2024 Fantasy Waiver Wire: Jesse Winker, Mitch Haniger, Reynaldo Lopez

Ryan Jeffers – C – Minnesota Twins (20%)

While very few were paying attention, Jeffers had a huge second half for the Twins last season. In 45 games after the All-Star break, he hammered his way to a .294/.379/.549 slash line with 10 deep drives and 32 RBI. There was not much of a track record of solid offensive output prior to that run, so Jeffers still went largely overlooked in drafts this year. That appears to have been a mistake.

Jeffers is virtually mirroring those slash marks from the second half of 2023, while belting three homers and four doubles in 53 plate appearances so far this season. During the last week, Jeffers has hit in seven straight games, going 12-for-26 with six extra-base hits. He’s recorded a 42.9 HardHit% and three barrels (14.3%) in that stretch. At arguably the shallowest position of them all, Jeffers is quickly climbing the ranks.

Masyn Winn – SS – St. Louis Cardinals (9%)

Winn appeared a bit overmatched against big-league pitching during his first 37 games at the show last year. The same cannot be said for the 22-year-old rookie this season. Through 16 games, Winn has delivered seven multi-hit efforts with three of them coming in the last few days.

Overall, Winn is hitting .362 with an .886 OPS, two doubles, two triples, and three steals (four attempts). Behind that average is an elite 34.2 LD%, 87.7 Contact%, and 94.2 Z-Contact%. He may not provide much pop, but Winn looks ready to contribute nicely in both batting average and steals.

Pitchers

Reynaldo Lopez – SP – Atlanta Braves (47%)

Lopez is making the Braves’ brass look very smart. After excelling as a reliever the last few years, the club took the chance of signing Lopez to a free-agent contract with the intent to turn him back into a starter. That plan could not be going any better.

Lopez has gone exactly six innings in all three of his starts so far this season, giving up only one run in total (0.50 ERA) while posting a 0.94 WHIP and 18-to-6 K/BB. Last time out, he held the Astros scoreless while surrendering just four hits and a walk alongside a season-high seven punchouts. That ERA is obviously going to climb, but a sub-90 mph EV, sub-10 LD%, and 36.4 HardHit% have resulted in a promising 2.12 xERA for Lopez. He should be rostered just about everywhere.  

Edward Cabrera – SP – Miami Marlins (50%)

What a season debut for Cabrera this past Monday! After beginning the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement, the hard-throwing righty held the Giants to only one run on five hits while piling up 10 strikeouts over six frames. Perhaps the most notable development for Cabrera, who owned a career 14.0 BB% over 197.2 innings coming into the year, was that he found the zone with 62 of 91 pitches (68%) and issued only one free pass.

Cabrera sat above 96 mph with his heater and induced 17 swinging strikes (18.7%) during the outing. It’s been known that he has amazing stuff with serious strikeout potential, but if the 26-year-old can finally harness his control consistently, he could turn into a front-line fantasy SP.

Michael Kopech – RP – Chicago White Sox (44%)

Speaking of flamethrowers, Kopech, who burned out as a starter, is bringing the heat over and over again (81.4%, 98.7 mph)  to great success out of the White Sox bullpen. The rebuilding White Sox (2-14) have only given him a couple of save chances so far, but he’s converted both of them, going more than one inning each time.

Kopech currently sports a 1.93 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 14-to-6 K/BB across 9.1 innings to this point. He’s still walking batters at a high rate (15.8%), but he has also allowed just one long ball while keeping the ball on the ground at a 47.1-percent clip. The real value is in the save chances, although limited, as well as the K potential. Kopech has posted a stellar 15.5 SwStr% with a ridiculous 68.3 Contact% and 74.5 Z-Contract%. Add him now without a second thought.