RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 44% of leagues
ANALYSIS: New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. has been one of the team's nicest surprises on the mound this year. The lefty has carved himself a relatively safe role in the team's rotation and he could help fantasy managers - in addition to the Yankees - over the final stretch of the regular season.
Cortes has made 18 appearances (10 starts) on the year and he has gone 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a 3.6 K/BB ratio. He's recorded quality starts in three of his past five outings. Before this recent five-start stretch, he hadn't reached the end of the sixth inning once on the year, yet the Yankees don't seem to be opposed to stretching him out anymore. He threw 103 pitches in his most recent start and could continue to pitch deep into games going forward as long as he remains effective.
Cortes' next start is a road game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The Orioles are a decent matchup for him. They've scored the sixth-fewest runs in the league this year, but they are better against lefties and better at home. The team has a .773 OPS at home (.654 on the road) and a .761 OPS against lefties (.686 against righties). After that, he lines up for a two-start week in Week 26 that starts off with a fantastic matchup against the Texas Rangers at home, but concludes with a tough one against the Boston Red Sox on the road. It's a solid two-start scenario for points leagues, but it's risky for categories leagues as that second start could hurt his ratios significantly.
Cortes is a great option to add off the waiver wire on Tuesday or Wednesday this week for anyone in daily lock leagues. His starts against the Orioles and Rangers are both worth gambling on if you need an arm.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Corbin Carroll: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 20
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: Corbin Carroll was a first-round pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2019 MLB Draft, a consensus top-50 prospect, and was rostered to the 2022 NL Futures Game team. The D-Backs outfield may be stocked with formidable talent, but Carroll is ambitiously […]
JP Sears: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 20
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: 26-year-old Oakland A's starting pitcher JP Sears has been absolute money, essentially from his sophomore season at the Citadel and on. After going in the eleventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft, Sears moved through the minor leagues at a solid pace […]
Brian Serven: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 19
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 0% of leagues ANALYSIS: After going in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft, it took several years of up and down play in the minors for catcher Brian Serven to make his way up to the Colorado Rockies. Now that the 27-year-old former ASU […]
Kyle Isbel: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 19
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 1% of leagues ANALYSIS: 25-year-old Kyle Isbel got a little bit of burn last season with the Kansas City Royals to the tune of solid results, and while things have started a bit slower for the former third-round pick from UNLV in 2022, his power/speed skillset […]
Ryan Pepiot: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 19
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: While the Dodgers may not need a ton of help this season, Ryan Pepiot has been a welcome recent addition to the LA rotation. A third-round draft pick in 2019, Pepiot earned his way into the top-100 prospect conversation before the start […]
Download Our Free Waiver Wire App
Like what you see? You can download our free fantasy baseball mobile app for iPhone and Android which includes more waiver wire recommendations at every position, 24x7 player news, notifications, injury alerts & daily articles.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
