MLB FAAB Factor: Mayo Gets His Chance

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

Last week's MLB FAAB Factor covered an initial set of names who clearly stood to benefit from deals at the trade deadline, which was little over 24 hours old when the article was written. This week's article contains several more names whose value is related to deadline deals, including several players who have moved into prominent lineup positions with their new teams, and a pair of potential closers fighting for the same spot.

But the trade deadline isn't the only way for a player to feature in this article. Coby Mayo, this week's headliner, wasn't dealt at the deadline, and his team didn't make a move to clear a spot for him. But as luck would have it, an injury opened up a spot just a day later, so we'll now get to see one of the game's best prospects for the last two months of the regular season. More on him in a minute, but first, a handful of starting pitchers.

Starting Pitcher

Tyler Mahle, Rangers (19%)

A theme of the second half of the season has been top starting pitchers returning from long-term injury, a group which includes former Cy Young winners like Clayton Kershaw and Robbie Ray and that should eventually include Jacob deGrom. But don't lose Mahle in the shuffle. He recorded a 3.90 ERA and 1.21 WHIP from 2020 to 2023, striking out 27.1 percent of opposing batters — not quite Kershaw/Ray/deGrom territory, but more than enough to help your squad in a big way down the stretch. Mahle allowed just one earned run in five innings against the Astros in his return from Tommy John surgery Tuesday and is poised to be a key member of the Rangers' rotation down the stretch. FAAB $8

David Festa, Twins (10%)

Festa has the two prerequisites I look for when deciding to be interested in a rookie: pedigree and opportunity. Per the former, he's the 48th-ranked prospect here at RotoWire (and the ninth-ranked pitching prospect) and cruised to a 3.47 ERA and 29.9 percent strikeout rate in his minor-league career. The latter has been taken care of by Chris Paddack's forearm strain, and the fact that Paddack's 4.99 RA means he's no lock to return to the rotation if he can get healthy by the end of the year. Festa has since settled into a rotation spot and has allowed just three earned runs in 14.1 innings across his last three appearances. Even including his poor first two outings before that, his 28.8 percent strikeout rate and 5.8 percent walk rate on the year make for a promising combination. FAAB: $5 

Paul Blackburn, Mets (19%)

Blackburn is boring. He's a 30-year-old righty who's never had even a league-average strikeout rate, with last year's 22.4 percent mark the only time he's cleared 20 percent in that category. He's never had an ERA better than the 4.11 ERA he has now outside of his 10-start debut back in 2017. Nonetheless, he was one of the clear winners of the deadline and is worth a look in most formats. His pitcher-friendly park was his primary appeal in Oakland, and most new homes would have represented a major downgrade in that area, but not the Mets. He'll remain a solid option in most of his home starts and some of his away ones as well, now that he has a better shot at a win whenever he takes the mound. FAAB: $1 

Relief Pitcher

Hunter Harvey, Royals (44%)
Lucas Erceg, Royals (9%)

Last week, I discussed seven relievers split across three up-in-the-air bullpens, most of whom are still worth a look this week. But the Kansas City bullpen has become just as interesting, with both of the team's deadline acquisitions potentially moving ahead of incumbent closer James McArthur on the depth chart. McArthur leads the Royals with 18 saves, but his 5.20 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 16.5 percent strikeout rate all look best suited for low leverage. He's given up 11 runs across his last seven appearances, blowing two saves in that stretch. Harvey was shaky on either side of his move from Washington, giving up 16 runs in 12.2 innings from June 22 through Aug. 3, but he picked up the save on Sunday. Erceg's usage suggests he may be the setup man, but he beats Harvey in ERA (3.32 to 4.44) and WHIP (1.08 to 1.32) this season, so he could get chances soon as well. FAAB: Harvey $4, Erceg $3 

Justin Martinez, Diamondbacks (7%)

I mentioned three Diamondbacks relievers as potential pickups last week in the wake of Paul Sewald losing his grip on the ninth inning, and Martinez wasn't one of them. Arizona already has five saves since Sewald lost the job, with the first two going to Ryan Thompson and the next going to A.J. Puk (after Thompson started the ninth inning and got into a jam). The fourth and fifth have gone to Martinez, a rookie with triple-digit heat and questionable command who owns a 1.97 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 50.1 innings this season. Martinez's first save came in the 10th inning after Thomspon got another opportunity in the ninth and blew the lead, while his second came in the nightcap of a doubleheader after Puk and Sewald (who's had three straight scoreless appearances) pitched in the opener. It's possible the chances keep bouncing around until Sewald eventually reclaims his spot, but Martinez does have the look of a "closer of the future" about him. It's possible the Diamondbacks decide the future is now. FAAB: $4 

Catcher

Austin Wells, Yankees (34%)

Wells was at least a modestly interesting sleeper during draft season as a bat-first catching prospect who was set to earn a regular role as part of a good lineup in a hitters' park. The buzz had mostly died down by the end of May after he hit .204/.292/.306 with one homer over the first two months, but he's picked it up in a big way since then. He hit .238/.340/.429 with a pair of homers in June and has now slashed .299/.404/.532 since the start of July, adding five more homers. That success has earned him a move up to the cleanup spot in recent weeks, giving him plenty of opportunities to drive in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. FAAB: $3 

First Baseman

Josh Bell, Diamondbacks (45%)

It was easy to be unmoved by Bell's move from Miami to Arizona at the deadline, as he hadn't hit well with the Marlins (239/.305/.394, good for a 95 wRC+) and was sent to a situation where his starting role seemed only temporary, with Christian Walker expected to return from an oblique strain later this month. Bell could still wind up falling into a part-time role when that happens, but he's been revitalized by getting away from the 42-72 Marlins and now looks worth picking up for at least the next few weeks. In five games as a Diamondback, he's already homered four times while batting cleanup against both righties and lefties. FAAB: $2 

Second Baseman

Brandon Lowe (41%)

Lowe's problem has always been durability, not his ability at the plate, so to see him still available in more than half of Yahoo leagues following a run of good health is a surprise. Lowe did miss time this season as he often does, but since returning from a six-week absence in late May, he's been excellent, slashing .280/.366/.550 with 12 homers in 56 games. He's even earned a move from the large side of a platoon to a near-everyday role, or so it seems, as he's started against the last two southpaws the Rays have faced and four of the last six. FAAB: $4 

Third Baseman

Coby Mayo, Orioles (29%)

Mayo, the fourth-ranked prospect on our Top 400, seemed a near-lock to debut soon after the deadline, either because the Orioles traded other players to clear the path in front of him or because they traded him in order to acquire help elsewhere. Neither of those things happened, but a spot opened up for Mayo anyway, with Jordan Westburg breaking his hand after getting hit by a pitch the day after the deadline. Mayo has started four of five games since his promotion on Friday, ceding one start to Ramon Urias. He hasn't started well at all, going 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts, but it takes more than 13 at-bats to judge a player's talent. Mayo hit .287/.383/.555 with 32 homers, 92 runs and 116 RBI in 139 Triple-A games over the last two seasons, and he only played that many due to the logjam ahead of him. He's only 22 and has plenty of room to grow, but what he is already should be helpful to most fantasy teams, regardless of how his first week is going. FAAB: $7 

Shortstop

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pirates (24%)

Kiner-Falefa — who may qualify at second base, third base, shortstop and outfield in your league — has fit best in a utility role for most of his career. That's still probably true, but he's started all four games since returning from the injured list, something that happened four days after he was traded to the Pirates. He hit well for the Blue Jays prior to the deal, slashing .292/.338/.420 in 83 games, and he has five hits (including a double and a pair of triples) in four games so far for his new team. Don't expect a lot of power or speed, as his seven homers are one shy of a career high and are paired with just three steals, but Kiner-Falefa's steady playing time and potential to hit for a high batting average (thanks in large part to his 14.0 percent strikeout rate) mean he'll help plenty of fantasy teams. FAAB: $2 

Outfield

Matt Wallner, Twins (7%)

Wallner is doing his best Joey Gallo impression — not the Gallo who's hit .180/.312/.407 since 2020 but the Gallo who hit .212/.331/.516 prior to that point. The only player with a higher strikeout rate than Wallner's 41.6 percent in at least 100 plate appearances this season is Gallo himself, but Wallner follows the Gallo model of having more than enough power to make up for bottom-of-the-scale contact ability. His 33.3 percent barrel rate is laughable; Aaron Judge leads all qualified hitters with a 27.6 percent barrel rate, with no one else reaching 21 percent. The extreme power has outweighed the extreme swing-and-miss for Wallner thus far, as he's slashing .272/.406/.630 with six homers in 101 plate appearances. While his batting average will drop along with his .455 BABIP, and while he's unlikely to earn more than a large-side platoon role, his power is real and makes him a good option for teams in need of a boost at HR and RBI. FAAB: $4 

Victor Scott II, Cardinals (3%)

If you're set for power but are in need of speed, Scott could be your answer. Center fielder Michael Siani hit the injured list with an oblique strain earlier this week, days after the team dealt Dylan Carlson to the Rays, and while the Cardinals could have slid Lars Nootbaar over from right field to fill Siani's spot, the team instead elected to recall Scott. He's since started every game in center, batting ninth. A speed deficit is really the only reason to roster him at this point, though, as it's still unclear whether he can hit big-league pitching. He made the Opening Day roster but hit .085/.138/.136 in 20 games before being sent down in late April, and he's now 1-for-10 since his return. His (temporary) everyday role gives him the opportunity to showcase the speed that helped him swipe 94 bags in the minors last season, but he needs to actually get on base in order to run. FAAB: $2 

Joey Loperfido, Blue Jays (3%)

Loperfido didn't do much with his limited opportunities in Houston, hitting .236/.299/.358 with two homers and two steals in 38 games while occupying at best the large side of a platoon and hitting in the bottom half of the order. He hasn't done much through five games in Toronto, either, going 4-for-22 with 11 strikeouts, but he's been batting second in the order and has started against every righty as well as one of two lefties. That regular role should give him the chance to repeat his promising performance at the Triple-A level, where he hit .272/.265/.568 with 13 homers and nine steals in 39 games. He'll have to cut his strikeout rate considerably from the 38.3 percent it currently sits at, but he has enough power to be a viable regular if he can just keep the strikeouts to around 30 percent. FAAB: $1