Baseball has reached the middle of May. Fantasy managers should have a pretty good idea on how the roster is shaking out. Are there players out with injuries? Of course, that is a silly question. Equally silly would be to ask if there are players that are performing well below expectations. Looking to the waiver wire for replacements can be tricky. However, this fantasy baseball week seven waivers is here to help.

Without question, most of the players listed here are intended to help a manager get through week seven. In no way are they meant to be season long additions. If they happen to work out that way, that’s great, but that is not the expectation. The bottom of a fantasy roster is supposed to be turned over with the players that can help with the here and now.

With that said, I expect there will be discussion with the selections. As a reminder, all ownership percentages are provided by ESPN. Let’s not waste another second and jump right into the deep end.

Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit Tigers, 7.7% Owned

First, let’s discuss Spencer Torkelson. He was a player that received a lot of fanfare last season, only to be sent to the minors. Of course, there was skepticism toward him coming into 2023. Torkelson seemed to quiet those doubts when he had two or more hits in three of his first ten games. Unfortunately, his bat largely went silent for quite some time after that. Entering the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets on May 3, he hadn’t earned his way into fantasy manager’s good graces.

Since that time however, Torkelson has shown he is the hitter that Detroit and many in the fantasy community thought he could be. In that game, Torkelson went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Through his next nine games, he had a hit in seven of them, with two or more hits in three games. Over the past seven days, Torkelson is hitting .348 with a homer, two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Perhaps best of all, he has only a single strikeout in his past four games.

Torkelson’s Week Ahead:

When looking at the schedule, the pitching matchups couldn’t be better for Torkelson and his Tiger teammates. First up is the Pirates, who have been in a free fall since surprising the baseball world at the beginning of the season. Over the past six games, Pittsburgh has allowed six or more runs in a game three times, including two ten run games.

Next up, is the Nationals. With the exception of Gray below, their pitching hasn’t been up to major league standards in 2023. Their 4.40 team ERA would be a lot worse if Gray’s stats were removed. In any case, Torkelson and the other Detroit hitters should feast in week seven. With him so widely available, adding him could make a good hitting fantasy roster into a world beater.

Josiah Gray, SP, Washington Nationals, 16.4% Owned

Before the season began and even more recently, recommending a Washington pitcher would be met with a real snide comment. However, Josiah Gray has something to say about that. In the majority of his starts, Gray hasn’t been just good, he has been excellent. He gave up five runs to Atlanta in his first start. Since then, however, he has allowed a grand total of ten runs in seven games, spanning 40.2 innings.

In five of those games, Gray has pitched into the sixth inning. Even with a less than stellar team behind him, pitching that deep into games provides him with excellent chances at a win. In fact, after losing his first four decisions, Gray has a win in three of his last four starts. He isn’t afraid to pitch away from home, as five of his eight starts have come on the road. That trend continues Tuesday, as he will face the Marlins in Miami.

Gray’s Bottom Line:

The Marlins are in the middle of the road offensively, but their power disappears at home. At the start of the weekend, Miami has played the exact number of games at home and on the road: 19. However, in their home park, they have only 12 homers versus 21 when they leave their ballpark behind. Not only that, but except for BA and OBP, every other statistic is below par at home.

Because of the Marlins’ offensive trend and the fact that Gray has simply been pitching well, adding him to the roster is an easy recommendation.

LaMonte Wade Jr, 1B/OF San Fransisco Giants, 13.6% Owned

When it comes to hitters that fantasy managers have been slow to react to, LaMonte Wade Jr goes to the head of the class. All Wade has done over the past seven days is hit a scorching .375. Further, he has bagged those lucky enough to have him on their teams 22 fantasy points. The hot streak goes back even further than that, though. Wade has hits in 11 of his last 13 games. On the season, he is hitting .278-7-14 with 17 runs scored. Five more fantasy points and he will have an even 100 on the season.

 Apparently, Wade forgot how to hit in 2022, as his .207-8-26 clearly demonstrates. However, this is the same hitter that had 18 homers in 109 games in 2021. All of his statistics this season, including rOBA, BAbip, ISO, HR%, SO% and BB% are the best of his career.

Wade’s Major Week Seven Opposition:

Like Torkelson, Wade’s pitching matchup at the beginning of the week couldn’t be much better. The Phillies bring their 23rd ranked pitching staff into San Fransisco to start a three-game series on Monday. Two of their designated starters in the series have a 5.75 ERA. Two of the three are also right-handed starters. Clearly, that will suit the lefty swinging Wade well. Given all of the above information, Wade has clearly earned his place on this fantasy baseball week seven waivers edition.

Ryan McMahon, 2B/3B, Colorado Rockies, 10.1% Owned

Whenever the Rockies are playing in Colorado, their hitters require attention. This week, at least for the first three days, the spotlight falls on Ryan McMahon. Not only are the Rockies at home, but they also entertain the Cincinnati Reds. Why is that such great news? Their pitching staff ranks 27th in all of baseball. Add the thin air, and the ball should be flying all over the park.

Certainly, that applies to McMahon, who is the hottest hitter in the Colorado lineup. In the first two games of the homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies, McMahon was 2-4. He drove in a run, scored twice and even stole a base. Scoring runs is a current McMahon specialty, as he has crossed the plate in five of his last six games.

Even better is the fact that over the past seven days, McMahon has a total of 19 fantasy points. That production should continue over the first three days of the week seven scoring period. Like most Rockies hitters, he forgets how to hit on the road, which explains his .223 season average.

McMahon’s Bottom Line:

As noted, though, that is not an issue against the Reds. Be advised that Colorado does start a road trip next weekend. More than likely, a manager will want to send McMahon back to the waiver depths before that first road game. From Monday through Wednesday, however, getting him into the starting lineup is a highly recommended move on this fantasy baseball week seven waivers edition.

Brayan Bello, SP, Boston Red Sox, 2.9% Owned

Next up for discussion is Brayan Bello. After his brutal start to the season, there would have been no way that anyone could convince me that he would be included in one of these articles. Yet here he is, and he has earned his place on this fantasy baseball week seven waivers edition. In his first two starts, Bello allowed eight runs in just 7.1 innings. That’s dreadful, no doubt about it.

Since then, however, Bello has been a much different pitcher. In his past three starts, he allowed just five runs in 16 innings while striking out 16. The good news continues because in his last two starts, Bello only walked one hitter in each game. Best of all, he finished with at least 11 fantasy points in those starts.

That is not the end of the positive news, though. In those two games, Bello faced the hard-hitting offenses of Toronto and Atlanta, with the Braves coming on the road. Even more impressive is the fact that Bello won both starts.

Bello’s Week Seven Outlook:

That is an important note because he faces the Mariners on Wednesday, who rank a dismal 28th in 2023 MLB team batting. Needless to say, Bello shouldn’t have nearly as many issues handling Seattle’s lineup as the Blue Jays and Braves. If a manager needs pitching, Bello is almost certainly available. Add him before Wednesday and enjoy the fantasy return.

Dean Kremer, SP, Baltimore Orioles, 2.3% Owned

Just as big of a surprise as Bello, Dean Kremer comes out of nowhere and forces his way onto this article. No question, he has a much stronger opponent than Bello does this week, but that won’t stop his inclusion here. On Tuesday, Kremer will take on the Los Angeles Angels at home. The Angels are in the top ten in the majors in hitting.

However, like Bello, Kremer faced teams that can put the ball in play. In his last two times out, Kremer pitched against the Braves on the road and the Rays at home. Despite that, he won both starts, allowing only a single earned run on ten hits in 12 innings. Winning games hasn’t been a problem for Kremer, either, as he sports a 4-1 record. It has to be pointed out that strikeouts aren’t a big part of Kremer’s game. In his last 41.2 innings, he only has 32 punchouts. Additionally, he’s also walked two batters in each of his last three starts.

Even so, Kremer makes up for that by keeping the base hits to a minimum. He can also pitch deeper into games than a lot of pitchers of this era, reaching into the sixth in four of five starts. As are most teams, the Angels aren’t nearly the hitting team when they hit the road. They’ve hit 13 fewer homers away from home in a similar number of at-bats.

Final Thoughts on Kremer

No doubt, a lot of fantasy managers were scared off of Kremer because of his last two starts in April. Against the Red Sox and Tigers, he allowed nine runs on 18 hits in 10.2 innings. However, as noted above, Kremer has completely turned things around in his last two appearances. Keep him around to face the Angels. If he pitches well, Kremer will become an asset to keep on a fantasy roster, unlike the other players profiled here. In the meantime, adding him is a simple recommendation on this fantasy baseball week seven waivers edition.

Jorge Soler, OF, Miami Marlins, 10.8% Owned

Hopefully, when Gray above faces Jorge Soler this coming week, he simply pitches around him. When it comes to hot hitting, Soler is scalding. Entering Sunday’s action, Soler has hits in seven straight games. Even further, in his last nine games, Soler has two or more hits in four of them. Last Tuesday, Soler personally destroyed the Diamondbacks, as he homered twice and drove in five runs.

Over the past week, Soler has a blistering .348/.423/.609 slash line. Just in case anyone out there is wondering, he has 19 fantasy points in that same time frame and 80 on the season. That sure is a turnaround for Soler. When April and May merged, he was in an 0-17 deep freeze. Truly, he has left the icy bat in his rearview mirror.

Soler Can Swing the Bat at Home

Unlike his Marlins teammates, he knows how to hit at home. In his last three Miami games, Soler has six hits. It seems bizarre to recommend Gray and one of his hitting opponents in the same week, but that’s the way things shock out. With Soler as hot as he is and so widely available, recommending picking him off waivers is a simple task on this fantasy baseball week seven waivers edition.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball week seven waivers 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 goes live every Sunday at 8 pm eastern. Make sure to tune in!