Fantasy Baseball Week 8 Waiver Wire: Casey Schmitt, Matt McLain & More
As the 2023 MLB season enters its seventh week, fantasy baseball owners are getting comfortable scouting the waiver wire for the best waiver wire pickups to enhance their squads. In a long season, it is crucial to get into the swing of things early and make it a habit of constantly improving one’s team. In this article, we will take a look at the top fantasy baseball pickups heading into Week 7 of the 2023 season.
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Yennier Cano – RP – Baltimore Orioles, 68% owned
Cano continues to deliver outstanding performances coming out from the bullpen. More importantly, he is able to keep opposing hitters off balance with his nice combination of pitches. He has not allowed a run in almost 20 innings pitched. Cano has some additional fantasy value as he can slot in as a closer as well, and has 3 saves on the season. This versatility along with his lethal combination of pitches make him a valuable addition going into this week.
Tanner Bibee – SP – Cleveland Guardians – 49% owned
Bibee, 24, allowed just one run in almost 6 innings pitched while striking out eight with no walks in the victory against the Rockies. Bibee, who arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday night, is the third starting pitcher to make his debut for the Guardians this season, following Logan Allen. Bibee expects to stay in the rotation considering he is able to use his nice arsenal of pitches to his advantage. He utilizes his fastball and then combines it with his changeup and slider to keep hitters off balance to produce many groundouts.
Casey Schmitt – INF - San Francisco Giants - 46% Owned
Schmitt's hot start to the season is certainly turning heads in San Francisco. With the Giants losing Brandon Crawford to injury, the San Francisco Giants called up prospect Casey Schmitt to play shortstop. With Crawford's return from injury, Schmitt has proven that he is here to stay and might not be giving up his starting spot anytime soon. Schmitt has only appeared in a handful of games for the Giants. He is hitting an astonishing .550 with two home runs and five RBI. When Crawford returned to the lineup, Schmitt started playing third base to key his bat in the lineup.
Matt McLain, INF – Cincinnati Reds – 38% Owned
The 17th overall pick of the 2021 draft, McLain was a highly touted player in his college days at UCLA, and he has made a quick rise through Cincinnati’s farm system. He was enjoying his coming out party in the minors which earned him a promotion to the big club. He was hitting for .346 with 12 home runs. With an impressive stat line, time will tell if he will enjoy the same success in the pros. While he has drastically reduced his swing and misses, and he is able to get on base more often, he uses his speed to steal bases at an alarming rate. With his combination of speed and the ability to swing for contact along with his versatility on defense, look for McLain to get a ton of playing time alongside Kevin Newman in the infield.
Jake Burger - INF/OF - Chicago White Sox - 37% Owned
The 27-year-old versatile slugger seems to be enjoying a sensation season in 2023. Across 99 plate appearances in just 29 games, he has a batting average of .292 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI. Burger has hit safely in six games since returning from a strained left oblique, going 11 for 22 with three homers and nine RBIs. Burger is notorious for taking a swing at most pitches, but he can afford to do so considering his remarkable exit velocity when he connects. Even with Yoan Moncada back in the lineup, consider him to remain in the lineup while patrolling the outfield and hitting from the DH position.
