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 it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs.
For a player to qualify for 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 who play in all league types.
Matthew PouliotWaiver Wire Hitters
Tyler O'Neill - OF, BAL: 34% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER UPSIDE)
Tyler O'neill is back. The 30-year-old has played just 26 games this season and is hitting .193/.284/.352, but we know the power upside that he has when he's healthy and in the lineup. The Orioles have hit him eighth in his two games back, which will hurt his counting stats a bit, but he could easily move up in the order if he starts hitting. His return has also not impacted the playing time of Ramon Laureano - OF, BAL (17% rostered). It seems that the Orioles will have both players in the lineup regularly at RF/DH. The veteran hit .312 in June with four home runs, 19 runs scored, and 16 RBI in 21 games. He's been hitting fourth or fifth in the order, and that gives him that counting stat upside that O'Neill won't have right now.
Chandler Simpson - OF, TB: 33% rostered
(RETURN FROM MINORS, SPEED WINNER)
Simpson is back up because, I guess, he became a much better defender in three weeks in the minors. Since being recalled, Simpson is 13-for-35 (.371) with six runs scored and five steals in 11 games. People will tell you that fantasy managers misunderstand Simpson's actual value, but his speed is a legit issue. He's going to hit for a strong batting average and post elite stolen base totals. If Tampa Bay keeps running hot like this, he'll chip in some runs even from the bottom of the order.
Evan Carter - OF, TEX: 18% rostered
(POST HYPE PROSPECT, HOT STRETCH)
Kennedi Landry had a good piece on Evan Carter two weeks ago, highlighting some of the changes that have led to his strong performance since coming off the IL...again. He admitted to putting a lot of pressure on himself after his injury, and cited playing looser and feeling like he had a better mental approach at the plate. In June, Carter hit .333/.421/.530 in 21 games with three homers, eight RBI, 12 runs scored, and five steals. Those stolen bases are great to see with the injuries he's had in the past, and Carter has a real five-category skillset. He's unlikely to play against many lefties, but he can be a really solid option in all fantasy leagues. An option primarily for batting average, who I have had on this list all season, is Jake Meyers - OF, HOU (12% rostered). Earlier this season,I published an article on hitters who were being more aggressive and swinging at the first pitch more often this year than last year. Myers popped up for me on that leaderboard, and I explained in detail why I’m a fan of his new approach. On the season, he's hitting .307 with 13 stolen bases, and he's slashing .337/.398/.386 in 23 games in June with 12 runs scored and five steals. That's valuable in most formats, as long as you don't need power or RBI.
Nolan Schanuel - 1B, LAA: 18% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE ASSET, POTENTIAL POWER GROWTH)
I've always liked Schanuel. He has tremendous plate discipline. He makes an elite amount of contact. He pulls the ball enough to do damage, and I think he's trying to be more selective in getting pitches he can drive. The power numbers aren't great, but Schanuel now hits at the top of a batting order that includes Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, Taylor Ward, and Logan O'Hoppe. It's not a bad spot, and he has been solid of late, hitting .256/.348/.438 in 30 games since June 1st with five home runs, 14 runs scored, 21 RBI, and two steals. That's a little bit of help in all five categories. I think Schanuel is emerging as a 1B who I may target in 2026 drafts. If you're trying to get ahead of a hot stretch, Colt Keith - 1B/2B, DET (14% rostered) is a name to look at. Since June 1st, Colt Keith is 6th among all hitters who have seen at least 100 pitches in Process+. He's hitting .296/.359/.457 in 26 games over that stretch with two home runs, 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI. The swing decisions and contact suggest that those numbers should continue to get better.
Tyler Freeman - SS/OF, COL: 16% rostered
(REGULAR STARTING ROLE, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
The stretch of games in Coors is done (for now), but that doesn't mean you need to get rid of Freeman. He's hitting .373 over the last month with 13 runs scored and eight steals. The stolen base value is a bit surprising given his previous results, but he has 12 steals this season while hitting leadoff for the Rockies. Freeman had a solid enough season last year for Cleveland, and moving to Colorado should help him. Freeman makes a lot of contact, but the hard contact is limited, and his BABIP has been low in years past. Coors Field tends to boost BABIP, so Freeman could emerge as a .270 hitter with some decent speed and multi-position eligibility. Freeman is also 15th in Process+ since June 1st, so the stats are backed up by a strong approach. Mauricio Dubon - 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, HOU (3% rostered) figures to get everyday playing time with Jeremy Pena on the IL with a fractured rib, and I mentioned him in this video as a potential add in deeper formats given his presence in a good lineup.
Zack Gelof - 2B, ATH: 10% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
After some stops and starts, Zack Gelof is finally back in the Athletics' lineup. The second baseman fractured his hamate bone in the spring and then had a rib injury during his rehab assignment, which delayed his return even more. He struggled a bit last year, but was really good as a rookie in 2023. He has 31 home runs and 29 steals in 209 career MLB games, so there is enough power and speed here to excite us a bit. The batting average will likely not be good, but remember that he plays in a minor league ballpark now that is heating up in the summer, and the ball is flying. Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, PIT (2% rostered) also returned from a wrist injury and struggled in the early going but has found it a bit of late, going 13-for-42 (.310) over his last 11 games with one home run, eight RBI, and six runs. The power won't be great, but the batting average should be good and his spot in the top third of the Pirates' batting order will give him a shot at OK counting stat numbers.
Parker Meadows - OF, DET: 10% rostered
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)
Maybe there are some signs that Parker Meadows is waking up? He's gone 5-for-16 (.313) over his last six games and has hits in 10 of his last 12 games. The counting stats haven't been there, but let's give Meadows a chance to get comfortable in the batter's box after missing so much time with a nerve issue. Once he feels good, I think we'll start to see him turn on a few more pitches, and so I would still try to scoop him up before he gets hot. You could also add his teammate Wenceel Pérez - OF, DET (8% rostered), who is hitting .258/.311/.546 in 29 games since June 1st with six home runs, 18 RBI, and 16 runs scored. He has cooled down a touch over the last week or so, but this is a guy who hit .242 with nine home runs and nine steals in 112 games as a rookie last season, so there is some decent power and speed with a .250 or better average in here. He's the everyday right fielder in Detroit right now, and I don't see that changing unless his production falls off a cliff.
Joey Ortiz - 3B/SS, MIL: 9% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)
Ortiz was my most-added player last Sunday, and, so far, that has worked out for me. Well, in some respects. Ortiz has seven RBI, one home run, and one steal this week, but the hits haven't been there. Yet, over his last 27 games, he's hitting .276, and he's starting to adopt a more pull-focused approach that's leading to better results. There is some 15/15 power/speed upside here, and Ortiz is in the lineup basically every day. I'm still holding out hope here. Another multi-position option is Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B/SS, MIL (16% rostered), who has really turned it on of late, hitting .321 with three home runs, 10 RBI, 19 runs scored, and three steals over his last 27 games. It takes rookies some time to adjust to the big leagues, and we're now seeing Durbin start to get a bit more comfortable in the box. I would like to see more steals than the eight he has on the season right now, since that's been Durbin's calling card in the minors, but it's nice to see the rookie adjusting to MLB pitching and starting to get on base more often. I think the steals will come.
Kyle Teel - C, CWS: 7% rostered
(PROSPECT GROWTH, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Kyle Teel has entered a bit of a timeshare with Edgar Quero, which is not an ideal situation, but I think Teel has more offensive upside. He slashed .295/.394/.492 in 50 games at Triple-A with eight home runs and seven steals, and struggled when he first got called up but has gone 11-for-39 (.282) over his last 12 games with four runs scored, three RBI, and one steal. I believe in his approach at the plate and his overall skill set, so I think he'll continue to adjust to big league pitching, and he's worth a look in all two-catcher leagues. If you're looking for an option in a two-catcher format, you can go with Victor Caratini - C/1B, HOU (12% rostered), who could continue to play regularly in Houston now that Yordan Alvarez has suffered a setback in his rehab from a hand fracture.
Nolan Gorman - 2B/3B, STL: 7% rostered
(INCREASED PLAYING TIME, POWER UPSIDE)
I'll admit that I'm skeptical Gorman will ever make enough contact for me to truly like him in fantasy baseball; however, he hit .254/.342/.522 in 22 games in June with five home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 runs scored. His Process+ score of 110 for that period was well above average, so there was some validity to it. I do hate his 32% strikeout rate over that same span, but if you need some power, I can see it. Another post-hype prospect seeing a bit of a mild resurgence is Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B, PIT (5% rostered), who's gone 15-for-42 (.357) over his last 11 games with nine runs and nine RBI. There remains little power to speak of here, but Hayes has been hitting around .300 for the last month and has 10 steals on the season, so there is some value there. His name has also popped up in trade rumors, and if you can get Hayes now before he gets shipped to, say, the Yankees, you're gonna be really happy with a batting average and stolen base asset in that lineup.
Luke Raley - 1B/OF, SEA: 5% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER UPSIDE)
Raley has settled in as the Mariners' first baseman against right-handed pitchers since coming off the IL following a two-month absence with an oblique strain. In his 12 games back, he's hitting .300 with one home run, four runs scored, and six RBI. He hit 22 home runs with 11 steals for the Mariners last season, so he could be a decent source of power and chip in steals in deeper formats. He's unlikely to play against left-handed pitching, but he can play right field as well, so there is some job security here against righties. His teammate Dominic Canzone - OF, SEA (1% rostered) has also been putting up tremendous production since being called up, hitting .275 in 22 games with six home runs, 10 RBI, and nine runs scored. Like Raley, Canzone is not going to play against lefties, and he doesn't have quite the track record of success, but Canzone has always made impressive quality of contact throughout his MLB career, so there is some upside here in deeper formats.
Isaac Collins - OF, MIL: 3% rostered
(HOT STREAK, EVERY DAY PLAYING TIME)
Collins has been on a bit of a heater since June 1st, hitting .307/.418/.533 in 26 games with four home runs, 17 runs scored, 14 RBI, and one steal. He been striking out a bit more this past week, but he has good plate discipline overall. He's pulling the ball near 50% of the time, mostly on the ground and on a line, which is good for his batting average but might cap the overall power upside. His average exit velocity is also only 88.5 mph over that span, so this is not a hitter you're adding for power, but he has a solid approach that should lead to plenty of doubles and decent counting stats, hitting fifth or sixth in Milwaukee.
Masataka Yoshida - OF, BOS (3% rostered)
(IMPENDING IL RETURN, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Yoshida would be joining the Red Sox on this homestand. I know that he has this label as a "bust" because of how much the Red Sox signed him for, but he's a career .285/.343/.433 hitter in Major League Baseball with just a 13.3% strikeout rate in 248 games. He's going to provide a great batting average and the potential for solid counting stats while hitting near the middle of Boston's lineup. Well, we think. When the Red Sox bring back Yoshida, they will have only four lineup spots for Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu. No clue how they will manage that, but a trade has to be coming. Maybe it's Yoshida being moved into a full-time role elsewhere?
Colby Thomas - OF, ATH: 1% rostered
(PROSPECT CALL UP, POWER UPSIDE)
The Athletics called up Colby Thomas this week, andI recorded a video on my thoughts on his fantasy outlook and why I'm a bit tepid on adding him right now.
Tommy Pham - OF, PIT: 1% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
We've seen this often, but Tommy Pham is on a heater. The veteran is 13-for-31 (.419) over his last nine games with two home runs and 13 RBI. Maybe he's trying to play himself into a trade. Remaining in Pittsburgh would limit his counting stat upside, but perhaps Pham gets moved to a contender that wants a low-cost corner outfielder. He's a name to keep an eye on in deeper leagues.
Waiver Wire Pitchers
Brandon Woodruff - SP, MIL: 58% rostered
Woodruff is set to come off the IL and make his season debut this Sunday against the Marlins, and while he doesn't technically qualify for this list because he's rostered in too many leagues, I wanted to give my thoughts on what to expect from him. Woodruff's velocity was sitting around 93 mph in his last rehab start, so that would be down about two mph from his peak. He did seem to split his slider into a sweeper and a harder slider, which is an interesting development. The veteran has always posted solid ratios, but I'm not expecting tons of strikeouts here, and I think we'll see inconsistency like we have from Eury Perez and Spencer Strider, and other pitchers who missed all of last season. I'd hold off on adding Woodruff in 12-team leagues, but if you wanted to put him on your bench in 15-teamers and see what he looks like, I can see that.
Shelby Miller - RP, ARI: 39% rostered
I'm pretty surprised Miller's roster rate remains this low. We know that both Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk are out for the season, so Shelby Miller is going to be the primary closer in Arizona for a while. He has a 2.18 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 33 innings and nine saves. Why are people chasing guys like Camilo Doval over Miller? Yes, with Corbin Burnes also out for the season, there's a chance that the Diamondbacks sell at the deadline. But that also means it's unlikely they bring in competition for Miller. The question is whether or not Miller himself gets dealt. It also seems like Jason Adam - RP, SD (38% rostered) could be emerging as a closer candidate in San Diego with Robert Suarez struggling. Adam has been great this season and could easily slide into that role and be stellar for the Padres and fantasy managers.
Edward Cabrera - SP, MIA: 37% rostered
Climb aboard the train with me! There's still room. When Cabrera first debuted this season,I was a fan of his pitch mix changes and thought we may finally be seeing the best version of the 27-year-old. Over his last seven starts, Cabrera has posted a 1.46 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 42/16 K/BB ratio in 37 innings. He also has three wins to show for it, but that's a line that's helpful in any league type. We also saw the best start of the season for his teammate, Eury Perez - SP, MIA (36% rostered), who delivered seven shutout innings against the Twins on Thursday. We know the type of talent Perez has, but he's been inconsistent in his return from the IL. We should still expect there to be some ups and downs after missing a whole year with Tommy John surgery, but Perez has the upside to be rostered in all league types
Ronny Henriquez - RP, MIA: 27% rostered
A lot of Marlins here today, but we have a new closer in Miami. Kind of. It's not Anthony Bender. It's not Calvin Faucher. It's Ronny Henriques. Henriquez saved two games in the series this week against the Twins, but then he was also used as the high-leverage reliever on Saturday. Still, two saves and one win in a week is a pretty solid performance, and the Marlins have been playing decent baseball of late. The right-hander has given up just one earned run in his last 10 appearances and has actually been pretty good all season. On the year, he has a 2.79 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 58 strikeouts in 42 innings. If he weren't on the Marlins, he likely would have been scooped up in far more fantasy leagues weeks ago.
Emmett Sheehan - SP, LAD: 27% rostered
Sheehan is back in the Dodgers' rotation on Sunday. We just have no idea how long he'll stay there. He made his season debut two weeks ago and looked good, throwing four scoreless innings against the Padres with six strikeouts. It was his first MLB start since undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he showcased a solid three-pitch mix with a four-seamer, slider, and changeup. He was 95 mph on the four-seamer with two inches more iVB, which got him to 17", and he also threw them upstairs. The slider and changeup were solid, and even if he's not a huge upside arm, he has a solid arsenal with command that should continue to improve as the year progresses. The Dodgers then demoted Sheehan, and we know that Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are working their way back, so this could be a messy situation going forward.
Bryan Bello - SP, BOS: 26% rostered
Over the last month, Bello has seen a real surge on the back of a new pitch mix, which I covered here. Bello has leaned into his cutter as his most-used pitch and started to dial back on his slider a bit. You can check out that article for more info, but I'm slowly buying back in on Bello; although, I'd love it even more if his changeup was as good as it used to be.
Bubba Chandler - SP, PIT: 26% rostered
Chandler threw six shutout innings on Saturday in Triple-A, allowing five hits while walking two and striking out six. It's time. Just call him up. This is getting silly.
Orion Kerkering - RP, PHI: 23% rostered)
Kerkering seems to be emerging as the primary reliever in Philadelphia. After Jordan Romano seemed to take the closer's role back over, Kerkering has been the team's most trusted reliever of late. He had gone 19 straight appearances without allowing a run before he struggled on Thursday. The strikeouts haven't been where they were last year, but the results have been good for most of the season. I expect the Phillies to mix and match some save opportunities going forward, so Matt Strahm - RP, PHI (16% rostered) is also worth rostering, but we also should expect Philadelphia to be buyers at the deadline, which could also mean a reliever gets added as well. Just something to keep in mind.
Trevor Rogers - SP, BAL: 22% rostered
This looks like a better version of Trevor Rogers than any version we've seen since 2021. He's sitting 93 mph on his four-seam fastball and is commanding it well for plenty of called strikes and whiffs. His changeup also crushed it in his first great appearance against the Rangers, but it didn't repeat in the second outing. The slider and sinker have also been hit or miss. I like that the fastball is there as a solid foundation, but I wish the secondaries were more consistent. Still, with the pitching landscape what it is, Rogers is worth rostering in 15-team leagues.
Kumar Rocker - SP, TEX: 18% rostered
I like this new version of Rocker, and I covered him here in more detail if you'd like to see why.
Grant Taylor - SP/RP, CWS: 10% rostered
Taylor has legit electric stuff, and except for a poor performance against the Dodgers this week, he has been really impressive in his rookie season. He now has a 4.38 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 14/3 K/BB in his first 12.1 innings in the big leagues. His fastball is regularly sitting about 101 mph, and he has all the makings of a Mason Miller-type of former starter who could be lights out in one-inning stints out of the bullpen.
Joe Boyle - SP, TB: 7% rostered
Boyle is in a similar situation to Sheehan. He’s being recalled today, but we have no idea if he’s in a normal rotation spot. The Rays have said Drew Rasmussen is on a 150 innings limit and they’ve already started to limit his workload. Will Boyle piggyback with him? Who will start? Will Boyle start and Taj Bradley will piggyback with Rasmussen? There are just so many questions there that it’s hard to cut a starting pitcher who is producing for you in order to add Boyle. That said, Boyle does look good. Tampa seems to have turned him into a solid starter by REDUCING the movement on his pitches. Boyle was unable to harness his pitch mix and throw them in the strike zone, so they gave him a splinker and refused the use of his slider so that he had an easier time throwing strikes. It has worked wonders.
Matt Brash - RP, SEA: 5% rostered
Matt Brash is back and continues to show dominant stuff out of the bullpen. He has allowed just one earned run in 19.1 innings this year while striking out 20 batters and walking seven. The Mariners love to use Andres Munoz as their "stopper" or highest leverage reliever, so Brash could find his way into a few saves when Munoz has to put out a fire in the eighth inning.
Richard Fitts - SP, BOS: 4% rostered
Fitts is back in Boston's rotation, and while I don't think he's a future stud, I'm still in the bag for him a bit. He was rushed back from his earlier rehab assignment after a pectoral injury because the Red Sox were without Walker Buehler and Tanner Houck at the time and weren’t comfortable with Dobbins pitching three times through a batting order. That clearly backfired, and Fitts returned to Triple-A to essentially finish his rehab assignment, where he has looked sharp. His fastball maintained its velocity in his first start back, and even ticked up to 97.4 mph in a rain-shortened start against the Reds this week. I'd love to see the secondaries be a bit more consistent, but he faces the Rockies at home this week, and so I'm in for it.
Jordan Hicks - SP/RP, BOS: 4% rostered
Could Aroldis Chapman be traded at the deadline. The Red Sox are still on the fringe of playoff contention, but they could conceivably trade away some players on expiring deals and also add other players. With Jordan Hicks now in the bullpen and Justin Slaten coming back off the IL soon, the Red Sox could feel good enough about their bullpen that they trade Chapman to a contender for a starting pitcher, back-up catcher, first baseman or some combination. If they do that, Hicks likely emerges as the favorite for saves in Boston.
Cam Schlittler - SP, NYY: 0% rostered
Clarke Schmidt is likely headed for Tommy John surgery, and the Yankees are hurting with their starting rotation. Luis Gil is not ready to come back yet, which means Cam Schlittler will be making his MLB debut this week against the Mariners. Schlittler is the 89th-ranked prospect, according to Baseball America, and has a .282 ERA this season thanks to an improving fastball that sits around 97 mph. It does have below-average extension, and we saw with Chase Burns that great velocity fastballs with mediocre extension don't miss as many bats in the big leagues. Schlittler also has three secondary braking balls that grade out well from a raw stuff perspective and showed good command in the minors this season, so I'm interested in watching him.
STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS
MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)
