Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jordan Walker, Cam Smith finally delivering on their promise
Meanwhile, Emerson Hancock and Bryce Elder continue to pitch well
By
Scott White
•
1 min read
You know the hoopla surrounding Konnor Griffin's promotion? Well, back in 2023, that same enthusiasm was reserved for Jordan Walker. He was the prospect who all the prognosticators and early drafters salivated over in spring training, and he ended up making the opening day roster.
It didn't go well. In fact, he was sent to the minors before the end of April. He returned in June and at least made his stat line respectable -- nothing award-worthy, but enough to think he was maybe just a year away from meeting his potential.
He was not. In fact, 2024 and 2025 were basically lost seasons for the former top prospect, such that by 2026, all enthusiasm for drafting him was gone. That's not just me gauging perception. That's me looking at ADP. Unless you play in the sort of league where upward of 400 players are drafted, Walker almost certainly went unclaimed in yours.
So what do we make of what he's doing now?
Potential waiver wire pickups
What he's doing now is sitting atop the exit velocity leaderboard with an average of 98.4 mph. Obviously, the small sample contributes to that outlandish number, but leading the league is still leading the league. He connected for his second home run Saturday, a 459-foot grand slam, and has done a better job of elevating the ball in general. His strikeout rate has also dropped from 32 percent in 2025 to 23 percent this year, which I think goes the furthest toward explaining what's changed for him. According to MLB, he took three days in the middle of spring training to work on a new swing that would allow him to see the ball better. He's always had this kind of thump -- it's what made him such a highly regarded prospect in the first place -- but with that new setup, he's delivering on it more consistently now. And seeing as he's only 23, an age when some top prospects are only making their debut, we shouldn't foreclose the possibility that he's finally figured things out. Add him everywhere.
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Braxton Ashcraft barely comes in under the 75 percent roster threshold that I used to winnow down this list, but he's worth highlighting just to tell the few leagues where he's available to get with the program. His strong outing Sunday wasn't an isolated event. It followed a quality start in Cincinnati the first time through the rotation and an impressive introduction to the rotation last August. In his final nine appearances last year, most of which were on the shorter side and a couple of which came in relief, he had a 2.23 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10.7 K/9, not only missing bats at a nice rate but continuing to generate weak contact (87.5 average exit velocity) by keeping the ball on the ground. His two starts this year were his first two of six innings or more, but they've seen him continue the same trajectory. Ashcraft is doubly valuable in Head-to-Head points leagues thanks to his relief pitcher eligibility.
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If you're wondering whether Emerson Hancock's six no-hit innings against the Guardians the first time through the rotation were a fluke, his second turn at the Angels would seem to suggest otherwise. OK, so he allowed several hits and even a home run, but he threw six-plus innings, continued to limit walks, and once again missed bats at a rate we're unaccustomed to seeing from him. His 13 whiffs on 82 pitches actually made for a better rate than in his first start, and he registered multiple on four different pitches. The shape and velocity of his fastball shifted slightly from the first start to the second, but he still threw his new sweeper about a quarter of the time. There are enough positive signs here for you to take a chance on him being one of this year's unexpected breakthroughs at starting pitcher. Bryce Miller's eventual return from an oblique injury is something we can worry about later.
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Jordan Romano recorded his third save Saturday, with an assist from Jo Adell, and is nearing the point where I'm not sure if Kirby Yates' impending return from a bout with knee inflammation even matters. Romano is, of course, a former All-Star closer himself and has been nearly flawless in his return to the role after a couple of achy seasons, not only having yet to allow a hit but also registering a 16.2 percent swinging-strike rate. That's his highest mark since 2023, the last of his All-Star closer seasons. It had been 11.7 percent in the interim. Romano's fastball and slider may be a couple miles per hour slower than they were in 2023, but you could argue their shape is better now. Or maybe it'll all fall apart soon enough, but as of now, I've seen enough from Romano to say he should be rostered in all leagues where saves matter.
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Ryan O'Hearn's first season with the Pirates is also shaping up to be his first as a true everyday player, seeing as he's come out of the lineup for just one of the three left-handers that they've faced so far. And the timing is fitting after he just put together a career season split between the Orioles and Padres, slashing .281/.366/.437. His slash line so far this year is even more impressive -- one of the most impressive in the league, in fact -- and one to take seriously in light of his past success and newfound role. Of course, regression is coming. His average exit velocity (85.8 mph) and pull-air rate (4.8 percent) are both much lower than usual, actually. But he's showing good plate discipline and securing his place in the lineup. For now, that's enough to merit a pickup in leagues that require a third corner infielder and fifth outfielder, if not ones even shallower than that.
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As with O'Hearn, I could point out the warts in Cam Smith's performance so far. His average exit velocity is only 83.7 mph, putting him in the 8th percentile, and he's striking out at nearly a 27 percent rate. But over such a small sample, those details matter less to me than the fact that he's playing every day, starting nine of the Astros' 10 games so far, and showing more of a willingness to run, taking advantage of his 93rd percentile sprint speed with three steals already. Those details change the calculation for a player who disappointed as a rookie but still has a top prospect pedigree, signaling more opportunity and a higher ceiling than anticipated, and incline me to view his hot start more favorably. And if his 3 mph increase in bat speed (putting him at 77.2 mph, good for fifth in the league) counts for anything, those poor exit velocity readings will be corrected soon enough.
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Striking out 13 batters over 13 innings with no earned runs allowed would be easy to dismiss as early-season noise for Bryce Elder if it was limited to just those two starts, but he appeared to turn a corner over his final seven last year. Altogether, he has a 2.18 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 in his last nine starts as a major leaguer, eight of which were quality starts. It doesn't make up for the 6.17 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 7.1 K/9 in the 45 starts that preceded them, but it does warrant further examination. Matthew Creally of Pitcher List did a good job Sunday of breaking down what's changed for Elder during that time, and it mostly comes down to the slider. A slightly lower arm angle has altered its movement, he's throwing it more, and he's added a cutter this year to help offset its shape. The improved strikeout rate for a pitcher who's always excelled at putting the ball on the ground is most noteworthy, and while skepticism is warranted, Elder is enough of a volume play to get some looks in deeper leagues.
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Gregory Soto recorded his first save Friday, which only ties him for the team lead, but what's more notable is that it was his third straight appearance to finish out a win for the Pirates. The other two came with a five-run lead, which meant no save for the left-hander, but the fact is he's been used more like a closer than purported closer Dennis Santana, who has appeared as many times in the eighth inning as the ninth and is still looking for his first save chance. Manager Don Kelly said in spring training that he might deploy Santana in high-leverage situations prior to the ninth, citing Soto's closing experience as a justification, but the distribution between the two may be the inverse of what we expected. All I can say for sure is that Soto was commanding hefty FAB bids in my 15-team Rotisserie leagues over the weekend. I wouldn't cut Santana for him, necessarily, but in leagues where saves are scarce, Soto is another possibility.
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