Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire’s latest column examines unexpected developments by youngsters Nick Gonzales and Patrick Bailey in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, respectively, plus a new opportunity for left-hander Cole Irvin as part of Baltimore’s starting rotation.
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Nick Gonzales, 2B/SS, Pirates
Available on 83 percent of Yahoo! suspenders
Gonzales hasn’t missed a beat since returning to the majors earlier this month after taking the cover off the ball at the start of the season for Triple-A Indianapolis, batting .358 (43-for-120) with four home runs in 137 hits. . Appearances in more than 30 games. The versatile 25-year-old infielder, who appeared in 35 contests last year for Pittsburgh, is putting up some near-elite Statcast batted ball metrics so far with a sublime 15.9 barrel percentage, a hard-hit rate of 54.5 percent and an average output of 91.2 mph. speed. It’s too small a sample size to draw any firm conclusions, but the underlying data supports his strong performance thus far, as he’s hitting .286 (16-for-56) with six extra-base hits (two home runs), 14 RBIs and two stolen bases in 65 plate appearances in 16 games. He doesn’t project as a five-way fantasy superstar, but he has been assumed as the Pirates’ everyday option at cornerback and appears poised to contribute in all five categories for fantasy purposes until further notice. He should be included in all fantasy formats moving forward, especially if he is going to continue to make consistent, hard contact.
Patrick Bailey, C, Giants
Available on 86 percent of Yahoo! suspenders
Bailey’s early-season breakthrough at the plate was cut short by a concussion in early May and some lingering symptoms, which kept him sidelined earlier this month for a couple of weeks. The positive news here is that the 24-year-old emerging franchise cornerstone was cleared to return to play by a renowned concussion specialist and has taken the cover off the ball since rejoining the San Francisco lineup, hitting . 409 (9 of 22). with a home run and eight RBIs in seven games since May 21. A quick look under the hood at Bailey’s underlying Statcast metrics back up his apparent advancement, as he boasts a near-elite average exit velocity of 92.6 mph and a hard-hit rate of 47 percent. All signs point to the former first-rounder maintaining his current solid .308 batting average, while also contributing occasional home runs and stolen bases, making him worthy of a roster spot in all formats. fantasy, especially in two-catcher leagues. He’s been extremely impressive so far and is somehow still available on waiver wire in the vast majority of fantasy formats.
Cole Irvin, SP/RP, Orioles
Available on 42 percent of Yahoo! suspenders
Injuries to John Means (forearm) and Dean Kremer (triceps) have opened the door for Irvin to receive another extended opportunity in Baltimore’s starting rotation, and he delivered on Monday afternoon with five scoreless innings against the Red Sox, rivals of the division, at Fenway Park. He began a two-start week by limiting Boston’s lineup to just four hits and was able to pull off a relatively easy win after the Orioles’ lineup gave him an early lead. He finished with six strikeouts and also walked three. The 30-year-old lefty isn’t short on many bats, which limits his realistic fantasy ceiling. However, he has been effective in his last two outings after a difficult start to the year as he leans toward reducing his use of sinkers and cutters against righties, leaning more on his fastball, curveball and changeup. He’ll have a sparkling 2.84 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 36/11 K/BB ratio in 50 2/3 innings (10 appearances, eight starts) in a home outing Sunday against the strikeout-prone Rays. and is at least worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues until further notice.