Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers - Shortstop (SS)

Ronny Mauricio (SS, NYM) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 24

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 21% of Leagues ANALYSIS: It finally happened; the Mets called up Ronny Mauricio. The 22-year-old top-prospect has been a fixture in the "Prospect Watch" section of this column since May, but Francisco Lindor has blocked him at shortstop. Mauricio has been playing second base and left field... Read More

Jordan Lawlar - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks ANALYSIS: We're officially on Jordan Lawlar watch. Is it a guarantee that he'll be up this year? No. But few players in the minors match his offensive upside, especially players that have a realistic shot at making the Major League debut this season. Lawlar is slashing .328/.417/.590 in 72... Read More

Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 22

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 41% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Ezequiel Tovar entered the season as the number-one prospect in the Colorado organization and his rookie season has been a wild ride. Tovar started the year ice cold but picked things up in a major way in June. He slumped again in... Read More

Royce Lewis (3B/SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 22

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 38% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Royce Lewis was recently activated from the injured list for the Twins and picked up right where he left off for Minnesota's offense. He's tallied five hits in four games -- two of them going for extra bases -- and collected two... Read More

Masyn Winn (SS, STL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 22

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 23% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Cardinals are officially in rebuild mode. This means we get a look at their top-ranked prospect Masyn Winn, who was called up on Thursday. Winn is a contact-oriented speedster; in Triple-A, he had 17 steals and scored 99 runs in 105... Read More

Jordan Lawlar - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks ANALYSIS: Last week, I didn't believe there was a high chance that Jordan Lawlar would be up with Arizona this season. Now I'm starting to think he might. Lawlar was recently promoted to Triple-A after slashing .263/.366/.474 with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, and 33 steals in the Double-A... Read More

Cristian Santana - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Cristian Santana, 2B/3B/SS, Detroit Tigers ANALYSIS: Cristian Santana signed with the Tigers in January 2021 out of the Dominican Republic. He immediately showed impressive patience at the plate that summer in the DSL, walking at a 13.9% rate while adding in 23 extra-base hits and 12 steals in 54 games. Last year, Santana was... Read More

Aeverson Arteaga - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Aeverson Arteaga, SS, San Francisco Giants ANALYSIS: The Giants signed Aeverson Arteaga out of Venezuela in July 2019. Due to the pandemic, he did not get to make his pro debut until 2021, when he played so well in complex ball that the Giants gave him one game in Single-A. He moved up to... Read More

Maikel Garcia (3B/SS, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 31% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Every year, a handful of players on bad teams post big finishes to the season simply because they are getting everyday at-bats. Maikel Garcia fits the bill this season as he's been sneaky-productive as the leadoff man in Kansas City.   Maikel... Read More

Edouard Julien (SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 39% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Pop quiz! Who led all second basemen in each of the three triple-slash (batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage) categories during the month of July? Given the fact his name is in bold above, you probably guessed Edouard Julien, and you'd... Read More

Brayan Rocchio - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Brayan Rocchio, SS, Cleveland Guardians ANALYSIS: With Amed Rosario now out of town, the Cleveland Guardians have been rolling with Gabriel Arias and his current .205/.304/.317 slash line at the shortstop position lately. If he doesn't start showing some adequacy at the plate, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cleveland make the swap and bring up the more... Read More

Joey Ortiz - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Joey Ortiz, SS, Baltimore Orioles ANALYSIS: A surging bat down in Triple-A Norfolk belongs to shortstop Joey Ortiz. Since being optioned back down in late-June, Ortiz has slashed .370/.425/.574 with 11 doubles, three home runs, and eight steals. He doesn't possess the upside of others on this list, but his ability to hit for average... Read More

Ronny Mauricio - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Ronny Mauricio, 2B/SS, New York Mets ANALYSIS: A player I'm beginning to have doubts about coming up soon is Ronny Mauricio. For starters, Mauricio has cooled off since his torrid April/May, slashing just .233/.293/.409 since June 1st. The power and speed have still been there however with nine home runs and seven steals over... Read More

Masyn Winn - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals ANALYSIS: While the Paul DeJong trade didn't exactly send ripples throughout the baseball world, it does create a path to playing time for Masyn Winn this season. The unfortunate news of Brendan Donovan being out for the remainder of the season helps as well. Still, St. Louis might wait a few weeks... Read More

Marco Luciano (SS, SF)- Fantasy Baseball Hitter Waiver Wire Adds for Week 19

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 14% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Let's keep things in the Bay Area and highlight San Francisco prospect Marco Luciano, who was promoted by the Giants last week. The promotion was aggressive - Luciano only played six games in Triple-A, and he's only 21 years old - but he... Read More

Edouard Julien (SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 19

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 49% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Speaking of hot hitters, there are few players more scorching-hot right now than Edouard Julien, who posted an absurd .804 slugging percentage in the month of July. He didn't have enough plate appearances to qualify for the official MLB leaderboard, but if... Read More

Jon Berti (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 19

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 20% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Unlike Jake Burger, Jon Berti doesn't hit the ball out of the ballpark, but he gets on base and can occasionally nab you a few stolen bags. He was the stolen base leader in 2022, after all. Strangely, though, in a year where... Read More

Masyn Winn - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals ANALYSIS: To the surprise of nearly everyone, the St. Louis Cardinals have struggled mightily this season and are currently nine games out of the 3rd wild card spot in the National League. This has led to reports of the Cardinals being sellers at the deadline which makes a... Read More

Zach Neto (SS, LAA) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 7% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Angels have been spiraling since Mike Trout (hand) landed on the IL, but one of the few bright spots has been the play of rookie Zach Neto (back), who carried a six-game hit streak into Saturday's action. Neto was a late... Read More

Edouard Julien (SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 38% of Leagues ANALYSIS: No baseball player is hotter than Edouard Julien this month, yet he remains widely available in fantasy. In July, Julien is batting .500 (18-for-36) with five home runs and a 1.550 OPS. Injuries and poor performance by other Twins infielders have freed... Read More

Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 40% of Leagues ANALYSIS: One week ago, Ezequiel Tovar was over the 50-percent rostered threshold, and it seemed the 21-year-old budding star was on his way to helping several fantasy teams win championships. Alas, his roster rate is down to 40 percent, and it's baffling as... Read More

Jordan Westburg (2B/3B/SS BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 31% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The start to Jordan Westburg's major league career hasn't been great, but it hasn't been flat-out terrible, either. The 24-year-old prospect has batted a respectable .262 and tallied six extra-base hits in the first 19 games of his rookie campaign with the first-place... Read More

Mauricio Dubon (2B/SS/OF, HOU) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 24% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Mauricio Dubon isn't the most sexy name in fantasy, but he's done yeoman's work filling in as the leadoff hitter while Jose Altuve (oblique) remains on the injured list. Since the start of June, Dubon is batting .260 with a .415 slugging... Read More

Geraldo Perdomo (2B/SS/3B, ARI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 37% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Diamondbacks have cooled off somewhat after a mostly dominant first half, as they've seen themselves fall out of first place in the NL West. Geraldo Perdomo looking more like his 2022 self at the plate, has played a part in that, but... Read More

CJ Abrams (2B/SS, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 34% of Leagues ANALYSIS: There hasn't been a lot to smile about with the Nationals this season, but those not paying attention to Washington baseball are missing out on CJ Abrams, who has been on a heater over the last couple of weeks. Since the calendar... Read More

Jackson Merrill - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Jackson Merrill, SS, San Diego Padres ANALYSIS: Another member of the elite 2021 prep shortstop class, Jackson Merrill was selected 27th overall by the Padres out of high school in Maryland. He showed well in his pro debut and received rave reviews at Fall Instructs coming into his first full season. Injuries prevented a... Read More

Noelvi Marte - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Noelvi Marte, 3B/SS, Cincinnati Reds ANALYSIS: The Seattle Mariners signed Noelvi Marte in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic. He had a huge debut in the DSL, hitting .309/.371/.512 with nine homers and 17 steals in 65 games. After the pandemic, the 19-year-old Marte pushed across the Mariners' A-ball levels in 2021, hitting .273/.366/.460... Read More

Jordan Lawlar - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks ANALYSIS: Jordan Lawlar was part of the impressive 2021 high school shortstops, drafted sixth overall by Arizona out of high school in Texas. His performance in Fall Instructs immediately had people talking, and he jumped into the top 50 of all prospects. In 2022, Lawlar was incredibly impressive as... Read More

CJ Abrams (2B/SS, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 23% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Breakouts don't always happen instantaneously, just look at CJ Abrams. The former sixth-overall pick hasn't lived up to the hype thus far in the majors, but if we look under the hood, we find a very enticing skill set for fantasy. First... Read More

Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/SS/OF NYY) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 8% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Yankee offense has been going in reverse since losing Aaron Judge (toe) at the start of June. The exception to that trend is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has been quite productive in that time despite all the struggles from his teammates. Isiah... Read More

Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 45% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Could this be it? Could this be the week Ezequiel Tovar finally cracks the 50% rostered threshold for the first time since April? It's getting old writing up the same player every week, but then again, he's still available in over half... Read More

Ryan Bliss - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Ryan Bliss, 2B/SS, Arizona Diamondbacks ANALYSIS: Coming out of high school in Georgia, Ryan Bliss was secure in his commitment to Auburn. He fell to the 30th round of the 2018 draft despite talent that would have indicated he'd be a top-10-round selection. He had a power explosion in 2021 with Auburn, and that... Read More

Zack Gelof - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Zack Gelof, SS, Oakland Athletics ANALYSIS: While Zack Gelof doesn't receive as much hype as fellows A's prospect Tyler Soderstrom does, Gelof is coming off an 18/10 season in 95 games last season and has already racked up 11 home runs and 19 steals in 63 games this season with an impressive .296/.404/.519 slash... Read More

Should I Stash Dominic Canzone In Redraft Leagues? Fantasy Baseball Prospect Outlook

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Dominic Canzone is one of this season's biggest prospect risers. He came into the 2023 season as a relative unknown, ranking lower in Arizona's prospect hierarchy. But he has blossomed into one of the best hitters in the minors, slashing .339/.420/.625 with 16 home runs, 59 runs, 68 RBI, and two stolen... Read More

Brice Turang (2B/SS, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 3% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The 2018 first-round pick disappointed many with his performance this season, slashing an abysmal .205/.254/.307 with a 27.1% strikeout rate in his first 57 games. The Brewers demoted the rookie on June 6, and he responded with a .926 OPS in 15 games... Read More

Maikel Garcia (3B/SS, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 28% of Leagues ANALYSIS: To say the Royals have been bad this year would be an understatement. They're dead last in a division in which no team is above .500, lost their first baseman/DH Vinnie Pasquantino for the remainder of the season, just traded Aroldis Chapman... Read More

David Hamilton - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Add

David Hamilton was called up to the Red Sox on June 21 after spending the last two seasons speeding through the minor leagues, literally. In 2021, then a member of the Brewers organization, he stole 52 bases in 101 games across High-A and Double-A. Last year, the infielder stole 70 bases for the Double-A Portland... Read More

Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/SS/OF NYY) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 3% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Adding Isiah Kiner-Falefa in fantasy isn't as sexy as some top prospects, but the 28-year-old super-utility man has been surprisingly productive over the past two months. Since the calendar turned to May, Kiner-Falefa-Falefa is slashing .267/.306/.457 with all five of his homers... Read More

Luis Garcia (2B/SS, WAS) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 23% of Leagues ANALYSIS: With each passing week, I get more perplexed at how Luis Garcia's roster rate remains so low. He's batting .280 on the season thanks to a 96th-percentile K-rate. He's got 36 runs, 37 RBI, five homers, and four steals, so he contributes... Read More

Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 35% of Leagues ANALYSIS: After weeks of writing up Ezequiel Tovar as a waiver wire option this week, I decided to give it a rest and include him in the "Others To Consider" section while shining the spotlight elsewhere. After all, how many times can you... Read More

Dyan Jorge - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Dyan Jorge, SS, Colorado Rockies ANALYSIS: The Rockies signed Jorge out of Cuba in January 2022 for $2.8 million, a Colorado franchise record for an international signing. Like many signees from Cuba, Jorge was older than the typical signee in the 2022 international class, and he spent his first season in the Dominican Summer... Read More

Royce Lewis (SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 38% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Royce Lewis, the former first-overall pick, has had a productive month at the plate for Minnesota, slashing .309/.329/.456 with three home runs and nine RBI during June. The Twins, however, are 10-12 this month and have a thin lead in the AL... Read More

Javier Baez (SS, DET) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 44% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Confession time: I have been playing fantasy baseball for the entirety of Javier Baez's career. Over the past five years, that's been five or six leagues per season. I do not recall ever having Baez on any of those teams. He strikes... Read More

Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 29% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Ezequiel Tovar is no stranger to the waiver wire column, but this week we're moving him up a section as he needs to be rostered in most fantasy leagues, especially ahead of a full week of home games at Coors Field. Ezequiel... Read More

Davis Wendzel - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Davis Wendzel, SS, Texas Rangers ANALYSIS: Many draft evaluators were curious when the Rangers landed Josh Jung with the eighth pick in 2019 and then proceeded to draft Wendzel in the competitive balance round, 41st overall, in the same draft out of Baylor. Jung and Wendzel were widely considered two of the top five college infielders... Read More

David Hamilton - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: David Hamilton, SS, Boston Red Sox ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox middle-infield prospect David Hamilton will join the team in Minnesota on Wednesday in case third baseman Pablo Reyes (abdomen) needs to go on the injured list, according to multiple sources. Hamilton, the team's No. 26 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will be making his major-league debut when he gets... Read More

Oswald Peraza - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Oswald Peraza, SS, New York Yankees ANALYSIS: While Peraza's 12-game Major League stint earlier this season brought literally nothing for fantasy managers, he's still a name I'm intrigued about for this season. In 34 games down in Triple-A, Peraza is slashing .292/.360/.563 with 11 home runs, 11 steals, and a 14.9% strikeout rate. Meanwhile, Anthony... Read More

Geraldo Perdomo (2B/SS/3B, ARI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 32% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Geraldo Perdomo has taken a huge step forward for Arizona this season, and it's helped them to reach first place in the NL West, where they possess a healthy 3.5-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 13 games in June, Perdomo... Read More

Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 29% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Writing up Ezequiel Tovar feels like a weekly endeavor, and I don't get it. The guy entered the season as the number-one-ranked prospect for the Colorado Rockies. He was all the rage during the draft season. Then he has one bad month... Read More

Royce Lewis (SS, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 43% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The former top prospect for Minnesota is criminally under-rostered in fantasy, given all he's done is hit since he got to the Majors. Royce Lewis flashed elite upside in 12 games last season as he batted .300 with a .550 slugging percentage... Read More