The wait is over! Baseball’s regular season got underway this past Thursday, and wasn’t it a glorious sight? Of course, the answer to that question is yes. Even so, before Opening Day was in the books, teams announced several prominent players will miss the start of the season due to various ailments. After managers move them to the injured list, if possible, replacements are needed. No need to panic, as this fantasy baseball first pickups is here to save the day.

Before getting to the list, a reminder: all ownership percentages are provided by ESPN. A serious attempt was made to include players that should be available in most leagues. As always, debate and discussion are encouraged. Without another second lost, let’s get to it!

David Peterson, SP, New York Mets, 19.4% Owned

Perhaps you have heard the news that the Mets are having starting pitching issues. Before the first game was even played, Justin Verlander was placed on the IL with a muscle strain. That news comes a couple of weeks after it was announced that José Quintana will have surgery for a lesion found on his ribs. He will be out until July. In an attempt to stop the bleeding, David Peterson steps into the rotation.

For sure, Peterson came out firing against the Marlins Friday night. In five innings, Peterson allowed one run on eight hits while striking out five and walking just one. Unfortunately, he took the loss as the Mets couldn’t find their offense. That shouldn’t be a problem going forward, however, as New York has an offense that will put runs on the board this season.

Next up for Peterson is the Milwaukee Brewers. Of course, they have a better team than Miami, but expect the Mets to go toe-to-toe with them, placing Peterson in a good spot to come away with a decent amount of fantasy points. If all does go well in that game, expect Peterson’s ownership percentage to shoot sky high and he certainly won’t be on the waiver wire for long.

Zach Eflin, SP, Tampa Bay Rays, 17.4% Owned

When it comes to the luck of the draw, no pitching staff has more of it to start the season than Tampa. They opened against Detroit, followed by Washington and finishing up with Oakland. Their starting pitchers had to be licking their chops, and that includes Zach Eflin.

Pitching on Saturday, Eflin limited the Tigers to one run on three hits, striking out five and walking one in five innings. Tampa likes to limit their starters and that puts a slight cap on their fantasy value. Even so, going up against weak opponents is more than enough reason to get Eflin on the roster this week.

After that, he may well be a pitcher that gets streamed from time to time throughout the season. For the time being, don’t overthink things and simply add him if he is on the wire.

Justin Steele, SP, Chicago Cubs, 13.3% Owned

Looking to build on a season in which he had a 3.18 ERA, Justin Steele couldn’t look better to start the 2023 campaign. The Brewers surely didn’t have an answer for him, as he limited Milwaukee to just three hits in six shutout innings. Even more impressive, Steele struck out eight with only one walk. Any manager that started him came away with 22 fantasy points.

His next start is against the Rangers and seeing the runs they put on Philadelphia’s top starters, Steele assuredly won’t produce the above numbers. However, that start will be in Chicago and Texas will have to prove they can hit the ball as well on the road as they did at home.

The Cubs look like a better team than they were a year ago, placing their starters in better positions to excel at all levels of pitching, including posting victories. Despite the opponent, adding Steele gets a hardy recommendation on this fantasy baseball first pickups edition.

Michael Kopech, SP, Chicago White Sox, 29% Owned

Without doubt, one of the pitchers looking to take a major step forward this season is Michael Kopech. If you are unfamiliar with his name, now is the time to start, especially considering he could be up for a two-start week right out of the gate.

Despite a losing record in his two plus major league seasons, Kopech has a very respectable 3.64 ERA and a 1.192 WHIP. He needs to improve on his 9.9 K9 and 3.7 BB9. His 11.7 K9 in the minors indicates he has the ability to strike out more hitters. I expect that to be the case this season. His minor league BB9 is very similar to what he has done in the majors, so don’t expect any improvement there.

If a manager can live with the walks, Kopech’s upside is extremely high. He is pitching for a much better White Sox team, and he will be in the rotation for the entire year, barring injury. If you want to add him, be quick about it as he pitches this afternoon against San Fransisco.

Robbie Grossman, OF, Texas Rangers, 2.9% Owned

To be quite frank, almost any Texas Ranger position player could be discussed here. However, let’s start talking about the one that is sure to be available: Robbie Grossman. Not much, if anything, was expected from Grossman before the season began, which is reflected in his ownership percentage.

However, he has come roaring out of the gate, and while his bat is hot, managers needing outfield help would do well to look his way while dealing with the wire. In his first three games, Grossman has a hit in each. Additionally, he has a home run, five RBIs and two runs scored. Left field was extra lean for Texas a year ago, as the position had the worst OPS in the majors.

Grossman will be given every chance to be out there every day, and if he hits anywhere like he has to start the season, he will be a regular in the lineup. Perhaps if his bat cools off, he can be moved, but for the time being, he is an excellent, available add for anyone needing outfield help on the roster.

Adam Frazier, 2B/OF, Baltimore Orioles, 13.2% Owned

Don’t look now, but a former All-Star player is off to an excellent start on his new team in 2023. That player is Adam Frazier. Ever since getting traded by Pittsburgh to San Diego in 2021, Frazier has disappeared from the landscape. Managers wanted nothing to do with him, and had every reason to feel that way.

However, he has reappeared in Baltimore. In his first two games, Frazier has five hits. He has a homer, a stolen base, two RBIs and an eye catching five runs scored. Baltimore’s offense has been scary good to start the season and Frazier has been a big part of that. Expecting a return to the player who hit .324 for the Pirates is not a cause to order a drug test.

His versatility only adds to the value he can bring to a fantasy roster. Not many players have 2B and OF eligibility, but Frazier does. He hits from the left side and will benefit from the rule changes this year. Second Base is a thin position, and adding Frazier can go a long way to solving that issue. Make the move immediately if the need exists is a highly recommended maneuver on this fantasy baseball first pickups edition.

Other Considerations:

To be honest, the pitcher that would go to the head of this fantasy baseball first pickups edition would be Marcus Stroman if there was a good chance he is available. However, at over 40 percent owned, that probably isn’t the case.

If he is on your wire, though, jump at the chance to add a pitcher that held the Brewers scoreless in six innings while striking out eight on Opening Day. The mere possibility of Stroman pitching close to that level is enough to get him added to any fantasy roster that has pitching needs.

Last week, I wrote about Oscar Colas, among others. Apparently, the word hasn’t gotten out regarding Colas, as his ownership percentage is only 12.4 percent. This fact is a bit confusing, considering that Colas has stormed out of the gate.

In his four games played, he has hits in three of them, including two hits each in his last two. Further, he has a steal, an RBI and a run scored. The White Sox didn’t look over matched against the defending champion Astros and neither did Colas. Managers are sure to catch on to him before long. Without question, acting now before that happens would be the prudent waiver wire move.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball first pickups edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show will have a live fantasy draft this coming Sunday night at 8 eastern. Make sure to tune in!