Batters to consider adding from your fantasy baseball waiver wire

Whatever your fantasy baseball team is lacking on offense, you can probably find a solution on your league’s waiver wire. Do you need a catcher with a thunderous bat? Do you need a high-average third baseman? How about a player playing every day for the best team in baseball and making the most of his time? If any of that sounds good to you, take a look at these three possible pickups. Each player is owned in less than half of ESPN leagues.

Wilson Ramos, Detroit Tigers

ESPN Ownership: 40.7%

Catcher continues to be kind of a wasteland, although the legend known as Yermin Mercedes has helped. Ramos doesn’t have that new-player sheen like Yermin, but he has already cranked out six homers for the Tigers. That pace will slow, but he’s been basically crushing most everything he has seen, as evidenced by his 71% hard-hit rate. It’s definitely not out of the question that he could end up providing 25-plus homers with an average above .270. That’s a very valuable commodity at catcher.

Phillip Evans, Pittsburgh Pirates

ESPN Ownership: 37.5%

Fantasy owners are starting to warm to Evans, whose ownership percentage was at 1% just a week ago in ESPN leagues. We usually aren’t enamored by 28-year-old rookies, but Evans has showcased a really good batting eye and has created a lot of hard contact. He’s currently slashing .342/.444/.632 at third base. His bat doesn’t bring a ton of power, but that approach will keep his average high while he blasts maybe 15-20 homers. He has added value in OBP formats.

Zach McKinstry, Los Angeles Dodgers

ESPN Ownership: 35.9%

McKinstry is much more of a short-term add than the previous two entries. He will come out of the Dodgers’ lineup once Cody Bellinger returns from his calf injury. However, even though Bellinger is eligible to come back Friday, he’s still not running at full speed and it looks like he may miss this weekend’s series versus the Padres. That means McKinstry will stay in the lineup, playing either in the outfield or at second base. He has earned his spot with 11 hits in 33 at-bats this season. McKinstry has also shown a little pop with a couple of homers and six RBIs in his last four games. You know he is going to make contact — he has yet to swing and miss at a pitch in the strike zone — which is a far-too-rare quality in baseball today. But as long as McKinstry is penciled into the lineup of the best team in MLB, he has fantasy value. And depending on your league’s settings, the positional versatility he offers is an added bonus.