With the calendar flipping to June, we are at an exciting point of the MLB season. The Super Two deadline has arrived, which means your fantasy baseball waiver wire is about to receive an influx of some fantastic, young talent.
Though the league has tried to incentivize teams to not hold back their top prospects, we still see ownership doing just that in an effort to delay the start of a player’s arbitration clock and maintain an extra year of control. The deadline varies from year to year, but it usually comes during the first week or two of June, and now is the time to pay close attention to who might be called up and who could be a game-changer in the fantasy realm.
The first name to add to your list is Jordan Walker of the Cardinals.
Considered a strong favorite to earn 2023 NL Rookie of the Years honors, Walker actually broke camp with the big club this year and put together a solid first 20 games — he batted .274 with two home runs, 11 RBIs, eight runs scored and two stolen bases.
Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConBut with Nolan Arenado locked in at third base and an overabundance of outfielders on the roster, Walker was sent back to the minors.
The move was a bit of a head-scratcher until you learned that president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was getting ready to play the Super Two game.
Now that the service-time deadline has passed, Walker is making his return to the majors this weekend and will be a hot commodity on your waiver wire.
Not only does the 21-year-old come with an amazing hit tool and plus-speed, but he also possesses multi-position eligibility.
Walker is a third baseman by trade, but with Arenado blocking him, the Cardinals moved him to the outfield, where he played all 20 of his games this year.
He now qualifies in both spots. So not only will you get power and speed, but you also will gain more versatility for your roster.
Next on your list should be Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz.
He might be more for your watch list, as there is no imminent reason for a call-up.
The Reds are not going to compete this year and already have infielders Jonathan India, Matt McLain and Spencer Steer, all of whom are playing well and need not be displaced.
They even have Jose Barrero, a shortstop by trade, working as an outfielder. De La Cruz is another power-speed talent and should be highly coveted once he arrives, but not only does he need to force his way into being called up, but also there needs to be an everyday spot for him in the lineup.
It is time to start taking notes and mapping out which prospects are going to be up over the next 30 days. Be sure to bookmark names such as Colton Cowser, Justin Henry-Malloy, Kyle Harrison and Ronny Mauricio. There may not be any guarantees, but if you start following their movements within their respective organizations, you may be able to add them to your roster even before they get called up. Staying one step ahead of your competition is what wins championships, and these rookies can help you achieve that goal.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.
