The latest Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column explores a potential breakout from Jo Adell, the impending return of former top pitcher Taj Bradley and a tasty streaming opportunity for fantasy managers later this week when Pirates rookie Quinn Priester takes the ball against the floundering Athletics .
Before we dive into the aforementioned trio of speculative pickups, we’re contractually obligated to briefly touch on a pair of intriguing slugging prospects – Joey Loperfido and Jordan Beck – who received their first call-ups earlier this week to the Astros and Rockies, respectively. Let’s start with Loperfido, who possesses tremendous over-the-fence pop and earned his first trip to the big leagues after clubbing a whopping 13 round-trippers, while also chipping in five steals, in just 25 games for Triple -A Sugar Land. Unfortunately, the astronomical doll has some serious contact issues, as the 24-year-old budding slugger also struck out 30 percent of the time in 122 plate appearances. There’s a risk here that his mediocre plate skills will keep him from impressing fantasy managers, but his immense power ceiling, combined with veteran first baseman José Abreu’s continued cold spell at the dish, makes him at least worthy of a speculative roster spot. deeper mixed competitions.
Meanwhile, Beck gets a shot for the Rockies in place of an injured Nolan Jones (back) after posting a robust .999 OPS with five home runs and five steals for Triple-A Albuquerque. He’s made some legitimate strides in plate discipline early in the season, which puts him at a significantly higher level than most slugging prospects. His offensive blend of power and speed, combined with the high-octane offensive environment of Coors Field, should provide plenty of imagination going forward. He is worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy formats until further notice, even in shallow mixed leagues. If it all comes together, he’s going to make a real impact in fantasy leagues.
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Jo Adell, OF, Angels
Available in 84 percent of Yahoo! competitions
Is the long-awaited outbreak finally coming? It’s too early to draw any definitive conclusions, but fantasy managers can’t really afford to wait for more data before throwing a speculative pickup. The 25-year-old former top prospect has gotten his strikeout rate down to a more acceptable 23.6 percent this year after hovering around 40 percent in brief stints in the major leagues over the past four seasons. While it’s a small sample size, he’s starting to turn his power/speed skills into big production, hitting .327 with three home runs and five steals in 21 games so far. If the growth in plate skills is real, Adell could finally emerge as a fantasy contributor with impact in five categories. It’s possible this is all an early-season mirage, but there are enough breakout lights flashing on the dashboard to merit further inspection, and a roster spot in all fantasy formats until further notice.
Taj Bradley, SP, Rays
Available in 78 percent of Yahoo! Leagues
It’s impossible to overstate how impressive Bradley looked last weekend in his first minor league rehab appearance for Triple-A Durham, when he recorded seven strikeouts in five hitless innings. His four-seam fastball had plenty of life, averaging 96.6 mph, as he generated 12 swinging strikes and needed an economical 65 pitches to navigate through five frames. The 23-year-old former top pitcher, who has been on the shelf since mid-March due to a right pec strain, will make an additional rehab outing later this week before returning to Tampa Bay’s injury-related roster at some point. depleted starting rotation mix. mid-May. He showed flashes of major fantasy potential in his rookie campaign last year and still offers tremendous strikeout potential, making him a valuable stock in all fantasy formats until he returns next week.
Quinn Priester, SP, Pirates
Available in 98 percent of Yahoo! competitions
This streaming option is not for the risk-averse fantasy managers out there. However, if you’re a reckless dice roller when it comes to streaming, Priester’s tasty matchup against the Athletics in Wednesday afternoon’s breakout matinee is quite appealing, as Oakland has the second-worst OPS against right-handed pitching this season. There’s a wide range of results given the 23-year-old former top prospect’s extremely short track record in the majors over the past two years, but he put together a stellar performance last Friday in San Francisco when he posted six shutout frames with six strikeouts at Oracle Park.
