MLB

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 24

Sean Manaea was brilliant in his first start of 2019, and he could make for a sneaky add down the stretch. Which other players should you consider picking up?

It's waiver time. There's only a few short weeks left in the fantasy season, and now is not the time to take your foot off the gas pedal. One of the keys to any fantasy success is not only nailing your draft, but scouring that waiver wire for players who can give your team a boost. Even though fantasy baseball can be a really long season, it's key to search those waivers and take it week-by-week to cement your fantasy status.

The four players below are all owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and could give your team a lift.

Tommy Edman - St. Louis Cardinals (2B/3B/SS/OF)

Yahoo Ownership: 28%

The St. Louis Cardinals' offense is easily one of the league's worst, and their recent surge to a playoff spot has been driven by excellent pitching. That hasn't stopped the multi-positional Tommy Edman from being one of the lone bright spots on the offense.

With Matt Carpenter slumping, Edman has surged into a path of playing time, and he's taken full advantage of it. Over the last month, Edman ranks fifth in baseball with 23 runs scored, and he's posted a .340 batting average, a .907 OPS, and five steals.

The lone knock on Edman is his place in the batting order -- he batted seventh last night -- but he still makes for a great add with plenty of lineup flexibility.

Hanser Alberto - Baltimore Orioles (2B/3B)

Yahoo Ownership: 26%

No one saw the 2019 breakout coming for Hanser Alberto. After playing with the Texas Rangers the last few years, he was waived by four teams this off-season, including his current squad, the Baltimore Orioles.

But despite all of that nonsense, he's been a major fantasy asset, especially as of late. Over the last month, the infielder has scored 21 runs and jacked five long balls, good for a crisp .960 OPS.

With the O's out of the playoff race, there's no reason Alberto won't continue to see playing time at the top of the order, and we can't ignore his home digs -- Camden Yards ranks sixth in park factor according to ESPN this season. Consider the infielder as a solid add down the stretch.

Sean Manaea - Oakland Athletics (SP)

Yahoo Ownership: 47%

The southpaw may have fallen off the radar a bit for fantasy owners after missing most of 2019 following shoulder surgery, but he definitely reminded folks of his prodigious talent with a sparkling five-strikeout performance over five innings in his season debut versus the New York Yankees.

Now he gets a Detroit Tigers offense that leads the league in strikeout rate for his next turn, and with a powerful Oakland Athletics offense at his back, it makes him even more tantalizing to own.

Prior to that injury, Manaea -- who already owns a no-hitter at the major league level -- sported a ground-ball heavy arsenal (career ground-ball rate of 44.0%) with a 10.9% swinging-strike rate. If your rotation needs some help, check out the lefty.

Rich Hill - Los Angeles Dodgers (SP)

Yahoo Ownership: 44%

Rostering Rich Hill is a bit of an exercise in insanity. When he's on the bump, he's outstanding. It's the "when he's on the bump" part of that last statement that's the issue.

Due to a variety of injuries over the last few years, Hill's fantasy goodness is severely limited -- 132 2/3 innings last year, and only 53 innings this season. Now, it's been 53 outstanding innings, though -- four wins, a 2.55 ERA with 61 strikeouts.

For now, it looks like he will rejoin the rotation this week, and he gets a dream first start against the Orioles, who rank 28th in team wOBA and have a 23.4% strikeout rate.

If you are looking for a flyer and need some pitching help, Hill could be the man to do the job.