Welcome to the fourth month of the 2022 MLB season. While every week represents a new chance and opportunity to remake and improve your roster, within reason of course, there is something symbolic about seeing the calendar turn. Let’s not waste any time as we jump into some options that can help you this week on the MLB Waiver Wire to see who is moving up our July fantasy baseball rankings, which have been updated by both Howard Bender and Adam Ronis.

Waiver Wire Hitters

 

Yoán Moncada, 3B (CWS); FAAB Bid: 3%

Moncada has spent the majority of this season either injured or struggling, but it is a small sample size of just 123 plate appearances. Entering the season, Moncada was a solid mid-round pick but with just a .181 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBI yet we are still waiting for him to live up to those expectations. It also helps explain why Moncada is available in 54% of Yahoo leagues after returning to action three games ago. With a .234 BABIP, career mark of .352, we do have a buying opportunity here.

 

Evan Longoria, 3B (SF); FAAB Bid: 2%

Let’s stay on the hot corner with Longoria who has three home runs over the last few days with four multi-hit games in that stretch. In 40 games this season, Longoria is hitting a solid .256 with eight home runs and 17 RBI while turning back the clock with his 17.7-degree launch angle. The veteran has posted a career best 15.3% barrel-rate so far this season while having success in the middle of San Francisco’s lineup. 

 

Nico Hoerner, 2B/SS (CHC); FAAB Bid: 2%

There is nothing like a .542 batting average over the last seven days to catch your attention as Hoerner has shot up to being rostered in 34% of Yahoo leagues. While this is clearly an extreme stretch, the middle infielder is hitting .308 so far this season while also being an asset in OBP leagues at .346. Hoerner has managed to keep the strikeouts to a minimum, 10.1%, while adding six stolen bases which helps to make him a two-category contributor to go along with 24 RBI and 22 runs scored. With just four home runs the power isn’t going to be an asset, but that also isn’t what you are looking for here.

 

Alex Kirilloff, 1B/OF (MIN); FAAB Bid: 2%

Kirilloff is one of those players who I am also going to default to in these situations and with him available in 65% of Yahoo leagues, we get him one more time. The thought process is that this will be the last time Kirilloff is highlighted here after he hit .333 over the last seven days with one home run and seven RBI. Kirilloff is getting regular playing time with Minnesota, and we know all about both his minor league success and plate skills. In 55 batted ball events, Kirilloff has just two barrels but he does have a 49.1% hard-hit rate and I’m not ready to give up on him.

 

Mark Vientos, 3B (NYM); FAAB Bid: 1%

If you happen to have an available bench spot, Vientos is a player we can likely see at the big-league level at some point this summer as the Mets look for some right-hander power. Eduardo Escobar is struggling at third base, and that also happens to be Vientos’ best position while he can move across the diamond and DH as well. In 54 games at Triple-A so far this year, Vientos has already gone deep 13 times so far this year, to go along with 35 RBI, and there is no questioning his raw power.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

 

Yusei Kikuchi (TOR); FAAB Bid: 2%

Kikuchi has been a solid starter this season at times, but in this case, we are working off a short memory as the left-hander is coming off a strong outing. In his last start, Kikuchi limited Tampa Bay to just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out eight. The left-hander’s ERA sits at 4.74 on the season and with his other ERA metrics all over the place we have to acknowledge that there is risk here. That comes from two main areas as Kikuchi is walking over five batters per nine innings while giving up two home runs per nine innings. The good thing is that Kikuchi is striking out 10.63 batters per nine innings and what’s even better is the fact that he makes two starts this week in Oakland and Seattle.

 

Patrick Corbin (WAS); FAAB Bid: 1-2%

Do we really want to go here? To put it bluntly, Corbin has not been good this season and his 6.06 ERA is very clear evidence of that. At the same time, Corbin’s 4.73 FIP and 4.13 xFIP do paint a better picture and the left-hander has turned things on as of late with a 3.52 ERA over his last three starts with 20 strikeouts against just four walks. Corbin strikes out close to a batter each inning and generates a solid 46.2% ground ball rate and this week we get two starts out of him, at home against Miami and in Atlanta, to pick up some strikeouts and chase a victory or two.

 

Tyler Wells (BAL); FAAB Bid: 1%

While we don’t get many strikeouts from Wells, 43 in 69.2 innings, he has been a dependable starter so far this season for Baltimore. Despite pitching for a rebuilding Orioles team, Wells actually has picked up six victories along with his 3.23 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Wells does limit the walks, 2.07 per nine innings, and his 3.56 xERA gives us some cause for optimism along with a solid 6.9% barrel-rate against. I don’t like chasing wins, but with a 6-4 record in 15 games, Wells has done a good job of being involved in the decision.

 

Lou Trivino (OAK); FAAB Bid: 3%

The beginning of the season could not have been any worse for Trivino, but with Dany Jiménez on the Injured List, opportunity was there for the right-hander to get back on track. With losses in each of Oakland’s last four games, Trivino hasn’t come out of the bullpen, but prior to that he picked up saves in back-to-back games. Trivino got through both games without allowing a run and that gave him four saves on the season while we look to ignore his 7.17 ERA and 1.97 WHIP in the chase for saves. He does have 33 strikeouts in 21.1 innings and with a 3.82 xERA and 2.80 FIP, things should continue to get better.

 

Félix Bautista (BAL); FAAB Bid: 1%

With two Baltimore pitchers included here, did I lose my mind? As we head into the trade deadline though, there is logic here as it is possible that both Jorge López and Dillon Tate get moved to teams looking for bullpen help. That puts Bautista on the radar for potential saves (he does have two). With a 1.47 ERA (3.13 FIP) while striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings, he could be a name to have on our radar.

 

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