Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.
The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.
For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I 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 in all league types.
Mookie Betts has bounced back from illness, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is in a great spot with the Yankees.
Waiver Wire Hitters
Maikel Garcia - 2B/3B, KC: 40% rostered
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, POSITIONAL VERSATILITY)
Everybody freaked out when Garcia was not in the lineup on Opening Day, and it's become just another example of not putting so much stock into one lineup. With Vinnie Pasquantino needing to DH due to his hamstring injury, the Royals had to reconfigure the lineup a bit, and for one day, Garcia was heading to the bench. He then started five straight games, even starting one in centerfield, which suggests some added versatility. When Jonathan India and Michael Massey are both healthy, there will be some days off for Garcia as the Royals rotate all three hitters, but Garcia has gone 8-for-25 (.320) with two home runs and six RBI to start the season and has 30+ stolen base upside.
Spencer Torkelson - 1B, DET: 37% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE - for now)
Last week, I said I'd much rather have Manzardo or Soderstrom than Torkelson and that stands, but Torkelson remains a solid add if you need power. He's gotten off to a strong start, and, even though it's a small sample size, he's making far better swing decisions, which is leading to fewer whiffs and more contact overall. With the Tigers' lineup banged up, Torkelson should get another month or so to prove he's made enough changes to stay in the big leagues. Michael Busch - 1B, CHC (27% rostered) is another power-first first base option. The 26-year-old hit 21 home runs in 152 games for the Cubs last year and is going to be the everyday first baseman in a lineup that's deeper than it was last year. His swing decisions haven't been great early in the season, but his 11.5% swinging strike rate last year wasn't that high for a player with plus power, so I think we could see another step forward from Busch this year.
Hunter Goodman - C/OF, COL: 30% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, STARTING JOB)
As spring training was winding down, it seemed like Hunter Goodman had hit well enough to earn himself the backup catcher role and maybe a start or two in the outfield when he wasn't catching. Then the regular season started and Goodman hasn't left the lineup. He has started all but three games behind the dish, and he's been the starting DH in all the games he hasn't caught. Considering he's also gone 7-for-30 to start the season with two home runs and a 91 mph average exit velocity, he's certainly hit well enough for Colorado to continue operating like this. Goodman is a must-add in two-catcher formats, but he's also a good add in one-catcher leagues where you have daily moves because you can slide him into your catcher spot if your other catcher is not playing and not lose a spot in the lineup.
Trevor Story -SS, BOS: 30% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)
I'm not sure Story gets enough respect because he's had a checkered past when it comes to injuries, and many fans just want to see Marceo Mayer in Boston. However, Story has turned himself into a really good defensive shortstop, and his speed makes a real impact in fantasy leagues. Through eight games to start the season, Story has two steals and two home runs while playing every day at short. He may hit just .250 on the season, but he's been hitting fifth in the Red Sox order, which gives him some real counting stat upside to go with 25+ stolen base speed.
Jung Hoo Lee -OF, SF: 26% rostered
(COUNTING STATS UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)
Not every add is going to be exciting. In fact, some of the best waiver moves you can make during the year will be kind of boring. Jung Hoo Lee is kind of boring. That's not a knock on him, but he doesn't steal a ton of bases or hit a ton of home runs, so he gets forgotten about a lot in fantasy circles. However, he does make an elite amount of contact and has an everyday job hitting third in the Giants' lineup. That counts for something. Lee has also been pulling the ball more to start the 2025 season, so maybe that leads to some harder contact this year. If you wanted an outfielder that was more speed-centric, you could go after TJ Friedl - OF, CIN (36% rostered), who is leading off for Cincinnati and hitting 10-for-34 (.294) with six runs scored and one stolen base on the season. His sprint speed has been falling over the last few years, but he has also consistently stolen bases when he's in the lineup and he'll play every day while he's healthy.
Ben Rice - 1B, NYY: 25% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)
I loved Ben Rice's upside based on his batted ball quality, and I covered him in my article on potential second-year breakout hitters. The biggest knock on Rice was potential playing time concerns in New York, but he has been hitting the cover off the ball, and the team has responded by starting to play him every day. If we knew he was locked into a starting role, he'd be rostered in way more leagues. His bat speed is up, the barrels are there, and he needs to be on your roster if you have an open spot for a corner infield bat. If you need a corner infield player in deeper formats, then I think you can turn to Wilmer Flores - 1B, SF (11% rostered), who is playing nearly every day with Jerar Encarnacion out for a few months with a fractured hand. We've seen Wilmer go on these kinds of hot streaks before, so it's unlikely he has become a different player; however, he's seeing the ball well right now and has three home runs already this season. Ride the bat while it's hot.
Matt Wallner - OF, MIN: 21% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, GOOD LINEUP SPOT)
By now, we know the deal with Wallner: he's going to play every day against right-handed pitching and sit versus lefties. Well, the Twins have seven games this upcoming week, and six are against right-handed pitching. Wallner has gotten off to a slow start to the 2025 season, but he's hitting leadoff for the Twins and has a 17% career barrel rate. He also tweaked his approach in the second half last season and hit .275 with 12 home runs, 34 RBI, and three steals over the final 73 games. There is some volatility in his skill set, but the power is unquestioned, and if the approach changes carry over, he's a great addition, especially in daily moves leagues. In deeper leagues, I'm also a big fan of Wallner's teammate Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN (3% rostered). Much like Wallner, Larnach will start against all right-handed pitchers, and I wrote about him as one of my favorite post-hype hitters this off-season.
Jordan Walker - OF, STL: 16% rostered
(BREAKOUT POTENTIAL, EVERYDAY ROLE)
Have we written Walker off too soon? I wrote about him in detail for my post-hype hitters article this winter, and he has gotten off to a pretty strong start in St. Louis, going 7-for-22 (.318) with one home run, three walks, three strikeouts, and two stolen bases. The early batted ball data is good, and he's chasing outside of the zone less to start the season. We know Walker is going to get a long leash in St. Louis this season, so this is a gamble I'm happily taking. Another intriguing prospect that we may have written off too early is Kyle Stowers - OF, MIA (1% rostered). Now, Stowers was not the type of prospect Walker was, but he was a solid prospect with real big league power. He has a 10.4% career barrel rate, but has always swung and missed too much. So far this season, he's chasing out of the zone less and making much harder contact in the zone. That has led to some strong early results, but I should note that his zone contact rate is the same and the swinging strike rate is still high, so this doesn't feel like a breakout.
Jacob Wilson - SS, ATH: 14% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE)
Do you like batting average and hate strikeouts and walks? Jacob Wilson is for you. The Athletics' rookie makes an elite amount of contact but doesn't hit for power or draw walks or steal many bases. Wilson has never stolen more than four bases or hit more than seven home runs at any minor league level, so you need to be honest with yourself about what you're after when you add Wilson. He will give you a strong batting average, and he has moved from the bottom third of the order up to sixth and could conceivably even climb up to second or third. There's a place for that on some fantasy rosters, but it may not be yours. A similar boring but dependable option in deeper formats if you need a guy like that in the infield is Geraldo Perdomo - SS, ARI (11% rostered). Perdomo has a bit more speed than Wilson, but a similar amount of power and won't hit for as high of a batting average. It's a pick-your-poison type of situation.
Gavin Sheets - 1B/OF, SD: 13% rostered
(COUNTING STAT UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)
We highlighted Sheets on our player news page during the spring when it seemed like he had a shot to win the designated hitter job in San Diego, and, lo and behold, he has won the job and taken off running. Sheets showed up for me earlier this week when doing research for my article on players who improved their bat speed the most this season. The early contact quality from Sheets has been good, and ge's hitting in the middle of the lineup regularly against roght-handed pitching, which makes him worth an add if you're playing in a daily moves league and should at least put him on your radar in an NFBC-type format where you have mid-week lineup adjustments. I should also note that Pavin Smith - 1B/OF, ARI (3% rostered) is in the same boat as an everyday guy against right-handed pitching andis somebody that I’m in onafter he hit .270/.348/.547 with nine home runs and a .896 OPS in 158 plate appearances in a part-time role last year, and Michael Conforto - OF, LAD (18% rostered) also fits into that boat while hitting in one of the best lineups in baseball. Yes, it's a bummer that they don't get at-bats every day, but remember that the overall quality of their at-bats is likely improved by not having to face lefties, so there is a trade-off there.
Nolan Schanuel - 1B, LAA: 10% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE)
I had Schanuel on a few teams last year. He has good speed for a first baseman and had a 91% zone contact rate, which highlights his overall batting average upside. So far in 2025, Schanuel has posted much better bat speed numbers and has hit the two hardest balls of his MLB career. Remember that he's only 23 years old and debuted in the same season he was drafted. There is still some potential growth here, and it wouldn't surprise me if Schanuel hit .275 with 15 home runs and 10 steals. That's not bad for a deeper league corner infield target.
Jorge Polanco - 2B, SEA: 10% rostered
(DEEP LEAGUE OPTION, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)
Polanco missed three games this week while going on Paternity leave (congrats to him), but I think he remains a solid deep league target with soon-to-be multi-position eligibility, who I wrote about this off-season in an article on undervalued hitters:"He’s a career .263/.330/.435 hitter, and while I know last year was a down season, he was also playing through a knee injury that clearly impacted him. Despite that, he posted an 8.9% barrel rate, an above-average chase rate, and slightly below-average SwStr% and contact rates. We do need to point out that his overall contact rates and swinging strike rates have been headed in the wrong direction for the last two seasons, but for the vast majority of his career, he has been a 77% contact rate guy or better. In spring training this year, he has an 85% contact rate and just a 7.2% SwStr%, so perhaps a lot of that regression was due to injury."Jose Caballero - 2B/3B/SS, TOR (8% rostered) is another multi-position option in deeper leagues after he made his first start in the outfield this week as Tampa Bay looks to get him more at-bats and cover for the injury to Josh Lowe. We know that Caballero can be a difference-maker in the stolen base category, and if he winds up playing 75% of games with 2B/3B/SS/OF eligibility, that's pretty valuable.
Kyren Paris - 2B, LAA: 8% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, POTENTIAL PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)
Paris is yet another young Angels hitter who is starting to earn more playing time. The 23-year-old made the Opening Day roster in part because of an injury to Zach Neto, but also the team's decision to cut Mickey Moniak. Paris is mainly an infielder but has transitioned to the outfield and earned some extra reps playing center field so far this season. He struggled a lot in the minors last season, but there is a detailed video online that breaks down his swing change this off-season. If Jo Adell continues to fail to take advantage of the opportunity in center field, don't be surprised if Paris starts to get more starts and becomes 2B/OF eligible. There's also a world where Paris just becomes the every day second baseman when Neto is back and the Angels shift Luis Rengifo to third base and give up on one or more of Yoan Moncada and Kevin Newman. They probably won't, but they should. I should also note that Isiah Kiner-Falefa - 2B/3B/SS, PIT (19% rostered) has been running wild early on this season. He's the everyday shortstop in Pittsburgh and has four steals already this year. He doesn't do much else, but if you need speed, he could be a fit.
Heston Kjerstad - OF, BAL: 7% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)
Since Colton Cowser hit the injured list with a fractured thumb, Kjerstad has started four of five games, including one against a lefty. I should say, the one start against a lefty was when Dylan Carlson was still en route from Triple-A, and then Ramon Laureano started the next time against a lefty, so I believe it will be Laureano who plays against left-handed pitching. Kjerstad is off to a solid start and has some real power upside, but he has struck out six times in just 19 plate appearances and his bat speed is down so far this season. Considering he hit just .209 in spring training, I'm not yet convinced he's going to take this job and run with it. However, I'm willing to add him in most places just in case he starts to make more contact.
Nick Kurtz - 1B, ATH: 5% rostered
(PROSPECT STASH)
It may be early for prospect stashes, but it depends on your league size and bench space. Kurtz was the fourth overall pick in last year's draft and got an aggressive assignment to Triple-A after a strong spring training. Well, he's gone 13-for-30 in his first five Triple-A games with three home runs and 11 RBI. If he keeps doing this, the Athletics are going to call him up and let Tyler Soderstrom be their everyday DH. That probably means making Brent Rooker play the field, but you're gonna have to do that if Kurtz keeps hitting like this. Roman Anthony - OF, BOS (28% rostered) is another top prospect who may not be long for the minors. The Red Sox will need to clear up some space in the outfield for him, but he's off to a strong start in Triple-A and should be up soon, especially if Ceddanne Rafaela continues to struggle to make good on his strong spring training. Rafaela could move into a super utility role with Jarren Duran in CF and Anthony in LF.
Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, CWS: 3% rostered
(FORMER TOP PROSPECT, EVERY DAY JOB)
Vargas appeared in that same article I published this week on bat speed gainers. In that article, I said: "Vargas had a big spring training and started to establish himself as a potential post-hype guy after disappointing with the Dodgers and with Chicago after coming over at the trade deadline. So far, Vargas is just 4-for-21, but his average exit velocity is 92.8 mph, which is much better than the career 87 mph mark he’s posted in 402 MLB batted ball events. Overall, Vargas has added 2.3 mph to his bat speed, which now puts him at an above-average 72.1 mph average. I still love adding Vargas in deeper formats." Another potential deep league multi-position target is Gabriel Arias - 3B/SS, CLE (1% rostered), who won the starting second base job for the Guardians and should pick up another position of eligibility soon. Arias added 1.3 mph to his swing as well and now has an average bat speed of 76.1 mph, which is 17th-best in all of baseball. It’s a faster bat speed than Elly De La Cruz, Bryce Harper, and many other established power hitters. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt talked up Arias in spring training, and the 25-year-old has gone 7-for-24 with one home run and two RBI to start the season. He’s a name to keep an eye on in deeper formats given that Vogt has used him at 2B, 3B, and SS already this season.
Alek Thomas - OF, ARI: 2% rostered
(FORMER TOP PROSPECT, POTENTIAL PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)
Alek Thomas was once a top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, but he battled injuries and could never seem to transition his minor league ability into MLB success. He's currently backing up Jake McCarthy, but he's gone 7-for-17 with three runs and six RBI on the season. If he keeps hitting well, I think he's going to push McCarthy for playing time because he's the better defensive center fielder. Another deeper league option is Harrison Bader - OF, MIN (2% rostered), who has begun carving out more playing time in Minnesota. We know that Bader has been a decent power/speed target when he's been healthy in the past, and he has three home runs already this season, so maybe you ride the production while he's on the field.
Kameron Misner - OF, TB: 1% rostered
(STARTING JOB, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Misner has found himself with a shot at a starting job thanks to an oblique injury that could keep Josh Lowe out for multiple months. The 27-year-old Misner is off to a good start, going 8-for-22 with one home run and four RBI so far this season. He’s added 2.8 mph to his bat speed, which has added 1.7 Run Value per 100 swings, which is among the tops in baseball in the early going. Remember that Misner was a former first-round pick, who hit .248/.360/.442 with 17 home runs and 30 steals in Triple-A for the Rays last season. This could be deep league worthy while Lowe is out. Manuel Margot - OF, DET (1% rostered) is also going to be the everyday centerfielder in Detroit with Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez sidelined. Margot has been around long enough that we know what he can do, but he's a career .254 hitter who still has the speed to swipe bases in a full-time role. Detroit has also been hitting him fifth or sixth, which could lead to some chip-in RBIs as well.
Waiver Wire Pitchers
Blake Treinen - RP, LAD (36% rostered)
I know people always love to chase the trendy closer when it comes to waiver wire Sunday, but sometimes I'd rather take a really good reliever in a save share. No, Treinen is not "the closer" in Los Angeles; however, he is going to get some save opportunities while pitching high-leverage innings. On days when he doesn't get saves, he's likely going to give you solid ratios and some strikeouts. I'd take that over a closer who may be a grenade. Jason Adam - RP, SD (35% rostered) is in the same boat. We know Adam is a good reliever. He's going to help your ratios and steal a few wins, and when the Padres finally trade Robert Suarez, who has been on the trade block all off-season, I think it'll be Adam that takes over and starts to get saves. You can add him now and not have to spend big money.
Grant Holmes - SP/RP, ATL: 33% rostered
Holmes got a raw deal when the Braves reconfigured their rotation so that he could start on Monday against the Dodgers instead of Sunday against the Padres. However, Holmes will also start on Sunday against the Marlins, and I feel good about that opportunity. Holmes unveiled a new changeup this spring that looks like it will be a real weapon for him. He now has potentially three plus secondaries to take the heat off of his average fastball. I think he's being underrated right now.
David Peterson - SP, NYM (32% rostered)
Peterson is yet another intriguing starter who showed some interesting tweaks in his season debut, with more movement on his changeup and a nice backfoot slider to right-handed hitters. I wrote about why Peterson is one of my favorite late-round starting pitchers to draft,so I’d encourage you to read that if you want a detailed discussion of why I like the left-hander.
Kris Bubic- SP, KC (27% rostered)
I wrote about Bubic this week in my column discussing starting pitcher news, so I'd encourage you to check that out to see why I'm in on him this season. Bubic lowered his arm slot in his first outing; yet he was still able to get almost 18 inches of vertical movement on his fastball, which allowed him to have an extremely flat approach angle (HAVAA below). That flat fastball, commanded well in the middle and upper parts of the zone, led to a stupid 11 whiffs, 23% SwStr%, and 46% CSW. However, I just didn’t see enough command of the secondaries here to make me think we’re seeing a breakout. Is it possible? Sure, and I'm willing to take a gamble, but I’m still a bit skeptical. Jose Soriano - SP, LAA (30% rostered) also showed better sinker command in his first start than we saw all of last season. That would be crucial for him. Another pitcher where I'm not yet sure we're getting a true breakout, but I'm willing to have them on my roster while I figure it out.
Max Meyer - SP, MIA (24% rostered)
I wrote about Max Meyer as one of my undrafted starting pitchers I think have the upside to finish inside the top-25, so you can read that article to see a more detailed breakdown of why I like taking a gamble on him in the first few weeks of the season.
Jordan Hicks - SP, SF: 21% rostered
I wrote up Jordan Hicks in my starting pitcher column two weeks agoand touched on his added velocity. In his first start against Houston, he sat 98 mph on his sinker and had 16 called strikes on the pitch. He struggled a little bit with the splitter and didn’t use it much, so he was mainly just sinker and slider, but the slider is also harder and tighter this season, which could help him command it better. That would be big for him, and I'm taking stabs everywhere because I think he'll produce as long as the velocity is up, and then I'll move on.
Tylor Megill - SP, NYM (21% rostered)
I wrote about Megill as one of my favorite late-round starting pitching targets this off-season, and said: "In 2024, Megill posted a 17.6% K-BB%, 12.8% SwStr%, and 27.6% CSW, all of which were better than the league average despite him having a fairly uneven season. He added a sinker last season, which has a 73% strike rate. He uses it primarily as a strike pitch to righties, which is crucial for him. He also added a cutter in 2024, and despite it having above-average swinging strike rate marks to righties and lefties, it’s also a pitch he can command for strikes with league-average zone and strike rates. It also allowed Megill to throw his slider less in 2024, which is good because his slider was a great out-pitch but struggled as a 20% usage pitch...He has everything he needs to be a good MLB starter, but the consistency of that command is going to be crucial. With a full off-season under his belt to work on the cutter and sinker, we could finally see that in 2025." Yet, Megill came into 2025 with a new slider that he's been using more for strikes while scrapping his cutter. I kind of liked the cutter, so I don't know how I feel about this, but the results have been good so far.
Casey Mize - SP, DET (20% rostered)
Mize had a good first start, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings while allowing one hit, striking out six, and walking three. However, the fastball was 94 mph, which was down almost two mph from the spring, and both the slider and splitter didn't find the zone as much as we'd want. You're certainly not mad about what he did, but I'm also not jumping around out here thinking that we have a breakout on our hands.
Jose Alvarado - RP, PHI: 19% rostered
Much like with Treinen and Adam above, I would recommend adding Alvarado over some of the guys with "locked in" closer roles. He was lights out this spring and is the late-inning left-hander in the Philadelphia bullpen. That means he could steal a few wins in close games, but he also could emerge into a timeshare if Jordan Romano continues to struggle. Personally, I don't think Romano looks great right now, so I'm happy to take shares of Alvarado, and that's also why I want to take stabs on Porter Hodge - RP, CHC (17% rostered). Ryan Pressly doesn't look great, and the Cubs aren't going to move on from him quickly because of what it took to get him to Chicago, but I think stashing Hodge makes some sense since he's yet to allow a run while striking out six in 4 2/3 innings.
Dennis Santana - RP, PIT: 18% rostered
If you are looking for somebody who is "the closer," I think Santana has that role right now in Pittsburgh. With David Bednar in Triple-A and Colin Holderman struggling, Santana has the closer's role right now, but I think Bednar will be back up in a few weeks to take that job back, so I'm not making big bids here. Another option would be Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET (9% rostered). Early in spring training, I had Kahnle pegged as the potential closer in Detroit, but then Beau Brieske was re-signed, and it seemed like A.J. Hinch would give him the first crack at the game. He did, and it didn't go so well. Kahnle is a bit of a "one-trick pony" with his changeup, but I think he's a bit safer than Santana or Anthony Bender - RP, MIA (3% rostered), who appears to be the favorite for saves in Miami. How many saves that gives you is anybody's guess.
Emilio Pagan - RP, CIN: 17% rostered
Yes, Pagan appears to be the favorite for saves in Cincinnati right now, and his velocity is up, but we've kind of seen this from him in the past. We know Pagan can go through hot stretches, but he can also give up lots of hard contact and home runs. That makes me a little nervous. You could also take a gamble on Tony Santillan - RP, CIN (15% rostered), who may be the best pitcher in Cincinnati's bullpen. Santillan is the cream of the crop here, and even though he is now the "fireman" reliever, he could rise to the top if some of the other arms falter. You could also gamble on Graham Ashcraft - RP, CIN (8% rostered), who has plus Stuff+ numbers but never missed enough bats as a starter. He could thrive in the bullpen, but this whole situation is a mess, and I wouldn't place big bids on any of these guys.
Mike Clevinger - SP/RP, CWS (11% rostered)
Clevinger is the closer for the White Sox. No, that may not lead to a bunch of save opportunities, but it could lead to a few, and he's looked pretty solid in the role so far this spring and during the first weekend. I'm not running out to pick him up, but I don't think he's going to hurt your team in the same way chasing the Rockies and Marlins closer situation might. Mason Montgomery - RP, TB (3% rostered) is another deep league reliever of interest. He's not near a closer gig now in Tampa Bay, but he looks electric out of the bullpen, so you're likely to get solid ratios and strikeouts from him, and there's a chance he works himself into a role where he closes against left-handed-heavy parts of the batting order.
Brayan Bello - SP, BOS (11% rostered)
Last week, I mentioned Bello if you need an IL stash, and now we have a bit more information on his timeline. Bello is scheduled to make a rehab start on Sunday and then will likely make at least one more during the week before being activated. Same with Lucas Giolito - SP, BOS (21% rostered). That means that there should be a mid-week announcement about when BOTH Bello and Giolito will be activated off the IL, which could drive up their FAAB price next Sunday. If you have the space and want to get ahead of it, now is the time.
Chase Dollander - SP, COL (10% rostered)
Dollander is an exciting prospect who is making his MLB debut on Sunday. He's the 24th overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and posted a 2.59 ERA and nearly 34% strikeout rate in High-A and Double-A last year. That would normally be incredibly exciting; however, he's also a young starting pitcher who will pitch his home games in Coors Field. He's just a road streamer to me right now.
Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN (4% rostered)
Matthews was one of my favorite late-round picks early in spring training, and he came out in his first spring training start hitting 99mph on the radar gun. I truly believe Matthews can be a difference-maker on fantasy rosters, and Chris Paddack struggled in his first outing of the season. Another one or two poor starts from Paddack, and we could see Zebby up in Minnesota.
STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS
(ranked in loose order)
Week of 4/7 |
Strong Preference |
| Pitcher | Roster% | Opponent |
| Brady Singer | 47% | vs PIT |
| Max Meyer | 23% | vs WAS |
| Grant Holmes | 33% | at TB |
| Tylor Megill | 21% | vs MIA |
| David Peterson | 32% | at ATH |
| Reese Olson | 28% | at MIN |
Fairly Confident |
| Hayden Wesneski | 3% | at SEA, vs LAA |
| AJ Smith-Shawver | 25% | at TB |
| Ben Lively | 7% | vs CWS |
| Erick Fedde | 25% | at PIT |
| Griffin Canning | 5% | at ATH |
| Kris Bubic | 24% | at CLE |
| Zack Littell | 11% | vs LAA |
| Michael Lorenzen | 4% | vs MIN, at CLE |
| Mitchell Parker | 2% | at MIA |
| Jose Soriano | 22% | at TB |
| Landen Roupp | 11% | vs CIN |
| Jordan Hicks | 21% | at NYY |
| Matthew Liberatore | 2 | at PIt, vs PHI |
Some Hesitation |
| Casey Mize | 20% | vs NYY, at MIN |
| Logan Allen | 2% | vs CWS, vs KC |
| Simeon Woods-Richardson | 4% | at KC, vs DET |
| Sean Newcomb | 0% | vs CWS |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | 9% | vs MIL |
| Tomoyuki Sugano | 10% | vs TOR |
| Richard Fitts | 4% | vs TOR |
| JP Sears | 12% | vs NYM |
| Tyler Mahle | 3% | at CHC |
| Andrew Abbott | 3% | vs PIT |
| German Marquez | 1% | at SD |
| Will Wareen | 10% | vs SF |
| Jose Quintana | 1% | at ARI |
| Randy Vasquez | 3% | vs COL |
| Kyle Hart | 1% | vs COL |
| Osvaldo Bido | 5% | vs SD |
| Chase Dollander | 10% | at SD |
| Sean Burke | 22% | at CLE |
| Shane Smith | 1% | at CLE, vs BOS |
Matthew Pouliot