The first full month of the 2023 MLB season is now behind us! I’ve been hearing a lot lately about how thin waivers are at this point. In particular for hitters. While it’s early in the season, this does make some sense. The first handful of weeks is always a feeding frenzy on the wire. So in the coming weeks, we’ll be seeing new options, but more so in waves. I have to say though that things do feel a bit extra thin on the wire this season. So below I’ve outlined three waiver hitters that I feel offer some immediate support to fantasy lineups while bringing a side of post-hype upside. I even included one extra player at the end who could offer support soon, though not just yet. Let me know what you think of these picks and who else you guys like off waivers at this stage.

Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox (10.3 percent rostered)

Jarren Duran has had my attention for a while now, so it’s nice to see him getting some extended PT. Certainly, he’s an easy player for me to buy into. Duran was a fixture on the southern California collegiate scene, playing for an underrated CSU Long Beach program. He didn’t show much power; but hit for average, stole bases, and played great defense. He was also yet to fill out. Duran added some real power in the minors though, all while continuing to steal bases en route to a top-100 prospect ranking. His first taste of the majors came for 33 games in 2021, and since then his status has cooled a bit. But he continues to intrigue based on his major upside and on the well-rounded nature of his profile as a prospect. So, here we are today.

Duran has finally managed to carve out an everyday role, with the Red Sox starting him in 14 straight contests. There was worry that he may only start against right-handed pitchers. But Alex Cora has continued to start him every day, and this year in his 12 PA against lefties, he’s hit .556. So his PT appears exceedingly safe moving forward, especially given injuries in Boston. Thus far, Duran has hit .396/.415/.646 with two home runs and two stolen bases, through a modest 53 plate appearances. I’m not one to buy into small sample sizes. The average will come way down, as will the slugging percentage, of course. Rather though, my excitement is for what Duran can be when things do even out and sample sizes do go up. This early start is encouraging.

What Jarren Duran gives you, if he does properly adjust to the major league level, is a player who can hit for a good average and give you a 15-15 season. I think most people will neglect this, but Duran is a legitimate base-stealing threat. He compiled 106 stolen bases in 338 minor league games and was even able to steal seven in a third of a season with Boston last year. He absolutely has 20-steal seasons in him, and it isn’t even much of a stretch. This, combined with newfound power in a hitter-friendly park (Duran is a lefty), makes for an intriguing combination. In his small sample size this season, Duran has a barrel rate double the league average. He also has shown top 84th percentile max EV. Very encouraging signs for power that is still in the process of developing.

So, I think the case for Duran is pretty strong. He’s performed well thus far and has some of the highest upside on waivers. He’s also very under the radar right now, and, well, two mediocre stints in the majors will do that. Fantasy baseball masses are quick to write a talented youngster off. I get it. But two mediocre MLB stints don’t mean that a top prospect can’t hang. It just means that they aren’t there yet. Duran wasn’t ready in the last two seasons but he appears to be now. And with everyday playing time, a nice offensive prospect with high SB upside is certainly worth a waiver grab.

Shea Langeliers, C, Oakland A’s (11.3 percent rostered)

This one goes out to all of my guys in need of a catcher. Shea Langeliers was also a former top-100 prospect and had been a fixture on those lists dating back to pre-2020. He was one of the centerpieces in the Matt Olson deal between the A’s and Braves. Langeliers bread and butter has always been his power, and he showed a lot of that in the minors, with 41 bombs combined in his last two (shortened) minor league seasons. Shea spent a bit of time in the majors last season, doing fine in the process. But this year, in his first season as a starter, he has the chance to really unlock his upside.

Currently, Langeliers is hitting .222/.286/.467 with six home runs. I understand that the A’s aren’t a good offense to be associated with. But I think this one is pretty simple. The play here, assuming you don’t have great catcher options, is to roll with Langeliers and hope he can do what Mike Zunino did in 2021 with the Rays. That season, Zunino hit 33 home runs despite providing very little else offensively. I don’t think Langeliers will get up to 33. But I know he can get to 25, maybe 30. He has that many in him. His college numbers, minor league numbers, all scouting reports, and all analytics suggest that 25 is a good target number for Langeliers. And he’s already ahead of track there. Assuming your catching options are thin, I feel like going for home runs could be the move here.

Langeliers is currently posting an impressive 83rd percentile max EV, for the second year straight. His 11 percent barrel rate is in the top 70th percentile. And on top of that, his fly ball rate is eight percent above league average. Langeliers has been looking to do damage at the plate, with increased launch angles and big cuts. It definitely comes at a cost, as he’s striking out plenty in the process. But his raw power is very real. Some fantasy managers see a young unproven catcher on one of the worst offenses in baseball. Others see a top prospect swinging for the fences and finally starting to connect, during his formative years between “hype” and “post-hype”. I see both sides. But if you aren’t getting anything out of your catcher spot, Langeliers at least has the potential to help you in a major way in one important category.

Nick Senzel, OF, Cincinnati Reds (2.8 percent rostered)

Originally I was going to write about Jack Suwinski. But in the three days since I started drafting up names, he (along with a couple of others I had thought of) had their rostered percentages go up near 20. Obviously, that puts him out of range in a ton of leagues. So I decided I’d go the other way. This one is for my guys in deep leagues, who just need a decent enough bat. Nick Senzel sort of fits the mold of the previous two players. Former top-100 prospect (top-25 in this case), had a couple of so-so years/stints in the majors, and fans are now cool on him. The difference though is that Senzel’s time in the majors predates that of the aforementioned two. He’s had more time to prove himself, but injuries have largely slowed him down.

So far this season Senzel is hitting .278/.361/.426 with two home runs and two stolen bases. Like Duran, Nick Senzel offers some legitimate SB upside. He had 14 stolen bases in 104 games in his rookie year. After that, injuries piled up and the steal attempts plummeted. But last season he was able to steal eight, and there’s been mention that Senzel plans on using his legs a bit more, now that some of his injuries are behind him. So far he has two this season on two attempts. Time will tell, but the upside is there. The power, though, I’m not so sure of. Senzel was expected to develop into a ~20 HR player and looked to be on track his rookie season. Since then he hasn’t rediscovered his home run pop. But it’s so hard to give a verdict there because again, the injuries have impeded his development.

So why do I like Senzel here? Firstly, I don’t think you can do much better in the 1-5 percent rostered range. But what I actually like is that Senzel can get you double-digit steals and double-digit home runs this season. Especially in a hitter-friendly park like Great American. Will he get to 15-15? Maybe, but 10-10 minimum is a lock if he can stay healthy. Can he do much more than that? I don’t know. And the analytics certainly aren’t bad, but they don’t paint a clear picture. He’s not chasing much, not whiffing much, and not striking out much. And his X-stats are far better than his current ones. But at the same time, he’s in the bottom first (FIRST!) percentile for exit velocity and is really struggling to barrel the ball. So there is plenty to like, and yet still some things that make you wonder.

I can’t figure out what Senzel will be. This year or any year, for that matter. But what I can tell you is that this former top-25 prospect still hasn’t gotten a real shot in the majors. Yes, he has playing time in five different MLB seasons now. But injuries have piled up and been untimely. He has a real chance to get on track now. His stats from his rookie season are encouraging enough for anyone looking to take a chance on the still-fast, still-athletic 27-year-old. I don’t think Senzel has changed as a player very much. I just think he needs to stay healthy. He’s definitely worth a flier; and in truly, truly deep leagues, I don’t envision there being any better options. Especially when weighing raw talent.

For Later: Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs

Just wanted to include a brief blurb about Mervis. Let this be a reminder to add him to watch lists.

Mash Mervis looks primed to become the Cubs’ starting first baseman. Perhaps sooner rather than later. I wrote about Mervis before the season as a player to keep an eye on, and I think it might almost be time. Mervis was a fun prospect to follow because he didn’t hit much in college until his last two seasons. He was a UDFA, but only because of the shortened COVID draft. So there was a lot of untapped hitting potential, and the Cubs identified that. Since then, Mervis has torn it up in the minors, hitting 36 (!) home runs last season across three minor league levels. This year Mervis is staying hot, with a .987 OPS and six home runs through 23 games. Interestingly, he’s struck out as many times as he’s walked.

While Mervis continues to show improved maturity and readiness, Eric Hosmer is showing the opposite. With a .674 OPS and some non-veteran-like blunders, Hosmer is on the hot seat. Cubs fans are sick of him, and management wasn’t highly invested in him, to begin with. I think that Mervis’ time could be coming here shortly, and I’m extremely excited, to say the least. Matt has a great blend of power to go with an increasingly good eye. He could be a HR machine at a hitter-friendly park like Wrigley Field. I love the upside here, and the red-hot Cubs lineup should be of benefit. Pin Mervis to the top of your watch lists, because I don’t think the Cubs plan to hold him back much longer. Chicago needs a 1B, and maybe your fantasy team does too. Keep an eye out.

Lastly

We’re rolling out quite a bit of new fantasy baseball content as the MLB season heats up. I’ll have more waiver wire content and early-season analysis coming. But in the meantime, check out my last piece looking at recent streaming options. Make sure to check out the rest of our fantasy sports and fantasy baseball content here. And feel free to give me a Twitter follow as well!