The closest division races, in the American League East and the National League Central, have the Boston Red Sox leading the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs leading the Milwaukee Brewers, both by 3.5 games. In the AL wild card race, the Yankees and Minnesota Twins are holding the two spots, with the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Tampa Bay Rays all within striking distance. In the NL wild card race, the Arizona Diamondbacks have all but locked up one of the spots, with the Colorado Rockies currently occupying the other. The Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Miami Marlins are in contention for the last wild card spot. With a recap of the standings, let’s look at the best pickups for this week’s MLB waiver wire.
Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals
Luke Weaver has been a bright spot for the Cardinals’ otherwise turbulent season. In eight games total and 5 starts, Weaver is 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 1.11 WHIP, and 11.3 K/9 while holding opponents to a .220/.285/.356 slash line. He has recorded quality starts in four straight games, recording at least eight strikeouts in each. In addition to his high strikeout numbers, Weaver has also been able to keep his walks under control – he hasn’t allowed more than two walks in any of his starts so far. Pick him up while you can, because with the Cardinals’ playoffs hopes slowing fading, Weaver will be sure to pick up a few more starts before the regular season finishes.
Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays
Blake Snell is also an intriguing prospect. So far this year, Snell is 3-6 with a 4.02 ERA, 4.37 FIP, and 1.39 WHIP while allowing opponents to slash .242/.327/.404. However, he’s been much better after the All-Star break, posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.14 WHIP while holding opponents to a .228/.285/.391 slash line. He’s also been able to limit his walks and his pre- and post-All-Star break numbers have been dramatically different: 34 walks to 45 strikeouts vs. 16 walks to 43 strikeouts. The Rays are still somewhat in the AL wild card race, and Snell will have to pitch extremely well for the Rays to have any sort of chance.
Jorge Polanco, SS/3B, Minnesota Twins
The Twins are barely clinging on to the last wild card spot but with Jorge Polanco receiving increased playing time, he has definitely made the most of it. So far, Polanco is slashing .258/.306/.414 in 108 games but over the last month, he has been on a tear, slashing .351/.390/.691 with 7 HR, 26 RBI, 17 R, and 8 2B. His breakout performance couldn’t have come at a better time for the Twins. Polanco’s post-All-Star break stats have been night and day compared to his first half stats – .323/.370/.594 vs. .224/.273/.323. Polanco will likely maintain his role as an everyday player with the Twins trying to secure a wild card berth for the first time in a while.
The Twins are currently holding onto a Wild Card spot with a record of 71-65. They are currently 1.5 games up on the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles, but both teams are hot on their heels. The Orioles have won eight of their last 10 games to jump back in contention while the Angels have bolstered their lineup with a couple of big trades.
Adeiny Hechavarria, SS, Tampa Bay Rays
Adeiny Hechavarria’s overall numbers this season don’t look too impressive at all, with a slash line of .255/.277/.384 in 76 games. While he is known more for his glove, Hechavarria has been surging at the plate as well. In the last two weeks, Hechavarria has posted a slash line of .325/.357/.650 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 3 2B, and 3 3B. He certainly has his hot streaks and the Rays will desperately need him to maintain this performance if they’re going to have any hopes of securing a wild card berth.
The Rays are currently in the midst of another losing streak (two games), and they are now 68-70 on the season. They are 9.5 games out of first place in the American League East but they are still just four games out a wild card spot.
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