The first week of the 2024 MLB and fantasy baseball seasons have just about wrapped up, meaning it’s time to get ready for the long haul ahead. With that in mind, here’s a look at five hitters trending up and worth a target on the waiver wire as Week 2 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season nears.
Brendan Donovan
We start with utilityman Brendan Donovan, who returned to the Cardinals’ lineup on April 6 and proceeded to notch two hits against the Marlins. After the 6th, Donovan sported a .345 average with a home run and 10 hits, including three multi-hit games from April 1-6.
Donovan has been mainly playing left field, although he does have a start at second and is eligible to play first, second, and left field in Yahoo! leagues. He’s not a power hitter by trade but he doesn’t strike out a lot, makes consistent contact, and did hit 11 home runs in 95 games last season. If he can stay healthy, Donovan can be a useful bat.
Mitch Haniger
So far, so good for Mitch Haniger in his second run with Seattle. Haniger notched nine hits and a home run over his first nine games of 2024, then accrued two more hits on April 6 against Milwaukee.
We know what Haniger can do when he’s healthy. He hit 39 home runs in 2021, the last year he played over 100 games. And thus far, he’s shown the power we’ve been accustomed to with the right fielder.
Lars Nootbaar
A rib injury forced Lars Nootbaar, who hit 14 home runs and stole 11 bases last season, to begin 2024 on the IL. However, the 26-year-old should be coming back soon, as he’s started his rehab assignment and looks in good form. On April 6, he launched a 110.5 MPH double with Triple-A Memphis.
The return of Nootbaar would shake up an outfield that currently includes the Donovan mentioned above, Michael Siani, and Victor Scott II. And for those who own Scott, he’s on the bubble at the moment. Scott batted just .091 entering the day on April 7.
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Jose Siri
Hamstring troubles and a right hand fracture limited Jose Siri last season. But thus far in 2024, the Rays outfielder has played every day and remains an interesting figure. Siri, who hit 25 home runs last season in just 101 games, stole four bases in his first eight games and added two more on April 6.
Yes, the strikeout problems are very much a concern for Siri. He posted a 35.7% Whiff% rate last season and he’s not far off that number to begin 2024. He’s someone to tread lightly with but the power/speed combination is nonetheless tantalizing.
Brice Turang
Back in February, we mentioned Brewers infielder Brice Turang as a potential breakout infield candidate. While it’s too early to say he’s broken out, Turang has been a valuable fantasy asset to this point. Turang entered play on April 6 with a .368 batting average and had six stolen bases, tied for first in the Majors alongside Jarren Duran.
As we noted a couple of months ago, Turang can be a force on the basepaths — which makes up for his lack of power. And, he’s started to show the good contact tool that was present in the Minors.