Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options, and we’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites, and let you know which players to add, and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Maikel Garcia (KCR), 2B/3B (52% rostered on Yahoo, 73.7% on ESPN)
Coming into this season, Garcia was thought of as a one- or two-category player. He could swipe some bags for you, and there was a shot that he’d help your team’s batting average. He also scored 84 runs last year atop the Royals’ lineup, so maybe he could help you there as well. Still, he was a borderline starter in most 12-team leagues.
However, Garcia is starting to turn some heads with his power. He’s never going to be a big threat in that department, but he’s on pace to shatter his marks from last season. He’s already hit two homers—just five fewer than he hit in 157 games last season—and his slugging percentage is up more than 225 points. His xSLG isn’t quite as high, but his .498 mark would still shatter his previous career high.
It’s a huge potential development. If Garcia can add something like 15 homers to a near-.300 batting average with 30+ steals? That’s an outstanding fantasy baseball player.
His underlying Statcast data suggests the breakout could be legit. He currently ranks in the 92nd percentile for hard-hit rate, and his barrel rate is up a full 6% from last season. He’s also putting more balls in the air than at any point previously in his career.
Given his eligibility at both second base and third base—two positions without a ton of sure things—he deserves to be added in most leagues.
José Soriano (LAA), SP (43% Yahoo, 28.2% ESPN)
It’s possible that Soriano was added in your league as a streamer on Thursday, and he turned in another excellent performance versus the Rays. His strikeout numbers were down a bit—he managed just four punchouts across 7.1 innings—but he limited the Rays to just one earned run on five hits. It dropped his ERA to just 2.70 for the year.
If Soriano is available in your leagues, he could be worth an extended look in your rotation. It’s only been three starts, but there are enough positives here that suggest his production could continue.
The biggest is his ground-ball rate. He had a 71.4% ground-ball rate vs. the Rays on Thursday, pushing him to 66.0% for the year. Even with the poor strikeout numbers vs. Tampa Bay, he’s also still averaging more than eight strikeouts per nine innings. That’s a really nice combination.
Ultimately, Soriano looks like someone who can help teams looking for a backend starter. He may not have a ton of win opportunities for the Angels—though he does have two wins in his three starts—but he can provide some help in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts while piling up plenty of innings.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Zack Littell was on the other side of Soriano on Thursday, and unfortunately, things did not go nearly as well for him. He surrendered seven earned runs and four homers in just four innings, dropping his ERA all the way to 6.88 for the year. His ERA indicators are not particularly impressive, and he’s not a great source of strikeouts, either. His next start is scheduled for next week vs. the Red Sox, and he doesn’t need to be rostered for that contest. You can pretty safely return him to the wire.
Sal Frelick got a Coors Field bump this week, and he’s an interesting option for teams that need help with steals or batting average. He’s occupied the fifth spot in the Brewers’ lineup all season, and he’s racked up a solid .303 xBA. He also has three steals through his first 12 contests, so he’s on pace to improve upon his 18 stolen bases from 2024. Unfortunately, there is virtually no power upside here: he ranks in the 10th percentile in bat speed, sixth percentile in average exit velocity, and first percentile in barrel rate. That makes someone like Franco a more appealing target overall.
Zach McKinstry is off to a torrid start at the dish, posting a .371 batting average through his first 11 games. However, he has an inflated .400 BABIP, and his .299 xBA suggests he’s been fortunate. His positional versatility is a plus, and he still has the potential to be an asset for those looking to improve their batting average, but he doesn’t bring much else to the table.
It’s hard to imagine things going much better for Easton Lucas to start the year. He didn’t make the team out of spring training, but he was called up after Max Scherzer was forced to land on the IL. He’s since made two starts for Toronto, and he’s yet to allow an earned run. He’s also racked up 9.58 strikeouts per nine innings, while his xERA and FIP are both under 2.00. It’s unlikely he can keep it up—he ranks 78th out of 112 pitchers with at least 10 innings in Stuff+—but he has pitched well enough to potentially stick in the rotation.
On paper, Mitchell Parker looks pretty similar to Lucas. He’s also fared well to start the season, pitching to a 0.73 ERA through two outings. Unfortunately, there’s even less reason to believe in Parker going forward. While Lucas at least has some strikeout upside, Parker ranks in the 18th percentile in strikeout rate. His ERA indicators also aren’t nearly as favorable, with Parker’s 4.14 xERA suggesting big regression in the future. That said, his next two starts will come against the Marlins and Pirates, so it could be worthing trying to squeeze a few more quality outings out of him. He shouldn’t stick in your rotation all season, but he’s proven he can be viable in the right matchups.
ESPN’s most-added list is headlined by two pitchers who have been awesome to start the year: Kris Bubic and Jesús Luzardo. Bubic thrived out of the Royals’ bullpen last season, and he’s carried that success into the rotation through his first two starts. He’s punching out a ton of batters—his strikeout rate is north of 32%—and they’re not doing much damage when they manage to make contact. His average exit velocity puts him in the 90th percentile, while his 2.04 xERA puts him in the 88th. He should be almost universally rostered at this point.
The same goes for Luzardo, who has dazzled to start his Phillies’ tenure. Luzardo has always had phenomenal strikeout stuff, and he’s striking out more than 40% of opposing batters so far this season. He also went seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers in his last start. Luzardo’s biggest issue has always been consistency, so we’ll see if he can put it together for a full year.
Kyren Paris and Tyler Soderstrom have been covered extensively in these columns, and their rostership levels are creeping up across the industry. Paris has come seemingly out of nowhere for the Angels, and he’s already clubbed five homers after never hitting more than 14 in a minor-league season. The speed is legit, and the underlying Statcast data suggests the bat could be as well. He looks like a potential league winner at second base.
Soderstrom is a more traditional slugger, and his six homers tie him with Aaron Judge for the most in baseball. Unlike Paris, Soderstrom was considered a legit prospect, and he should continue to provide solid power numbers.
Chris Bassitt isn’t the same type of upside arm as Bubic or Luzardo, but he’s been equally impressive to start his season. He’s been a solid major-league starter for years, but he’s never delivered big strikeout numbers. Could that be changing? He has 21 punchouts through his first 18.1 innings, and it’s not like he’s been beating up on scrubs: his first three starts have come against the Orioles, Mets, and Red Sox.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Jung Hoo Lee (SFG), OF (44% Yahoo, 71.9% ESPN)
This is one of the rare instances where the ESPN rostership is a more accurate reflection of how much a player should be rostered. Lee is hitting at the top of the Giants’ lineup, and he should be one of the top batting average anchors in baseball. He rarely walks, and he’s making elite contact. His expected batting average sits at .359, which is the eighth-best mark in all of baseball.
Lee isn’t going to help you a ton elsewhere, but he has chipped in three steals so far this season. That’s more than he had in 148 plate appearances last year, so perhaps there’s a bit of upside in that department as well.
Ben Rice (NYY), 1B (41% Yahoo, 22.5% ESPN)
Rice entered the year with an uncertain role for the Yankees, but the injury to Giancarlo Stanton has opened the door for him to serve as the team’s primary DH against right-handed pitchers. That’s enough to get him in the lineup on most days, and Rice has absolutely run with the opportunity. He’s batting .306, but the real value is with his power production. His xSLG currently sits at .752, which is the sixth-best mark among qualified hitters. It puts him in the same stratosphere as some of the best power hitters in the game.
Rice’s Statcast data is equally impressive. He ranks in the 85th percentile for bat speed, 99th percentile for barrel rate, and 100th percentile for hard-hit rate. In other words, he’s squaring up the ball at one of the highest rates in the league, and he has more than enough power to hit it a long way when he does. He’s currently sixth on the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater at first base, so he’s well worth an add where he’s available.
Casey Mize (DET), SP (52% Yahoo, 30.8% ESPN)
Mize is steadily creeping up from a rostership perspective, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t be universally rostered at this point. That’s how high his ceiling is.
Mize was dominant in his first start of the year versus the Mariners, but beating up on the Mariners doesn’t move the needle. You know what does? Shutting down the Yankees. He limited them to just one run over six innings, and he added six strikeouts in the process.
Mize has always had the talent after being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018, and he appears ready to put it all together. He’s not going to pitch to a sub-1.00 ERA all season—though his 2.08 xERA is still very, very good—but he should pile up the strikeouts at a minimum. He currently ranks in the 88th percentile for Whiff Rate, and his splitter specifically looks like one of the nastiest pitches in the league.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices in the opening week. He’s highlighted Reese Olson for Friday’s slate, but he’s far from the only viable option.
Ronel Blanco (HOU), SP (50% Yahoo, 40% ESPN)
Blanco was a fascinating pitcher entering this season. It was widely believed that he’d regress after posting a 2.80 ERA last season. The big question was just how much?
So far, the answer to that question is “a lot.” Blanco has pitched to a 9.45 ERA, and his 6.04 xERA isn’t a whole lot better. He couldn’t even make it out of the second inning in his last outing, allowing four earned runs in just 1.2 innings vs. the Twins.
Still, it’s not like all of Blanco’s metrics are terrible. In fact, his 3.01 FIP through two starts is significantly better than his mark in 2024, and he’s striking out more than 12 batters per nine innings. Part of that stems from the fact that he can’t get anyone out when they put the ball in play, with opposing batters posting a ridiculous .421 BABIP against him.
Ultimately, his strikeout metrics and Statcast data are good enough to warrant one more chance in your rotation. The fact that he’s getting the Angels in Houston after they played in Tampa on Friday doesn’t hurt either.
Speculative Adds
Kameron Misner (TBR), OF (2% Yahoo, 2.4% ESPN)
Misner was never considered a can’t-miss prospect, but he possesses a very intriguing skill set for fantasy. He runs fast and swings the bat hard, which theoretically gives him a nice combination of tools in his toolbox.
Misner is also hitting to start the year. He crushed the ball in spring training, posting a 197 wRC+ with two homers and two steals, and he’s carried that production into the regular season. He has just one homer and has yet to swipe a bag, but he’s posted a .347 xAVG and .591 xSLG with strong underlying Statcast metrics.
Misner is also getting the opportunity to play on most days. He’s generally been in the lineup against right-handed pitchers, putting him on the right side of a platoon split with José Caballero. As long as he continues to get opportunities—and continues to make strong contact—he’s someone to have on your radar.
Nick Kurtz (ATH), 1B (11% Yahoo, 2.9% ESPN)
Kurtz was mentioned in this space last Sunday, and we’re doubling down here. Despite Soderstrom putting up big numbers at first base, it’s hard to imagine the Athletics won’t find a spot for Kurtz soon. He is absolutely raking in Triple-A, launching six homers with a 231 wRC+ through his first 10 games. He posted a 230 wRC+ in his first taste of minor-league action last season, so the dude can absolutely rake.
It’s only a matter of time before he’s crushing baseballs at Sutter Health Park. He’s a priority add in dynasty and keeper formats, and he’s worth a bench stash in redraft leagues if you have a roster spot available.
Deep League Players to Watch
Chase Meidroth (CWS), 2B/3B/SS (1% Yahoo, 0.2% ESPN)
While Kurtz’s time is coming, Meidroth’s time is now. The White Sox are desperate for anything to get their fanbase excited, so they’re planning to promote him to the big-league roster on Friday.
Meidroth isn’t considered a can’t-miss prospect by any stretch, but he’s more than held his own in Triple-A this season. He’s posted an 189 wRC+ with three homers and two steals through his first nine outings.
Bad teams don’t call up prospects to have them sit on the bench, so expect Meidroth to be in the lineup on most days. Given his positional versatility, he can fill plenty of lineup gaps in deeper formats.
