BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 350
CURRENT ADP: ~383 overall
ANALYSIS: Those of us who believe in Calhoun feel like we’re stuck in a Samuel Beckett play, but instead of waiting for Godot, we’re waiting for Willie to finally put everything together. In defense of the Calhoun believers, the raw hit skills are just so darn good he’s impossible. A big upside is lurking in this bat, and with a revamped Texas lineup and prayers for good health, 2022 may be the year for Calhoun to emerge as a regular fantasy contributor.
He raised his line drive rate to 20.7%, his average exit velocity to 90.2 MPH, and his hard-hit rate to 41.9%, all career-highs (not counting his rookie season where he saw 37 PA). This quality of contact gave him a .275 xBA compared to just a .250 BA, and the 25-point gap between his actual batting average and expected batting average was 19th-highest among qualified hitters. 19th-highest doesn’t seem too egregiously unlucky on its face, but Calhoun was one of two players in the top-20 with an actual batting average of .250 or higher.
Altogether, Calhoun boasts good plate skills and has made improvements to his quality of contact. He should have the chance to hit high in the Rangers’ batting order, meaning he’ll benefit greatly from the new additions of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Things are really falling into place for Calhoun, and this looks like it could finally be the year Willie Calhoun becomes a regular fantasy contributor.
More Fantasy Baseball Values and Sleepers
Christian Scott - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in Most Formats PROSPECT STASH RANKING: #6 CALL-UP ETA: Saturday May 4th, 2024 ANALYSIS: New York Mets starting pitching prospect was recently promoted to the major leagues and is scheduled to make his first career start on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Mets' number-five-ranked prospect has been making headlines at... Read More
Hector Neris - Closers and Saves Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 60% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Chicago Cubs have recently shifted ninth-inning duties to veteran reliever Hector Neris, making him a must-add in all formats. Last season, Neris, who was on the Houston Astros, was one of the best relievers in baseball, posting a dominant 1.71 ERA and 1.05... Read More
Andy Pages - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats ROSTERED IN: 40% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Andy Pages has settled in quite well in his first taste of the major leagues and is worth rostering in all standard leagues. Pages opened the season with Triple-A and posted a dominant .371/.452/.694 line with five home... Read More
Junior Caminero - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in All Formats PROSPECT RANKING: #1 CALL-UP ETA: May ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays third base/shortstop prospect Junior Caminero has had an unbelievable start to the season in Triple-A and should be back in the major leagues very soon. The number four prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, has an incredible .328/.391/.724... Read More
Shane Baz - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 6)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper Leagues CALL-UP ETA: May ANALYSIS: It’s been a long road back for Shane Baz, who's in the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2022. Although Baz is no longer considered a prospect by definition, he has such little major league experience with just 40 1/3 innings (nine... Read More
Kyle Manzardo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 6)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in All Leagues LATEST PROSPECT RANKING: No. 4 CALL-UP ETA: May ANALYSIS: The only thing stopping Kyle Manzardo from getting called up to the major leagues is probably the lack of a clear-cut position on the Cleveland Guardians roster. His gaudy .324/.400/.667 triple-slash line with eight home runs, nine doubles, 19 RBI, and... Read More
TJ Friedl - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 42% of Leagues ANALYSIS: TJ Friedl had a breakout season in 2023, playing in more than 100 MLB games for the first time in his career despite being 27 years old. He hit .279-18-66-73-27 in 138 games with a .353 wOBA and 116 wRC+. A wrist injury... Read More
Jacob Young - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 53% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Despite a decent showing last season over 33 games at the big league level and a solid 2024 spring training, Jacob Young began the regular season at Triple-A. However, it didn't take long for injury-prone Victor Robles to succumb to injury yet... Read More
Jo Adell - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 41% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Once one of the game's top prospects, Jo Adell made his big league debut in 2020 at the age of 21. He struck out at an alarming rate that first season (41.7%) and each season since, failing to deliver on his once-hyped... Read More
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!