FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
Payton Tolle (SP Red Sox): Rostered in 20% of Yahoo leagues
We’re getting two top pitching prospect debuts Friday with the Mets calling up Jonah Tong and the Red Sox promoting left-hander Payton Tolle to face the Pirates, Tong’s already been picked up in most active leagues, but he comes highly recommend. Tolle, one of the year’s biggest surprises in the minors, probably isn’t quite as good of a short-term bet, but he’s still well worth trying. A 2024 second-round pick out of TCU, Tolle made his pro debut at High-A Greenville this season, opening up with a 3.62 ERA and a 79/14 K/BB in 49 2/3 innings over 11 outings. That earned him a bump to Double-A, where he posted a 1.67 ERA and a 37/7 K/BB in 27 innings. He’d since moved up to Triple-A, where he had a 3.60 ERA and a 17/2 K/BB. It’s not quite as impressive as Tong’s resume, but his overall 3.04 ERA, 36.5% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate is still pretty remarkable.
A low-90s guys in college, Tolle has been working at 94-98 mph this year and often reaching 90 mph on his cutter. His slider is the best of his three breaking balls, and his changeup isn’t bad, though he hasn’t used it much in Triple-A. Standing 6-foot-6, he gets about as much extension on his pitches as anyone in the majors, making everything function as though it’s a little faster than it actually is. His low arm angle would seem to give righties a pretty good look at his pitches, but one wouldn’t know it from the numbers. Both lefties and righties have batted .203 against him this year. Righties have slugged .327, compared to .339 for lefties.
The Red Sox will be cautious with Tolle’s workload, though since he’s at just 91 2/3 innings, he shouldn’t have to be shut down at any point. Mostly, it’s an in-game issue; Tolle hasn’t thrown more than 90 pitches in an outing this year and has been pulled before hitting 75 in each of his last eight starts. It’s probably going to make it tough for him to complete five innings against major league hitters, and he might actually have more fantasy value if the Red Sox gave him the Bubba Chandler treatment and brought him in mid-game. Still, best to pick him up and see what happens.
Jake Cronenworth (2B Padres): Rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues
There’s definitely nothing sexy about grabbing Cronenworth. He doesn’t steal bases, he doesn’t really hit for average and he has only middling power, which has produced 10 homers and 47 RBI in 108 games this season. What he does have is seven games against the Rockies over the next 2 1/2 weeks, and barring an injury, there’s a good chance he’ll start every one of them. He and Ryan O’Hearn, who is 32% rostered at the moment, make for great short-term pickups who can probably be dropped come Sept. 16.
It’s not just the Rockies, either. The Padres are in Minnesota this weekend and then get the Orioles at home in the first half of next week. Their other non-Rockies series comes at home against the Reds. That’s a lot of mediocre arms to take advantage of. One probably doesn’t want Cronenworth rostered over a Jackson Holliday or Xavier Edwards for the rest of the season, but it’s worth making the switch now and figuring out something else for the final two weeks.
Sal Stewart (3B Reds): Rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues
The Mets and Red Sox are going for it, and it’s time for the Reds to do the same and bring up their No. 1 prospect in Stewart. Pretty strictly a third baseman in the first half of the season, Stewart has recently been getting starts at second and first as the Reds try to figure out how best to fit him in. Even if he’s cooled off this week, Ke’Bryan Hayes’ solid play for his new team has made third base less of a concern. Second base is the team’s biggest issue right now, and though Spencer Steer has been better of late, the Reds still rank near the bottom of the league in their production at first base.
Stewart opened this year by hitting a fine .306/.377/.473 in 80 games for Double-A Chattanooga, but he’s really taken off since a promotion to Triple-A Louisville; he’s batting .313/.397/.642, and he has as many homers (10) in 156 plate appearances for his new team as he did in 329 for Chattanooga. He’s striking out just 16 percent of the time, and he’s even gone 17-for-20 stealing bases.
It’d be a big mistake if Stewart isn’t the Reds’ offensive addition when rosters expand Monday. They probably shouldn’t even wait out the weekend. Even if they don’t trust him defensively at second, they have the ability to plug in Gavin Lux there and use Stewart mostly at DH. There’s no lack of options for a team playing so many averagish bats. Maybe Stewart won’t be a big upgrade immediately, but he’s earned a shot, and in a nice situation for hitters, he should be picked up in mixed leagues when it comes.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
– The Brewers’ Abner Uribe is still available in more than half of Yahoo leagues and could rate as a top-10 closer while Trevor Megill is down with a flexor strain.
– David Hamilton is getting an opportunity at second base against right-handers and is 8-for-18 with a homer and a steal in Boston’s last six games. Those looking for steals might want to give him a try. Hamilton is 18-for-23 swiping bases in 164 plate appearances this season.
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