Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Nate Pearson a must-add prospect while Anthony Bass a must-add for saves
The first big prospect call-up deserves a race to the waiver wire.
By
Scott White
•
1 min read
The first big prospect call-up of 2020 is officially happening. The Blue Jays confirmed Monday what was suspected from the moment they first sent him down: Nate Pearson will make his major-league debut Wednesday against the Nationals.
It's a promotion deserving of all the usual fanfare. Pearson was rated the second-best pitching prospect, behind only MacKenzie Gore and ahead of even Jesus Luzardo, by most publications, and he was the talk of spring training when he was mowing down hitters with his triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider. It's the sort of talent you can't afford to pass up, even acknowledging there are no guarantees for a player getting his first exposure to the majors because the payoff could change the complexion of your entire season.
He's clearly the most exciting pickup on a lighter day of big-league action. If you're underwhelmed by this selection, be sure revisit the previous edition of Waiver Wire. Many of the players featured there remain widely available still.
If you missed anything else from Monday's action, we broke down every angle on Tuesday's episode of the Fantasy Football Today podcast, including the latest on the COVID-19 outbreak on the Marlins roster, Mike Foltynewicz's meltdown, and more. Subscribe and listen below:
Possible waiver wire pickups
So with what urgency should you add him? The utmost, I'd say. Rich Hill and Ross Stripling are the only recent starting pitcher pickups who might take priority over Pearson. Just look at those minor-league numbers.
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In addition to a new starting pitcher, the Blue Jays also have a new closer in Bass, who manager Charlie Montoyo was kind enough to name as the replacement for Ken Giles (elbow) instead of leaving us to guess. Bass is no sure thing, but having the role is half the battle. We can't wait around for perfection in a 60-game season.
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Swanson was the only Brave who made a dent against Tyler Glasnow on Monday, taking him 424 feet deep to straightaway center for his second home run in as many games. He was en route to a breakout season before getting sidelined by a heel injury midway through last season and probably would have gotten more love in drafts if shortstop wasn't so deep.
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Pearson is the first big prospect confirmed to be on his way up, but now that the entire prospect class has been held back long enough for parent clubs to secure an extra year of control, the floodgates could open wide. Carlson is suspected to be one of the first to get the call, so you may want to beat the rush to a player with an advanced approach and five-category potential.
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We had heard Canning was healthy again after his elbow scare in spring training, and his first start confirmed it. His velocity was more or less on par with last year, and his breaking ball helped him pile up whiffs (15 on 82 pitches) at a rate normally reserved for some of the best in the game. Last year, his swinging-strike rate was identical to that of Jack Flaherty.
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Remember him? My pitching obsession three years ago is obviously just a deep-league play for now, seeing as he doesn't have a rotation spot yet, but it's only a matter of time if he keeps pitching this way. His velocity isn't what it was during his breakout 2017, but he still collected 15 swinging strikes on just 53 pitches thanks to a baffling breaking ball. Walks have ruined him in the past, but he escaped without any this time.
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