The long wait is finally over. The championship round of fantasy baseball begins now. For those that made it through all of the twists and turns of the regular season and the semifinals: congratulations! No question, getting this far is truly an accomplishment. However, even at this stage, we can still use some help deciding who to pickup from the wire. No worries, this fantasy baseball championship waivers is here to help!

As has been the case all season, discussion and debate are strongly encouraged. Lastly, remember that all roster percentages are provided by ESPN.

Evan Carter, OF, Texas Rangers, 4.2% Rostered

Let me be perfectly clear about this: adding Evan Carter is a short term add. He is getting playing time because of the injury to Adolis Garcia, who is expected back this weekend. Once that happens, Carter will not get much playing time.

Even so, until Garcia actually does return, Carter belongs on a fantasy roster. Since being called to the big leagues, Carter has produced. In 10 games, he’s hitting. 280-1-7 with a. 424/.440 slash line.

In the past week or so, Carter had a two-hit game, he scored runs in four straight and stole two bases. Further, he had hits in three of four games and walked seven times. He had a 1.083 OPS in the minors when he was called up.

As a young hitter, he has a strike out problem. However, as you will only need him for a few days, you can handle that. Use him, if needed, until Garcia is back in action. When that happens, Carter can be safely dropped back into the waiver pool.

LaMonte Wade, 1B/OF, San Francisco Giants, 10.2% Rostered

Without doubt, the Giants have been in the playoff hunt this season because of players like LaMonte Wade. As of this writing, Wade is hitting. 261-14-40 with 57 runs and 71 BBs. He has a .378/.408 slash line. With two weeks left in the regular season, Wade has already set career highs in ABs, hits, runs and BBs.

 Before Friday, Wade had hits in four straight. In that stretch, he had two two-hit games and a three-hit game. Even though he went hitless on Friday, he drew three walks. He got right back on the horse Saturday with a HR and two runs scored.

For the year, Wade has a 118 OPS+. As the year winds down, some players will be out of the lineup more often. That shouldn’t be the case with Wade. If available, he’s an excellent pickup candidate.

Tommy Pham, OF/ DH, Arizona Diamondbacks, 14.1% Rostered

Except for a few stumbles here and there, Arizona has been a quality team from the beginning of the year. They are in the thick of the wild card chase. One of the reasons they are in this position is the play of Tommy Pham.

Currently, Pham is hitting. 265-16-62 on the season, with 20 SBs and 49 runs. In almost 100 fewer ABs since coming to Arizona, Pham has just six fewer runs and 10 fewer RBIs than he had with the Mets. For the year, he has a 119 OPS+.

Over the past week, Pham has been even hotter. He had hits in four straight and stole three bases in a four game span. He is hitting third in the Diamondback lineup, giving him plenty of opportunities to drive in and score runs.

If OF help is needed, Pham is the man to look to on this fantasy baseball championship waivers edition.

Cal Quantrill, SP, Cleveland Guardians, 9.9% Rostered

Anyone wanting to get a jump on their opponent needs to look in the direction of Cal Quantrill. It would be difficult for any pitcher to get off to a better start this week than Quantrill. After all, he avoids the big bats of the Texas Rangers over this past weekend. His reward? A soft matchup against the Royals in Kansas City.

Certainly, quality describes Quantrill. He has produced quality starts in his last three games. He goes far enough into games to give his manager plenty of positive fantasy stats.

In those three starts, Quantrill allowed only three runs on 10 hits. He did walk eight, which is a concern. However, everything else has been positive for him since returning from a shoulder injury in July.

As good as he’s been, the matchup is even better. The Royals are a bottom of the basement offensive team all season. Additionally, pitching on Monday gives Quantrill the opportunity for a two start week. That’s enough to warrant his inclusion here.

Josiah Gray, SP, Washington Nationals, 11.9% Rostered

Most likely, Josiah Gray is not a pitcher that a lot of managers are thinking about using in the finals. Given who he’s pitching against, though, he deserves a look. His opponent on Wednesday is the Chicago White Sox, who have disintegrated before our eyes this season.

First, don’t pay much attention to Gray’s 7-12 WL record or his 4.07 ERA. Secondly, however, do pay attention to his last two starts in which he’s gone six innings in both. He was excellent against Pittsburgh, pitching 6.1 innings. Gray only allowed two runs on five hits with 10 Ks and no BBs.

As with the other pitchers on this list, the matchup is the key. He’s pitching against the White Sox. Don’t overthink it. If you are looking for streaming options, Gray is right there at the top.

Jameson Taillon, SP, Chicago Cubs, 15.2% Rostered

Keeping with the excellent matchup theme of this fantasy baseball championship waivers article, Jameson Taillon has one of the best of the week. Taillon will take the mound against the Pirates at home on Wednesday.

That news alone should bring smiles to anyone looking for a pitching edge. Even so, Taillon is also recently throwing the ball well enough to join a fantasy staff during the championship round. For confirmation, just look at his last two games.

In those starts, Taillon pitched 11 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with 14 Ks and just two walks. Impressively, one of those starts was in Colorado.

Best of all, Taillon isn’t a rookie. There’s no worries about load management with him. In fact, he’s gone at least six innings in five of his last six starts. Expect that to continue to the very end of the season.

Obviously, more stats could be given. However, there’s no reason to look that deep. He’s pitching well right now, is widely available and has a great opponent this week. If looking for pitching, adding Taillon makes sense.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball championship waivers edition! Again, as stated at the top, I always welcome suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss!

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