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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Cleanup man Sal Stewart climbs further and Mets rookie Carson Benge debuts.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters
Francisco Alvarez - C, NYM (40% rostered)
(POWER UPSIDE, ELITE PROSPECT PEDIGREE)
I'm making an exception as to our 40% rule with Alvarez literally at that roster-ship rate to include him on this list. Let's just say... tie goes to the 24-year-old catcher with elite batted ball metrics. He's come out of the gate red-hot with four home runs and a .300/.391/.625 through 14 games to start the season. That's a continuation of his second half last year when he had a .276/.360/.561 with eight homers in 41 games following a shocking demotion to the minor leagues. That torrid stretch came while he had a torn ligament in one of his thumbs and broken pinkie on his other hand. Now, he's totally healthy and showing the best in-zone contact rate of his career along with his highest pulled fly ball rate since 2023. He also just received a start at designanted hitter this past week when the Mets wanted to give him a night off behind the plate and is moving up towards the middle of their order. It's wheels up for the former phenom who was a fringe draftee in one-catcher formats. Yainer Diaz looks awful once again, Salvador Perez is ice cold, Adley Rutschman just went on the injured list, there is a spot in nearly every league for Alvarez at the moment.
Andrés Giménez - 2B/SS, TOR (33% rostered)
(BOUNCE-BACK CANDIDATE, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
Giménez was a hitter I covered this week in my article on swing or approach changes. The middle infielder has taken a more opposite-field approach this season. His stance is more closed, his feet are spread a little wider, and he's standing almost three inches further off the plate. That is another good way to make it easier to drive the ball the other way and avoid being jammed. Giménez’s Squared-Up Rate, which measures how often a batter makes contact on the sweet spot of the bat to maximize exit velocity on his swing type, is up 11% from last year. He is now 27th-best in baseball, right next to Chandler Simpson, Jacob Wilson, and Maikel Garcia. This is an approach that could lead to Giménez hitting .270 or higher with 20+ stolen-base upside while hitting in a good lineup. If he can also get back to 10 home runs, that’s a pretty usable season overall. Mauricio Dubon - 2B/3B/SS/OF - ATL (35% rostered) is also an interesting middle infield option. He's starting every day for Atlanta and hitting .333/.362/.556 with two home runs and nine RBIs. His hard-hit rate and exit velocities are up from his career norms, perhaps because it seems like he's being a bit more selective and looking to pull the ball. I like this more in deeper formats, but his position versatility makes him a solid bench piece you can use to plug various holes on your roster.
Carter Jensen - C, KC (33% rostered)
(PROSPECT PEDIGREE, POWER UPSIDE)
If you were one of the unfortunate few who lost Alejandro Kirk to injury last weekend, Jensen could be a great option. He has three home runs already this year with a 50% hard-hit rate. A 70% pull rate is probably not sustainable, but it does show us that he's actively looking to get the ball out front and do damage. His contact rates are down from last year, so he may need to dial it back a bit and make pitchers come into the zone more; however, I like the skills here. I also think Dillon Dingler - C, DET (26% rostered) could be an option. He had a solid season last year, but has come out this year and is hitting the ball harder with a better attack angle. He's being far more aggressive, which is leading to some swing-and-miss that could be an issue, but I love the quality of contact.
Colt Keith - 1B/2B/3B, DET (29% rostered)
(STRONG-SIDE PLATOON, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Keith is another player I covered in that article this week on hitters who have changed their stance or approach. The 24-year-old has had the second-biggest jump in bat speed, up 2.8 mph from 70.7 mph to 73.5 mph. Keith has also made some changes to his batting stance, closing his stance off by eight degrees. He has also improved his Ideal Angle Attack Rate significantly, which might be why Keith has seen his line drive rate improve by almost 3%, and his hard-hit rate is up from 43.7% to 56.5%. I don't love that he sits versus lefties and can also be removed mid-game when a lefty comes in, but this is a former top prospect who is playing nearly every day and hitting the ball well. I think that's worth buying into.
Owen Caissie - OF, MIA (27% rostered)
(PROSPECT PEDIGREE, POWER UPSIDE)
We've had Caissie in the article both weeks so far, but his roster rate is still not high enough. Caissie was the key piece the Marlins acquired from the Cubs for Edward Cabrera this winter and has already made his presence known by going 11-for-34 (.324) with two home runs, 12 RBI, and one steal in his first 12 games. He has tremendous raw power and has been much better at not chasing out of the zone than he was in his brief MLB sample last season. There are some concerns about his swing-and-miss as a minor leaguer, but he made gains in Triple-A last year and appears to be carrying those over this year as well. It's too early for Statcast metrics to really matter; however, it's certainly not a bad thing that Caissie is third in baseball in barrels per plate appearance, right behind Freddie Freeman and Jordan Walker and ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Sal Stewart. If you have an IL spot open, it might be time to snag George Valera - OF, CLE (0% rostered). The 25-year-old former top prospect was supposed to be a regular starter in the outfield for Cleveland before he got hurt in spring training. He has now played five games in Triple-A on his rehab assignment and has looked good. It's probably not long before he gets called up and gets a shot to take his job back.
Josh Bell - 1B, MIN (27% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE)
When I wrote my preseason article on Process+ leaders, Bell jumped off the page. He and Andrew Vaughn were the only two hitters on the list who scored over 100 (better than league average) in all of Decision Value, Contact Value, and Power Value. The decision part shouldn’t surprise you for Bell since he has a career 11.2% walk rate and sub-26% chase rate. Bell also has a career 10% SwStr% and has been above an 85% zone contact rate every year since 2022, so he has at least league-average contact ability, if not slightly better. All of that is pretty appealing. Plus, he's now among the top 15 hitters in baseball in Pull Air rate, which means he's likely to hit for more power than we've seen from him in the past. That's a profile that works in most league types. Rhys Hoskins - 1B, CLE (1% rostered) is also worth looking at in deeper formats. He's off to a decent start in Cleveland, but we haven't seen tons of power. However, it's also been cold in a lot of the Northern part of the country. Hoskins is 16th in baseball in barrels per batted ball event, and even though we know it's too early to simply rely on that, it does tell us that his quality of contact has been good so far.
Mickey Moniak - OF, COL (19% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POWER UPSIDE)
Moniak was a hitter I covered in a few offseason articles. Last year, he posted his best season yet, and not just in surface-level stats. His bat speed increased, his barrel rate jumped to nearly 14%, his hard-hit rate was a career-high 45%, and he made more contact than he ever had before. He has plenty of power and hits in arguably the best offensive environment in the game. Maybe he’s more of a .250-.260 hitter, given his league average overall contact, but he’s going to make that contact count. That's especially true this year since he's swinging more often than he ever has before, which gives him more chances to make impactful contact. I think he could be a 25-home run hitter while batting near the top of the lineup for the Rockies.
TJ Rumfield- 1B, COL (19% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
TJ Rumfield was on here last week and saw his roster rate rise from 5%. However, a week at Coors Field is likely going to lead to a big boost in production for him. Rumfield was traded from the Yankees to the Rockies this offseason and was able to win the starting first base job after Blaine Crim suffered a spring training injury. Rumfield is a career .271 hitter in the minor leagues and slashed .285/.378/.447 with 16 home runs in 138 games in Triple-A last year. We know that hitting in Colorado improves batting average, so there is a chance that Rumfield could be a solid batting average asset while playing in Coors. He's not going to hit for huge power, and the Rockies lineup around him isn't great, which could cap his counting stats and make him more of a deeper league target who you pick up and stream when he's in Colorado.
Garett Mitchell - OF, MIL (17% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Mitchell was on here both weeks, but I think he should be rostered in more leagues, and I'd add him over Isbel. He's a former first-round pick and an intriguing prospect who has never played more than 69 games in a big league season due to injuries. He's healthy now and has gone 9-for-29 (.310) with three doubles, 13 RBI, and three steals to start the season. Mitchell has an 9.5% career barrel rate and the 11th-fastest bat speed in the big leagues, so he's not swinging a wet noodle. He also has the speed to swipe 20+ bases if he gets a full season of playing time. We doubt he'll get a full season of playing time, but he's healthy now, so it could be worth taking a gamble and riding the production as long as he's on the field. However, much like many of the names on this list, it seems like Mitchell will sit against left-handed pitching, so that needs to be part of your calculus. It's early, but he's top 25 in baseball in both barrels per batted ball event and exit velocity on fly balls and line drives, so I think there is some real power growth about to happen here.
Cole Young - 2B, SEA (16% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POTENTIAL BREAKOUT)
Cole Young had an awesome spring training, hitting .281/.349/.667 with six home runs and three steals in 19 games. This season, his stance is now 35 degrees open, up from 8 degrees in 2025. He also narrowed his stance by over 10 inches, so his stance is narrower but more open. He’s now making contact over six inches further out in front of the center of his mass and is standing nearly four inches farther back in the box. That’s led to a 14% jump in pull rate and also has Young in the top 10 in Pull Air rate early in the season. That approach could make him around a 15 home run hitter, and it does create some swing-and-miss that may keep his average around .240, but when you pair that with an everyday player and the type of speed that has stolen 20+ bases in multiple minor league seasons, you have an interesting player as an MIF in fantasy formats. I'm also intrigued by Alex Freeland - 2B/3B/SS, LAD (1% rostered). Freeland has an exit velocity on fly balls and line drives of 100.8 mph, which is the 8th-highest in baseball. His hard-hit rate is up, and he's pulling the ball more, which are things we love to see. I don't love that he has a 55% groundball rate, but his contact rates are up from last year and more in line with what he did in the minors. He's still going to be the regular second baseman for the Dodgers for a few more weeks, and I think he could be a solid add now before a hot streak comes.
Kyle Isbel - OF, KC (16% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
Isbel is another repeat name on this list, but I truthfully don't buy it as much as I do with Caissie. His quality of contact has been good, with two home runs and a 91.3 mph average exit velocity, which is higher than anything he's ever posted. However, his swing path and attack angle don't look much different. His bat speed is up just about 0.7 mph, and he's swinging more outside of the zone and less inside the zone. His pull rate is down to 20%, so perhaps he's taking a more opposite field approach and letting the ball travel more. If that helps him get on base more often, that's worth noting because he has four steals already this season. I wouldn't go crazy here because I'm not sure this will last, but it's worth taking a small gamble on.
Mark Vientos - 1B/3B, NYM (14% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, PAST POWER UPSIDE)
With Juan Soto on the IL with a calf injury, Vientos is getting another shot in the Mets lineup and making the most of it, slashing .323/.353/.484 in 34 plate appearances with one home run and a 7/2 K/BB ratio. Vientos has the sixth-biggest jump in bat speed, up 2.1 mph from 71.2 mph to 73.3 mph; that’s entering a range of elite bat speed. However, his ideal attack angle rate has dropped 10%, his flyball rate has plummeted to 11.4%, while his hard-hit rate and exit velocities have also dropped. Vientos has the power to drive the ball out of any park, even if he’s not swinging for it, but I don’t love a 10% Pull Air rate from a player like Vientos. I'm OK taking a gamble in deeper formats because he has playing time, but I’m just not sure he’s going to do enough damage on his swings to really make a big impact.
Sunday Update: Vientos sat against right-handed pitchers on Friday and Sunday in favor of Jared Young. It seems his hold on playing time wasn't strong enough to outlast an 0-for-15 week.
Angel Martínez - 2B/OF, CLE (15% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, SPEED UPSIDE)
Martínez is a near-everyday player for the Guardians, has stolen a base in three consecutive games entering play on Sunday, and has hit second against the last four left-handed pitchers they've faced. This week, the Guardians are scheduled to face three lefties in a seven-game week which makes Martínez a decent deep league streaming option.
Jose Fernandez - SS, ARI (7% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE
Fernandez was a popular waiver add two weeks ago after he hit two home runs in his MLB debut and also showed off elite speed. Then he got dropped in a lot of places after his playing time wasn't consistent. However, an injury to Carlos Santana has opened up some more at-bats for Fernandez, and he's gone 4-for-8 with a double, three runs scored, and one RBI while starting the last two games. The 22-year-old was not a top prospect in Arizona's system, but he made big strides in Double-A last year to cut his strikeout rate. He has elite bat speed and elite foot speed, so the raw tools here are exciting. He can also play all over the infield, which should give him a chance to earn playing time, but he has very little experience above Double-A and no long track record of minor league success, so there may be some bumps along the way.
David Hamilton - 2B/SS, MIL (4% rostered)
(OBP LEAGUE BOOST, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
We had Hamilton here last week, but he continues to steal bases, so we have to include him again. Hamilton has gone 6-for-23 (.261) to start the season with seven runs scored and four steals. He also has nine walks and a .485 on-base percentage, so he's getting on base and swiping bags, which has led him to be a huge fantasy asset for stretches before. He’s also a .222/.283/.359 career hitter in 550 MLB plate appearances, and Jett Williams is off to a good start in Triple-A, so it's unclear how long this lasts. One of my articles this week on swing changes also pointed me towards Javier Sanoja - 2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA (3% rostered), who is off to a good start in a part-time role in Miami. Sanoja has the fifth-biggest jump in Ideal Attack Angle rate, up to 53.1% from 32.3%, and his overall Attack Angle is up to 5 degrees from 2 degrees; an Ideal Attack Angle is between 5 and 20 degrees, so Sanoja is now in that range far more often, which is beneficial for him. He is intercepting the ball out in front of the plate almost four inches more this season, leading to a 62% pull rate, which is up from 39% last year. Sanoja has a 92.6% zone contact rate in his career, so if he is going to make more pulled contact and be more aggressive, his first pitch swing rate is up 12.8%, and he could get close to the .286 average he put up in the minors in 2024. Considering Miami likes to run, and Sanoja stole 37 bases in the minors in 2023, perhaps that could lead to some deep-league value.
Sam Antonacci - 2B/3B, CWS (4% rostered)
(PROSPECT PEDIGREE, OBP LEAGUE RISER)
The White Sox are calling up Antonacci to make his major league debut. A prospect riser over the past year, Antonacci made a name for himself with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic and kept his momentum going with a .317/.509/.488 slash-line through 12 games at Triple-A this season. He exhibitted an extremely patient approach with one of the lowest swing rates in the minors in that small sample at Triple-A, but has a plus hit tool that allows him to make contact on the few pitches he does decide to swing at. Sometimes, these extremely patient approaches don't pay off at the major league level, but he's likely to run a high on-base percentage and is a fun deep league option given what we hope to be regualar playing time with multi-position eligibility.
Update: It seems as if the White Sox will not be calling up Antonacci after all. Or possibly aren't ready to announce it yet. Stand by.
Andrew Benintendi - OF, CWS (1% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, STRONG BATTED BALL QUALITY)
Benintendi is not off to a good start on the surface with a .176/.222/.235 slash line and a 44.4% strikeout rate. However, in deeper formats, I would still consider adding him (and holding Trent Grisham - OF, NYY (49% rostered) because they both have some intriguing things happening under the hood. For starters, Benintendi leads all of baseball in Pull Air Rate. I think his approach has been a bit extreme and likely won't maintain, but I like that Benintendi, who tied his career high in home runs last season, is looking to pull and lift the ball. Benintendi also has a 61% hard-hit rate and plays every day for the White Sox. This is a bit of a gamble that he's going to iron out an approach that has gone a bit too far to start the season, but it's a gamble I'd take now in deeper formats before the results start to come and the price goes up.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers
Joey Cantillo - SP, CLE (32% rostered)
Cantillo was a favorite of mine in a few of my offseason articles on starting pitchers. The left-hander rejoined the rotation at the end of last year and, in his final 10 starts of the season, posted a 2.48 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 54/22 K/BB ratio in 54.1 innings. He had a really strong 32.5% CSW and 13% SwStr% over that stretch as well. Much of that success is led by his changeup, which is a legitimately dominant pitch. That pitch was working for him on Wednesday when he dominated the Royals, and, truth be told, when that pitch is working, he can handle most lineups. There will be some volatility, but Cantillo has a really high ceiling.
Ryan Weathers - SP, NYY (27% rostered)
Weathers also has a high ceiling, and last week, I mentioned that I preferred Weathers to similarly trendy left-hander Kyle Harrison. We saw why on Thursday against the Athletics when Weathers allowed just one run in eight innings while striking out seven and walking nobody. The Yankees made many changes to Weathers' arsenal this year, and his arm angle dropped pretty drastically, so it makes sense that it's taken him a bit of time to adjust. However, I love that he's using the sinker far more to righties and that his sweeper has added horizontal run. Yes, I do believe there will be volatility, but the upside is tremendous.
Gregory Soto - RP, PIT (24% rostered)
We had Gregory Soto on this list last week before he recorded a save, but now he has one to his name, and the Pirates are surprisingly 7-5. Soto has allowed one run (a home run to Gunnar Henderson) on two hits in 7.1 innings with 13 strikeouts. We've seen him be an inconsistent reliever in the past, so I'm not expecting some massive breakout, but it's hard not to acknowledge that he looks great right now and is the clear 1A option in the Pirates bullpen situation. This is still not somebody I'm spending 30% of my budget on, but I would certainly pick him up and try to get some saves and strikeouts while he's running hot like this.
Sunday update: the Pirates passed over Soto for two save opportunities this weekend. On Friday, he pitched the eighth inning with Pete Crow-Armstrong due up third, but no other lefties. On Saturday, he threw just one pitch to retire the right-handed Carson Kelly in the seventh inning to help Justin Lawrence out of a jam. Dennis Santana earned the save Friday, then blew it on Saturday. This remains a closer-by-committee.
Jakob Junis - RP, TEX (21% rostered)
Junis recorded saves for the Rangers on Monday and Tuesday and is likely the leader in the clubhouse for saves right now. However,as I mentioned in the video I recorded about him this week, Junis is a command pitcher who leads with his slider and doesn't miss many bats. That's not a profile I expect to lead to a consistent closer. Cole Winn - RP, TEX (3% rostered) might be my preferred option in Texas in the short-term. Winn has thrown three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Winn also posted a 1.51 ERA in 41.2 innings last season for Texas. The issue for Winn is that he doesn't have elite stuff or strikeout rates, which could hurt his chances of earning a late-inning gig. However, if you're in really deep formats, he could be worth a gamble. I will say, long-term, I might gamble on Luis Curvelo - RP, TEX (0% rostered). He easily has the best stuff in the bullpen, with four pitches that all grade above-average by Stuff+, including a great sinker and slider. It may take him a while to earn save opportunities, but he has the pure stuff to take this job and keep it.
Landen Roupp - SP, SF (18% rostered)
I haven't given up on Roupp yet. His command wasn't great in his last start against the Mets, but his changeup is staying down in the zone and getting whiffs, and I like that he's using it more often. I think the entire pitch mix should bring back some of his strikeout upside, and he pitches in a great park for pitchers, so I think there is some upside here.
Noah Schultz - SP, CWS (17% rostered)
The White Sox are calling up Schultz to make his major league debut on Tuesday against the Rays. The top prospect in their system according to Baseball America, Schultz lost a bit of his shine last year when he suddenly could no longer find the strike zone. Yet, he came back this season on fire with 19 strikeouts and two walks over 14 1/3 innings before getting the call. His fastball sits at 96 mph from the left side and his sweeper is lethal. Past that, he'll mix a sinker, cutter, and changeup. He's a priority pick-up this week.
Didier Fuentes - SP, ATL (16% rostered)
We know the Braves' rotation is a bit of a mess right now. But it's also clinging to life. Reynaldo Lopez is healthy and pitching well. Bryce Elder seems to have taken a step forward, and Grant Holmes is seemingly avoiding the pitfalls of his elbow injury. However, if any of them get hurt or take a step back, Fuentes is waiting in the wings. He struck out eight in six innings in Triple-A this week, and is up over 80 pitches right now. He could be an elite add if he gets a job.
Bryan Baker - RP, TB (16% rostered)
I'm not quite sure why Baker's roster rate hasn't gotten higher. It's been a really tough start to the season for Griffin Jax, and Baker has stepped in to earn a save and an extra-innings win. He has some of the best Stuff+ grades in the Rays' bullpen, thanks to a strong slider and changeup, and I think Baker is clearly the primary guy in the Rays' bullpen right now. Jax's struggles also make Edwin Uceta - RP, TB (19% rostered) a good IL stash. He battled a "cranky shoulder" in spring training but should begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A shortly.
Sunday update: Baker nailed down another save on Friday night after Jax pitched the sixth inning. Then, on Saturday, he came in during the eighth inning against the middle of the Yankees' order with a one run lead. He promptly coughe up two runs. Hunter BiggeRP, TB (0% rostered) came in for the ninth inning after the Rays got one back and the game was tied. This appears to still be a closer-by-committee.
Bryan King - RP, HOU (9% rostered)
Bryan Abreu is really struggling right now. His velocity and pitch movement are simply not the same as what we've seen from him in the past. However, Josh Hader is just now starting to face hitters, and he'll then need to build up to a rehab appearance, and that will take a couple of weeks as well. That could mean that the Astros are searching for a closer for the next 3-4 weeks or more. It's hard to think Abreu is going to be that guy. King is a left-handed pitcher, but he's been counted on for that role a few times this year, and could do it again.
Sunday update: Astros’ manager Joe Espada gave Abreu a vote of confidence despite another ugly blown save on Saturday night. His velocity was still down, he still couldn't throw strikes, and didn't force one swing on a pitch out of the zone. Espada claims they're going to keep giving him opportunities, but it's hard to see a road forward for him at the moment.
Steven Matz - SP, TB (8% rostered)
A pleasant surprise so far, Matz looks like a completely adequate starting pitcher. He defeated the Yankees on Friday and struck out seven across five innings on his way to doing so. They sent out a lineup of nearly all right-handed batters to face the lefty Matz and he stymied them with a heavy diet of changeups and sinkers. That pair has been his bread and butter through three starts where he's pitched his way to a 3.94 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 27% strikeout rate. He's a solid streaming option this week too as he's lined up to face the White Sox.
Mick Abel - SP, MIN (8% rostered)
As we mentioned with Weathers, you can't completely abandon pitchers you believed in after just two starts. Yes, if you see a high-upside waiver-wire arm, feel free to make a move, but we shouldn't have been cutting Weathers or Abel just because. Abel has a really good fastball and a deep pitch mix that he has commanded well for multiple MLB starts. It didn't look great early on, but he made one relief appearance and then pitched in a blizzard. That context matters. On Thursday, he upped his changeup usage against lefties significantly, and the pitch posted a 32% CSW. His slider also missed bats against righties, and the fastball was solid. The start next week against Boston isn't ideal, but that Red Sox lineup hasn't looked deadly so far.
Foster Griffin - SP, WSN (7% rostered)
Griffin has had a pleasant return to the majors with a 1.76 ERA across three starts against the Phillies, Dodgers, and Brewers. The stuff isn't standout and he isn't missing many bats, but a six-pitch mix against right-handed batters has kept them guessing to this point. This is more of a deep-league dart throw if you need some innings. He's scheduled to face the Pirates in Pittsburgh this week before what will likely be a two-start week against the Braves and White Sox. Tread lightly.
Janson Junk - SP, MIA (6% rostered)
Sometimes you can't wait too long to see if a hot start is real or not. We heard that Janson Junk spent time in the offseason at Driveline, and then he came out in the first start and looked like a different pitcher. His four-seam fastball was almost two mph faster and with added vert, which made it a pretty nasty pitch. He also now has a kick change for lefties, which he can pair with a gyro slider for righties. I'm not 100% sure if this will actually work out, but he has looked like a new pitcher in his two starts, so I'm still taking a gamble in most formats to see what comes of this.
Sunday update: Junk allowed five runs — four earned — across five innings against the Tigers on Saturday. More telling than those poor results, his fastball velocity that we were excited about lagged back towards a 92 mph average as he was down over a full tick across the board. I'd recommend a holding pattern with him at the moment.
Spencer Arrighetti - SP, HOU (6% rostered)
Hunter Brown is likely to be out for at least a month, and very likely more, and Cristian Javier also left his game this week with an injury. It seems that Arrighetti is going to come up to start on Sunday and could settle into a spot in the Astros' rotation. He makes me a little nervous because he ended last season with an elbow injury and started this year delayed because of injury as well. However, you're not using a draft pick on him now, so you can put a modest waiver bid on him and see if he can remain healthy long enough to be useful for your team. I also like Ryan Weiss - SP, HOU (15% rostered), who looked really good in spring training before being moved into a long relief role to start the season. I know he got hit hard in his last time out, but I think Weiss could be a solid streamer if he gets into the rotation.
Sunday update: Arrighetti threw another start at Triple-A on April 9th and is tentatively lined up to face the Rockies at home on Wednesday. Through three starts in the minors, he struck out 20 batters across 14.1 innings
Blake Treinen - RP, LAD (4% rostered)
Edwin Díaz blew a save on Friday night in ugly fashion and his velocity has been down around 95 mph so far this season. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters the team has been monitoring that dip and made Díaz unavailable for their game on Saturday. When another save chance came up, Treinen got the call. Yet, he put two runners on — on a walk and then an error — before Alex Vesia (17% rostered) came on to shut the door. Tanner Scott (14% rostered) could be in the mix for saves as well should Díaz require a trip to the injured list.
Kerry Carpenter
Josh Bell
COVERS INTEL:
Gunnar Henderson
Giancarlo Stanton
Ronald Acuna Jr.
Matthew Pouliot
