Pickups of the Day: Marlowe Making Noise
Rotoworld's 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. Today's edition features a pair of rookie outfielder getting an opportunity for Seattle and San Francisco, respectively, that fantasy managers should keep on their late-season watch lists.
Cade Marlowe, OF, Mariners
Available in 97 percent of Yahoo leagues
It would be relatively easy to dismiss Marlowe's early-career success as a small sample size mirage, especially since he's slashing an astronomical .293/.397/.483 with two homers and three steals in just 68 plate appearances for the Mariners since being called up in late July from Triple-A Tacoma. Yet, the 26-year-old rookie outfielder possesses an intriguing power/speed blend that has carried over from his minor league track record and he's playing often enough against right-handed pitching to warrant consideration for a roster spot in deeper fantasy formats. He should also benefit from an extremely favorable upcoming schedule, which features series against the Astros, White Sox, Royals, Athletics, Mets and Reds. Marlowe doesn’t project as a potential fantasy superstar, but he figures to continue hitting for a high batting average while also adding the occasional homer or stolen base.
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Wade Meckler, OF, Giants
Available in 100 percent of Yahoo leagues
This is a prime example of speculating purely on raw talent. Meckler's meteoric rise to the majors culminated with his official call-up to San Francisco earlier this week and he's gone 3-for-10 with a walk and six strikeouts through three games so far. The 23-year-old outfielder, who was an eighth-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oregon State, might face some initial struggles since he's played just 49 games in the upper minors prior to reaching the majors. However, his minor league numbers tell the story of a hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline, as evidenced by a stellar .379/.463/.522 triple-slash line across 294 plate appearances this season between High-A Eugene, Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento.
It's not unprecedented for a young hitter to jump almost directly from the lower minors to the big leagues, but it's extremely rare, which is why fantasy managers should take notice of the fact San Francisco's front office believes he's ready to rake in the big leagues. If Meckler continues to bat near the top of the Giants' lineup, he has a chance to make an immediate impact for fantasy managers, especially in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats. At a bare minimum, he's a name to keep on late-season watch lists until further notice.
