Ke'Bryan Hayes and Jazz Chisholm — both high-ranking, but flawed prospects — got the call Tuesday, and if you're looking for more information about them, you'll find it here.
But after a whirlwind Tuesday that featured explosive offense, from the Tigers scoring 12 runs to the Cardinals scoring 16 to the Giants scoring 23, they actually aren't the top priorities off the waiver wire.
And you may be surprised who is.
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We broke down Chisholm and Hayes, multiple triple-dongs and much more on Wednesday's edition of the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast. Follow all our podcasts and subscribe here.
Possible waiver wire pickups
Following an epic performance Tuesday, Brad Miller is now batting .317 with a .450 on-base percentage and .619 slugging percentage. He has started 11 straight games for the Cardinals. He's putting the bat on the ball more than ever, finding the barrel consistently, and is in the 95th percentile in basically everything Statcast measures. I understand he's a journeyman whose successes are few and far between, and I remain skeptical myself. But track record is about the only thing you can ding him for right now.
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My go-to stat for Michael Pineda is that he had a 2.76 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 10.1 K/9 over his final 11 starts last year. Granted, I attributed it to increased confidence in his changeup, which he threw just six times in his season debut Tuesday, but when he racks up 16 swinging strikes on just his fastball and slider, it's hard to quibble too much. His track record is spotty, and he didn't win any fans with his recent PED suspension, but going six innings on just 81 pitches speaks to his efficiency at a time when innings eaters are in demand.
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Though Alex Dickerson is the one grabbing all the headlines following the Giants' 23-5 route of the Rockies in Colorado (and deservedly so, seeing as he hit three homers and two doubles), Brandon Belt's quieter 3-for-3 performance may point to something more sustainable. Held back by a bad knee the past couple years, he's back to full health now, he says, and has been especially productive at home, where the Giants moved in the fences this offseason. It would be a long-awaited breakout for the 32-year-old, but apart from some obvious batting average luck, the expected stats seem to support it.
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Tuesday's outing was the third straight in which he allowed three hits and zero earned runs, lowering his ERA to 0.83, so you can understand why Kwang Hyun Kim's roster percentage is already on the high side. And by including the 32-year-old rookie here, I'm voicing my support of it ... up to a point. He has an xFIP around 5.00, though -- in large part because of his pathetic 4.6 K/9 -- and since throwing strikes is his only demonstrable skill so far, you can't get too comfortable having him in your lineup, as badly as you may need him.
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After three straight multi-hit games with a combined two home runs, it's no wonder Willy Adames' batting average and OPS are where they are, but he is making harder contact and hitting more line drives than in years past. There's enough breakthrough potential for the 25-year-old that you have to take the performance seriously, but since he's striking out nearly a third of the time, it may, as the expected stats suggest, be a mirage. Understand that taking a flier on him doesn't mean committing to him as your starter forevermore.
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Victor Reyes' four hits Tuesday moved his batting average back over .300, and between his high line-drive rate and low strikeout rate, he has the profile to sustain it. Of course, he doesn't offer as much power potential as you'll get from most outfielders these days, but his contributions in the stolen base category make him the sort of well-rounded player that probably deserves more love in 5x5 leagues, especially those of the five-outfielder variety. He might be what Fantasy Baseballers thought they were getting with Oscar Mercado.
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