MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

September is just around the corner, and although me saying that might just get you fired up for another year of fantasy football, it also means that it's now crunch time on the fantasy baseball calendar. In just a few short days, most head-to-head leagues will begin their postseason; meanwhile, rotisserie leagues will continue to operate exactly how they have been all season long... just a lot more intense now. The fun that usually comes with roster expansion will have to wait until next week's article, but that doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of options sitting in your league's waiver wire who are waiting to bring you a championship (or consolation bracket) trophy...

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles (29%)

Bradish didn't look like someone who was making his first start back from Tommy John surgery Tuesday, as he pitched six innings of two-run ball while collecting 10 Ks without walking a single batter. Unfortunately, a complete lack of run support from the Orioles' offense caused him to come away with a loss in an otherwise impressive season debut. Before going under the knife last June, the right-hander had registered a 2.81 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 38 starts since 2023. Of course, one start after a 14-month absence isn't a lot to go off of, but until he provides a reason to believe he's taken a step back since surgery, it doesn't feel right to let him collect dust on the waiver wire. FAAB: $4

 Jonah Tong, New York Mets (31%)

A candidate for the fastest-rising prospect award, Tong is due to make his MLB debut Friday against the Marlins. The 22-year-old right-hander burst onto the scene after posting a 1.68 ERA and 0.92 WHIP across 20 starts at Double-A Binghamton, and he's thrown 11.2 shutout innings since being promoted to Triple-A on Aug. 16. Aside from giving up hardly any runs, Tong has turned heads with a 14.2 K/9 between Double-A and Triple-A. The Mets have been very open about the fact that Tong will need to perform well Friday in order to win a spot in New York's six-man rotation, but if his success translates into the majors, he could end up being a steal of a pickup down the stretch. FAAB: $4

 Ryan Bergert, Kansas City Royals (36%)

The Padres offloaded Bergert ahead of the trade deadline in a move that was overshadowed by pretty much everything else San Diego did that day, and that's beginning to look like a decision the Friars might wish they could take back. The 25-year-old righty has started five games since joining the Royals and owns a 2.54 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and a 25:8 K:BB over 28.1 innings. Each one of those starts has seen Bergert pitch into the sixth inning while giving up two runs or fewer, so while the strikeout totals may not always be eye-popping, he gains points in the reliability department. With an upcoming matchup against the Angels, and Cole Ragans (shoulder) yet to embark on a rehab assignment, Bergert figures to have a good shot at extending his dominant run. FAAB: $2

 Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates (16%)

Ashcraft began the season serving primarily as a multi-inning reliever and found a great deal of success doing so, turning in a 3.24 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through Aug. 5. His performance has only gotten better since he moved to the rotation full-time, giving up just two earned runs while fanning 15 batters and walking two over 13.1 innings across his last three outings. A favorable matchup against the slumping Cardinals on Thursday provides reason to believe Ashcraft will continue to perform well on the bump, though Paul Skenes shareholders will be the first to tell you that picking up wins while relying on the Pirates' offense can be quite difficult. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

Abner Uribe, Milwaukee Brewers (34%)

Uribe has been viewed as one of the best noncloser relievers in baseball all season. He boasts a 1.71 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 78 strikeouts through 63.1 innings, and his 35 holds rank first in all of Major League Baseball. Now that Trevor Megill is due to miss some time with an elbow injury, Uribe should take over as Milwaukee's closer and likely will receive plenty of save chances while pitching for a team that finds itself leading in the ninth inning far more often than not. FAAB: $6

Catcher

 Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox (14%)

It's safe to say at this point that Teel has won the battle against Edgar Quero for time behind the plate, as the former has started five of the White Sox's last seven games at catcher. Additionally, Teel has been picking up time as the Southsiders' designated hitter whenever he's not catching, so there's really no need to be concerned about his playing time anymore. It also helps that the rookie backstop has slashed .319/.388/.444 with two homers, 13 RBI and eight runs scored since the beginning of August, moving himself into the three-hole of Chicago's lineup in the process. FAAB: $5

 Gabriel Moreno, Arizona Diamondbacks (24%)

Moreno's time on the injured list is now complete after he spent two months on the shelf rehabbing a fractured finger. He's tallied three multi-hit performances in four games since his return, going 6-for-16 with two homers, seven RBI and four runs scored. James McCann proved to be a serviceable backup while Moreno was away, but the latter's contact skills and plate discipline will keep him cemented as Arizona's primary catcher going forward. FAAB: $2

First Baseman

 Ryan O'Hearn, San Diego Padres (32%)

O'Hearn got off to a bit of a slow start with his new team after being traded to the Padres at the deadline, but he's really begun to turn things around over the past couple of weeks, slashing .333/.388/.533 with a pair of homers, seven RBI and 10 runs scored across 49 plate appearances in his last 14 games. Uncharacteristically high strikeout rates continue to be a problem for him since his move out West, but his production has finally rebounded enough to put him back into consideration for fantasy managers searching for a cleanup hitter who is more than capable of driving in a healthy amount of runs. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners (30%)

Coming off a 2024 season that saw Polanco post a career-low .651 OPS, the 32-year-old seems to be back to his usual self while slashing .252/.317/.456 with 59 RBI, 49 runs scored and six steals through 419 plate appearances. He's also belted two homers within the past week, allowing him to reach the 20-HR mark for just the third time in his career and the first time since 2021. All that being said, Polanco has dropped down to sixth in the Mariners' batting order despite his hot streak, which puts a ceiling on his potential for runs and RBI. FAAB: $1

Third Baseman

 Brett Baty, New York Mets (21%)

Baty has played his way into a near-everyday role in the Mets' infield after slashing .345/.415/.586 with four homers, seven RBI and 16 runs scored through 65 plate appearances since the start of August. New York has still been somewhat hesitant to deploy the 25-year-old against left-handed starters, but the team may consider playing the matchup game less often as long as Baty continues to hit the ball well. FAAB: $2

Shortstop

 Jared Triolo, Pittsburgh Pirates (22%)

Triolo broke a streak of five consecutive multi-hit performances by going 0-for-2 with two walks Wednesday, but that doesn't change the fact that he's been swinging one of the hottest bats in baseball for the past several weeks. Sporting a .329/.424/.494 slash line since the beginning of August to go with two home runs, eight RBI, 14 runs and four steals, the 27-year-old has turned his season around completely and played his way into a regular starting spot at shortstop. He's also in a great position to continue piling up runs now that he's been elevated to the leadoff spot in Pittsburgh's lineup. FAAB: $4

 Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox (34%)

With a home run in each of his last four games and nine blasts total since Aug. 1, Montgomery is beginning to emerge as a very strong source of power. Slugging like that will typically translate into quite a few ribbies, especially while batting in the heart of the order, but your expectations for the 23-year-old rookie should probably end there. His .230 batting average and .287 OBP aren't much to write home about, he has yet to swipe his first bag 43 games into his MLB career, and his unsightly 27.4 percent strikeout rate combined with a 6.7 percent walk rate can equate to a frustrating viewing experience. That last issue may fade as he gains major-league experience, however. FAAB: $1

Outfielder

 Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels (44%)

After mashing five home runs in a nine-game span, Adell officially achieved his first 30-homer season in the majors Tuesday and further cemented himself as a bona fide power bat on whom fantasy managers can depend. The 26-year-old slugger is also sitting on a career-high 82 RBI for the season (10 in his last 10 games), and now that the Angels have begun using him as their cleanup man, there's a very real chance he reaches triple digits by the time the season comes to a close. FAAB: $5

 Luis Matos, San Francisco Giants (5%)

Matos was slashing .167/.208/.351 through 120 plate appearances in the majors when the Giants sent him down to Triple-A on Aug. 4. Since returning to San Francisco last Thursday, he's gone 9-for-22 with two round-trippers, four RBI and six runs scored in six games while staking claim to a full-time job in right field. Not a bad week if you ask me. Given how poorly Matos' season had been going prior to the past seven days, there's a very good chance he comes crashing down to Earth at some point, but the potential upside that comes with regular playing time outweighs the low cost here. FAAB: $1

 Jeremiah Jackson, Baltimore Orioles (5%)

Jackson has been a hitting machine since arriving in the major leagues at the beginning of the month. He's notched a base hit in 12 of his last 13 games, slashing .367/.380/.510 with eight RBI and seven runs scored in that span. He still has yet to display the power that allowed him to hit 11 dingers in 40 games at Triple-A Norfolk, though it may only be a matter of time before that part of his game translates into the bigs as well. For now, he seems to be a solid option for those searching for a few extra hits as we enter the final month of the season. FAAB: $1

Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!