Many fantasy baseball players have wrapped up their drafts for the season. Many still are drafting, with more to come. Whatever the case, one thing is for sure — there are always productive players left on the waiver wire after drafts come to an end. Here are five who deserve more attention after Opening Day.
Jordan Romano, Los Angeles Angels (23% rostered)
It happens every season; a reliever doesn’t get highly drafted, is left on the waiver wire only to receive his team’s first save opportunity of the season. Such is the case with Jordan Romano, who earned the Angels’ first handshake of the year, against the Astros.
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That’s all the signal we need in fantasy — reliever gets first save of the season, reliever gets added.
Of course, the Angels turned to Romano likely out of necessity; both Kirby Yates and Robert Stephenson are on the mend in L.A.’s bullpen. Yates would be the presumed closer if not for his knee injury. Nonetheless, while those two are out of commission, Romano looks to be the guy for the Angels. Even if it’s ultimately temporary, that’s all we need to know.
Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians (50%)
It’s curious to see DeLauter available in one out of every two Yahoo leagues. That likely won’t last much longer, considering DeLauter’s Opening Day performance. The rookie went 3-for-5 with two homers against Seattle on Thursday. One of those round-trippers came against Seattle ace Logan Gilbert, a solo shot.
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The main reason why it’s curious to see DeLauter available in so many leagues is due to the weakness of the Cleveland lineup. Outside of José Ramírez, no one in this lineup truly moves the fantasy needle. The former first-round pick has the potential to be a multi-category contributor, and he’s already getting prime real estate in the Cleveland lineup (he batted second, between Steven Kwan and Ramírez). Consider this last call for DeLauter.
Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals (7%)
Remember Victor Scott II? He’s part of the youth movement on the Cardinals, a team that is in the midst of a rebuild. And while JJ Wetherholt is grabbing all the headlines (as he should), Scott is on the other side of the spectrum; Wetherholt, a current top prospect in MLB, batted first for St. Louis — Scott, a former top prospect, batted ninth.
But you could make the argument that Scott had a better Opening Day than Wetherholt.
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Scott went 3-for-4 in the Cards’ 9-7 win over the Rays, but most importantly, he collected two stolen bases in the contest. Scott’s speed has never been in question; he stole 34 bases last season, and just look at his sprint speed mark.
Scott might be more for the category-league crowd, a guy who can single-handedly win you stolen bases. You’ll just have to stomach some poor batting marks in the process. But if there’s even a minimum improvement at the plate, watch out.
Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets (29%)
Catcher was surprisingly deep this season in fantasy baseball, thanks to guys like Cal Raleigh, Shea Langeliers and Ben Rice. So it’s easy to forget about someone like Francisco Alvarez, a former top prospect who is batting at the bottom of a loaded Mets lineup.
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But while that lineup is potent, it is missing a lot of power, considering Pete Alonso is in Baltimore now. Alvarez has a 25-homer season under his belt already, and his power potential was evident in the minors. He sent a monstrous 429-foot blast into the seats on Opening Day, going 2-for-4 as part of the Mets’ rout of the Pirates on Thursday.
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If Alvarez continues hitting like this, there’s a possibility he can climb the Mets lineup; that’s worth a stash.
José Soriano, Los Angeles Angels (47%)
This one is more for the streaming crowd. Nonetheless, it’s not like we haven’t seen quality performances from Soriano in the past. His shutout of the Astros on Opening Day shouldn’t come as much of a shock, but it was Soriano’s first Opening Day start, so it should be recognized.
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Soriano’s stuff has never been in question (his fastball velocity has a 90 grade); the 27-year-old just hasn’t been able to put it all together thus far. Regardless, it was an impressive performance, one worth a speculative stash. You don’t have to start him against the Cubs next time he takes the mound, but if he performs well again, it might be too late to add him.