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The MLB season continues to fly by. Most teams have played over 80 games, meaning the regular season is more than half over even though we have another week before the All-Star break. Using the All-Star Game as the "first half" and "second half" divider works for real-life baseball thanks to postseason action, but for the roto game, time is rapidly evaporating even though it feels like the season started yesterday.
If you need to fortify the Middle Infield spots, we've got a fresh batch of waiver wire adds below who can help this week, and into the "second half."
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting players in the single-digits who deserve a spot on your watch list at the very least. These are your second base and shortstop fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 14 – July 11th through July 17th.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Josh Rojas, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (33% rostered)
It's been a few weeks since Rojas graced this column, but the versatile Diamondback is on a heater and could be of use in fantasy, especially when you factor in his quad-eligibility on most sites. Rojas has a hit in seven of his last eight starts, with five multi-hit efforts in that span. He's been leading off for Arizona and has 13 runs scored across his last 11 starts while chipping in the occasional homer and stolen base. His season-long numbers look good too, as he's batting .275 with five homers and seven steals. He missed some time with a hand injury, but when Rojas is healthy, he is a solid contributor in fantasy.
Nico Hoerner, 2B/SS Chicago Cubs (39% rostered)
Unlike Rojas, Hoerner seems to be a weekly fixture in this space, but I will continue to pound this drum until he clears the 50% rostered threshold. The Cubs shortstop is batting .353 over the last two weeks as his 11 percent strikeout rate continues to rank among the best in baseball. Going back further, Hoerner has a sturdy .797 OPS since the start of June as the friendly confines of Wrigley Field tend to benefit hitters even more once the summer months roll around. Hoerner's .302 xBA ranks in the 92nd percentile among all hitters and he's got pop in his bat too, evidenced by a .420 slugging percentage.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Ha-Seong Kim, 2B/SS/3B, San Diego Padres (9% rostered)
Kim's season-long stats still look rather pedestrian, but since the start of June, Kim has been hitting much better. He's cut his strikeout rate under 20 percent in that span and is getting on base at a .346 clip. That's helped in the run-scoring department as he's scored at least one run in four straight games and even batted leadoff last Friday. He won't provide much pop, but Kim has value for those seeking runs scored or in leagues that reward OBP.
Luis Garcia, 2B/SS, Washington Nationals (15% rostered)
Like Hoerner, Garcia is a fixture in this column as the rookie is batting .316 with a K-rate under 20 percent, yet remains criminally under-rostered in fantasy. One could theoretically argue that 35 games aren't a big enough sample size to know he's good. However, when it comes to top prospects, if you wait for definitive evidence they are good, they will be on someone else's fantasy team. Besides, Garcia batted .309 in 79 games in Triple-A and Statcast loves him as Garcia has a .339 xwOBA and a .504 xSLG.
Waiver Wire Watch List
Diego Castillo, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (3% Rostered)
Castillo has been a part-time player most of this season, but he had back-to-back games with a homer last week and started four-straight games for the Pirates. Castillo has some prospect pedigree himself and could provide deep-league value if he keeps getting everyday at-bats. Last season in Triple-A, the 24-year-old posted a strong .414 OBP and slugged .500, so the potential is there for him to be a solid Major League hitter.
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