The latest Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column examines unexpected advancements for youngsters Nick Gonzales and Patrick Bailey in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, respectively, plus a new opportunity for left-hander Cole Irvin as part of Baltimore’s starting rotation mix.
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Nick Gonzales, 2B/SS, Pirates
Available on 83% of Yahoo! leagues
Gonzales hasn’t missed a beat since returning to the majors earlier this month after tearing up coverage early in the season for Triple-A Indianapolis, batting .358 (43-for-120) with four homers in 137 plate appearances in 30 games . The versatile 25-year-old infielder, who appeared in 35 games last year for Pittsburgh, is putting up some near-elite Statcast batted ball metrics so far, with a sublime 15.9 barrel percentage, 54 hard hit rate, 5% and average output speed of 91.2 mph. The sample size is too small to draw firm conclusions, but the underlying data supports his strong performance, in that he is batting .286 (16-for-56) with six extra-base hits (two home runs), 14 RBI and two stolen bases in 65 starts in 16 games. He doesn’t project as a five-category fantasy superstar, but he is assumed to be the Pirates’ everyday cornerstone option and appears primed to contribute in all five categories for fantasy purposes until further notice. He should be rostered in every fantasy format going forward, especially if he wants to continue making strong, consistent contact.
Patrick Bailey, C, Gigantes
Available on 86% of Yahoo! leagues
Bailey’s early-season breakthrough was cut short by a concussion in early May and some lingering symptoms, which kept him sidelined earlier this month for a few weeks. The positive news here is that the 24-year-old emerging franchise cornerstone has been cleared to return to the game by a renowned concussion expert and has ripped off coverage since returning to the San Francisco lineup, batting .409 (9-for-22 ) with one home run and eight RBI in seven games since May 21. A quick behind-the-scenes look at Bailey’s underlying Statcast metrics backs up his apparent breakout, as he boasts a near-elite 92.6 mph average exit velocity and a 47 percent hard-hit rate. All signs point to the former first-rounder sustaining his current robust .308 batting average while also earning the occasional home run and stolen base, making him worthy of a roster spot in all formats. fantasy, especially two-catcher leagues. He’s been extremely impressive thus far and is still available in some form in the vast majority of fantasy formats.
Cole Irvin, SP/RP, Orioles
Available on 42% of Yahoo! leagues
Injuries to John Means (forearm) and Dean Kremer (triceps) opened the door for Irvin to receive another extended opportunity in Baltimore’s starting rotation and he delivered on Monday afternoon with five shutout innings against the division rival Red Sox at Fenway Park. He began a two-game week by limiting the Boston lineup to just four hits and got a relatively easy win after the Orioles’ lineup gave him an early lead. He finished with six strikeouts and also had three hits. The 30-year-old lefty isn’t missing a ton of at-bats, which limits his realistic fantasy ceiling. However, he has been effective in his last few starts after a rough start to the year, reducing his sinker and cutter usage against righties, leaning more heavily on his fastball, curveball and changeup. He’ll carry a brilliant 2.84 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 36/11 K/BB ratio in 50 2/3 innings (10 starts, eight starts) into a home game Sunday against the strikeout-prone Rays and is at least worthy of a speculative roster position in deeper mixed leagues until further notice.
