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It's Week Two in fantasy baseball and things are starting to come into focus. Yes, it's still early in the marathon that is an MLB season, but we've seen enough baseball to know who will get the bulk of the playing time for most teams. We also know who is hitting the ball well to start the season, and who may be in danger of losing playing time if they don't turn things around in the next week or so.
On top of all that, there is always plenty of injuries that shake up the landscape of fantasy baseball. If your fantasy team is in need of an upgrade at the middle infield spots, you've come to the right place.
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 2 - April 18 through April 24.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
C.J. Abrams, SS, San Diego Padres (30% rostered)
Abrams garnered plenty of buzz when he made the team out of Spring Training, but has gotten off to a bit of a slow start to his MLB career. That's no reason to fade the 21-year-old speedster, however, as he's still the everyday shortstop for the Friars. He belted his first-career homer on Thursday and it shouldn't be long before he gets his first steal thanks to his 80-grade speed. With Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) still weeks away from returning, there's plenty of time for Abrams to get going and make an impact in fantasy.
Owen Miller, 2B/1B, Cleveland Guardians (49% rostered)
Miller is already making an impact in fantasy thanks to a scorching-hot start to the season. Through seven games, Miller has a .522 batting average and a silly 1.034 slugging percentage. While this torrid pace is unsustainable, Miller has forced his way into everyday at-bats for a surprisingly stout Guardians lineup. He may not last all season, but those looking for a hot-hand pickup to start immediately should consider Miller above the two prospects sandwiching him in this article.
Oneil Cruz, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (35% rostered)
Cruz is a repeat from last week, but I will keep pounding the drum to stash Cruz until his roster rate increases. The 6'7" shortstop is one of the most physically gifted players in the game, and if he played for an organization actively trying to win baseball games, then he'd already be in the Majors. As it stands, the Pirates can't keep Cruz down for long after he mashed in Spring Training to the tune of a .333 batting average and a 1.066 OPS.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Mets (5% rostered)
With the DH now in the National League, veteran sluggers like Cano could see years added to their careers. Cano isn't the superstar he once was, but he should be well-rested after missing the 2021 season and he returned with authority on Friday as he launched his first homer of the season in the Mets' home opener. He won't play every single day in a crowded Mets infield, but he should DH more often than not and can still hit for plenty of power.
Jorge Mateo, 2B/SS/OF, Baltimore Orioles (12% rostered)
Mateo was in the "watch" section last week and has been upgraded to deep-league adds after he swiped two bases and scored three runs. The 26-year-old bounced around between several organizations throughout his minor league career and early years in the Majors, but he's finally getting a shot at everyday playing time in Baltimore. He won't contribute any power, but those seeking stolen bases should grab the fleet-of-foot Mateo.
The Waiver Wire Watch List
Tony Kemp, 2B/OF, Oakland Athletics (4% rostered)
Kemp's career slash line of .246/.340/.375 doesn't scream "add me!" to fantasy baseball players, but he has led off in seven of the first eight games for Oakland, so he's worth a look. Through a week of baseball, he's got a 1:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and should be a solid source of on-base percentage. If he stays hot and stays atop the lineup, then Kemp has deep-league appeal.
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