Welcome to the 2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 17 Waiver Wire.
This week on the Waiver Wire, we have six more Fantasy Baseball Adds, including two pitchers. Hyun Jin Ryu is set to make his 2023 debut on Tuesday, and Jose Quintana has a juicy two-start week against the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles. After them, we have two of the hottest hitters in baseball, both of whom have a roster percentage under 45%.
Lastly, we have rookie outfielder Sal Frelick who has been an exciting player to watch since his MLB debut on July 22. I also discuss CJ Abrams and how he is a top-12 shortstop in Fantasy Baseball after outproducing some high-caliber players.
For our All-Access Members, I list an additional 18 batters and 18 pitchers to help you win the week. Included with them are one bonus batter and one bonus pitcher.
2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 17 Waiver Wire
If you want more customized advice for your personal leagues, join our Discord server.
Hyun Jin Ryu, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
The #BlueJays will move to a six-man rotation beginning with Hyun Jin Ryu’s start on Tuesday.
A stretch of 17 games in 17 days ends August 13, with off days on the 14th and 17th. That feels like the natural time to shorten back up to a five-man rotation if they choose.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 28, 2023
After missing most of the 2022 season, Ryu is gearing up to make his 2023 season debut. FantasyPros Pitcher Planner lists Ryu as the probable starter on Tuesday versus the Baltimore Orioles. Ryu currently has a roster percentage of 12%, according to FantasyPros.
The veteran lefty made four rehab appearances in July, and his two most recent outings came in Triple-A. In total, he pitched 18 innings and allowed four earned runs. He also struck out 16 batters and walked just one.
According to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Ryu's fastball averaged 88.4 MPH and peaked at 90.8. His changeup also got seven whiffs on 15 swings.
The fastball could be faster, but I'm still encouraged by his production during his rehab assignment. Ryu has a career 75-45 record with an 8.04 K/9, 1.99 BB/9, 0.96 HR/9, and 3.27 ERA across 1003.1 innings. With the Fantasy Baseball season beginning to wind down, a pitcher like Ryu can give Fantasy teams the push they need to succeed.
Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox
TRISTON CASAS IS THE HOTTEST MAN IN BASEBALL! pic.twitter.com/zzaVaK1AY0
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) July 29, 2023
Triston Casas may be the hottest baseball player, not named Shohei Ohtani. Since July 14, Casas is slashing .469/.575/1.094 with 11 runs and 11 RBI across 40 plate appearances. His walk rate during this period is up from 14.5% to 20%, while his strikeout rate is down from 25.4% to 20%.
This recent stretch has improved Casas' season-long numbers to a slash line of .253/.360/.477 with a 126 wRC+. The Red Sox starting first baseman also has an impressive Baseball Savant page. His average exit velocity (91.7 MPH) ranks in the 85th percentile, and his hard hit rate (47.2%) and barrel rate (14.6%) rank in the 80th percentile and 93rd percentile, respectively. On top of that, his xwOBA (.368) and xSLG (.491) rank in the 90th percentile and 86th percentile, respectively.
Fantasy managers need to add Casas in every single league. His stats are too good to pass up on any longer. His roster percentage is 43%, but it needs to be above 75% after this recent stretch.
Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
First MLB HR
Sal Frelick is Living a Dream pic.twitter.com/opr4m22dgN
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) July 25, 2023
The Milwaukee Brewers called up their number two prospect Sal Frelick on July 22, and he impressed mightily. He went 3-for-3 with a game-winning sacrifice fly for his second RBI. Frelick also scored a run earlier in the game. In the four games after that, he's batted 2-for-9 (single and home run), scored four runs and one RBI, walked five times, and struck out twice. Unfortunately, the worst part is that he's also grounded into two double plays.
Frelick is slashing .438/.565/.688 with a 230 wRC+, and most importantly, he has six walks to two strikeouts. The rookie outfielder also has an impressive 45.5% hard-hit rate and .387 xwOBA.
Frelick is one of the top Waiver Wire Adds this week due to his prospect pedigree and a solid start to his MLB career. I'm adding him in 12-team leagues and considering him in 10-team leagues.
Jose Quintana, SP, New York Mets
I'm targeting Quintana as a Waiver Wire pitcher in every Fantasy Baseball league. He is lined up for a two-start week on the road against the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles.
Over the last 15 days, the Royals have the 13th lowest OPS (.701) and have scored the 10th fewest runs as well. In the same span, the Orioles have the sixth-lowest OPS (.665) and have scored the 11th fewest runs. Regarding strikeouts and walks, the Royals have the fewest walks and the sixth-fewest strikeouts, while the Orioles have the eighth fewest walks and the 12th most strikeouts over the last 15 days.
Quintana has more than just matchups going for him. In his two MLB appearances this season, he's pitched 11 innings and allowed four earned runs and three walks while striking out eight batters. Despite the solid performances, his record sits at 0-2.
Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota Twins
Edouard Julien with an RBI triple. Is anyone surprised at this point? #MNTwins ??? pic.twitter.com/f30oB6V2P3
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) July 25, 2023
If Casas is the second hottest player in baseball behind Ohtani, then Edouard Julien is the third hottest player in baseball. Since July 14, he's slashing .410/.511/.718 with ten runs and five RBI across 47 plate appearances. Similarly to Casas, Julien's walk rate is up from 12% to 17%, and his strikeout rate is down from 31.5% to 27.7%.
This recent stretch has improved his season-long numbers to .302/.387/.552 slash line with a 159 wRC+. Julien has an awe-inspiring 17.9% barrel rate, .347 xwOBA, 44% hard-hit rate, and 42.9% sweet spot rate.
Casas and Julien are putting up similar numbers over this stretch, and if a Fantasy manager is lucky enough to roster both of them, they will surely be on a winning streak. Fantasy managers must roster Julien in every league and bump his roster percentage to 75%.
CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals
CJ Abrams caps off a 4-run 9th inning comeback for the @Nationals! pic.twitter.com/iDTQHoUQPh
— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2023
Last but not least on the 2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 17 Waiver Wire is Abrams. The shortstop's 50% roster percentage is usually too high to make the Waiver Wire, but he's too good to leave off. The Nationals shortstop is very clearly a top-12 shortstop in Fantasy Baseball, and over the last 15 days, he's been a top-three, if not the best, shortstop in Fantasy Baseball.
In this span, he's slashing .321/.383/.566 with 16 runs, six RBI, seven stolen bases, five walks, and nine strikeouts. Abrams has ten home runs and 21 stolen bases on the season, with 18 doubles and four triples.
Abrams has outperformed shortstops such as Trea Turner, Anthony Volpe, and Tommy Edman, and he's not too far behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Wander Franco. I'm ranking Abrams as a top-12 shortstop rest of the season, and I expect his roster percentage to increase to around 75%.
To unlock the Best of the Rest, which includes over 40 more Waiver Wire options, broken down by positional need, become an All-Access Member. You will also gain access to the Most Accurate Fantasy Baseball Rankings, DFS Projections, custom league-specific advice on Discord and more!
If you are already a member, sign in.
Check out the rest of the Fantasy Baseball content.
