If you have fantasy needs, you’ve come to the right place. Here are six widely available players who can address any roster shortcoming, beginning with a potential power boost …
Lately, all he does is hit bombs. Burger is up to 10 homers on the season in just 27 games and he’s been scorching hot since coming off the IL. Yeah, he swings at everything, but you’d do the same if you were capable of 118 mph exit velocity. Burger has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the White Sox. He’s clearly headed for a 30-plus homer total. Don’t leave this gentleman in the free-agent pool.
What, exactly, are you still waiting to see from Schmitt? He has five multi-hit games in his first nine since the callup, with a 4-for-4 performance included. He’s hit two home runs, driven in seven and he’s currently hitting .417 with an OPS of 1.111. Schmitt cleared the fence 21 times last year across three minor league levels and he was batting .313 at Triple-A when he earned his promotion. At this point, it should be clear that he can help. He’s been a delight in the field as well, showcasing his flamethrower arm. Schmitt definitely seems like he’s gonna stick as an everyday player.
Listen, as long as they allow me to write these pickup features, I’m gonna continue to recommend Abrams. He’s a former top-10 prospect with elite speed and multi-position eligibility, plus he’s still only 22 years old. We’d like to remind you, not for the first time around here, that Abrams stole 42 bases in 114 career minor-league games while hitting .331/.385/.511. He’s at four homers and five steals so far this year with three-quarters of the season still ahead of us.
We know McMahon has 20-homer power because he’s already reached that plateau in three different seasons. He hasn’t been anything special to this point in the season, but, for what it’s worth, his barrel rate is currently the best of his career (13.5%). There are no obvious red flags here. Following the Rangers series this weekend, the Rockies will play seven straight (and 13 of 20) at home in Coors Field. Go check if he’s still available in your leagues.
Yes, we’ve had this drill before, just last season, and Liberatore didn’t help (5.97 ERA). But he added mass in the offseason, his velocity is up a tick or two, and he was off to an excellent start at Memphis before he was recalled (11.0 K/9, 1.17 WHIP, 3.13 ERA). His breaking ball is known to be cruel:
Liberatore struck out six over 5.0 scoreless innings against Milwaukee in his 2023 MLB debut, so he’s definitely back on the radar in our game. It sounds like he’s gonna remain in the rotation unless he pitches his way back out.
Is Castro the closer, the co-closer, or simply another sketchy closing option for Arizona? Dunno. But in his last four appearances, he has two saves, a hold and a win. He also has a 0.97 WHIP at the moment, so his innings have been relatively clean. Give him a test drive if you’ve been speculating on saves.