RADIO
It feels like this season's moving in slow motion, stat-wise. Things have improved a bit since Gary Sanchez returned to give his fantasy owners SOME hope. Still, looking at the numbers for backstops can feel like an exercise in tedium. There's almost no real movement, save for very tiny increments. Austin Hedges hit another homer... in a week. No catcher can get any momentum going. If this were a baseball game, this would happen every time one of them ran out of the batter's box:
10-12 Team League Catcher Pickups
While there are a couple of players that we have here who are coming off the disabled list or have just started playing again, there's one that we're not mentioning just yet - Wilson Ramos. He's likely going to do Minor League rehab at the end of this month, and we'd like to see how he fares there... including his ability to stay on the field... before we recommend grabbing him. Yes, this position is still in dire straits, but let's not go clutching at straws just yet.
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Here are some catcher waiver wire pickups for Week 7, to consider adding to your teams. We'll show you three players to snag in 10-12 player leagues and also three to look out for in two-catcher leagues. All of these players are just at or below 50% ownership in Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Russell Martin (TOR) - 48% owned
I was waiting for Russell Martin to go back over the 50% ownership mark. It looks like fantasy owners want to see him back in action before even deciding to clear off an IR slot for him. Perhaps their rosters are already littered with the walking wounded, and they didn't have the resources. In any event, Martin, who has left-shoulder irritation will likely be back by the end of this month. Hopefully, the rest will make him the solid fantasy contributor that he's been before.
Austin Hedges (SDP) - 31% owned
Hedges has put together a fairly respectable run of late. The Padres' backstop had a six-game hit streak before Wednesday's game. He's also got the lead for most homers among catchers, and he's third in RBI and fourth in runs. Not bad for a guy who initially looked like he might never get a hit this season. This push has also had him hitting above his weight, for once. He's promoted to one-catcher league status... for now.
Stephen Vogt (OAK) - 26% owned
OK. I'm not including Stephen Vogt just out of desperation. He's actually shown signs of breaking out of his extended slump, having two two-hit games in his last three contests, entering Wednesday's game action. If he can get it going, then he could be extremely valuable for those that stuck with him. Then again, we've sung that tune a couple of times this season. Still, he's not at "abandon at all costs" status.
Two-Catcher League Pickups
Francisco Cervelli (PIT) - 24% owned
Francisco Cervelli is here for one reason and one reason only - runs. He's third among all catchers in that category. OK. He's also in the top 10 in RBI, but that's because there's a tie in a couple of the spots. Cervelli will never be a power threat. His seven dingers are a career high. Still, he's been peskier than people think and he could help you in a two-catcher league.
James McCann (DET) - 7% owned
James McCann can help you in a couple of categories. He's scored five runs in his past 10 games, driven in as many RBI in that same span. McCann is also only one behind Hedges for the backstop lead in homers. That's pretty impressive - so why is he in two-catcher category? Because he's got a sickly batting average that's not guaranteed to improve. Also, were he to be your sole catcher, there would be more times than not where your playing no one would net the same result.
Tony Wolters (COL) - 2% owned
Yes, Tony Wolters missed a lot of May with an injury, but it looks like he's picking up where he left off. He was out ALL that time and he's STILL tied for sixth among all catchers in runs. It's like time's standing still here. There's almost no separation among catchers, which is why picking these can be maddening at times. Still, if Wolters keeps scoring runs, he can help you a lot as a No. 2 catcher. He just needs to avoid injury for the rest of the season.
