home runs, so he's a bit of a lost cause when he's not doing that. Acquired at the trade deadline last year along with Jake Burger, he helped Miami earn a wild-card berth. While Burger has started to hit the long ball, Bell has not. Let's hope Saturday is the beginning of good things for him.
Deeper Waiver Wire Options to Consider (Under 10%)
Hunter Renfroe, 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals (8% rostered)
With a 10-5 record, the Royals are in first place in the American League Central division. Their early success has surprised many across MLB, but Kansas City quietly had an impressive offseason. One of their additions during the winter was veteran Hunter Renfroe.
The 32-year-old started off slowly but has picked it up in the last week, hitting .304/.407/.522 with five runs, two doubles, his first homer of the season, and six RBI. Overall, though, Renfroe has mostly been a disappointment thus far. He's batting just .190 with a .571 OPS. Take advantage of the hot streak while you can!
Hunter Renfroe 2-RBI double down the RF line! pic.twitter.com/pYTSpgF6eS
— Royals Daily (@RoyalsDaily_) April 11, 2024
More Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider
- Cavan Biggio, 1B/2B/3B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays (14% rostered)
- Josh H. Smith, 3B/SS/OF, Texas Rangers (7% rostered)
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