We’re officially into the fantasy baseball stretch run, and with the 2023 fantasy trade deadline in the rearview mirror (in most leagues, at least), roster management is even more critical than usual. Spring rankings are out the window; now it’s all about who can get your team to the finish line. And while everyone loves swinging a big trade to plug holes, but sometimes you just need a player who will give you a solid week of production — which is where our weekly hitter streaming recommendations come in. Here are three guys we recommend targeting on the waiver wire.
Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 22
Hitters to stream
Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates — Hayes has been scalding the ball since returning from the IL at the start of August, with a .300/.339/.533 slash line to go with three homers and a 94.7-mph average exit velocity. Not only does Pittsburgh play seven games against vulnerable pitching staffs this week — they start with the husk of the Cardinals rotation before a series against the Cubs this weekend — but they’re also slated to face four lefties, against whom Hayes is hitting nearly .300 on the season.
Will Benson, OF, Cincinnati Reds — Cincy gets seven games against the Angels and Diamondbacks this week, two teams that rank in the bottom third of the league in ERA against left-handed hitters. There are six righty pitchers on the schedule, and Benson is hitting a gaudy .298/.403/.544 with the platoon advantage this year. The former top prospect is almost guaranteed to be in the lineup every day, and his seven homers and 12 steals underline the sort of power/speed combo he brings to the table.
Lawrence Butler, OF, Oakland Athletics — After conquering Triple-A, the former sixth-round pick — one of the A’s top prospects finally got the call up to Oakland for his MLB debut earlier this month, launching a Dakota Hudson slider 437 feet for his first career homer (with an impressive 111-mph exit velocity). Plate discipline is always going to be a question, but as the above numbers indicate, Butler’s physical tools are very much not. He has legitimate 20/20 potential if it all comes together, and it’s worth noting that he cut his K rate over the last couple of years in the Minors and has only struck out three times in 20 big-league plate appearances so far. Oakland has seven games this week — five against righties, so you know Butler will be in the lineup — against mediocre Royals and White Sox pitching staffs.
