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 this helps you determine whether the player fits your team's 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 Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters
Noelvi Marte - 3B/OF, CIN (36% rostered)
(RECENT CALL-UP, POST-HYPE UPSIDE)
Noelvi Marte was recalled from the minors on Wednesday, but did not start that day. Now, maybe the Reds are really going to start Will Benson in right field and Blake Dunn in center field every day, but Benson is hitting .191/.321/.348 with a 31% strikeout rate, so, at some point, the insanity has to end. Marte is a former top prospect who had a good season in 2025 and crushed Triple-A this year after he was demoted, hitting .369/.409/.575 in 176 plate appearances with eight home runs and nine steals. Yes, he had struggled with the Reds to begin the year, but it was only 31 plate appearances over 11 games. This is still a 24-year-old who hit 14 home runs and stole 10 bases in 90 games last year while hitting .263. He's worth an add and a hope at a full-time job. You could also take a shot on his teammate Edwin Arroyo - 2B/SS, CIN (9% rostered), who was called up earlier in the week when Elly De La Cruz went on the IL with a hamstring strain. Arroyo, another former top prospect, hit 323/.383/.562 with 11 homers and nine steals in 53 games at Triple-A. The concern for Arroyo, who has already sat out one game since being called up, is that the Reds have too many infielders right now, so his playing time is not guaranteed.
Sunday update: Marte started consecutive games in right field before retreating to the bench on Sunday in favor of Benson. He had a single in each with one walk and one strikeout total.
Carson Benge - OF, NYM (35% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE)
Benge remains under 40% rostered, so we'll feature him here again. Rookies are going to have ups and downs, but this is still a player who, since May 1, has hit .300/.368/.458 with four home runs, 22 runs scored, 18 RBI, and four steals. That's helpful in all categories, especially while he keeps leading off for the Mets. I know he's not lighting the world on fire, but that's pretty solid production to be sitting on the wire in so many leagues.
Dylan Crews - OF, WAS (30% rostered)
(FORMER TOP PROSPECT, APPROACH CHANGE)
Crews has only gone 10-for-48 since being called up, and those swing decisions that the Nationals wanted him to work on don't appear to have carried over. He's chasing out of the zone almost 40% of the time, and even though he's making contact on a lot of those pitches, it's not contact he can do damage on. He also has a 55% groundball rate, which will not lead to many meaningful results. That being said, it's only been 13 games, and Crews did make clear strides in Triple-A, so I think he deserves a little bit more leash before you give up on him again. Another former top prospect people have soured on is Cam Smith - OF, HOU (13% rostered), who started the season hot but is hitting .216/.307/.351 on the year with six home runs and eight steals. Things are starting to get a little better over his last 15 games, with him slashing .269/.345/.462 with two home runs, seven RBI, and two steals. This is still a really talented young player, and while we can't be sure WHEN it's going to click for him, we do believe it will at some point.
Sunday update: Crews hit a late home run on Saturday as he desperately tries to find any semblance of consistency at the plate. Like Eric said, we still like a lot of what's going on under the hood despite the surface level stats lagging behind.
Jung Hoo Lee OF, SF (28% rostered)
(OFF THE IL, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Lee came off the IL on May 29 and has gone 19-for-29 in seven games since then with eight runs scored and four RBI. He's regularly been hitting fifth in the order and has even started against most left-handed pitchers since being activated. The upside isn't high here, but he makes a ton of contact, has a starting job, and hits in the middle of the order, so that's worth a look in 15-team leagues. Lars Nootbaar - OF, STL (2% rostered) is another boring outfielder who is set to come off the injured list following offseason surgery on both of his heels. We know that you've been waiting for that Nootbaar breakout for a long time, but he remains a solid/productive player who should be in an everyday role.
Curtis Mead - 1B/2B/3B, WAS (27% rostered)
(HOT STREAK, FORMER TOP PROSPECT)
We’ve written a lot about Curtis Mead over the last month. He wasin Eric’s mid-May article on hitters who should produce more power, as well as in a video Eric recorded about his recent production and his latest article on May hot streaks. In 85 plate appearances in May (about 40 appearances below regular starters), Mead hit .261/.400/.507 with four home runs, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored. That came with a 48.1% hard-hit rate, 90.9% zone contact rate, and 6.2% SwStr%. His exit velocities aren’t off the charts, but his 89.6 mph average exit velocity is over two mph better than his career average. He flattened his swing a bit this year and is looking to pull and lift the ball more than usual, which will make the most out of his solid but not elite exit velocities. Among 260 hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this season, Mead ranks 52nd with a Pull Air% of 22.9%. His exit velocity on his fly balls and line drives is 93 mph, which is the same as Cal Raleigh, Cody Bellinger, and Salvador Perez, so that will be just fine for power production.
Sunday update: three runs scored, two walks, and another home run from Mead between Friday and Saturday means his hot streak is still raging on. Don't leave him on your waiver wire if you need infield help.
Sam Antonacci - 2B/3B/OF, CWS (26% rostered)
(GREAT LINEUP SPOT, SPEED UPSIDE)
Antonacci has been productive for a while now. Since May 1st, he's hitting .315/.397/.378 with 22 runs scored and eight steals. He's not going to give you much power production, but he's hitting leadoff on a good team, so the runs will be there, and he stole almost 50 bases last season, so we know the speed will be there. An elite contact profile, combined with his multi-position eligibility, makes him a solid add in most formats. We really do wish Blaze Alexander - 2B/3B/SS/OF, BAL (3% rostered) was playing more. He appeared in Eric’s latest article on hitters to target based on their May resultsbecause, since May 1st, he's hitting .353/.384/.485 with 14 RBI and four steals in 74 plate appearances. He's making better-than-league-average contact in the zone with a better hard-hit percentage than league average as well. There is an intriguing profile here, but it's more of a deep league add right now until playing time emerges.
Jake McCarthy - OF, COL (21% rostered)
(UPCOMING HOME GAMES, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
We can start with the fact that the Rockies play three games at home and then three games in Sacramento next week. That's about as good as it gets for hitters. Since May 1, McCarthy is also hitting .293/.327/.505 with four home runs, 19 RBI, and four steals in 28 games. We would like to see that stolen base total tick up a little bit, but you can't get mad at that production. McCarthy is leading off against both righties and lefties, so we don't have to worry about his platoon splits. The same goes for TJ Rumfield - 1B, COL (13% rostered), who hits third basically every day. Over the last month, he's hitting .313/.391/.510 with five home runs, 15 runs scored, and 14 RBI. He's worth rostering in most formats, but shallow leagues should add him for this week as well. Check your waiver wire for most Rockies hitters during this upcoming week.
Keibert Ruiz - C, WAS (21% rostered)
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Keibert Ruiz has been solid at the plate for a while now. Since May 1, he's been hitting .354/.368/.662 with four home runs and 17 RBI. Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic wrote a great article on how a dozen coaches sat down with Ruiz to create a plan for him moving forward. The crux of that meeting was that they believed Ruiz had a great foundation for success but needed to swing harder and pull the ball more. Solid. This season, Ruiz's bat speed is up, he has a career-high 42.3% hard-hit rate, and his average exit velocity is up four mph to 90.3 mph. He's one-catcher league viable right now. Maybe Endy Rodriguez - C/1B, PIT (1% rostered) is an option in two-catcher formats. The Pirates catcher has had two bad years of injuries, but is just 26-years-old and has hit .257/.447/.400 in 48 plate appearances since being activated this year. There was a lot of excitement surrounding him two years ago, so maybe now is the time he can make good on it.
Spencer Horwitz - 1B, PIT (19% rostered)
(EVERY DAY PLAYER, RUNS UPSIDE)
The Pirates have been a better offense than many expected, and Horwitz has played a big role in that. He has taken over the leadoff spot in the lineup and is hitting .314/.405/.510 in 29 games since May 1st with four home runs, 13 runs scored, 16 RBI, and one steal. Not much has changed from previous seasons, other than the fact that he is being far more selective (swinging 6% less overall) and making far more contact. He's not hitting the ball any harder than he has previously, and so some of this elevated batting average feels like a fluke, but it's worth chasing the results right now while he's producing.
Bryce Eldridge - UT, SF (17% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Eldridge was another player featured in Eric's article on May risers. When Eldridge was first called up, the Giants openly said they were not going to force him into the lineup every day. While that upset fans, it made some sense. Eldridge is only a 1B or DH and is really more of a DH. The Giants had Rafael Devers, and Casey Schmitt, who is also on this leaderboard, was enjoying a career year. There wasn’t a clear path for Eldridge. Yet, the injury to Heliot Ramos allowed the Giants to try Schmitt in the outfield and free up a spot for Eldridge, who hit .241/.328/.448 in May with a 56.8% hard-hit rate, 89.1% zone contact rate, and 10% SwStr%. That came with a 105.9 mph EV90 and also a .285 BABIP that feels like it could have, and should have, been higher. He’s hitting more line drives this year than we saw last year, which may limit the power output initially, but we're OK with that because you want a rookie to make hard contact and gain confidence. Plus, he has the power to drive the ball out of the ballpark even without forcing it. Another young power option from that same article could be Coby Mayo - 1B/3B, BAL (3% rostered). In 71 plate appearances in May, Mayo had a 58% hard-hit rate, 89.1% zone contact rate, 10.5% SwStr%, and 109.8 mph EV90. While that didn’t immediately lead to success, he hit .300/.404/.575 with three home runs, eight runs scored, and seven RBI over the final 13 games of the month. Perhaps that was him turning a corner?
Joshua Baez - OF, STL (12% rostered)
(POTENTIAL CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE)
We like to get ahead of prospect stashes on the waiver wire, and I think it might be time for Baez to wind up as your stash. Lars Nootbaar is coming back this week, as mentioned above, but he figures to take Bryan Torres' spot in the lineup, which means Baez is being held off by Nelson Velázquez or the Cardinals' desire to have two catchers in the lineup on most days. Baez has big-time power and hit .274/.347/.632 in 106 at-bats in May with 10 home runs, 24 RBI, and a 34/9 K/BB ratio. He’s now continued that pace to begin June and is knocking on the door. Another possible stash would be Kaelen Culepper - SS, MIN (3% rostered), who has 13 home runs and 38 RBI on the season to go along with a .261 batting average and .851 OPS. He hit .280/.4076/.540 in May with seven home runs, 21 RBI, seven steals, and a 22/19 K/BB ratio. I understand that Tristan Gray is playing well, but, at some point, a team like the Twins needs to try its top prospect over a 30-year-old journeyman. Lastly, you could look to stash Yohandy Morales - 1B/3B, WAS (2% rostered), who is now up to 13 home runs and 36 RBI on the season to go along with a .344 batting average and a 1.016 OPS. He’s ready for a chance at big league pitching, but with Curtis Mead playing well at third base, the Nationals will need to use Morales as a DH or a first baseman.
Jorge Mateo - 2B/SS/OF, ATL (12% rostered)
(HOT STREAK, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Mateo is another player Eric covered in that article on May results, where he said: "We’ve seen Mateo do this before. In 2023, when he was with the Orioles, he hit .347 with six home runs, 21 runs scored, 17 RBI, and 10 steals in just 23 games to start the season. It seemed like a full-on breakout. It was not. This season, in 52 plate appearances in May, Mateo hit .347/.384/.454 with three home runs, 13 runs scored, eight RBI, and five steals. He has seemingly wrestled the starting shortstop job away from Ha-Seong Kim and is even DHing against left-handed pitching recently...His bat speed is up two mph, and his 90.5 mph average exit velocity is about three mph up from his career mark. He’s sporting a career-high 48.2% hard-hit rate and 12.5% barrel rate and is pulling the ball 50% of the time, which is way up from his 39.6% career average." Yet, at the end of that write-up, Eric also said we’re likely getting the same player but with a quicker bat and a more pull-happy approach. That can certainly lead to more authoritative contact, but it is unlikely to finally cause Mateo to break out at 31 years old. Treat this like an Ildemaro Vargas-style hot streak.
Sunday update: Mateo sat for four straight games before re-entering the Braves' lineup on Sunday at shortstop while the red-hot Mauricio Dubón - 2B/3B/SS/OF, ATL (34% rostered) is covering for Michael Harris II in center field. Harris had a back flare up that forced him from the game Saturday, but the team is adamant that it's not serious. Mateo himself doesn't have much value if he isn't playing nearly every day. He will likely get a few more chances to start this week though when the Braves head to Chicago to face the White Sox.
Joc Pederson - DH, TEX (10% rostered)
(HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)
Joc Pederson has found his power stroke recently, hitting .274/.382/.583 in 29 games since May 1 with six home runs and 18 RBI. We know that he is going to sit against lefties, so you'll always need to check his upcoming schedule, but Eric recorded a video this week on why Pederson is worth an add.
Paul Goldschmidt - 1B, NYY (10% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, HOT STREAK)
Don't look now, but Goldy is holding off Father Time. In 27 games since May 1st, the veteran is hitting .305/.377/.558 with six home runs, 19 RBI, and a 44% hard-hit rate. He is playing pretty much every day at first base or DH and should get extra run in the DH spot with Aaron Judge sidelined for the next 6-8 weeks and the Yankees having fewer outfield spots to juggle. He hits near the top of the Yankees' lineup, which is good for run production. If you're in deeper formats, now could be the time to stash Jasson Dominguez - OF, NYY (9% rostered), who is beginning a rehab assignment on Friday and could replace Judge in the starting lineup when he returns.
Sunday update: in the five games without Judge, Goldschmidt has started each one. He manned first base in the last three, as he had for most of the last few weeks. The last time he sat was on May 19th and that playing time seems to be secure.
Colton Cowser - OF, BAL (7% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
The 26-year-old has started to turn things around, hitting .310/.383/.619 over his last 20 games with four home runs, 13 RBI, and one steal. That comes with a 12/5 K/BB ratio but just a 16.7 percent hard-hit rate. Given the hot streaks we’ve seen him go on, now is the time to pick him up with the Orioles set to face 10 straight right-handed pitchers. I'm not sure I believe in what Wade Meckler - OF, Angels (2% rostered) is doing, but he is hitting .389/.421/.629 in his first 38 plate appearances for the Angels with two home runs, 10 RBI, and two steals. He's just 26 years old, has solid enough bat speed, and is lifting the ball more than he has before. He only had a 28.6% hard-hit rate in Trile-A this season, so we're not really expecting this to stick.
Jacob Gonzalez - 1B/2B/SS, CWS (6% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, BREAKOUT POTENTIAL)
We've been intrigued by Gonzalez since he was promoted last week to cover for the injured Munetaka Murakami at first base. He's had a bit of a swing and miss issue over his first week in the big leagues — 29% strikeout rate, 28.3% whiff rate — but socked his first career home run on Saturday against the Phillies.
That was a shot: 428 feet and well into the upper deck at Citizens Bank Park. A swing tweak ahead of this season helped the former first round pick unlock raw power that he hadn't shown since college and his quality of contact metrics from Triple-A backed that up. Now, seeing a ball hit that far with plus bat speed over again, one week of play should put him on mixed league radars.
Michael Massey - 2B/OF, KC (5% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, RECENT HOT STREAK)
Massey is another player who has come up in a few of Eric's articles, including the last one on May results, where Eric said, "This year, Massey’s bat speed is up two mph, his average exit velocity (91.2 mph) is 2.4 mph above his career average, and his 10.4% barrel rate is amost 3% higher than his career mark. He’s done that by trying NOT to pull the ball as much. For much of his career, Massey has been very pull-happy, and then last year, he started to lift the ball a lot too. This year, he’s still lifting the ball over 50% of the time, but he’s not actively trying to pull everything, and the sweet spot of his bat is positioned more towards center field as it travels through the zone. That has allowed him to drive the ball into the gaps, but with exit velocities that can still carry it out of the park when he gets out in front of one." Over his last 20 games, Massey is hitting .309/.328/.509 with three home runs and eight RBI. He deserves to be added in many formats while he's swinging the bat like this.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa - 2B/3B/SS, BOS (3% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, HOT STREAK)
Since Trevor Story has been injured and Marcelo Mayer has shifted to shortstop, Kiner-Falefa has been getting regular starts for the Red Sox at second base. Since the beginning of May, he’s hitting .357/.438/.476 in 49 plate appearances with one home run, eight RBI, and two steals. He can be picked up in deeper fantasy formats while he’s getting regular playing time. His teammate Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B, BOS (8% rostered) has also started to turn things around after working with a new hitting coach. Over his last 15 games, Durbin is hitting .286/.295/.476 with nine RBI and one steal. We know that he can run, and we know that the Red Sox want him to play well enough to be their everyday third baseman, so he could have 15-team league viability for speed and average if he keeps producing like this.
Vaughn Grissom - 1B/2B/3B, LAA (3% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
For a while, the results haven't been there for Grissom. Eric featured him in a Process+ article and his May hot streak article, but Grissom hit .190/.265/.309 with two home runs and five runs scored. However, that did come with 19 RBI and a .194 BABIP, which is comically low. Grissom also posted a 50% hard-hit rate, 88% zone contact rate, and 9.7% SwStr%, so he’s hitting the ball harder and making lots of contact. After spending two years in the Red Sox organization, Grissom’s bat speed is up three mph, which feels relevant because we know Boston is intense about the bat speed training they do in the minor leagues. Grissom is also pulling the ball and lifting the ball almost 10% more than when we last saw him in MLB action. Over his last 10 games, he’s hitting .300/.370/.550 with two home runs, seven runs scored, and 14 RBI. That could be a small sample size mirage, but we just discussed how good his underlying metrics were for the entire month of May, so it might also be the results simply catching up.
Jake Mangum - OF, PIT (3% rostered)
(EVERY DAY ROLE, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
The Pirates have started to give Mangum nearly every day at-bats, and he's delivering. Over his last 14 games, he's hitting .350/.386/.450 with one home run, six RBI, and five steals. We know that he can run, so the stolen base totals are the real pull here, but if Mangum is going to play 75% of the games for the Pirates, he's worth a gamble.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers
Jacob Latz - SP/RP, TEX (40% rostered)
We're not sure why Latz remains so under-rostered. Maybe because he's still a left-handed former starter who throws 94 mph, and that's not really the profile of a lockdown closer. Yet, he continues to produce. He has a 2.00 ERA and eight saves with a 26/5 K/BB ratio in 27 innings. At some point, even if the profile is not a typical one, you have to follow the results. We also think more people need to add Rico Garcia - RP, BAL (35% rostered), who continues to serve as the high-leverage reliever in Baltimore with Ryan Helsley sidelined. Helsley is slowly making his way back, but we have some more time with Garcia picking up some saves and wins in the Baltimore bullpen.
Griffin Jax - SP/RP, TB (32% rostered)
Yes, I still believe in Griffin Jax. The command of his changeup wasn't there in his last outing against Detroit, which was a problem against a team with so many left-handed hitters. That being said, Jax was able to rack up plenty of whiffs despite the struggles. He has a deep pitch mix and has managed to maintain velocity even when moving out of the bullpen. This is the profile of a pitcher who should deliver for your fantasy teams, and he gets the Angels, Nationals, and Royals for his next three starts. Don't give up hope yet.
Walbert Ureña - SP, LAA (27% rostered)
We've had Ureña on here a few times, but he's emerging as a solid streaming option this year. His power changeup (at 90 mph) is a really good pitch, and he uses it to both righties and lefties. He has showcased inconsistent command of an 87 mph sweeper, but that can miss plenty of bats to righties when it's on. He needs that sweeper because his fastball is just empty velocity, and will only be successful if he can get ahead with his other pitches and then try to get hitters to chase outside of the zone with elevated four-seamers. He gets Houston this week, which isn't a great start, but it isn't one we're scared of right now.
Troy Melton - SP, DET (25% rostered)
Melton has not had the strikeout numbers that we hoped to see when he came off the injured list, but he does have a 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in his first three starts. He's done that with great control of a solid 97 mph four-seamer, plus a good slider and cutter. He also pairs that with a sinker, curveball, and splitter to give him a deep arsenal that we can dream on. Melton is set to face Minnesota at home this week and then will get Houston after that. We don't see him being dropped from the rotation when Casey Mize and Justin Verlander return. That would likely be Keider Montero. When Tarik Skubal returns, the Tigers will have a decision to make, but that is not imminent.
Christian Scott - SP, NYM (25% rostered)
Scott has been solid so far for the Mets with a 2.97 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. Obviously, that WHIP is not ideal, but he's gotten the walks in check a bit more of late. He's been very four-seamer and sweeper heavy of late, which remains a bit of a concern against lefties, so we do want to see Scott get better with his cutters and splitters so that he can attack those lefty-heavy lineups. Scott gets the Cardinals this upcoming week, and then it gets a bit dicier with the Reds in Cincinnati and the Cubs at home. Still, we'd at least try to hold him on our bench for those starts.
Sunday update: Scott shut the Padres out on Friday night over 5 2/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. His repertoire continues to be nearly all fastballs and sweepers — they combined for 85% of his total pitches here — but the Padres' right-handed heavy lineup allowed that gameplan to be effective. Regardless, he will stay effective as long as he can continue to locate his fastball at the letters. Just keep looking out for more cutters and splitters when he faces more lefties.
Dustin May - SP, STL (24% rostered)
A pitch mix change has unlocked a solid run of production for Dustin May. In his first three starts of the year, May threw almost 31% four-seam fastballs and just 11% cutters. He had a few terrible outings in that stretch and wasn't missing bats at all with a 17% strikeout rate and 7.4% swinging strike rate. Then, he made a shift. Over his next nine starts, he reduced his fastball usage to 24% and upped his cutter usage to 26%. That also enabled him to save the four-seamer to use more up in the zone for swings and misses. Since then, May has a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 23% strikeout rate, and nearly 11% swinging strike rate. That will work in most formats. He gets a good two-start week this week against the Mets and Twins, both on the road. He'd then get the Royals the week after that. I'm also OK using his teammate, Andre Pallante - SP, STL (9% rostered) against the Mets this week because his velocity is up, he has more vertical movement on his four-seamer, and he has always had a good slider.
Gage Jump - SP, ATH (23% rostered)
I broke down Jump's MLB debut in my streaming starting pitcher article on Monday, so I encourage you to check that out for a deep dive. The short synopsis of it was that Jump has plus raw stuff but inconsistent command. Pair that with him being a rookie and pitching in a horrible home park for pitchers, and it makes him a bit tricky to roster in fantasy leagues. We love the talent, but there will be blow-up outings along the way. This week will be a good test. He gets to face the Rockies, which we like, but he's in Sacramento, which is not ideal. I think I still might roll the dice, and then he gets the Angels at home and Giants on the road after that, which is not a bad setup. The A's are also moving Jack Perkins - SP/RP (5% rostered) into the rotation. He's an arm I've always been intrigued by and should be monitored in deeper formats.
Stephen Kolek - SP, KCR (19% rostered)
We should start by saying that Kolek was placed on the Family Medical Leave list on Thursday, so we hope everything is OK with his family, and fantasy managers should monitor that situation to know if he will make his scheduled starts. If he does, he has a nice two-start week set up with home games against Texas and Houston, and then he would face the Cardinals and Rays in his two starts after that. Kolek isn't overpowering, but he wins with command and limiting hard contact. You can feel comfortable using him when he's rolling like this.
Grant Taylor - RP/SP, CWS (14% rostered)
Taylor was called on for a save chance against the Phillies on Saturday and completely blew them away. He struck out the side on 14 pitches, went up 0-2 on all three hitters, regularly sat near 100 mph with his heater, and forced six whiffs in that one inning of work. If he’s ever unleashed as the White Sox’s full-time closer, he’d instantly be one of the nastiest in the league. His last save came nearly three weeks ago though, so be on the lookout if he actually takes this job over.
Alex Lange - RP, KC (10% rostered)
It seems that Lucas Erceg has finally pitched his way out of the closer's role in Kansas City. That has given Lange a chance to convert the last two saves for the Royals. The former Tigers' starter has a 4.18 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 28/15 K/BB ratio in 28 innings, so this is not the profile of a lockdown reliever. Still, he has produced of late and seems to be getting the chances now, so he and Matt Strahm -RP, KC (10% rostered) could split save opportunities going forward. Similarly, Yoendrys Gomez - RP, MIN (10% rostered) seems to be getting the chances in Minnesota right now. Another former starter, Gomez has a 0.68 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and three saves over his last 13.1 innings. He's also racking up plenty of strikeouts, so he could be worth a gamble right now, but don't hold on too long if it starts to go sour.
Sunday update: again Lange came on for the save on Saturday night and struck out three batters in a bit of an arduous inning. He is firmly the closer in Kansas City at the moment.
Keaton Winn - SP/RP, SF (9% rostered)
I don't know what to make of the Giants' bullpen, and they're the worst team in baseball, so how much do you want to go chasing this? That being said, Winn has been their most consistent reliever and has been sharing save opportunities with Caleb Kilian. Another spec closer who could be worth adding is Hogan Harris - RP, ATH (13% rostered). He has a 2.48 ERA and 25% strikeout rate in 29 innings. He has had some command issues and will likely only be used when the A's face a bunch of lefties in the ninth, but he should be on your radar.
Wilber Dotel - RP/SP, PIT (1% rostered)
Sometimes you also just want a good relief arm to help with ratios. Pirates rookie Wilber Dotel has been electric this season, with a 1.08 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 17/5 K/BB ratio in 16.2 innings across seven appearances. He has mainly been used as a multi-inning reliever, but the Pirates' late-inning guys are struggling. You could add Dotel right now for his ratios in the middle innings, but then you may get a closer waiting in the wings.
Justin Slaten - RP, BOS (1% rostered)
Aroldis Chapman is reportedly banged up, tending to a minor hamstring strain.
He still did earn the save on Friday against the Yankees, but was a bit erratic on his way there walking two batters. If he misses time, it's likely that Slaten is next in line for saves.
