With the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Dodgers having basically wrapped up their respective divisions, let’s first take a look at some of the closer divisional races. Having gone 9-1 over their last 10 games, the Boston Red Sox have padded their lead on the New York Yankees to 5.5 games in the American League East while the Cleveland Indians, on the heels of a three-game winning streak, have extended their lead to 4.5 games over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. The closest divisional race has been the National League Central, where the Chicago Cubs lead the St. Louis Cardinals by only 1.0 games, the Milwaukee Brewers by 2.0 games, and the Pittsburgh Pirates by 4.0 games – should be interesting to see how this turns out. With a recap of the week 19 standings, here are the best MLB waiver wire pickups for week 20.
Odubel Herrera, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
When comparing Odubel Herrera’s ownership numbers to his production, the numbers seem far too low. Herrera has come on strong after the first half of the season – his second half splits have been ridiculous: .382/.452/.696 with a .418 BABIP, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 19 R, and 10 2B in only 27 games started. Additionally, Herrera’s slash line on the year has also been respectable – .286/.332/.465. Riding a 12-game hit streak, Herrera is second only to Mike Trout in wRC+ and fourth in slugging percentage. While Herrera will continue to be overshadowed due to the Phillies’ promotion of top prospect Rhys Hoskins, you should pick up Herrera while his ownership numbers are still depressed.
The Phillies are currently in dead last in the American League East with a record of 43-72. They have lost six of their last 10 contests.
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
Speaking of Rhys Hoskins, here he is on this week’s waiver wire pickups. Over the course of 115 games in AAA this year, Hoskins has compiled a .284/.385/.581 slash line with 29 HR, 91 RBI, 78 R, and 24 2B. His walk rate of 13.5% coupled with a strikeout rate of 15.8% is pretty appealing for someone with as much power as himself. While MLB pitchers will adjust to Hoskins sooner or later, his power should continue to present itself in the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park. With the playing time right there for Hoskins, he should serve as an attractive waiver wire pickup.
Zach Davies, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
So far on the year, Zach Davies has compiled a 13-6 record with a 4.40 ERA, 4.52 ERA, and 1.40 WHIP while allowing opponents to slash .279/.338/.439. While these numbers are less than spectacular, Davies has improved dramatically during the second half of the season – 3.18 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while allowing a slash line of .252/.305/.327. Even better, Davies has only allowed an ERA of 2.36, WHIP of 1.11, and a slash line of .238/.277/.286. Had it not been for his most recent start, Davies had strung together four straight quality starts. With the Brewers still in the thick of things in the National League Central race, Davies should finish off the season on a good note.
The Brewers enter Monday night in third place in the National League Central. They have won two straight but have dropped six of their last 10, and are two games back of the Chicago Cubs for the division lead.
James McCann, C, Detroit Tigers
Having taken over the starting catcher role, James McCann has been a beast over the past month – .365/.397/.514 slash line with a .417 BABIP and 27 hits in 19 games started. While his numbers to-date are lacking – .254/.322/.447 – this has been due to his mediocre first half splits dragging him down. McCann has been a different player since the All-Star break (first half slash line of .201/.282/.416 vs. second half slash line of .354/.400/.506) and he should finish off the season as a top-tier catcher that’s still injury free.
The Tigers find themselves in fourth place in the American League Central entering the day. They have lost seven of their last 10 games and are 11 games out of first place in the division. Only two teams in the entire American League have fewer than their 53 wins so far (the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics).
The MLB season is in full swing, so if you’re looking at betting lines, in-game betting and World Series futures, click here to bet on MLB (or any other sports) at BetDSI
