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.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani & Bobby Witt Jr. lead Top 300 rest of season ranks

There’s a new No. 1 in Judge, and Roman Anthony makes his Top 300 debut.

• Matthew Pouliot,

• Matthew Pouliot,

Waiver Wire Hitters

Tyler Stephenson - C, CIN (40% rostered)
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER UPSIDE)

Tyler Stephenson made his season debut on Friday night after missing the first month of the year with an oblique injury. We know that Stephenson is a strong hitter for a catcher, and he was routinely drafted among the top 8-10 players at the position in all league types. He's a .260-ish hitter with .20+ home run power in a great home ballpark and good lineup. The Reds have said they will play him at 1B/DH as well, so he should be in the lineup for around 80% of the Reds' games. That's enough for me to roster Stephenson in one-catcher formats if I don't have a stud at the position. In two-catcher leagues, you can still add Edgar Quero - C, CWS (2% rostered), who is hitting .327 with seven RBI in his first 15 games. The comes with no home runs and no steals in a bad lineup, which is the primary concern with rostering Quero, who was the 62nd-ranked prospect in baseball and the 6th-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization. I would rather add Dillon Dingler - C, DET (6% rostered), who is playing most every day in Detroit with Jake Rogers hurt. Dingler is hitting .269 in 20 games over the last month, but has three home runs and 10 RBI over that span as well. He was a top prospect in the Detroit system, so he's worth a shot if you're hurting with your second catcher.

Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL: 36% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)

I bought in on Rhys Hoskins in spring training because he talked about being fully healthy after ACL surgery in 2023 and had also changed his stance to quiet his head and improve his contact. The results didn’t come right at the start of the season, but we're starting to see them now with Hoskins going 22-for-76 (.289) over his last 25 games with three home runs and 11 RBI. We know he's not going to be a major batting average asset, but he likely won't be a drain either. I like his ballpark, and I like his lineup, so I have no problem adding Hoskins anywhere he's available right now. A deep league option for power is Rowdy Tellez - 1B, SEA (1% rostered), who is 7-for-25 (.280) over his last 10 games with two home runs and eight RBI. He will only play against righties, but the Seattle lineup has been heating up lately, and Tellez is still making a lot of quality contact.

Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 33% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK COMING)

Manzardo has been here for the last two weeks because I've been highlighting that his quality of contact is really strong, and the surface-level results are going to start to catch up to that. Over the last 12 games, he's gone 10-for-40 with four home runs and eight RBI. That's solid production from a corner infield spot. I think he's a .260+ hitter with 25+ home run power in a solid lineup. If you don't care as much about power, you can still add Ty France - 1B, MIN (9% rostered), who has continued to hit all season long. He's hitting .271 with three home runs on the season and has gone 12-for-29 (.414) with six RBI over the last week. He's going to play every day in Minnesota, so the average and RBI should be solid but not spectacular.

Sal Frelick (OF, MIL: 33% rostered
(EVERYDAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

Frelick is playing every day in Milwaukee and hitting .307 in his 33 games with seven steals and 16 runs scored. He hasn't been running as much over the last week or so, but I don't believe that's a long-term concern for his stolen base output. He hits fifth or sixth in the Brewers' lineup, which should lead to decent counting stats as the season goes on, but he's unlikely to hit more than five home runs this season. This play is essentially about batting average and speed, but if you need those two things, Frelick is a solid option for you.

Victor Scott II - OF, STL, 32% rostered
(EVERY DAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

You can add Victor Scott II for the same reasons you'd add Frelick. This week, I posted an article about hitters who could be worth adding/trading for based on their contact rates and swing rates. Scott popped for me in that article. There's more detail in the article, but I like a lot of what he’s doing in terms of his swing decisions, and he's hitting .273 on the season with 11 steals while playing every day. I need him to focus more on line drives and hard groundballs, and I think we could see a strong stretch of production in the coming weeks.

Roman Anthony - OF, BOS: 28% rostered
(PROSPECT STASH, POWER UPSIDE)

The Red Sox will need to clear up some space in the outfield for Anthony, but he's off to a strong start in Triple-A. Realistically, he should be up soon, especially if Ceddanne Rafaela continues to struggle to make consistent contact. Rafaela could move into a super utility role with Jarren Duran in CF and Anthony in LF. If the Red Sox consider moving Rafael Devers to 1B with Triston Casas out then that would free up the DH spot to be used for an extra outfielder, which means Anthony could come up and they could rotate the outfielders around. Nothing is imminent, but it feels like the time could be coming. The same could be said for Jordan Lawlar - SS, ARI (29% rostered), who is tearing up Triple-A. The Diamondbacks have started to play him at 3B recently, which means they could call him up, move Eugenio Suarez to DH, and create a LF platoon with Pavin Smith and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. That might be the smartest decision for the team.

Jordan Beck - OF, COL: 26% rostered
(POST-HYPE PROSPECT, POWER UPSIDE)

Beck had no home runs this week after hitting five last week, but that's to be expected. He didn't produce in 55 MLB games last year and then failed to produce early this season, and was demoted for Zac Veen. Beck has the potential to be a solid fantasy contributor, and he plays his home games at Coors Field, which is going to be a major boost for him, but he also has a 17% swinging strike rate and 34% strikeout rate with poor contact rates. His aggressive approach will lead to lots of hard-hit pulled baseballs, but he is going to remain inconsistent. You can expect similar inconsistency from Trent Grisham - OF, NYY: 22% rostered, who has been playing more regularly for the Yankees after hitting .235 over his last eight games with four home runs and five RBI. He plays good defense in the outfield, and Jasson Dominguez has been struggling, especially against lefties, so Grisham may continue to produce decent power numbers when he plays. We just never know when he will play.

Kyle Stowers - OF, MIA: 26% rostered
(POST HYPE BREAKOUT?, POWER UPSIDE)

When I started writing this article on Saturday morning, Kyle Stowers was 12% rostered in Yahoo formats. Then he went and hit two home runs, including a game-winning grand slam, and his roster rate has more than doubled. This week alone, Stowers went 7-for-15 with four home runs and 10 RBI. That's unfortunate because we've had Stowers on here for a couple of weeks as a low-cost add, and now the price is going to skyrocket above what you probably want to pay. Yes, Stowers has power with a 20% barrel rate and 91.3 mph average exit velocity; yet, he also has an 18% swinging strike rate and just a 67% contact rate overall. He is swinging out of the zone less this season, which is nice, and Stowers is aggressive enough in the zone that he can make up for some of that swing and miss, but he's also sporting a career low 31% fly ball rate. He sprays the ball all over the field, which should help keep the batting average high, and the low fly ball rate could be solid in a pitcher-friendly park, but this feels more like a .250 type of hitter who will be limited to 15-20 HRs due to park and approach. A cheaper but less explosive deep-league outfield option is Eli White - OF, ATL (3% rostered), who continues to get consistent playing time as Ronald Acuna Jr. remains out in Atlanta. Since coming to Atlanta, White has cut his fly ball rate by over 10% and gotten more aggressive with his swing rates. Focusing on groundballs and line drives seems to have helped because the swinging strike rate is down significantly from his early-career numbers, and the overall contact rates have pushed up near 80%. Pairing that with a 10% barrel rate is kind of nice. It's not going to lead to plenty of fantasy juice, but White could continue to post a solid batting average while hitting in a good Atlanta lineup, and that could be worth something if you need an outfielder.

Connor Norby - 2B/3B, MIA: 15% rostered)

(EVERY DAY JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Connor Norby has been off the IL for almost two weeks now, but his roster rates remain pretty low. He's gone just 11-for-50 (.220) in 14 games with one home run, two steals, and 10 runs scored, but he's playing every day for the Marlins, and we know there is some power and speed in there. He's chasing out of the zone a lot, and his swinging strike rate was high last season as well, so he's highly unlikely to be a batting average asset, but if you want a 20/10 type of player who will play every day, then Norby is for you. Another Marlins hitter of note is Eric Wagaman - 1B/3B/OF, MIA (7% rostered), who came up for me on a random search of players who are making solid swing decisions, making a lot of contact, and making authoritative contact. He’s always made a fair amount of contact and doesn’t lift the ball a lot, which will limit his home run upside, but his strong understanding of the strike zone means he gets his pitch often and has the chance to run a decent batting average with 15 HR power. He’ll just need to hit to keep getting at-bats. With Jonah Bride now gone and Griffin Conine injured, Wagaman has a chance to carve out some playing time at 1B/3B/DH. I’d only take gambles in deep leagues, but it might be worth a shot.

Zack Gelof - 2B, ATH: 12% rostered
(IMPENDING RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)

Zack Gelof is at Triple-A for his rehab assignment after offseason surgery on his wrist. He's only had 12 plate appearances coming into today, and the A's have said they wanted him to get 35 before being activated, so he's unlikely to return from the IL this upcoming week, but should be back the week after. Adding him now would likely save you some FAAB. Even in a down season last year, Gelof hit 17 home runs and stole 25 bases, so if he can go back to being even a .230-.240 hitter, you're looking at a guy who could easily go 15/15 in the remaining games this season. That's without even factoring in what playing in a minor league ballpark in the middle of the hot summer months in Sacramento could do for Gelof's power. I've already stashed him in a few places, and I'll try to add a few more.

Hyeseong Kim - 2B/SS, LAD: 11% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE?)

With Tommy Edman landing on the IL, the Dodgers finally called up Hyeseong Kim. However, Chris Taylor started Saturday's game at second base, and Miguel Rojas also started two games at second base this week before Kim was called up, so just keep that in mind when you set your bids tonight. Kim is the exciting new player, but he was hitting just .252 in 131 plate appearances at Triple-A with a 12% swinging strike rate. His overall contact rate of 75% at Triple-A is fine, but suggests there will be some swing and miss at the big league level, and even though he had a few huge home runs that we saw on Twitter, his average exit velocity at Triple-A was 87.3 mph. The 13 stolen bases are very real, and I think that's going to be the majority of Kim's value at the big league level this season, but I'd rather stash Gelof if you're choosing between the two.

Javier Baez - 3B/SS/OF, DET: 11% rostered
(EVERY DAY PLAYING TIME, NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS)

Yes, it's the year 2025, and I'm recommending adding Javy Baez. The veteran has now homered in three straight games and has gone 24-80 (.300) over the last month with three home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 runs scored. We know he had surgery in the off-season, so much of this could just be that he's healthy again; however, we should also acknowledge that he has the lowest chase rate and swinging strike rate of his career. In fact, his 12.8% swinging strike rate is WAY below his career 18% mark. He's swinging at the lowest rate he ever has and posted his highest zone contact rate and overall contact rate. He has not all of a sudden become an elite contact hitter, but he has made clear improvements to his approach. When he does swing, he's pulling the ball more than he ever has and hitting it on the ground a decent amount, which is helping that batting average. Given that he's playing nearly every day in center field and playing really good defense out there, I'm inclined to believe that a lot of this value is real. Just keep an eye on his plate discipline stats because if he starts getting overly aggressive again, a cold streak is coming. Another multi-position infielder is Brooks Lee - 2B/SS/3B - MIN (4% rostered), who has turned it on a bit of late, going 13-for-44 (.295) in his last 13 games. The downside is that he only has one home run and three RBI with no steals over that stretch. He's not much of a power/speed threat, so I think he's a better real-life player than a fantasy player, but he could produce a solid batting average in regular at-bats, and that's worth something in deeper formats. Just keep in mind that Royce Lewis is likely back on Monday, and we don't know what that will do to Lee's playing time.

J.P. Crawford - SS, SEA: 11% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE ASSET, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)

As I mentioned last week, Crawford may be a boring veteran, but he's a solid option as a player who could help your batting average. He's hitting .287 on the season but has gone 16-for-40 (.400) with three home runs and 13 RBI over his last 10 games. He's being a little more aggressive this season, which is fine for Crawford because he has an 84% contact rate for his career. He's expanding the zone a bit more this season, but is still making elite levels of contact, and the batting average bump of late feels partially real. Chase Meidroth - 2B/3B/SS, CWS (4% rostered) returned from the IL this week and has gone 4-for-12 with four runs scored and an RBI in three games. He's going to hit leadoff and play shortstop for the White Sox every day. The power isn't great, and the counting stats will be impacted by the poor lineup around him, which is why he's mainly a deep league option.

Daulton Varsho - OF, TOR: 10% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)

Varsho came off the IL this week and had two good games against the Red Sox, but is 3-for-14 overall with two home runs, three RBI, and a steal. He also has seven strikeouts in five games. Varsho is a career .225 hitter, and while he has 20/20 upside in a full season, you're likely getting that with a worse batting average than somebody like Gelof would give you. It's a solid profile for a player who's on the wire in a lot of formats right now, but you're not adding a "league winner" or somebody who is going to drastically impact your standings.

Coby Mayo - 3B, BAL: 8% rostered
(RECENT CALL UP, POST HYPE BREAKOUT?)

With Ramon Urias battling a hamstring injury, the Orioles finally called up Coby Mayo. Mayo is hitting .255/.353/.539 with six homers in 27 games at Triple-A this season, but has been swinging a hot bat lately. There remains plenty of upside in Mayo's bat, but there are a few concerns. For starters, Urias and Jordan Westburg don't figure to be out more than a couple of weeks, so how long will the Orioles keep Mayo up? His overall contact rates remain below average, but he's been crushing lefties (.529/.579/1.471 slash with four HRs), BUT HE DIDN'T EVEN START ON SATURDAY AGAINST A LEFTY! At this point, I just don't trust the Orioles to make the right decisions with their roster construction, which is an odd thing to say.

Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN: 7% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)

I wrote about Larnach a few times in the off-season as a post hype player I was targeting in deeper formats since we knew he'd be on the bench against lefties. He got off to a slow start to the season, but has gone 14-for-51 (.275) over his last 13 games with three home runs and 10 RBI. He's beholden to the whims of Rocco Baldelli and won't play against lefties, but his overall batted ball profile is interesting enough in deeper formats if you need an outfielder. A player in a similar situation is Max Kepler - OF, PHI (4% rostered), who the Phillies said would be their everyday left fielder but is still sitting against lefties this year. Kepler has three home runs this week and has gone 13-for-41 (.317) over his last 12 games with six RBI. He's in a great lineup, in a good home ballpark, makes a good amount of contact, and is not striking out a lot. That will lead to decent results in that lineup.

Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, CWS: 3% rostered
(MINI HOT STREAK, POTENTIAL BREAKOUT COMING)

Like Victor Scott II,Miguel Vargas appeared in my article this week on hitters to add based on their plate discipline and contact rates. Vargas is chasing at a super low rate, making 83% contact overall and rarely swinging and missing. He's pulling the ball slightly less this season and has focused less on lifting the ball, which is a good change. He doesn't smoke the ball, but a 90.3 mph average exit velocity is pretty good, and he's playing every day in Chicago. Another multi-position option for deeper formats could be Romy Gonzalez - 1B/2B/3B/SS, BOS (1% rostered). Now that Triston Casas is out for the season, it seems that Romy, Abraham Toro -2B/3B, BOS (0% rostered), and Rob Refsnyder - OF, BOS (0% rostered) will primarily split the reps at 1B. With Refsnyder mainly playing against lefties, I think Gonzalez will get the first chance at 1B. It's a small sample size, but he does have a 93.3 mph average exit velocity and 9.1% barrel rate this season. He also has career-high pull and fly ball rates, and while he's making less contact than he has before, his approach could be intriguing at Fenway Park. I just can't imagine he's the first baseman for that long.

Jon Berti - 3B, CHC: 1% rostered
(STARTING JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Berti has been the regular third baseman for the Cubs with Matt Shaw in the minors. He's hitting .288 on the season with seven steals and 10 runs scored in 58 plate appearances. We know who he is at this point in his career, but the 3B spot is such a dump in fantasy right now, so the fact that Berti has his stolen base upside and is playing regularly in Chicago is worth noting for deeper formats. Another deep league infield option is Jorbit Vivas - 2B, NYY (0% rostered), who looks to be the regular second baseman with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the IL. I recorded a video on Jazz Chisolm and Vivas this week, so I'd encourage you to check that out for more of my thoughts.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Ranger Suarez - SP, PHI: 40% rostered
Suarez is set to come off the IL today. We know who Suarez is at this point in his career, but he's a valuable pitcher in the midst of all this chaos, so just check your waiver wire. Another pitcher nearing a return to MLB action is Ryan Weathers - SP, MIA (9% rostered), who threw 62 pitches at Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday. He's set for one more rehab assignment this week, where the Marlins can get him up over 70 pitches, and then he's likely to return the week of May 12th. The only issue is that he'd likely line up for a first start against the Cubs, which you're not using him for.

Griffin Canning - SP, NYM: 38% rostered
I spoke to Canning last week about the changes he’s made since coming to the Mets, and I don't think this early hot start is 100% flukey.

Tony Gonsolin - SP, LAD: 34% rostered
Tony Gonsolin made his return to the Dodgers' rotation this week and struck out nine batters in his six innings. It was against the Marlins, so take that into consideration, but it's nice to see Gonsolin back and going six innings. He is not likely to miss bats at this rate, but he has always been a solid ratio started,r and the team context is obviously great, so he's worth a bid in most formats, but I think he's just a streamer in 12-team leagues.

Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET: 32% rostered
I guess people don't want to add Kahnle because he doesn't throw hard and the Tigers mix and match their late-inning relievers, but Kahnle has looked good so far, and Detroit has no problem running out a closer who doesn't have elite strikeout upside or a big fastball. Kahnle has five saves and a 0.71 ERA in 12 appearances so far this year, so I'm scooping if he's available. However, just note that the Tigers like to use Kahnle in high-leverage situations, which will also mean save opportunities for Will Vest - RP, DET (11% rostered), who is worth an add if you need saves as well. I know Vest blew an opportunity this week, which made him one of the most dropped players in Yahoo formats, but he has allowed just four runs on eight hits in 13 innings this season. He'll still be back in high-leverage innings and will get some save chances.

Matthew Liberatore - SP, STL: 32% rostered
I covered Liberatore in detail in my Starting Pitcher News article, so check that out for a more detailed breakdown, but I think Liberatore is a fine option for decent ratios and a low strikeout total.

Brayan Bello - SP, BOS: 30% rostered
Bello has been good in his return to the Red Sox rotation, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 17.2 innings across three starts. The slider has looked good at times, and I like that he's been attacking with the sinker more and using the four-seam fastball upstairs to try and get swings and misses. However, the command of his slider and changeup remains inconsistent, which has hurt him in two-strike counts and has made him a bit frustrating. I still see Top-40 upside in that arm, but he's not putting it together right now.

Shelby Miller - RP, ARI: 25% rostered
I spoke to both Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel - RP, ARI (7% rostered) this week before the Mets game and wrote up my thoughts on the Arizona bullpen situation here. I would be prioritizing Miller on the waiver wire, but I'll have bids in for Ginkel too. Also, just remember that Justin Martinez's MRI came back clean, so we're not dealing with a major injury here. There's a chance Martinez is back in a few weeks and pitching like himself after a brief reset.

Gunnar Hoglund - SP, OAK: 23% rostered
I watched Hoglund's debut, and I came away thinking it was solid. The four-seamer is only 92 mph, but he gets elite extension on it and has good vertical movement, which allows him to get whiffs up in the zone. He also features a solid sinker with tons of arm-side run and a changeup that's seven mph slower than the sinker and darts low and out of the zone. He had no problem throwing the changeup to righties and lefties, but I didn't love either the cutter or the slider. My worry is that this isn't a package that will lead to many strikeouts when he's not facing the Marlins, but I liked the foundation of it enough to add him and see how this pans out.

Lance McCullers - SP, HOU: 19% rostered
I felt the need to cover McCullers here because he's a big name and is making his season debut today, but I can't tell you to run out and grab him right now. We have no idea how effective he'll be or how long Houston will let him pitch in games. I could easily see a situation where he's piggybacked with Ryan Gusto so the Astros don't strain McCullers too much.

Lucas Giolito - SP, BOS: 14% rostered
Giolito returned to the mound for the Red Sox this week, and I think he looked better than Bello, which is why I made that direct one-for-one swap in a few leagues. He was pretty good for the first half of the season in 2023 before the White Sox traded him across the country, and the wheels fell off. I think we've written his obituary too early. His four-seam fastball had more juice again, and the fastball/changeup combination is a good one. The Red Sox are clearly working to re-shape his slider back to his older version, and if he can unlock that too, you might get a great season from Giolito. As is, he's a solid Top-50 arm. You could also roster his teammate, Hunter Dobbins - SP, BOS (4% rostered), who seems likely to hold down a rotation spot as long as Walker Buehler is sidelined. Dobbins has seen velocity gains this year, turned his splitter into a splinker that he can command, and separated his slider into a slider and a sweeper. That has given him a six-pitch mix with decent command. I kind of like Dobbins, and I'm not worried about his start against the Royals this week.

Porter Hodge - RP, CHC: 14% rostered
Another option who I think scared people off because of one horrible outing against Arizona last week. Ryan Pressly has looked average in Chicago and had fluid drained from his knee last week, which is not ideal. Hodge is a solid reliever who posted an elite 1.88 ERA last season. He's the guy if Pressly is hurt, and the Cubs are a really good team, so you're going to want whoever is closing games for them.

Luis L. Ortiz - SP, CLE: 12% rostered
This guy is always going to pull me back in. The Guardians have made some clear changes to try and get more swing-and-miss into Ortiz's pitch mix, and while that has led to inconsistency, it has presented some clear long-term upside for him as well. He is utilizing his changeup far more than he has before and has switched up the locations on his cutter to get more swinging strikes. I'm still expecting inconsistency as he gets comfortable with the changes, but I love the roadmap here.

Ben Casparius - RP, LAD: 8% rostered
I covered Casparius in detail in my Starting Pitcher News article this Wednesday, so check that out for more detail.

PLAYERS TO DROP

I was asked last week if I could mention some players that I think it might be time to move on from in shallower formats, so below are a few players I would be cutting in 10-12 team leagues. Most of the names will be hitters because I believe those fringe SPs should always be on and off your roster in shallower formats based on their upcoming matchups.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, ARI: 46% rostered: He hasn't been hitting, and I'm starting to think the only way the Diamondbacks can call Jordan Lawlar up is to play him at 3B, move Eugenio Suarez to DH, and make Gurriel and Pavin Smith a platoon in LF. It makes the most sense for the team. Lawlar can't stay in AAA much longer.

Jonathan India - 2B/3B/OF - KC: 42% rostered: I was never a huge fan, the ballpark is going to take all of his power away, so you're looking at a .260 hitter with minimal speed and no power in a fairly average lineup. That's just not for me.

Carlos Correa - SS, MIN: 33% rostered: He doesn't run, he's clearly playing through an injury, and he just might not be healthy until they put him on the IL.

Alec Burleson - 1B/OF, STL 32% rostered: He just barely plays for St. Louis anymore. He's starting two, maybe three, games a week, and I can't hold him until he starts to play and produce again.

Luis Rengifo - 2B/3B, LAA: 27% rostered: His value was in his speed, but he's had multiple soft tissue injuries this season and is not running.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

(ranked in loose order)