We’re nearly to the halfway point of the 2023 MLB season, and things are only getting wilder with each passing day. The Cincinnati Reds are now America’s team. The Los Angeles Angels just dropped 25 runs at Coors Field. For fantasy baseball players, it’s time for the rubber to hit the road — time to decide whether they’re in or out this year, and what they might need for the stretch run ahead. This is especially true for bullpens around, the league where injuries and ineffectiveness have laid waste to seemingly scores of top arms. That’s why we’re here to help, with four targets likely available in your league showing signs that they’re in for a big year.
Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 13 top relief pitcher pickups
Scott McGough, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Roster percentage: 9.1%
McGough has been treding toward becoming the Diamondbacks’ regular closer for a while — and sure enough, we may have seen a changing of the guard this week. The righty hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 14 appearances, with 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings over that span. Even more importantly, he’s pitched the ninth in the last six of those, nailing down three saves this week. With Andrew Chafin getting used against lefties regardless of inning and Miguel Castro struggling of late, the door is wide open for McGough to take the job for a very good Arizona team.
Jordan Hicks, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
Roster percentage: 8.9%
Giovanny Gallegos was thought to assume the closer’s mantle for the St. Louis Cardinals after Ryan Helsley landed on the IL, but after blowing a save chance against the San Francisco Giants, it was Jordan Hicks who got the call in the ninth for both save opportunities last weekend against the New York Mets. The hard-throwing but oft-injured righty answered the bell, pitching two clean innings with three Ks and just one hit allowed to notch his first two saves of the year. An illness sideline Hicks for much of the week, but sure enough, he was back on to nail down the Cardinals’ win over the Chicago Cubs in London on Sunday, and the job sure appears to be his right now.
Tommy Kahnle, RP, New York Yankees
Roster percentage: 0.8%
Clay Holmes is the first-choice closer for Aaron Boone, but Boone has also been known to mix and match based on leverage (case in point: Saturday’s win over the Texas Rangers, when Holmes got out of a jam in the eighth and Ron Marinaccio earned the save in the ninth). That, plus Michael King and Wandy Peralta’s recent shaky form, creates some opportunity to poach saves. Enter Kahnle: the oft-injured righty has yet to allow a single run in ten appearances since coming off the IL at the beginning of June, and he’s clearly earning Boone’s confidence with every successful outing. He notched his first save of the season on Wednesday, then pitched the ninth again on Friday in a game New York eventually lost in extras — signaling that some save opportunities could be coming.
Josh Sborz, RP, Texas Rangers
Roster percentage: 2.3%
Look, it’s nearly July; clear paths to saves are hard to come by on the waiver wire at this point of the year. So why not target an elite middle reliever who’ll get the occasional save chance on a very good team while providing you a ratios and Ks boost? Will Smith is firmly entrenched as the Rangers’ closer, but he can’t pitch every night, and Texas is churning out wins with regularity this season. When Smith can’t go, the team turns to Sborz as it’s second-most-trusted arm — and for good reason, considering his 2.70 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 30 innings. He’ll help smooth out your pitching staff while running into maybe a save a week, which isn’t so bad.
