Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, our weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire guide. We'll be doing things a little differently this season, with Eric Samulski publishing the initial waiver-wire article on Friday afternoon. Then James Schiano updates it every Sunday to make sure you get the most up-to-date information.
The premise of the article is pretty straightforward. We'll give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When we list a player, we'll list the category where we think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. We hope it helps you determine if the player fits what your team needs. Not every "trending" player will be a good addition for your specific roster.
To qualify for this list, a player needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. We understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and we can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.
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Fantasy-relevant batting order notes from every MLB team.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters
Travis Bazzana - 2B, CLE (31% rostered)
(EVERYDAY PLAYER, OBP LEAGUE BOOST)
The former number one overall pick was called up by the Guardians this past week to be their starting second baseman. It's taken him a few games to get going, but he notched his first career hit on Saturday and it helped ice their win over the Athletics.
He also stole his first base in that game. Expect more gap-to-gap power for Bazzana, who has good rather than great raw power plus a bit more of an opposite field approach. But his tremendous sense of the strike zone has already been on display after drawing five walks in just four games and he should get a huge boost in OBP-based leagues.
Moisés Ballesteros - C, CHC (30% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
We covered Ballesteros last week, and not much has changed. This is a bit tricky because Ballesteros is only catcher-eligible in formats like Yahoo with lower games played thresholds. That being said, he is the Cubs’ DH against all right-handed pitchers, and his quality of contact is off the charts. If you have a UTIL spot that you can use for just a good, pure hitter, and especially if you're in a daily moves league where you can shift Ballesteros to the bench against lefties, he's worth a look.
Carlos Cortes - OF, ATH (28% rostered)
(HOT STREAK, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Cortes literally can't stop hitting. For one, he has a hit in his last 11 starts. Also, he's up to a 1.092 OPS with more walks than strikeouts through 27 games played. He's a shorter, stockier, position-less player, which hurt his prospect pedigree despite consistently producing in the upper minors. His swing is compact and helps him generate more power than his below-average bat speed would hint at. Still, his elite power metrics right now are likely to trend down, but elite bat-to-ball skills and great swing decisions give him a better floor than most would assume. Even with Brent Rooker's return to the Athletics' lineup on last weekend, Cortes is still starting in the corner outfield and hitting near the middle of their order against right-handed pitching. This week, the Athletics are scheduled to face righties in five of their six games.
Cole Young - 2B, SEA (27% rostered)
(POTENTIAL BREAKOUT, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)
Second base is a trainwreck, so why are so few people rostering Young? He's hitting .276 on the season with a .346 on-base percentage, three home runs, two steals, 20 runs scored, and 19 RBI. He's doing a little bit of everything and was a guy Eric highlighted this offseason in his second-year hitters article.
Ryan Jeffers - C, MIN (25% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME INCREASE, POWER UPSIDE)
If you're looking for a catcher, Jeffers should really be rostered in one-catcher formats. He appeared in Eric’s article last week on hitters to buybecause he has a 50% hard-hit rate with better-than-league-average contact rates and swinging strike rates. That's a combination we love.
Samuel Basallo - C, BAL (23% rostered)
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK)
Basallo has been hot over the past few weeks. In his last 15 games, he's hit four homers of his five total homers with a .983 OPS and a league-average strikeout rate. His whiff rate has also fallen well below league average and with that swing-and-miss in check, there should be nothing stopping him from flirting with 30 home runs. Adley Rutschman's return also takes some defensive pressure off Basallo, who's struggled behind the plate defensively. Just be aware than he does not play against left-handed pitchers.
Bryan Rocchio - 2B/SS, CLE (15% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, MODEST SPEED UPSIDE)
We had Rocchio on here last week, and he keeps producing solid but not great results. There's nothing that jumps off the page here, but he's a young player who was a fringe prospect and could be getting better just by playing more. Over his last 26 games, he's hitting .298 with three home runs, 15 RBI, and two steals. That will help you in most league types. If you're looking for simply speed, Nasim Nunez - 2B/SS, WAS (7% rostered) is among the league leaders in steals.
Jasson Domínguez - OF, NYY (14% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Domínguez was recalled last week after Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the injured list with a calf strain and has started all five games against right-handed pitchers since. On the flip side, he's been the designated hitter in four of those, only moving to the outfield in one game where Aaron Judge moved to DH. So, he looks like a direct replacement for Stanton, whose injury we don’t have a ton of details on. Regardless, Domínguez is still somehow just 23 years old and played at a near 15 HR, 20 SB pace last season working as a strong-side platoon player. He's worth an add to see if he can make good on this opportunity and the possibility that Stanton's injury winds up more serious than it seems.
Spencer Steer - 1B/OF, CIN (13% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT)
We've seen Steer be a useful fantasy contributor before, and we like having any member of the Reds lineup who is getting regular playing time. Over his last 25 games, Steer is hitting .280 with five home runs and 13 runs scored. Somehow, he has just nine RBI with his five home runs but the Reds can't get anybody on base, but that would have to improve, right? RIGHT!?
Nick Gonzalez - 2B/3B/SS, PIT (13% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
There's nothing super sexy about Gonzalez as a fantasy option, but he has taken back the starting job in Pittsburgh, and is hitting .447 over his last 13 games and .333 on the season. That comes with 10 RBI and 10 runs, oh, and zero home runs, so there's not tons of upside across multiple categories, but if you need at-bats and batting average in a deeper format, this will play.
Hyeseong Kim - 2B/SS/LAD, LAD (10% rostered)
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE
Kim appears like he will be the regular shortstop against right-handed pitching until Mookie Betts is back, which might be a few more weeks. Kim isn't hitting the ball overly hard, so there won't be much power here, and he's taken way more of an opposite-field approach, but he's also making far more contact in the zone and chasing outside of the zone way less than we saw last year. He seems to be focused on just driving line drives gap-to-gap and then looking to steal bases when he gets on. We're OK with that.
Anthony Volpe - SS, NYY (9% rostered)
(POWER SPEED UPSIDE, EVERY DAY PLAYING TIME)
Volpe's rehab clock is set to expire and the Yankees reportedly haven't decided whether to reinstall him as their starting shortstop, or keep him in the minor leagues and opt to stay with José Caballero there. For all of the jeers, bust accusations, and criticism he's received thus far in his career, it does appear that Volpe played injured for most of last season and at worst will be a fine power, speed option if he gets his spot back. Just don't hold your breath that it's coming right now.
Nathaniel Lowe - 1B, CIN (8% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, HOT STREAK)
Lowe has started pretty much every game for the Reds since Eugenio Suarez went on the IL, and is hitting .273 with five home runs and 12 RBI. He's pulling the ball more than he ever has and hitting in a hitter-friendly environment. If you're swapping out a guy like Jake Burger or Dom Smith, Lowe is a great option.
Sam Antonacci - 2B/3B/OF, CWS (6% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, MULTI-POSITION ELIGIBILITY)
Antonacci just keeps hitting. He has an .826 OPS through 16 games entering play on Sunday with the same number of walks as strikeouts while playing nearly every day. His raw power leaves plenty to be desired, but he's getting the most of his batted balls so far by lifting the ball a league average amount and his 11% barrel rate is very good. That plus his excellent speed has already pushed him to five extra-base hits and he should be able to run a high batting average and OBP moving forward, just don't expect much over the fence power. Think of him in the mold of a player like Brendan Donovan, just with more speed. Although, he's still yet to steal a base after swiping nearly 50 in the minors last season.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers
Jared Jones - SP, PIT (30% rostered)
Jones checked a huge box this week in his long road back from Tommy John surgery when he made his first rehab start. He was dominant in that outing too. His fastball averaged 99 mph and topped out at 101 mph as he retired all nine batters he faced. This is a good time to start thinking about stashing him. Just be aware it will likely take something close to the maximum 30 days pitchers are granted for rehab assignments before he's ready to return.
Max Meyer, SP MIA (28% rostered)
Meyer has cruised to a 2.68 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through seven starts so far this season while flying mostly under the radar. He's leaned more into throwing his sweeper, with that pitching rising to his most used against right-handed batters and third most against lefties thus far. While we don't often love sweeper-heavy approaches against opposite handed hitters, Meyer has pushed the average velocity on his just above 88 mph, making it an outlier. Being so breaking ball heavy could lead to some regression, but he's pitching too well right now to ignore.
Jacob Latz - SP/RP, TEX (27% rostered)
Latz secured the Rangers' first save in two weeks on Saturday. Jakob Junis pitched against the Athletics' five, six, and seven hitters in the eighth inning while Latz was tasked with facing Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers in the ninth. This still looks like a closer-by-committee despite a flurry of saves by Junis in early April.
Jack Perkins - SP/RP, ATH (25% rostered)
We were in on Perkins a few weeks ago when he came up because we thought he would eventually work himself into high-leverage innings with the Athletics. Perhaps that time is now. Perkins had a few saves earlier in the season when he was pitching multiple innings, but he converted a traditional one-inning save this week as well. He is clearly the best arm in this bullpen, so why not take a gamble on him now and assume the A's make the smart move and put him in the back-end of the bullpen full-time?
Rico Garcia - RP, BAL (21% rostered)
Ryan Helsley is yet another closer who is on the IL, as the Orioles closer hit the injured list with elbow inflammation this week. The team doesn't think it's anything serious, but they're going to need a closer for the next 2-3 weeks. Garcia has been one of the best relievers in baseball this season, so he could have plenty of value if he gets that role.
Logan Henderson - SP, MIL (18% rostered)
Henderson was promoted to start for the Brewers on Sunday in the wake of Brandon Woodruff's concerning drop in velocity and ensuing trip to the injured list. Henderson had a great season debut Sunday against the Nationals despite squandering a one run lead in the fifth inning. Nevertheless, his trusted changeup was sharp and his cutter was intriguing when he was able to bury it in on the hands of left-handed hitters. He is close to a must-add player with a potentially long term spot in this rotation, impressive short sample results in the big leagues last season, and strong track record in the upper minors.
Cade Cavalli - SP, WAS (15% rostered)
We don't necessarily think this is a true "breakout" for Cavalli. His curveball is a legit pitch, but it's basically his only one. Both of his fastballs have poor shape and get hit hard, and his sweeper grades out well on Stuff+ models, but it gets no swing-and-miss against righties, which is, you know, what you want it to do. In his starts against the Braves and Mets, Cavalli gave up tons of hard contact but was also uber efficient in two-strike counts, which helped him rack up strikeouts. We just don't fully believe it. The curve is good enough that he will have some great starts, so you can ride him now while he's pitching well, but don't expect a stud pitcher you're getting off the wire.
Connor Prielipp - SP, MIN (12% rostered)
We had Prielipp on here last week, so we'll keep him here again. Prielipp has a 96 mph four-seam fastball with poor extension but good vertical movement that he kept up in the zone really well. He also did a good job of burying his slider low in the zone to both righties and lefties. He loves that pitch, and it makes sense; it's really good. In his debut outing, his change and curve command weren’t there, but the curve is a new pitch, and it was his MLB debut, so maybe there were some nerves. We like the approach, and the pitch mix SHOULD be enough, so we'd definitely be adding him.
Jake Bennett - SP, BOS (12% rostered)
Bennett was thrust into the Red Sox's rotation this past week after Garrett Crochet became their latest starting pitcher to fall victim to an injury. The lanky lefty pitched well in his debut, going five innings and giving up just one home run against the Astros. He's not known for missing a ton of bats, but did force 10 whiffs in that game. Expect plenty of groundballs from him as a sinker-baller with an impressive changeup.
Kyle Finnegan - RP, DET (12% rostered)
No, Kyle Finnegan is not the closer in Detroit, but are we sure they can let Kenley Jansen keep getting all of those innings? Finnegan was also really good for Detroit when he came over at the end of last season.
Gus Varland - RP, WAS (10% rostered)
Are you desperate for saves? Then Varland might be your guy. He is the full-time closer for the Nationals, save opportunities have just been few and far between. He has an above average strikeout rate and swing-and-miss rate at the moment too.
Enyel De Los Santos - RP, HOU (8% rostered)
Josh Hader is probably at least three weeks away from returning, and there's also a real chance that his shoulder injury remains a problem all season. It seems like De Los Santos will get the majority of save chances when right-handed hitters are up, but he also pitched in the sixth inning on Saturday, and Bryan King wound up getting the save because Boston has tons of left-handed hitters.
Tyler Phillips - RP, MIA (7% rostered)
If you need saves in the short-term, Phillips could be your guy with Pete Fairbanks on the IL. Eric recorded a video this week discussing his thoughts on that bullpen.
Christian Scott - SP, NYM (4% rostered)
Scott was electric in his second start of the season on Friday night striking out eight Angels in five innings of work. There was a brief moment of panic — especially following his catastrophic season debut just a week and a half before — when Jorge Soler hit a first inning home run. Scott talked about he let his emotions get the better of him in that debut with it being his first major league start in nearly two years following Tommy John surgery. Yet, he settled in nicely and let his stuff dominate. His fastball has tremendous life and was electric working up in the zone. Also, his sweeper move like a frisbee and cutter had nice bite. Just pay attention to his splitter usage coming up. In the past, he's struggled with left-handed batters and developed that pitch to have another tool in his tool box for them. He only threw two here and neither were located particularly well, so be on the lookout for how he attacks a lineup that's stacked with more lefties.
