Welcome to the 2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 21 Waiver Wire.
Six more players make their way to the Waiver Wire in hopes of leading you to a Fantasy Baseball Championship. Some of them have already made the list this season, but don't worry, their roster percentages are still low enough for you to grab in most leagues.
We have a rookie for the Tampa Bay Rays who is filling in for Wander Franco and doing a fantastic job. Next is a veteran outfielder that started the year off better than anybody else. After a two-month slump, however, he is now widely available and is turning that slump into another breakout.
After him, there are two starting pitchers, one of whom is a two-start pitcher this week and will provide plenty of value. Lastly is a rookie first baseman who started his Major League career with a six-game hitting streak and a journeyman middle infielder earning an everyday role with the Boston Red Sox.
2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 21 Waiver Wire
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Osleivis Basabe, 3B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays
The only kind of home run Osleivis Basabe knows how to hit is the grand slam variety.
So far, anyway. pic.twitter.com/iJax1q46R1
— Tampa Bay Devil Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 23, 2023
Osleivis Basabe is the man to get. He is the new starting shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays and is already turning heads with his impressive play. He has a good mix of being able to make solid contact, decent power, and respectable speed to make him a reliable Fantasy asset.
Basabe is slashing .333/.385/.500 with a 151 wRC+ in just ten MLB games this season, with one home run (a grand slam), nine runs, and nine RBI. Despite swiping 16 bags in Triple-A, he has yet to record a stolen base with the Tampa Bay Rays.
At just 22 years old, Basabe still has room to grow his game. Don't expect him to be this good the rest of the season, but go out and add him; he can be a surprise league winner this season.
Adam Duvall, OF, Boston Red Sox
ADAM DUVALL WITH A 3 RUN BOMB IN EXTRAS RED SOX TAKE THE DAMN LEAD!! pic.twitter.com/4oPT0aUGe8
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) August 24, 2023
Adam Duvall is having the resurgence that everyone hoped he would after returning from the injured list. It just took two and a half months to get here.
He is slashing .400/.438/.800 in his last seven games with five runs and eight RBI. He's belted three doubles and three home runs and struck out five times. All six extra-base hits came against the talented Houston Astros pitching staff.
Duvall's HardHit% is 35.7%, just below the league average (36.2%). His 13% Barrel%, however, is well above league average (6.9%). I'm buying into Duvall for the rest of the season.
Cole Ragans, SP, Kansas City Royals
Cole Ragans is back for another turn on the 2023 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire. He is scheduled for one game this week versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. Over the last 15 days, the Pirates rank 18th in OPS and 15th in runs scored. They've also recorded the seventh most strikeouts in this timeframe.
Since joining the Kansas City Royals, Ragans has recorded three wins, one loss, and five quality starts across six appearances. He's struck out 47 batters in 34.2 innings, averaging 12.20 strikeouts per nine innings. Ragans has also allowed eight earned runs for a 2.08 ERA.
He's playing well and has an easier matchup this week; pick him up as soon as possible.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels
With this RBI single, 2023 first-rounder Nolan Schanuel becomes the first @Angels rookie to start his career with a 6-game hitting streak since David Eckstein (9 games) in 2001. pic.twitter.com/BTK54vg3hL
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 24, 2023
Nolan Schanuel, similarly to Basabe, is a recent call-up who is impressing in his first taste of MLB action. He's recorded a hit in six straight games and scored five runs and one RBI.
His 26.9% walk and 7.7% strikeout rates are the most eye-opening stat. This has amounted to a .368/.538/.368 slash line and 174 wRC+. His .538 on-base percentage is wild and unsustainable, but his patience at the plate is telling that he is ready to compete at the Major League level.
He's not hitting the ball very hard (23.5% HardHit rate) and has recorded zero barrels, but his contact skills/hit tools are shining through.
Pablo Reyes, 2B/3B/SS, Boston Red Sox
Pablo Reyes has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston Red Sox this year. He's slashing .319/.356/.430 with a 111 wRC+ in 148 plate appearances. In these 48 games, he's scored 25 runs and 18 RBI while also stealing five bases.
Reyes doesn't do one thing well. Instead, he is a reliable all-around player who can get on base or slug the ball. The best part about his game (to me) is he rarely strikes out. At 11%, he ranks tenth in MLB among batters with at least 140 plate appearances.
The middle infielder has carved an everyday role with the Red Sox, and it looks like it's now his job to lose. The Red Sox start the week against the tough Houston Astros but finish it against the weak Kansas City Royals pitching staff. Expect another solid week from Reyes.
Bryan Woo, SP, Seattle Mariners
Bryan Woo's 3rd K. pic.twitter.com/mvIT4x6oq3
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 23, 2023
Last but not least is Bryan Woo of the Seattle Mariners on the 2023 Fantasy Baseball Week 21 Waiver Wire. Woo is back after missing two weeks with an arm injury. The rookie is already doing his best to woo over Fantasy managers.
On August 22, versus the Chicago White Sox, Woo pitched four innings, allowing three hits and one walk for one earned run. He also struck out three batters. This brought his season-long ERA and FIP down to 4.58 and 3.96, respectively.
Woo has an awe-inspiring Baseball Savant page where he ranks above league average in almost every category. His best, however, is the average exit velocity (85th percentile), HardHit% (91st percentile), Barrel% (79th percentile), K% (66th percentile), BB% (64th percentile), and Whiff% (61st percentile).
Woo is lined up for a two-start week, starting with the Oakland Athletics on Monday and finishing with the New York Mets on Sunday. Over the last 15 days, the Athletics rank 18th in OPS, 15th in runs, and have the fifth most strikeouts. The Mets rank 14th in OPS, seventh in runs, and have the sixth most strikeouts.
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