Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Waiver Wire MUST ADDS! Lenyn Sosa Hitting Well! (8/19 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

Episode Date: August 19, 2025

Download and follow Fantasy Baseball Today Express! You can find FBT Express on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠���⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the Audacy App and wherever else podcasts are found. Lenyn Sosa looks like he's legit! Sosa or Colt Keith? Which catchers would we drop for Samuel Basallo? Jurickson Profar is on fire. Nolan McLean or Hurston Waldrep? Let's rank deep-league saves sources. Fantasy Baseball Today Express is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Get Fantasy Baseball Today merch here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/3y8dUqi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow FBT on TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@fbtpod?_t=8WyMkPdKOJ1&_r=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow our FBT team on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@FBTPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@CPTowers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@CBSScottWhite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Roto_Frank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our Facebook group at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can listen to Fantasy Baseball Today Express on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 podcast." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lenine Sosa is quietly hitting really well. Let's talk waiver ads up next on Fantasy Baseball's Day Express. Welcome in to FBT Express on Tuesday, August 19th. I am Frank Sample joined by Scott White, and let's take a look at some waiver wire ads. Starting with Lenine Sosa of the White Sox. Hit another home run here on Monday. Over his last 43 games, he's hitting 280 with 13 home runs,

37 RBI, and OPS over 850. only 46% rostered with three different positions of eligibility, Scott. That number feels like it should be higher. Yeah, I'm pretty much convinced Lenin Sosa is a good player. Now, how good is he for fantasy? It's tricky because he's in such a bad lineup and because he walks so infrequently, just a 3.5% walk rate. So he kind of has a profile that's extra dependent on supporting cast to maximize it,

and he doesn't have that supporting cast. But based on what Linnees Sosa can control, he looks like a keeper. I mean, it does feel like this performance, this breakthrough came out of nowhere, but you look through his minor league track record in 2022 between double and AAA. Linnees Sosa hit 315, 23 homers,

and 881 OPS. The following year, 271, 17 homers, and 820 OPS. So he was putting up numbers like these, in the minors. We've seen that it takes hitters, especially, some time to adapt to the majors, but it's not just the top line numbers

that are looking good for Linensosa. He has the exit velocities. He has the expected stats, 285 expected average batting average 492 expected slug. That's like 80th and 90th percentile. And he keeps the strikeouts under control. He's got the good pull air rate.

he looks like a player who deserves to be starting in the majors long term and the white sucks have found their I don't know I guess second base is where he's most likely to settle ultimately you can use him in fantasy now certainly in roto leagues where there are a lot more hitter spots to fill I think the walk rate particularly with the poor supporting cast is going to eliminate leney and sosa for points league use though except in an emergency Who do you prefer between Lenin Sosa and Colt Keith, who's actually been hitting very well? They both have first, second, and third base eligibility.

Who do you like more? I like Lenin Sosa more, but not a lot more because Colt Keith has the supporting cast. Now, he's kind of in a platoon role, and that limits his relevance for fantasy. But he's been good for a long time now. Since May 4th, he's batting 297. And stags of velocities are much better this year. The strikeout rates much better. This was a former high-end prospect who the Tigers gave a long-term contract before he even debuted.

So I think there's talent here for Colt Keith as well. Sort of like Sosa, I don't know. I don't know that I'm so much liking him to use right now in fantasy is just, oh, I think this guy is going to be somebody we're caring about next year and into the future when I wasn't so sure of that for Colt Keith coming into this year. Chris and I spoke a bunch about Samuel Bessio yesterday, Orioles catcher prospect who was recently promoted. He's the third most added hitter on CBS right now. The question is, how high do we get him in the rankings? So I'll throw a few names your way, Scott. Would you drop Alejandro Kirk for Samuel Bessio? Yeah, I think that's pretty

easy. The one hesitation would be points leagues because the strikeout rate is so low for Kirk, particularly ones that like penalize a full point per strikeout. But I think even in those, there's just not enough impact from Kirk's bat right now. What about J.C. Rio Muto, who is hitting for a high batting average, but not really doing much else. Yeah, 328 is what he's hitting since June 9th. But with three home runs, hardly any walks. So, yeah, Basayu over Rio Muto. All right.

These last two, I think, are a little bit tougher. Drake Baldwin or Samuel Bessio. That is tougher. that is about the line for me. So I'm putting him about 12th, 13th in my rankings, I guess, to start out. I am giving Baldwin the edge for now, just because it is so hard for high-end prospects, hitting prospects especially,

to just kind of hit the ground running in the majors. Baldwin, we know, is performing well. But Passaio has more upside. And Pesayo might be the next Kyle Schwerber in terms of how hard he impacts the ball. And it's an easy comp to make because Schwerber started out as, a poor defensive catcher himself. And the last name is Ben Rice, who had a huge game over the weekend and has started 11 straight for the Yankees.

So they are finding ways to get him in the lineup. Who do you like more, Ben Rice or Basayo? I think Ben Rice, but it's, like, that's right at the line. Augustine Ramirez is in that, that range as well. It's a crowded position this year. There are a lot, there's a lot of talent that has debuted at this position. this year. And not a lot of it's losing catcher eligibility for next year. William Contreras is, I think, Ivan Herrera is. But, Bessio might. Bessio might too.

Bessio might, yeah. Although he was catching on Monday. Yeah, true. So maybe not. All right, let's take a break and we'll be back right after this. Before we get into it, let me just correct myself. Wilson Contreras is losing catcher eligibility. The Cardinals Contreras. I think I said William before. He's not. Before we get into the pitchers, just check to see if Jirksson ProFar is available. If you play in a shallower league, just had to mention the guy is on fire, had another huge game here on Monday,

three for five with two homers and a steely at five RBI in that game. Last 16 games, ProFar is hitting 317, six homers, four steals, 15 walks during that stretch. So 77% rostered, I think it's 55% on Yahoo. Just check to make sure Jerks and ProFar is not available in your league.

On to the pitcher is Nolan McLean. and Hurston Waldrop. Chris also spoke a lot about them yesterday. Scott, who do you prefer between the two, Waldrop or Nolan McLean? Like them both, but I got to go Waldrop here because there's a little more proof of concept. I mean, all three outings have been tremendous. One technically wasn't a start, but he went five and two thirds. The other two, he went six, the minimum for a quality start.

And that's one area where I think McLean might struggle. There will be some efficiency issues. He struggles with walks. So he might not work deep into games. He might face a workload, like he might come up on an innings limit that I don't think is going to be the case for Waldrop. Waldrop himself, former first-round pick. And though the minor league numbers won't blow you away,

he worked with Sean Murphy down when Murphy was on a rehab assignment earlier this year to develop a sinker. And that has kind of brought it all together for Waldrop, allowed his elite splitter to play up, because he has better pitches that, you know, pitches that work well with a better pitches that he can throw more consistently for strikes.

And we're seeing the results. It's been great. All right. And last question, I want to ask you about some deep league saves sources here. Victor Vodnik of the Rockies, Justin Topa of the Twins, Jose Ferrer of the national, Scott.

How would you rank those three if you need saves? I would rank them I'm going to go for Rare, then Topa, then Victor Vodnik. None of them, I think, are actually good enough to be closing, and none of them are on teams that are going to win much moving forward. Hey, watch out for those Rockies. I know, I know they've gotten some saves recently, but still, I would not bet on Victor Vodnick,

even getting five saves the rest of the way. Oh, right. But that's it. Yeah, Ferrer, Topa, Vodnick. For more extensive fantasy baseball coverage, listen to our full-land podcast, Fantasy Baseball today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else podcasts are found. Thanks for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express. And we will be back again on Thursday. Bye-bye.

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