After a FAAB run last week that included many exciting players getting scooped up off the waiver wire, it’s now time to look through what’s still left out there that’s ready to make an impact on your teams.
There are a couple of starting pitchers returning from injury after long absences, and you will see them discussed below. With the return of Gerrit Cole, that should help out anyone who has stashed him as well. With starting pitcher injuries, there is always turnover with the pitching landscape, so it’s good to plan for the unknown by rostering as many reliable arms as you can. The ones I talked about this week, I feel very good about them being impactful pickups for the rest of the season.
So without further introduction, let’s jump in and see how you should be spending your FAAB dollars this weekend.
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help you decide who to target on the waiver wire, as well as how to prioritize who to add. The focus will mainly be on relevant players who are also widely available in all leagues, and will often include players I’ve spent my own FAAB dollars on. Every league is different, so players will not be given an exact dollar amount; instead, I will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker.
Investment Rating System
This week, eight teams have a seven-game schedule, and those teams are listed below. The rest of the teams have a six-game schedule in the upcoming week.
SEVEN GAMES: BAL, CHC, CWS, HOU, MIN, PIT, TEX, TOR
Batters
Outfielders
Jake Bauers ($$$$): I’ve quickly become a big fan of Jake Bauers and what he’s been doing at the plate for the Milwaukee Brewers, and the fact that he started on Friday against a lefty only adds to my enthusiasm here. Having dual eligibility at both first base and in the outfield, he could have been included in either category here. It’s also not difficult to find reason to be encouraged by the underlying metrics, either. Everyone likely knows he has an impressive baseball savant page, but he’s hitting the ball consistently harder than ever while swinging hard more often without sacrificing contact. He’s up to over 92 mph on his average exit velocity with a fast swing rate of over 71%. He also has elite bat speed while maintaining his low sub-20% chase rate and sub-10% swinging strike rate. He’s a good bet to maintain what he’s done so far, with a chance to even improve with more consistent playing time. Regardless, he faces all righties next week, so it’s a great time to use him.
Gavin Sheets ($$$): Just like Bauers, Gavin Sheets is also eligible both at first base and in the outfield and has arguably been just as impressive. The main differentiators are that Sheets chases considerably more than Bauers, and his average exit velocity is about 3 mph slower. Hitting in the middle of the San Diego Padres lineup sets Sheets up for good counting stats, and his recent hot streak has earned him an everyday role in the Padres lineup. Over the past three weeks, Sheets is slashing an impressive .288/.422/.596 with five home runs, eleven RBI, and an 11:12 K:BB ratio. He also has a 144 wRC+ so far this season, a vast improvement over his 111 mark in 2025. Sheets is only rostered in 36% of Yahoo leagues, so he’s still widely available to pick up as well.
Infielders
Colt Emerson ($$$): Emerson is the next hyped prospect to debut recently, and while he’s off to a bit of a cold start, he’s still flashed his exciting upside potential. In five games, he has two hits, two walks, a home run, and three RBI. He should be prioritized similarly to Ryan Waldschmidt, but likely has a more volatile range of outcomes for the rest of the season. He has shown high walk rates over 10%, but also a high strikeout rate, so his success early in his career likely depends on the strikeout rate. He also doesn’t need to show vast improvement in that area; he just needs to maintain a strikeout rate around 26-27%, and he should be plenty productive for your teams. Just like with any prospect, it’s hard to know how the playing time shakes out, but when he plays, he should be a good option at shortstop or third base.
Pedro Ramirez ($$): It was a surprise to see Ramirez promoted so soon, but he’s handled Triple-A with such ease that it’s hard to be too surprised. Injuries to Edward Cabrera and Matt Shaw opened up a roster spot for Ramirez, so it’s difficult to say how much of an opportunity he will get. Regardless, based on the skill set, Ramirez is an exciting prospect for the Chicago Cubs. The switch-hitting third baseman has drawn comparisons to José Ramírez, with nine home runs and 19 stolen bases in 43 games at Triple-A this season while walking more than 10% of the time and striking out less than 17%. The main question mark was his power, but he has mostly dispelled those concerns when he’s already hit nine home runs in 196 plate appearances. There likely won’t be a lot of opportunities to bat in a good Cubs lineup, but he’s one you’ll want to keep an eye on long-term.
Brayan Rocchio ($$): Rocchio is yet another example of the Cleveland Guardians getting the very most out of a player. He’s never hit the ball particularly hard, but his improved plate discipline to pair with his good speed has made him a more productive player so far this season. He’s up to four home runs and nine steals on the season, and has a 21:19 K:BB ratio in 51 games. That’s quite notable when you consider that last season he only hit five home runs and eight stolen bases over 383 plate appearances and had a 77:22 K:BB ratio. He has basically matched that production in 191 plate appearances this season, and has also improved his wRC+ from 77 in 2025 to 129 so far this season. He’s eligible at both second base and shortstop which only adds to his valuable, and is still quite available since he’s rostered in 49% of leagues on Yahoo at the moment.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Troy Melton ($$$$): I may be a bit bullish on Troy Melton, but I can’t help but love what he brings to the table. On the surface, Melton throws hard and has a wide arsenal with elite extension, and he has also shown an ability to be efficient and work deep into games with ease. That alone makes me want to sign up for this, and it looks like he’s going to have a spot in the Detroit Tigers rotation when he returns from the injured list this week. They will likely be careful and manage his workload, but it’s really the only downside here. He was dominant in his rehab, and he should help your teams right away. If you weren’t already stashing him, he’s only rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues and is still widely available to add.
Jared Jones ($$$): Jones is another young pitcher due to come off the injured list, just like Melton, but he is a much different pitcher. Jones is more of a power pitcher, and in his return from elbow surgery, he will be a bit of a wild card. If you remember, when he debuted in 2024, he started out looking like an ace before kind of flaming out and getting injured to end that season. He has an elite fastball he throws that touches 101 mph, and a devastating slider. If he can throw strikes, he’s very difficult to hit, but it remains to be seen how reliable his command will be after a long absence. He has as much upside as anyone you’ll find on the waiver wire, so you’ll want to add him. He’s 38% rostered on Yahoo, so he’s still available to add in a lot of places.
Spencer Arrighetti ($$$): Arrighetti is an interesting one whose quietly been great, but it’s seemingly gone unnoticed. He has struggled with walks like he always has, but in seven starts, he is 6-1 in 41 innings with 40 strikeouts, a 1.32 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP. He has walked 25 in those 40 innings, but it’s really the only issue here. He’s been so good at limiting hits that his 14% walk rate hasn’t hurt him yet. He’s only allowed 24 hits, so it’s interesting seeing someone allowing more walks than hits. Arrighetti may just be someone that struggles with walks throughout his career, but so far this season is still proving to be productive despite the high walk rate. He’s currently rostered in 64% of leagues on Yahoo.
Walbert Ureña ($$): It may be time to give Walbert Ureña more of a chance after he shut out the Athletics over six innings on Monday. His command comes and goes, and it remains to be seen if he has more good pitches he can throw outside of the changeup. He throws a hard sinker, so some think he might be able to do a good José Soriano impression. Perhaps more important than that, he has a nice schedule ahead, making him a nice streaming option. He lines up to face the Rays in Tampa next week, then his next start will be against the Colorado Rockies on the road and not in Coors.
