Fantasy baseball: Hidden gems on bad KC, Oakland, Washington teams

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Mid-May marks the quarter point of the MLB season calendar. Much like the field in this past weekend’s Kentucky Derby, a handful of teams have jumped out to strong starts heading into the first turn with many teams still battling for position as the first straightaway is just around the corner. Also like horse races, there are teams already way back in the pack. Bottom of the standings teams on the verge of being completely forgotten until next season, even by their own fans. Yet for fantasy baseball owners, these bad teams may provide some hidden gems to get your team through an injury or to bolster the bench for a few weeks.

Let’s take a peek at a few players on bad teams worthy of grabbing off the fantasy baseball waiver wire

Luis Garcia, Washington Nationals

There are far worse teams than the Nationals this season, but Washington does sit at the bottom of the NL East and possesses the third-worst winning percentage in the National League. Expectations weren’t exactly high for the Nationals this season so, at 15-21, things could be much worse for the Nation’s Capital hometown team.

At first glance, second baseman Luis Garcia’s stats don’t really jump out at you. Batting .274 with three home runs, 16 RBI and an OPS of .725, Garcia’s numbers seem mediocre. A deeper dive into his recent play is where fantasy owners may find some value. As the month of April came to a close, Garcia was batting a paltry .234 but, as the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers” and Garcia has blossomed so far this month. In 36 at-bats in May, Garcia is batting .389, .393 over the past week with a 1.023 OPS. Last week’s series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks has served as a potential springboard for the rest of his season. On the road in Phoenix, Garcia went an impressive 8-for-13 with a home run, three runs scored and a pair of RBI against a quality and competitive Arizona team. Prior to that series, Garcia’s average was just .223.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez (who could be on the hot seat in Washington) has moved Garcia up in the batting order to the number two spot where he’s batted .296 this season. Another key to Garcia’s improvement at the plate has been his handling of left-handed pitching, a situation that left him on the bench early in the season. Last season, Garcia hit .235 against southpaws. This season, his fourth in the majors and fourth with the Nationals, Garcia has responded to coaching with a .385 average against those lefties.

No longer a liability against lefties and fantasy roster flexibility as a second baseman and shortstop, Garcia makes for a waiver wire pickup worth trying out. The Nationals begin a four-game series at home with the Mets Friday and then travel to Miami to face the Marlins early next week.

May 3, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino (9) hits an RBI double during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals

Not since the days of Dr. Vinny Boombatz, the fictitious medical practitioner famously and frequently used in legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield’s act, has anyone named Vinnie caught my interest. I drafted Royals first baseman/DH Vinnie Pasquantino in my fantasy league. He lasted until about Easter before I cut him, which wasn’t so much a reflection on him as it was of how bad of a drafter I was. Good news for Vinnie is that he’s managed to put together a good season thus far even though the Royals, well, stink. With a record of 10-27, Kansas City has the second-worst record in the entire league. It’s quite possible the Royals will struggle to fend off Oakland as the worst team for the remainder of the 2023 campaign, but that doesn’t mean a player like Pasquantino can’t have a decent season.

In his second season in the bigs after being called up by the Royals last June, Pasquantino is putting together a nice sophomore campaign. After a slow start, the first baseman has rebounded to a .287 batting average with seven dingers (he had 10 his entire rookie ’22 season), 19 RBI and a .905 OPS. Coincidentally, his season began to turn around right after I cut him (typical, right fantasy owners?) Pasquantino has a nice May going with a .313 average, two home runs, only two strikeouts and an OPS of 1.003. As nice as things have been going for Vinnie this season, a wrinkle in his splits was on display just this past weekend versus those lowly A’s.

Pasquantino is only hitting .240 at Kaufman Stadium this season, sporting just a .733 OPS. In the recent homestand versus Oakland, he went just 1-for-9. On the road this season, his numbers are much better, hitting .344 with a 1.068 OPS. Potential owners can rejoice as the Royals are in Milwaukee and San Diego over the next seven days. Both trips will be Pasquantino’s first time playing in either stadium.

May 3, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Esteury Ruiz (1) celebrates after scoring against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

Esteury Ruiz, Oakland A’s

I’ll make this last mention quick, which is fitting for the player. Oakland’s center fielder Esteury Ruiz is leading the league in stolen bases with 17, two ahead of Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña, Jr. In just his third season in the league, Ruiz has already become somewhat of a journeyman with Oakland being his third team in as many years.

Batting a respectable .275 on the season, Ruiz has six stolen bases in May already. Up until late April, Ruiz only had a handful of stolen bases. However, in Anaheim against the Angels, Ruiz stole four bases in one game and, since then, he’s been given the green light any time he’s been on base it seems.

Ruiz has only been caught stealing twice this season and has shown improvement at the plate as his batting average has jumped 20 points this month. Ruiz doesn’t walk much, just four times so far this season in 147 at-bats. If he can improve his plate discipline, his stolen bases numbers could get Rickey Henderson-esque, which would be a huge feat in Oakland and also distract fans from the team’s league-worst record.

If your league rewards stolen bases, then Ruiz is someone to go grab as a nice plug-in player when a star has a night off.

OK, that’s it. Good luck out there!

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