Pickups of the Day: Candelario Can Help You
Kirilloff starting to show top prospect talent
In today's Pitch Clock segment, D.J. Short and Scott Pianowski touch on Minnesota Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff and explain why he may finally be coming into his own.
Rotoworld's brand-new Pickups of the Day column is designed to help fantasy managers uncover a handful of widely-available targets over the course of the season. It could be a breakout candidate, a prospect stash, an injury replacement, a pitcher with a favorable matchup or week, a player who is due some better luck, or any other number of scenarios. If there's value to be found on the waiver wire, we will find it and bring it your way.
In today’s column, we’re going to look at a hot-hitting third baseman who could soon be getting a change of scenery and an interesting streaming option who has seemingly been forgotten by the fantasy community.
PICKUPS OF THE DAY
Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Nationals
Available in 63 percent of Yahoo leagues
The third base position has been a troublesome spot for many in deeper fantasy leagues this season, so we’re here today to try to unearth a gem that could provide help for the remainder of the season.
Jeimer Candelario has had a roller-coaster career thus far – he smacked 61 extra-base hits and led the league in doubles during the 2021 season with the Tigers, only to fall off a cliff and perform as one of the worst hitters in all of baseball in 2022 which led to him being designated for assignment when new boss Scott Harris cleaned house.
That led to him inking a one-year deal with the Nationals over the winter on a prove-it deal, and so far he is proving it. The 29-year-old has been a fixture in the middle of the Nats’ lineup – hitting .259/.334/.485 with 15 homers, 46 RBI and a career-high five stolen bases for good measure. He has been especially good as of late – hitting .296/.361/.612 with seven homers, 16 RBI and four of those swipes in his last 26 games dating back to June 15.
The only real knock on him from a fantasy perspective this season has been the depressed counting stats for someone hitting in the middle of the lineup. That’s thanks in large part to a subpar supporting cast with the Nationals. That’s likely to change in the coming weeks though, as the Nats look to move Candelario at the trade deadline before he walks in free agency and they wind up with nothing in return.
Even if he does happen to remain in Washington (maybe they look to extend him?), the production that he has provided this season has been rock solid and would make him a welcomed addition to many fantasy rosters.
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Steven Matz, SP, Cardinals
Available in 93 percent of Yahoo leagues
Once a highly-touted prospect in the Mets’ organization, there doesn’t seem to be much love in the fantasy community these days for 32-year-old southpaw Steven Matz.
That’s understandable. If you glance at his overall numbers on the season, they haven’t been good. In fact, they have been so bad that he lost his spot in the Cardinals’ rotation for nearly two months. He’s back now though, and has the potential to help your fantasy squad.
Over his last five outings (two starts) dating back to June 24, Matz has compiled a 2.89 ERA. 1.07 WHIP and a 21/8 K/BB ratio over 18 2/3 innings. That’s much more like the pitcher that was consistently a viable fantasy asset during his days with the Mets and Blue Jays.
He draws a nice matchup against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday and is certainly worth a look as a streaming option for that one. He’s still building back up – so he may not work longer than five innings – but he should give a handful of strikeouts while posting solid ratios and a decent shot at earning a victory. In deeper mixed leagues, what more can you ask for.
