The calendar has flipped to September and even though there will be some games in October, we’re in the final month of the season. It’s officially a sprint to the finish line, and every move is magnified. The hope is we can add a couple of players in the next few weeks who will make a huge difference.
Waiver-Wire Targets
Baltimore Orioles Infielder Gunnar Henderson — The 21-year-old was mentioned in last week’s waiver-wire article, but the date of his promotion was unknown. We were hoping it would come soon, but with the Orioles, you just never know. However, the No. 1 prospect in baseball was promoted on Aug. 31 and displayed his immense talent, hitting a home run in his first game in the big leagues.
Henderson is going to be a fantasy star for years who will help in every offensive category. As of now, he’s the youngest player in baseball so we have to temper expectations. There may be times he is on the bench against left-handers, but he’s a player who could give you a boost in the final month. We were early to the party by recommending him last week, but he’s still available now and will easily be the hottest name on the waiver wire.
Arizona Diamondbacks Outfielder Corbin Carroll — Carroll was another recommendation last week prior to his promotion, but he’s still around the 50 percent threshold so Carroll will get another mention. Like Henderson, Carroll is a top prospect with enormous talent. We’ll be investing in Carroll for years to come, but we’re hoping for a five-week performance that can push us over the top. Caroll has already started off strong, as he’s batting .286 with five RBIs and four runs scored.
Arizona Diamondbacks Outfielder Jake McCarthy — McCarthy is another young outfielder for the Diamondbacks displaying talent that we want to be invested in. The 25-year-old finished the month of August with a .308 batting average to go along with three home runs, 19 RBIs, 15 runs scored and eight stolen bases. McCarthy has played 72 games this season and has 12 stolen bases. The speed is legit, as he had 11 stolen bases this season prior to his promotion and finished 2021 with 29. McCarthy is a player who can help in every category and offer a real boost in stolen bases during the final stretch.
Detroit Tigers Outfielder Riley Greene — The Tigers broke my heart this year, as I really thought they would take the next step. Detroit is loaded with talent and the Tigers started playing well in the second half of last year, but injuries really derailed the growth of many of their young talents. Greene can be included in this. He was set to make the Opening Day roster but fractured his foot. That delayed his promotion until June. Greene has held his own but really took off in August. He finished the month with a .266 batting average, three home runs, 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Like the previous three youngsters mentioned above, Greene has the power and speed combination we want in fantasy. I’m excited to see how these four finish the 2022 season, and I can’t wait to mention these guys in 2023 as legit fantasy targets.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles