Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where we review the top 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 try to list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. My hope is that it will help you to 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 50% 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 50% 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.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds
Hitters
Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, TOR: 42% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE BOOST, POWER SURGE)
Spencer Horwitz has rebounded from a cold stretch (which is understandable for any rookie) and is hitting .313 over his last 27 games with six home runs, 14 runs scored, and 14 RBI. According to FanGraphs player rater, he’s also a $26.7 player over the last two weeks. We could be in the middle of a hot stretch, but Horwitz has always shown elite plate discipline and contact rates, so I’m always willing to buy into players like that. He will sit against the occasional lefty, so just be prepared for that. Zack Gelof - 2B, OAK (39% rostered) has also rebounded from a cold stretch and is hitting .286 over his last 27 games with two home runs, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and eight steals. He’s been a $9.1 player over the last 30 days according to FanGraphs Player Rater, and has 17 home runs and 23 steals in 124 games this year, so even if the batting average gains don’t stick, the power and speed will give him some value.
Dylan Crews - OF, WAS: 42% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I’m going to keep Crews on here even though he’s hitting .227 over his first 18 games because he’s playing every day and also has eight steals over that span. The speed alone is making him valuable, but we’ve seen what he can do with the bat. The second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft hit .272/.343/.446 with 21 doubles, six triples, 13 homers, 68 RBI, and 25 steals for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester during his first full pro season, and he has the five-category upside we want in all league types.
Michael Busch - 1B/3B, CHC: 37% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, GOOD SCHEDULE)
I wrote a streaming hitters article this week, and the Cubs were featured as having one of the friendliest schedules for hitters in the upcoming weeks. When you pair that with the fact that Busch is hitting .263 over his last 11 games with two home runs, eight RBI, and eight runs scored, which has made him a $10.7 player according to FanGraphs player rate, that makes Busch a solid add for me in all formats. He’ll play against most lefties, and his strikeout rate has been trending down of late, which we love to see as well.
Jasson Dominguez - OF, NYY: 34% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
We’ve been waiting for Dominguez to be promoted for months and now he has but nobody wants to add him. Why? Because he didn’t crush two home runs right when he came up? Dominguez is going to play nearly every day for the Yankees (except when they give Verdugo his one start here and there because “veteran”) and has the talent to be a fantasy difference-maker. In 2024, Dominguez hit .314 with 11 home runs, 43 runs, 35 RBI, and 16 steals in 58 games across three minor league levels (including his rehab games). He has true five-category upside and plays in a great home park. Go pick him up.
Victor Robles - OF, SEA: 31% rostered
(CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME, SPEED UPSIDE)
Robles got hot as soon as he joined the Mariners, then cooled again, and now he’s getting hot again. Over his last 21 games, Robles is hitting .403 with 15 runs scored, 11 RBI, and 12 steals. That has made him a $25.8 player over the last month, according to FanGraph’s Player Rater, which is absolutely wild to type, but he really shouldn’t be on this many waiver wires while he’s playing like this. At a bare minimum, he’s playing every day and has 29 steals on the year, so he’s been a tremendous source of speed this season even when he isn’t hitting this well.
Lars Nootbaar - OF, STL: 24% rostered
(EVERYDAY JOB, FINALLY HITTING)
I had Nootbaar on here last week and am going to keep him here again because his roster rate hasn’t changed, but we’re finally seeing some production now that Nootbaar is healthy. The Cardinals’ outfielder is the 94th-ranked player in 5x5 formats over the last two weeks, batting .364 with one home run, four runs scored, seven RBI, and two steals in 12 games. That has made him a $12.5 player according to FanGraphs player rater, and the Cardinals have a pretty solid schedule coming up for hitters, as I detailed in this week’s streaming hitters article.
Joey Bart - C, PIT: 22% rostered
(STARTING JOB, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE)
Joey Bart is back off the IL, going 4-for-19 with one home run, four RBI, and four runs scored. Bart has been really good in his first year with the Pirates and was surging with the bat before going on the IL. Given that the Pirates have a strong schedule coming up, Bart is firmly on the one-catcher radar. I might even take him over somebody like Austin Wells - C, NYY (42% rostered) who is hitting just .211 over his last 22 games; although, he has added 14 RBI over that stretch, which is nice.
Luke Raley - 1B/OF, SEA: 15% rostered),
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POWER/RBI UPSIDE)
Raley has been a regular in the Mariners’ lineup for most of the season, but the production hasn’t been consistent. However, if you look at any of his rolling graphs, you see a steady drop in strikeout rate and an increase in wRC+ and ISO. As he is making better swings decisions, the power is starting to materialize and, over his last 12 games, Raley is hitting .310 with seven runs scored, four home runs, 11 RBI, and two steals. Given that he has 11 steals on the year and will chip in some speed, I’m willing to scoop Raley now and see if he can keep the hot stretch going. A deeper league option is Pavin Smith - 1B/OF, ARI (3% rostered), who has been starting against all right-handed pitchers with Lourdes Gurriel out. Gurriel should be coming back soon, but Smith has also hit four home runs and driven in 11 runs over his last 10 games, so perhaps he has played his way into more regular at-bats. It’s a situation to monitor.
Parker Meadows - OF, DET: 17% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
We were excited for Meadows to return after his demotion to Triple-A Toledo because he had made process changes that led to clear success. However, Meadows hurt his hamstring in his third game back and landed on the IL. The outfielder is back and producing solid numbers, hitting .296 over his last 25 games with four home runs, 15 runs scored, 17 RBI, and two steals. The Tigers actually have one of the best records in the AL since the All-Star break and are on the fringes of playoff contention, so it’s not bad to pick up shares of this offense right now.
Jonny DeLuca - OF, TB: 10% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, SPEED UPSIDE)
We did this dance with DeLuca back at the beginning of the summer when he first stepped on the field for the Rays, but then he struggled and lost playing time and was dropped in basically all formats. Well, he’s back now and has been playing well of late, hitting .311 over his last 13 games with nine runs scored, two home runs, five RBI, and three steals, which makes him the 44th-ranked player in 5x5 formats over that span. Over his last 30 days, FanGraphs has him valued as a $16 player, and he has seen a steady rise in batting average, wRC+, and a decrease in strikeout rate over that time.
Jesus Sanchez - OF, MIA: 9% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, FAVORABLE SCHEDULE
As we know by this point, if Jesus Sanchez has left-handed pitchers on his schedule, you can’t play him. Well, the Marlins have seven games next week and only one is against a lefty, so it might be time to fire Sanchez up. Over his last 12 games, he’s hitting .364 with five runs scored, three RBI, and four steals. We know he has elite raw power, so the home runs will come, and if the steals stick too, this could be a very profitable week for him. Another deeper league outfield add is Tommy Pham - OF, KC (5% rostered), who struggled after being traded to the Cardinals and was waived but is now starting every day in Kansas City and hitting .304 over his last 11 games with two home runs, six runs scored, seven RBI, and one steal. Maybe he just hates playing for the Cardinals?
Jose Tena - 3B/SS, WAS (7% rostered).
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
A deep league CI/MI option is Tena, who came to Washington in the Lane Thomas trade at the deadline and has been great as their everyday third baseman, hitting .306 with two home runs, 11 runs, 10 RBI, and three steals in 26 games for Washington. He did display power and speed at Triple-A this year with 18 homers and 15 steals, so if he can continue translating that to the major league level, it would make him an interesting pickup in deeper formats. For now, I like that he’s getting everyday at-bats and making consistent contact. You could also turn to Nick Gonzales - 2B/SS, PIT (8% rostered), who is playing regularly and hitting .313 over his last 17 games with eight runs scored and six RBI. The Pirates were featured in my streaming hitters article with a decent schedule coming up, so 15-team leagues and deeper should take a look.
Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 6% rostered
(COUNTING STAT UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME QUESTIONS)
The 24-year-old top prospect struggled mightily in his first taste of the big leagues, hitting .207/.241/.329 with seven RBI across 87 plate appearances. However, he has been great at the Triple-A level with a .946 OPS and 20 homers across 83 games. He has been better since his promotion, going .273 with two solo home runs and three total RBI in 12 games. He won’t hit against lefties and is not yet a full-time player, so there are some question marks about whether or not Manzardo can earn fantasy value. We have fewer playing time questions surrounding Ty France - 1B, CIN (14% rostered), who is starting at first base every day for the Reds and hitting .320 over his last 13 games. That has come with only one home run and six RBI as the power has never materialized the way we wanted, but an everyday spot and a good batting average still have value.
Luisangel Acuña - SS, NYM: 5% rostered
I wanted to put Acuña on here because I know he’s a much-discussed promotion, but I’m not sure he’s going to be worth an add. The Mets don’t seem concerned about Lindor’s injury and think he could be back in the lineup as soon as Sunday, which means Acuña should operate more as a versatile bench option. The younger Acuña sibling was also just decent at Triple-A this year, hitting .258 with seven home runs, 50 RBI, and 40 steals in 131 games. That speed will make him valuable if he earns more playing time, but he’s not quite there yet.
Trey Sweeney - SS, DET: 2% rostered
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, MODEST POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
With Javier Baez done for the year, it seems like Sweeney will be the everyday shortstop for the Tigers from here on out. The rookie is hitting .242 over his last 12 games with three home runs, five runs scored, nine RBI, and two steals. He was a career .250 minor league hitter, so don’t expect a strong batting average, but there is some power and speed upside here in an everyday role, which is worth monitoring in deeper formats.
Jonathan Aranda - 1B, TB: 1% rostered
(STARTING ROLE, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
It feels like we’ve been talking about Aranda for years now, but the former top prospect has not been able to get it going at the MLB level. However, he seems to be getting another chance, starting in seven of the last eight games for the Rays as the primary first baseman. Over that span, he is 7-for-22 (.318) with two home runs, five runs scored, and three RBI. He won’t steal bases and the lineup around him is fairly average so it will limit his counting stat upside. Still, Aranda has shown good contact tools in the past and if he’s getting full-time playing time, he could be worth a gamble in deeper formats. If you wanted to take another deep-league gamble, you could opt for Hunter Goodman - C/1B/OF, COL (1% rostered), who has started five of the last six games for the Rockies after he hit well enough since being promoted on September 1st to earn more time. In nine games since being called up, he’s gone 7-for-28 (.250) with three home runs and eight RBI. Now, much of that came in Friday night’s game, but if he’s going to play regularly and also have catcher eligibility, that makes him worth an add in two-catcher formats, especially since Colorado starts next week off with three games at home.
Pitchers
Justin Martinez - RP, ARI: 45% rostered
We don’t love the ratios with Martinez since he has a 4.26 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over his last 12 appearances, but he also has five saves over that span, and the team still trusts him to close out games, so he needs to be on our radar considering how well the Diamondbacks have been playing of late. Lucas Erceg - RP, KC (47%) is also back from his injury scare and still the closer for a reeling but solid Royals team. He has six saves, a 1.11 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. He does have a 5.40 ERA over that span, but most of that can be attributed back to one bad outing.
Shane Baz - SP, TB: 45% rostered
Baz is somehow under 50% rostered despite pitching great of late. Yes, his slider isn’t fully back but it does look better and he’s registered a 1.88 ERA and 0.83 WHIP over his last 24 innings, while striking out 16 and picking up two wins. He is one of the few pitchers I believe you can just pick up and hold, but there are plenty of other streamers this week, and I covered them in my
streaming starting pitcher article, so check that out here and then see the list below.
Aroldis Chapman - RP, PIT: 40% rostered
Chapman has four saves in his last 12 appearances, but he also has a 7.15 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, which is gross. The Pirates are still giving him save chances, but they don’t get them that often, and he needs to stop allowing runs. It should also be noted that Dennis Santana - RP, PIT (4% rostered) has been lights out since coming to Pittsburgh, and is serving as their top right-handed relief option with Bednar removed from the role. That could lead to the odd save chance in the short term.
Porter Hodge - RP, CHC (36% rostered)
With Jorge Lopez now on the IL, Hodge is firmly cemented as the only closer for the Cubs. Chicago has a great schedule coming up, and Hodge has not allowed a run over his last 11.1 innings, posting a 0.97 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts to go along with four saves and two wins. He should not be available in any leagues.
Tyler Holton - RP, DET: 31% rostered
It’s possible that Holton is the most underrated reliever in baseball. Over the last month, he has four saves for the Tigers but has also served as an opener this season as well and has a 0.50 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts over his last 18.0 innings. Yes, he has a lower ERA than his WHIP. He’s just delivering right now. Matt Strahm - RP, PHI (30% rostered) has also saved two games this week and is emerging as part of the late-inning committee in Philadelphia. That makes him worth a gamble in most leagues because he’s also an elite ratio asset.
Luke Weaver - RP, NYY: 25% rostered
It sure seems like Weaver is the closer in New York for now. We can’t rule out Clay Holmes getting the job back, but Weaver has a 1.26 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over his last 14.1 innings while striking out 21 and picking up the last two saves for the Yankees. There may still be some committee action here, but Weaver looks to be at the top of it.
Edwin Uceta - RP, TB: 19 % rostered
Edwin Uceta came off of suspension and locked down a save on Friday night, which is a clear signal that he remains at the top of the high-leverage ladder in Tampa Bay. Even with his struggles before the suspension, Uceta has a 2.38 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over his last 11.1 innings, while picking up two wins and three saves. He’s stepped into the Rays’ primary high-leverage role with Pete Fairbanks hurt which means he’ll pick up some saves but primarily face the best hitters in the opponent’s order. In the event that causes him to pitch earlier in games, Manuel Rodriguez - RP, TB (4% rostered) has been snagging the save chances. Garrett Cleavinger - RP, TB (4% rostered) has also been getting some save chances when there are left-handed hitters up at the end of games.
Brant Hurter - SP/RP, DET: 9% rostered
I just wanted to shoutout Hurter, who has been good as a bulk reliever for the Tigers of late, pitching to a 2.35 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 30.2 innings over the last month. He has also racked up five wins due to his role as a “follower.” I have him listed below with a good matchup this week, and he could be a sneaky add in head-to-head formats if you need wins. Also, shoutout to Aaron Ashby - SP/RP, MIL (1% rostered) who has been used as a multi-inning reliever and has thrown 12 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts and a 0.50 WHIP. He doesn’t have much value in this role unless you’re chasing wins with relievers, but it’s nice to see him pitching well and maybe he’ll get some spot starts down the stretch.
DL Hall - SP/RP, MIL: 9% rostered
I need to shout out Hall, who was my most-rostered player coming into the year, but pitched poorly early on and was hurt for most of the season. However, he’s back now with increased velocity and looks downright dominant. He has thrown 12.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen since coming back up with a 0.63 WHIP and 12 strikeouts. He’s getting a chance to start on Sunday against Arizona and I will be watching that closely.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
I’ve started breaking down the waiver wire pitchers for the upcoming week in a new weekly article, so you should check that out here. However, I’ll copy and paste the list (without the analysis) below.