Gerbil's Waiver, Week 3 - The Catcher Edition

By happenstance, we've got a bunch of interesting Catchers making the list today. I'd say that would be awesome...most years...but catcher happens to be deeper than it's ever been. Still, I'm sure a bunch of us could use an upgrade either at C or utility, so take your pick! Also, I want to just drop some Noah Schultz information to start us off here, courtesy of Prospectsavant.

https://prospectsavant.com/player/702273

https://prospectsavant.com/player/702273

Schultz battled knee tendonitis back in 2025, and it really affected his pitching - his velocity was down to 94 mph on the heater, taking away a huge aspect of what made him so special. Now that his 4-seam is back up to 96.1 mph on average, I'm all in. Out of a 20 degree arm slot and with the extension Schultz gets on his stuff, this is a fucking crazy 4-seam. You rarely see this type of velocity out of such a low arm slot, and that's not even the best part - he gets 12 inches of iVB on the pitch (good at this slot) and 10.83 inches of arm-side run. One of the best comps I have on this 4-seam is a younger Luis Castillo. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Schultz is the cutter. In 2025, he developed a cutter that he threw on 1.3% usage - basically non-existent. But in 2026, he's thrown that cutter on 21.1% usage, and it's now his second pitch. How good is it, you ask?: 115 psStuff+ grade, his highest grade on any pitcj .178 xBA .237 xSLG

38% Whiff

It's been an excellent pitch for Schultz and has really filled out his pitch shape, providing the perfect in-between, between his arm-side and glove-side offerings. He's also using it as his primary pitch against LHH, throwing it on 30.5% usage. Not too shabby for a new pitch!

Nick Yorke, 2B, PIT

Yorke continues to slap baseballs, though one wouldn't know it just by looking at his barrel percentage (the early 2020s methodology). Going into the 2025 season, Yorke was one of my more hyped sleeper prospects, and was even mentioned on the Gerbil Sports discord in its earlier days. But as the season progressed, issues cropped up with Nick Yorke's swing, and there was enough criticism to the point where even Yorke himself addressed the issue:

https://rumbunter.com/pirates-prospect-nick-yorke-sets-record-straight-on-swing-change-rumorsI dumped multiple Nick Yorke stocks around this time, and so it's bitter-sweet to see Yorke reclaiming the hit tool that made him such a cool prospect to begin with. His contact and discipline rates are all absurdly high, and he boasts a profile similar to a prospect I love - Sam Antonacci. Nick Yorke, before 2025, was a kid you knew could recognize pitches better than other guys. Check out his 2024 prospectsavant:

That's the Nick Yorke we're seeing here in the early days of 2026. And though he says there's been no changes to his swing, we can check that ourselves, since our boy spent a bit of time in the majors last year!

I previously stated Yorke's bat speed has increased, but as of today, it's officially normalized. So if not a bat speed increase, what changes might be driving Yorke's recent success. His swing tilt is the same. His attack direction is nearly the same. His attack angle is the same. His ideal attack angle % has ever-so-slightly dropped. What's going on here?

The only difference here, and it's actually quite substantial, is Nick Yorke has shifted from a 3 degree open stance to a 5 degree closed stance, and yet, everything else has only marginally changed. So how exactly is he generating so much quality contact? Based on the film I'm watching, I can only surmise that's his overall path to the ball has shortened, allowing him to better find the sweet spot of his bat and square up on the ball, thus taking advantage of his bat speed.

Right now, his squared-up % clocks in right around the 50th percentile, alongside a 50th percentile bat speed - this would qualify Nick Yorke for my 100 Total Squared-Up/Bat-Speed club. Last year, Yorke sat at a 5th percentile squared-up rate - therein lies the difference for Yorke. If this new closed stance truly allows him to square up on the ball consistently, this could be sticky. Let's check out the next data set:

As I surmised, the swing length has shortened - 7.4 feet in 2025 to 7.3 feet (minimal change) in 2026. But perhaps the more important take away here is the fast-swing % decrease. Yorke has become much more patient with his bat, and now trusts in his bat speed to take care of business upon squared-up contact, rather than speeding up his bat and creating poor contact or whiffs. The gamble has paid off. Basically, Nick Yorke lacked confidence in his power back in 2025, and pressed at the plate - you shouldn't swing fast, if it's going to destroy your quality of contact. The drop from a 20.7% fast swing rate to a 13.6% fast swing rate has paid off for Yorke, alongside a shorter swing in a more comfortable stance.

Nick Yorke could actually be this good thanks to mechanical adjustments that focus on reliable contact quality rather than raw power, and that really shows in the bat speed being exactly the same, yet the fast swing % changing. We need to think of the implications here.

If Nick Yorke is swinging his bat 52% slower, yet his overall bat speed remains 71.9 mph, that means Nick Yorke had significantly more slow swings in 2025, yes? There's no other way the math works out here. Nick Yorke having an abundance of faster and slower swings only solidifies that lack of confidence and pitch recognition that made him a bad hitter in 2025. His calm, steady bat speed in 2026 shows an entirely new Nick Yorke. Speaking of pitch recognition and swing decisions....

Check that out. 0 run value in the Heart of the zone in 2025, and already 1 run value in 2026. His swing rates are down across the board, but the real gem here is the 14% swing rate in Chase in 2026 vs the 27% in 2025 - fucking beautiful. And oddly enough, Yorke is swinging more in the waste than he ever has, yet he's already accumulated 1 run value to tie the mark he hit in 2025.

Basically, Yorke is swinging at pitches he feels comfortable with & recognizes, while taking what he doesn't. In 2025, Nick Yorke accumulated +1 run value in the Chase - in 2026 he's already accumulated + 1 across significantly less plate appearances just by way of swinging less. That's where his excellent walk rate comes from - 7th percentile in 2025 vs 92nd percentile in 2026. He's essentially fixed an enormous hole in his plate discipline, or rather, the enormous hole.And finally, the blast data.

Yorke officially has the third-highest blasts/contact % on the Pirates, behind a shockingly impressive Oneil Cruz, who also happens to be squaring up on the ball at a really solid 25% mark...that's kind of fucking crazy considering his bat speed.

But yeah, good stuff here for Nick Yorke, who comes in second on the test.

Cole Winn, RP, TEX

This might be the last appearance for Winn on our weekly waiver wire list - three weeks in a row is probably where I should draw the line, right?He now has a 0.00 ERA through 6.1 IP and shows no signs of slowing. His xBAs and whiff rates are fucking absurd:

4-seam - 30% whiff, .143 xBA

Cutter - 30.8% whiff, .055 xBA

Splitter - 30% whiff .085 xBA

Slider - 45.4% whiff, .285 xBA (.167 actual BA)

Sinker - Is bad, 8% usage.

Four of the five pitches are absolute cash money, and each comes in on fair usage, with all four clocking above the 20% usage mark. The pitch shape is excellent too, with each pitch perfectly complimenting several other pitches in the repertoire. If Winn decided to cut out the sinker, he'd somehow be even more dominant than he already is. The track record dating back to 2025 is beginning to grow into something glorious, something that indicates Winn may be on the path to reliever greatness.

His cutter and slider decimate RHH, while his 4-seam and splitter destroy LHH - he's equally devastating against righties and lefties alike. He limits hard contact. He makes guys chase. He strikes hitters out. His iVB is excellent for his arm slot, and his extension brings his perceived velocity to the 99 mph mark. I love this kid, and you should too. What's stopping you from grabbing such dominance at only age 26?

Juan Morillo, RP, ARI

Morillo has done it yet again. He now has his 4th hold on the season after a 1.1 inning, 3K, 0 BB appearance. Whereas Winn will keep you off balance with a diverse and crafty pitch mix, Morillo is just going to pump 99 mph 4-seams in the zone, one by one, challenging hitters to do anything. Here's the breakdown of his pitch mix:

4-seam, .224 xBA, 26.9% whiff Change, .123 xBA, 26.7% whiff, 54.5% GB Slider, .152 xBA, 66.77% whiff Sinker, .074 xBA, 28.6% whiff, 69.6% GB

And ever since that Will Smith dinger in Morillo's first appearance of the year, it's been nothing but smooth sailing for the flamethrower. He's undoubtedly the setup guy for the D-backs, and he's getting plenty of solid opportunities, making him one of the premiered adds in holds leagues early in the season.

Between Winn, Sabrowski, and Morillo, we've already filled out a nasty redraft (and dynasty) bullpen completely off waivers. Fucking cheers, and remember, don't draft relievers.

Evan Carter, OF, TEX Carter? I hardly know her. Or in this case, him. I don't know what Evan Carter is at this point in his career. I know he has good size, good speed, excellent defense, and all of the potential in the world to be a good hitter. I also know he's constantly injured and consistently underperforms. I know that he was beginning to heat up midway through the 2025 season, before injuries once again derailed his promising talent, per usual. And lastly, I remember just how good he looked back in 2023, when he hit for a .306 BA and 1.058 OPS across 75 plate appearances...when he was only 20. It's almost hard to believe Carter is still only 23, and essentially has three years of leash left before we could even consider him any type of bust or under-performer. But with the way his statcast is shaping up in the early days of the 2026 season, we may not ever witness that moment. Carter is making consistent contact, and consistently good contact, might I add. It's almost inconceivable that he's only hitting .224 with this kind of sweet-spot/whiff rate combo. And not only is the contact good, but he's chasing at a 93rd percentile rate and walking at an 86th percentile rate. This is the kind of statcast we'd want to see from Wyatt Langford, let alone Evan Carter. The discipline and hit tool on display here should have everyone closely monitoring Evan Carter, or even taking the gamble and adding him right now. Carter provides sneaky 20/20 potential with clean ratios across the board.

Tyler Freeman, 2B/OF, COL

Another year, another Tyler Freeman recommendation. This guy just lives rent-free in both my head and heart, and honestly, he's deserving. Something about his at-bats really gets me going - he's gritty, confident, and never whiffs. And I mean almost literally never whiffs. After a 97th percentile whiff rate in 2025, Freeman is once again flirting with a 99th percentile whiff rate here in 2026. It's unsurprising he's currently hitting .353 over his first 20 plate appearances, especially with the swet-spot increase we've seen in the early days of his 2026 campaign. The current 50th percentile sweet-spot is a nice jump from the 12th percentile rate in 2025, but the question is, is it sticky? All I can see that indicates any kind of change is a tendency shift from 1 degree opposite to 0 degree pull, alongside small changes to his batting stance, position in the batter's box, and a small decrease in bat speed. His swing path tilt and ideal attack angle have both decreased, which isn't exactly a good thing either. But if he can continue to pull the ball more often, he might actually find a bit more success. I do want point out that, like Nick Yorke, we've seen a pretty substantial drop in fast-swing % for Freeman - 14.6% to 6.5% - and that shows us Freeman might be giving up entirely on hitting for power, instead opting for consistent levels of contact with more control and placement. His pull air and line drive rates are both up substantially. On top of Freeman putting the ball in play consistently, he's a stolen base threat each and every time he's on first base, and already has two swiped bags on the year. If Tyler can remain healthy, and that's a big if, he might be a really nice utility bench piece.

TJ Rumfield, 1B, COL

This may be the last appearance for Rumfield, one of my premiere sleeper picks on the season. He's continued to demonstrate a good eye at the plate as he makes consistent contact with awesome launch angles, all while taking enough walks to keep that OBP high as fuck. The statcast is all well and god - 68th percentile barrel rate, 97th percentile sweet spot, 66th percentile whiff, 56th percentile hard-hit - but there's more here too:

Rumfield has an absurdly good 28.9% Pull AIR, consistent with the high rates we saw at AAA and Spring training. His Air % is a resounding 71.1%....for a guy who plays at Coors, and hits the ball pretty hard. And he has a 54.4% ideal attack angle with a 36 degree swing tilt, both fantastic marks indicating a beautiful, upward swing. Rumfield is built to pull the ball for cheap HRs at Coors, and honestly, he's built to hit HRs just about anywhere. He's good. The Rockies might platoon him once in a while against LHP, but don't fret, he'll earn his plate appearances as the season progresses. If you're a Michael Busch owner like me, this guy is a fucking god-send.

Catcher's Row

Moises Ballesteros

The beast is beginning to awaken, and trust me, you don't want to miss out on this. Moises has maybe the best pure hit tool of any rookie in the league - his blend of bat speed, power, and contact is what supestars are made of. I understand that you may not want to roster multiple catchers, but consideration should be given to Ballesteros as a utility spot mainstay - especially with so many good hitters struggling in the early going of the season (thanks Michael Busch).

Beyond the statcast metrics that include an excellent bat speed/squared-up ratio, something that shows he's making excellent use of that awesome bat speed, Moises is currently competing for the title of Lefty Blast King:

Blasts per contact is one of the data sets I weight highly in my predictive analysis, and yields some of the highest success rates. Everything about Ballesteros screams "I'm a really fucking good major league hitter." Even as I type this, he's just blasted a 427 ft. HR to dead center. This is what I call 'fuck you' power. I'm remind greatly of 2024 Heliot Ramos...which makes me both nostalgic and sad for what he's become. It goes beyond the blast data, too.

He also happens to have one of the strongest ideal attack angles in the league, currently sitting at #12. Ideal attack angle is the measure of swings between a 5 and 20 degrees (at the point of contact), sitting at an average attack angle at 8 degrees. When we talk about swing path tilt, that's a measurement of the entire swings upward path, not just at the point of contact. I'm not only endorsing Ballesteros as a waiver add, but my #1 priority add on the year thus far. Moises has been here the whole time, and is a complete gamechanger for those of us who desperately need another good bat.

Carlos Narváez

I've been keeping an eye on Narvaez ever since I discovered his awesome bat speed to squared-up ratio, and it looks like it might pay off. Narvaez is hitting a paltry .242 with a .507 OPS, and yet, his statcast is lovely to look at - a real treat for the eyes. And isn't it convenient that Narvaez went 2/4 yesterday with a run? Sure, it might not seem like much, but it's the kind of slash-line the expected numbers assume Carlos should be posting on a frequent basis.

With a .410 xSLG and .285 xBA, Narvaez currently stands as one of the most unlucky players in the league - the early season 2025 Ben Rice. He's not whiffing, he's not chasing, and he's hitting the ball hard with some respectable launch angles. This is more of a wait-and-see kind of situation.

Iván Herrera

Herrera? Ihardlyknowher-rera.

He's been really awful, about as awful as that joke, and finds himself in the same boat as the aforementioned Narvaez. Underneath the .196 BA and .628 OPS lies one of the more beautiful statcasts in the league, and is that surprising to anyone? This kid has seen his OPS sit above the .800 mark for two straight seasons, and everyone fully understands Herrera boasts one of the best hit tools at the C position. I'm aware that Herrera is owned in most leagues, and I'm also aware that us redraft managers are the most impulsive motherfuckers in the world. If his poor production continues, I expect lots of drops over the coming weeks. This is more of a "If you see him dropped, feel free to add him" type of deal.

Dillon Dingler

This is might be your last opportunity to snag Dingler, who smacked his 3rd HR of the season today. There's no doubt about it - one of the best catchers in the league is officially entering his prime at age 27. His bat speed is respectable, his squared-up rate is great, his power metrics are outstanding, and his launch angles are pheneomenal. And he's only whiffing at a 50th percentile rate, with this kind of power?! Damn. It's not just the basic statcast that reflects his skill.

Both Dingler's swing path tilt and ideal attack angle are excellent, and for perspective, Ben Rice has a swing path tilt of 31 degrees. Judge? 38 degrees. This conducive-to-excellent-launchangle swing explains the 95th percentile sweet-spot and 89th percentile barrel rate. I won't be surprised to see Dingler hit 20-30 HRs this year.

Now that his hit tool has officially caught up with top of the league defense, the Tigers will give Dingler as few rest days as possible. He's a winning player, both in real life and fantasy.

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