Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Is Colton Cowser a priority pickup?
Let's not allow our fantasy teams to limp into the break with unaddressed needs, people. It's a great day to fix your flawed lineups. As usual, the O's are here to help with another fresh face ...
Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles (31% rostered)
Yup, the Orioles have called up yet another exceptional hitting prospect from the organization's apparently limitless supply. Cowser made a favorable first impression, going 1-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut Wednesday against the Yankees:
First hit, first RBI for Colton Cowser! 💪 pic.twitter.com/8KOefWMpz5
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 6, 2023
He'd pretty much conquered Triple-A pitching prior to his call-up, having hit .330/459/.537 at Norfolk this year with 10 homers, seven steals and 48 walks in 56 games. Cowser is worth a look in any fantasy league, particularly those using OBP in place of average.
Yainer Díaz, C, Houston Astros (22%)
Díaz is scorching hot at the moment, coming off a two-homer performance Wednesday, which gives him 10 on the year in his first 165 at-bats. He went deep 25 times at Double-A and Triple-A last year while hitting .306, so the pop isn't fluky.
No, you're not seeing double. He just did it again. pic.twitter.com/SToayhcD7p
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 5, 2023
He definitely isn't a walker, but his power potential is clear. It's tough to believe the 24-year-old won't finish the season with 20-plus, assuming good health.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (44%)
Tovar's hitting streak finally ended, but not before his batting average reached .270 and he slugged the eighth home run of his rookie season. For the month of June, he delivered an OPS of .885 and hit safely in 22 of 24 games. Tovar slashed .319/.387/.540 across two stops in the high minors last season at age 20, hitting 14 homers and stealing 17 bags in 71 games.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]
He's an ascending talent with an every-category skill set at a premium roster spot. Also, when the Rockies return from the All-Star break, the team will play 11 of 17 games at home in the game's friendliest hitting environment.
James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (33%)
Outman went roughly six weeks without a homer, which of course resulted in tens of thousands of drops in our game. But he hit a pair of bombs Tuesday, then swiped a bag Wednesday, so he remains on a 20/20 pace. It appears he has rebounded from his May slump, and the playing time seems secure. Outman hit 31 home runs, drove in 106 and delivered a .978 OPS in the high minors last year, plus he was a monster in his MLB cameo (6-for-13, 3 XBH). He's too good to be so lightly rostered.
Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels (8%)
Mike Trout's multi-week wrist injury should allow Adell to see consistent playing time for the Angels, which, if tradition holds, will result in many strikeouts and the occasional majestic bomb. Adell's pure power is legendary:
"Come on, Jo, that ball has babies."
At 514 ft, this Adell moonshot is the longest measured home run in the Majors and Minors this year. 🤯@SaltLakeBees | @Angels pic.twitter.com/016EOH1l8K— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 21, 2023
He has hit 23 home runs at Triple-A Salt Lake this year, plus he has stolen nine bases in 10 attempts. It might feel as if Adell has been around forever, but that's because he made his big-league debut at such an early age. He turned 24 in April. Let's not write him off just yet. He's a reasonable flier if you need a power boost.
JP Sears, SP, Oakland Athletics (17%)
As mentioned previously, we aren't prepared to make any promises related to wins when adding A's pitchers. But let the record show that Sears has been helpful in every other category, too, producing a 1.05 WHIP and 89 Ks in his 94 2/3 innings. He'll draw a weekend start against Boston, so there's a chance to pick up a few strikeouts before the break. Sears tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings against Detroit in his previous start.
