Pickups of the Day: Yearning for Yastrzemski
Ohtani's 2024 fantasy value as an exclusive hitter
D.J. Short, Scott Pianowksi ,and Eric Samulski dive into Shohei Ohtani as a first-round pick in their 2024 fantasy baseball mock draft. Does he still pay off that value when removing his pitching stats?
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.
In today’s column, we’re going to take a look at a hot-hitting outfielder that has been punishing the baseball since returning from the injured list and an under-rostered southpaw who could help get your squad across the finish line.
PICKUPS OF THE DAY
Mike Yastrzemski, OF, Giants
Available in 81 percent of Yahoo leagues
Since returning from the injured list on August 30, all Mike Yastrzemski has done is hit. In 43 plate appearances over his 13 games, he has slashed a robust .389/.488/.788 with three long balls, seven RBI and eight runs scored.
He’s going to find himself in the Giants’ lineup against all right-handed pitching – and the occasional southpaw – and his schedule over the final two-plus weeks of the season looks pretty enticing as well. The Giants begin a four-game series against the Rockies in Colorado on Thursday, and you’re absolutely going to want to have Yastrzemski in your lineup for that one.
After that, he’ll face the Diamondbacks in Arizona and the Dodgers in Los Angeles before finishing the season with an all-home week against the Padres and Dodgers.
Yastrzemski has proven himself to be a viable fantasy contributor for long stretches in the past, so there’s no reason to expect his production to fall off a cliff as the season draws to a close. For sure, you should add him now and take advantage of him punishing Rockies’ pitching over their four-game weekend series.
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Bailey Falter, SP, Pirates
Available in 96 percent of Yahoo leagues
Since joining the Pirates in a minor swap at the trade deadline, all Bailey Falter has done is go out and pitch at a high level. The 26-year-old southpaw has made eight appearances (five starts) with the Bucs, compiling a 3.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 30/9 K/BB ratio across 37 1/3 innings.
That’s the type of production that any fantasy manager would be thrilled with – especially in mid-September. But wait, there’s more. If you narrow the focus a little bit, just to look at how he has been pitching lately, it gets even better. Since the calendar flipped to September, he holds a minuscule 1.35 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and a 9/2 K/BB ratio over 13 1/3 frames in his three appearances.
He was especially strong his last time out, firing six innings of one-run baseball in a victory over the Nationals. His schedule down the stretch looks very viable. He’ll take on a watered-down Yankees’ lineup at home on Sunday, draw one tough matchup against the Reds in Cincinnati next week and then finish the season taking on the Marlins at home.
He can be streamed with plenty of confidence for the bookends of those three starts, and depending on your risk appetite, he could be rolled out against the Reds at the Great American Ballpark as well. Either way, Falter should be able to contribute at the most critical juncture of the fantasy baseball season – and he’s rostered in just four percent of all Yahoo leagues.
