Fantasy Baseball Hitter Waiver Wire: Last call for Lawrence Butler!
Dan Titus reveals the top widely available hitters worth adding on the fantasy baseball waiver wire in Week 16.
Lawrence Butler - OF, Oakland Athletics (50% rostered)
Fresh off smashing three dingers with six RBI against the Phillies before the All-Star break, Butler is on a tear and should be picked up in all formats.
Not 1️⃣
Not 2️⃣
But 3️⃣ Lawrence Butler home runs today pic.twitter.com/wtAh9zDXay— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 14, 2024
Despite his .237 average on the season, Butler's recent performance is worth noting. Over the past two weeks, he's been on fire, hitting .455 with eight runs, five homers, 18 RBI and two stolen bases. His seven home runs in the last 15 games, while not sustainable, indicate a significant power surge that appears to be legitimate.
Butler's max exit velocity ranks in the 87th percentile, and his barrel (11.8%) and hard-hit rates (48.7%) are above league average. Over the past month, he's quietly in the top 10 in the MLB in both those marks. His high K rate (28.5%) indicates he could struggle with plate discipline, but the slugging and power numbers he's bringing will offset the average dip that could be on the horizon.
He was the AL Player of the Week right before the All-Star break and brought that momentum forward, going 7-for-11 with three runs and five RBI since Friday. Fantasy managers should strike while he's moved to the leadoff spot — run and check if he's still available.
Zach Neto - SS, Los Angeles Angels (44% rostered)
The 23-year-old shortstop has been a top 80 player in fantasy over the last month, batting .291 with three homers, 12 runs, 12 RBI and seven stolen bases in that span. Neto's been showing steady improvement throughout the season, providing fantasy managers with a valuable mix of contact, speed and power. His OPS hasn't been beneath .780 since April, and with Mike Trout aiming to return on Thursday, the Angels could get some welcomed star power back, which would only benefit Neto in the middle of the lineup.
Neto closed out last week batting .500 with three runs, one home run, three RBI and two stolen bases against the A's and he'll face the Mariners and then the A's again on a four-game homestand after that. Pick him up if you need a multi-faceted shortstop.
Michael Toglia - 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies (24% rostered)
A former first-round pick in 2019, the 25-year-old Toglia is finally getting the chance to showcase his power. Since becoming a regular in the Rockies lineup in early June, Toglia has been a force to be reckoned with, evidenced by his 12 home runs, 26 RBI and 20 runs scored in that span. His potential as a power hitter was evident when he had his first multi-home run game right before the All-Star break, hitting three solo shots in a win over the New York Mets.
Like Butler, you'll have to look past the batting average, but the advanced data indicates Toglia's trending to be a 2023 Brent Rooker type of player. Despite hitting .197 as a whole thus far, he's slugging .492 with barrel, hard hit and exit velocities all well above league average. Baseball Savant is tracking his xBA to be .238, which exceeds his performance over the last month. So, assuming he can sustain at least a .230 average, and if the power numbers hold, he'll be a productive fantasy asset in mixed leagues. He's been a top 25 player over the past two weeks, and after the All-Star break, I'd expect him to be rostered in more than just 24% of leagues considering he plays at Coors Field and 10 of his 16 homers have come on the road.
Juan Yepez - 1B/OF, Washington Nationals (22% rostered)
Another recent trending callup, Yepez is slashing .367/.436/.571 with 1.008 OPS this season. In 55 plate appearances, the Venezuelan has one homer, nine runs, six RBI and a steal. He hit his first long ball right after the All-Star break, and he's moved up into the heart of the lineup, batting either third or cleanup against the Reds this past weekend. He's in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak, so ride the wave until he cools off.
Xavier Edwards - 2B/SS, Miami Marlins (12% rostered)
Edwards has been doing his best Luis Arráez impression because all he does is make contact and get on base consistently. The June callup is flying under the fantasy radar, hitting .344/.425/.406 with eight runs, four RBI and three stolen bases in 18 games. And it's not like this is out of the ordinary. Edwards won the AAA batting title in 2023 and hit .295 in 30 games with the Marlins after being called up last September. Don't expect much on the power front but he rarely strikes out, punching out just 12 times in 64 ABs this season.
Edwards' speed is a significant asset, as he converted 37-of-41 steal attempts across the minors and major leagues last season. With his consistent contact and on-base skills, it's likely he'll move to the top of the batting order in the future. When this happens, his speed and switch-hitting ability will make him more than just a deep league waiver add.