Now that the Memorial Day Holiday is behind us, fantasy baseball managers can seriously get focused on their rosters. Hot weather is ahead, and several teams have rosters that need to heat up with it. Players throughout the land are either hurt or underachieving, or both. Without question, many need to be shown to the waiver wire door. Doing so, however, means healthy and productive players need to be found. No worries, as that is where this fantasy baseball summer pickups comes in.

As with all previous editions, the ownership percentages are provided by ESPN. I am now aware that there is a significant difference between them and Yahoo. There are several commentators from those that see my articles on Reddit to thank for that information. Thus far, I have yet to find a way to see what the percentages are on the Yahoo platform on players without being a member of it. Anyone that can show me a way around this problem, if there is one, would be greatly appreciated. Until then, I will keep the percentages as low as I can on the players I do write about. Having said all of that, let’s proceed.

Michael Conforto, San Francisco Giants, 17.1% Owned

Truthfully, Michael Conforto is a player I thought highly of entering the season. Being equally truthful, there were times when his production (or lack of it) kept him far from fantasy rosters. However, the time has come to give Conforto another chance, as his bat has awakened.

Over his past 13 games entering Monday’s play, Conforto has a hit in 10. Not only that, but he has two or more hits in five of those games. Anyone wanting to see what he is capable of need look no further than the game on May 25 against Milwaukee. In that contest, Conforto went 4-4 with a homer and even stole a base. During that 13-game examination, he had five of his 11 home runs, 14 of his 27 RBIs and 52 of his 109 fantasy points on the season.

As hot as that is, Conforto has been absolutely on fire in the last seven days, as his .423-3-8 with 11 hits and eight runs proves. Even more impressive, Conforto accomplished that while the Giants were on a seven-game road trip. They return home this week. In the first two games of their last homestand, all Conforto did was go 5-7 with a homer and four RBIs.

Conforto’s Bottom Line:

After slumbering through April, the Giants have awakened as a team. There should be plenty of chances for Conforto to drive in and score runs. Any manager needing OF help would do well to look in Conforto’s direction to solve the problem.

Spencer Steer, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds, 19.4% Owned

When looking for a player that is hot AND available, none qualify more than Spencer Steer. After appearing in 28 games in 2022, Steer has already played in 50 games this season. Without doubt, he has made the most of his chances, especially lately. In the last seven days, Steer has gone Nova at the plate, hitting .406-2-7 with 13 hits and nine runs scored. In his last five games, Steer was unconsciously hot with two or more hits in four of them, including a three hit and four hit games.

For the most part, despite his hot bat, fantasy managers have been slow to wake up to Steer. Since May 15, Steer has 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored. For the season, he is hitting .284-7-25. His BAbip, ISO, HR% and SO% have all improved over last season. He is hitting the ball much more consistently and even going the other way more often. He is a fixture in the Cincinnati lineup. Despite all of that, he is less than 20 percent owned, as of Monday afternoon.

Best of all, he is stationed at positions that are thin in fantasy baseball: 1B and 3B. Those that need help at either position should not wait another second and go and free Steer from the waiver jungle.

Logan Allen, SP, Cleveland Guardians, 11.5% Owned

Everyone managing in fantasy baseball: wake up to Logan Allen! Allen was featured in my last article. Despite that, his ownership percentage actually went down. To prove the doubters wrong, all that Allen did on Monday was completely shut down a Baltimore Orioles team with the second-best record in baseball. Through seven innings, Allen allowed nary a single run on just three hits while striking out ten, which set a career high.

In his first seven big league starts; Allen hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of them. Before Memorial Day, his ERA was 3.31 and his WHIP 1.44. After that performance, both marks will assuredly go down. The win also evened his win-loss record at 2-2. it was also the second start in which Allen has scored 20 or more fantasy points. For more stats, check out the article mentioned above.

Allen’s Week Ahead:

Going forward, Allen faces the Twins in Minnesota on Saturday. Despite being in first place in their division, the Twins are not to be feared at the plate. As of this writing, Minnesota ranks 24th in batting, 21st in OBP, 16th in slugging, 19th in OPS and 29th in steals. They are 7th in home runs but lead all of baseball in strikeouts. Further, they are only two games over .500 and have struggled mightily of late.

All in all, that is a positive matchup for Allen, who held them to two runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings on May 6th. After his last trip to the mound, Allen’s ownership percentage won’t be 11.5 percent for long. We all need pitching help going into this part of the season. I don’t know how much more strongly I can say it on this fantasy baseball summer waivers edition. Don’t delay, act today before someone in your league beats you to him.

Brayan Bello, SP, Boston Red Sox, 8.8% Owned

Another young pitcher than managers need to become very familiar with, Brayan Bello was featured the week before Allen in my week seven waivers article. Since that posting, Bello has continued to pitch well beyond his 24 years. In his last two starts, he has allowed just three runs on nine hits in 12 innings. Caution flags were out after he walked five against the Mariners, but that was an outlier. Bello hasn’t walked more than two batters in any other start this season.

His last time out, Bello didn’t walk any of the Angel hitters he faced. It certainly seems that the yellow flag can be set down for good. He cruised through seven innings, his longest start of the year. He was tagged with the loss, ending his three-game winning streak. However, that wasn’t his fault, as the Red Sox couldn’t produce any runs for Bello. He has a 4.08 ERA, but that has been coming down since his first start, also against the Angels.

Bello’s Tuesday Opponent:

As with many of the pitching recommendations made in these articles, the matchup is key. Tuesday, Bello faces the Reds, but not in Cincinnati. Despite playing in one of the great hitting ballparks in baseball, the Reds rank a measly 28th in home runs with 41. They do rank 12th in batting, fifth in OBP, but 20th in slugging and 17th in OPS. Furthermore, they rank ninth in strikeouts. Bello will get them away from Cincinnati, which bodes well for him and the Red Sox.

Perhaps this week, the best advice would be to pick up Bello for the start on Tuesday and then add Allen for his start on Saturday. When both of my article recommendations pitches well, that will set up a fantasy manager to have a strong week nine.

Lane Thomas, OF, Washington Nationals, 17.8% Owned

In a previous edition, Lane Thomas was a recommended waiver pickup. Like so many players, he cooled off to the point where he had to be sent back to the black sea that is the waiver wire. However, unlike many, Thomas fought his way back to the shore and now needs to be reinstated to rosters everywhere. Without question, doing so is a highly suggested move on this fantasy baseball summer pickups edition.

Quick, name another player that enters play on Monday with a 13-game hitting streak. I don’t know how many of them there are, either, but Thomas is one of the answers. Throughout baseball, there are many players who are injured or who are not playing regularly. There are no such concerns with Thomas. Again, entering Monday, Washington has played 53 games. Thomas has appeared in 51 of them.

For the season, Thomas is hitting .287-8-26 with 34 runs, ten doubles and four steals. He also has 116 fantasy points. He might work better with cat’s leagues, as he has a bit of a strikeout problem with two in each of his last three games. Even so, he will work in points leagues as well as long as he keeps getting his hits.

Last Thought on Thomas:

Let’s be clear here: once upon a time, Thomas was a recommended pickup. He was then thrown back when he cooled down. The same recommendation is given here. Play him while he hits and then cut him and pick up another outfielder when the hits dry up. Turning over the bottom of a fantasy roster is what a manager is supposed to do.

Other Recommended Pitching Pickups:

Michael Wacha, SP, San Diego Padres is 38 percent owned on ESPN. I include my own team in that percentage. Almost certainly, he isn’t available on many places. Even so, given how well he has been pitching, it would be a great disservice to not include him here. In his last five starts, Wacha has been mowing down hitters and it hasn’t mattered what team they play for. During that span, he has allowed just three earned runs in 32 innings. Check to see if he is available and act accordingly if he is.

Michael Kopech, SP, Chicago White Sox, has an even higher ownership percentage than Wacha. Even with how dreadful he started the season, that is not a surprise. Prior to Monday, all Kopech had allowed in his last two starts was three hits and no runs in 15 innings. So far tonight, the Angels have scored four runs on him in 3.2 innings. It doesn’t matter. Kopech faces the Tigers on Sunday. If available, picking him up couldn’t possibly be more recommended on this fantasy baseball summer pickups edition.

Other Recommended Hitting Pickups:

To be sure, Bryson Stott, 2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies, is a player that has some wild swings in his fantasy production this season. He is also near 40 percent owned, which means he may not be available. Despite all of this, it would be nearly a criminal offense not to mention him. In his last 15 games, he has hits in 14. During that stretch, he has five games with two or more hits. In one game, he had three stolen bases. He is about as hot as they come. If available, don’t overthink it. Simply add him and move on.

Without question, no one wants their name associated with Marcell Ozuna, OF/DH, Atlanta Braves. If unfamiliar with his past, do a search on him. Having said that, when a player is swinging the bat as well as he is and is as available as he is (12.5%), he has to be brought up, regardless of our opinion of him personally. In his past 11 games, Ozuna has two or more hits in five of them. He had homers in three straight last week. If none of the outfielders mentioned above are available, check him out. If he is found, hold your nose if you have to, but add him to the roster.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this top sleeper introduction 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 Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show will be live this coming Sunday night, and every Sunday during the season, at 8 eastern. Make sure to tune in on whatever social platform you use!