Waiver wire: Three hitters to add power to your infield

The proliferation of each the newfangled information is surely exciting, but erstwhile it comes to palmy waiver ligament pickups, it tin beryllium accusation overload. Take a measurement backmost and recognize that sometimes elemental minds -- arsenic in, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" -- are much effectual than motorboat angles and Barrel rates. The apical phantasy shot pickups successful Week 10 seemingly fell disconnected the radar but are perchance much productive than players with overmuch higher ESPN rosterships.

Matt Shaw, 2B/3B/SS, Chicago Cubs (available successful 74% of ESPN leagues): Shaw isn't the archetypal heralded imaginable to conflict initially successful the majors and past settee down aft a insignificant league reset. The 23-year-old broke campy with the club, but aft putting up a .172/.294/.241 enactment implicit 18 games, Shaw was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. After batting .286/.409/.560 with 5 steals successful 5 tries implicit 24 games connected the farm, Shaw returned to the bigs. In six games since returning, helium is hitting .360/.385/.560 with 2 swipes. Most telling is that Shaw struck retired astatine a 26.5% clip successful his archetypal foray successful the majors, but helium has lone 4 punchouts successful 26 sheet appearances (16.5%) since his return. He's earmarked to beryllium the Cubs' regular 3rd baseman, but based connected his 2024 positions played successful the minors, he's besides eligible astatine 2nd basal and 3rd basal successful ESPN leagues.

Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels (available successful 70%): Neto enjoyed a breakthrough sophomore season, but helium injured his close enarthrosis sliding during the last week past September and required offseason surgery. Rehab extended done the outpouring and into the aboriginal information of this season. Since powerfulness is often dilatory to instrumentality pursuing a enarthrosis injury, Neto's draught banal tumbled heading into the 2025 campaign. But successful 34 games since debuting successful mid-April, Neto is batting .284/.326/.537 with 8 steals. He's striking retired astatine a higher rate, with the tradeoff being that he's hitting the shot with overmuch much authority. Neto has gained 5.0 mph of mean exit velocity, fueling a leap from a 38.2% HardHit% past play to 50% truthful acold this year. While Neto's existent level mightiness not beryllium sustainable for the last 4 months, it's evident that he's experiencing nary sick effects from the enarthrosis surgery. Additionally, the information helium was injured portion moving hasn't curbed his aggressiveness connected the basepaths.

Spencer Horwitz, 1B/2B, Pittsburgh Pirates (available successful 90%): Horwitz's calling paper is sheet patience and putting the shot successful play. While not wholly devoid of powerfulness and speed, Horwitz's willingness to coax walks and bounds strikeouts plays amended successful a points format than rotisserie scoring. While determination is inactive clip for the left-handed swinger to show helium tin grip southpaw pitching, the 27-year-old is successful information of being pigeonholed arsenic a platoon player. But his allure stems from a immense spike successful exit velocity and HardHit%. It has lone been 9 games spanning 34 sheet appearances, and the improved prime of interaction has not translated to production, but phantasy managers tin nary longer hold for further proof. Someone volition instrumentality enactment of Horwitz's 5 mph mean exit velocity summation and 60.2% HardHit% (compared to 36.6% past season) and instrumentality the chance. Dual eligibility astatine middle- and corner-infield helps assuage missing a crippled oregon 2 a week against a left-handed starter.

Rotisserie-style subordinate to add

Robert Hassell III, OF, Washington Nationals (available successful 98%): At conscionable 23 years old, Hassell is simply a spot young for post-hype status, but this once-bright prospect's prima dimmed considerably since being a centerpiece of the haul the Nationals received from the San Diego Padres successful the Juan Soto deal. He was batting an encouraging .288/.337/.405 with 9 pilfers successful 10 attempts for Triple-A Rochester earlier being summoned for his MLB debut past week. The nine needed outfield assistance with Dylan Crews sidelined with an oblique wounded and Jacob Young dealing with a enarthrosis issue. Hassell mightiness not proceed to play each day, but helium has started each 4 games since his promotion. His rotisserie entreaty stems from the Nationals' propensity to tally (tied for sixth for the astir steals successful MLB). Hassell is acold from a slugger, but helium has much popular than Athletics OF Denzel Clarke, different caller call-up whose superior plus is stolen bases.

Closer to add

Daniel Palencia, RP, Chicago Cubs (available successful 98%): With Porter Hodge connected the IL and Ryan Pressly fanning lone 10 with 9 walks done 18 1/3 frames, Cubs manager Craig Counsell has tasked Palencia with sealing the woody lately. Palencia has the past 2 Cubs saves, on with 5 holds. He'll request to show amended power (seven walks successful 16 2/3 innings), but Palencia has a accidental to service arsenic the person for a squad destined to make a bevy of chances.

Two-start worth pickup

Jameson Taillon, SP, Chicago Cubs (available successful 72%): Pickings are slim with a airy 91-game Week 10 schedule, including lone 4 games connected Thursday, but Taillon has points-league charm with a brace of location starts against susceptible lineups. The 33-year-old seasoned has rung up lone 44 batters successful 56 2/3 innings, but helium has registered a prime commencement six times successful 10 outings, truthful what Taillon lacks successful strikeouts, helium adds successful innings pitched. He's slated for a brace of location starts, archetypal against the Colorado Rockies and past a play tilt with the Cincinnati Reds. The temperatures are inactive mild successful the Windy City, helping Wrigley Field to play big. The Rockies athletics the worst lineup successful the league erstwhile facing righties. The Reds are much dangerous, but they'll beryllium experiencing a parkland downgrade and connection immoderate strikeout upside.

Deeper league pickup

Hayden Birdsong, SP, San Francisco Giants (available successful 92%): Birdsong was truthful ascendant successful alleviation that it was just to wonderment if he'd modulation backmost to the rotation. With Justin Verlander connected the IL with a close pectoral strain and Jordan Hicks demoted to the bullpen, the Giants tabbed Birdsong and Kyle Harrison arsenic their rotation additions. Birdsong needs to outpitch Harrison to instrumentality erstwhile Verlander returns. Week 10 doesn't connection the easiest docket with a brace of roadworthy tilts, including a Memorial Day sojourn to Motown, but Birdsong's 96 mph four-seamer heads a four-pitch repertoire generating a 12.6% swinging onslaught rate, which would fertile 17th if Birdsong compiled capable innings to qualify. If Birdsong tin grip the Detroit Tigers successful his archetypal commencement this week, helium has a much favorable follow-up successful Florida against the Miami Marlins.