Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that reviews the best players to add to your rosters. We’ll look at players who are likely available in most leagues, as well as some deep-league options. We’ll also look at the most-added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites and tell you which players to add and which to leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Andrew Vaughn (MIL) – 1B (Yahoo – 23%)
Jake Bauers missed the last two games with an abdominal issue and might require a stint on the IL. Or he might be back today against Ashcraft. Regardless, Vaughn has impressed, slashing .300/.395/.479 while reminding us of his success last year after leaving Chicago. Yes, his role isn’t as secure as you’d like, but the bottom line is, I think, he’s a talented hitter who has found his groove in a deep Milwaukee lineup and could be a great source of RBIs down the stretch. His 126 Process is too good to ignore.
Abimelec Ortiz (WAS) – 1B, OF (Yahoo – 1%)
If you’re like me and just lost Kurtz in a 15-teamer, you know options are few and far between. However, we might have an option in Ortiz; the 24-year-old lefty appears to be the beneficiary of García’s departure to the Bronx, having hit second in two of the last three games for the Nats, which included his first home run Monday night against Aaron Nola. Before the call-up, Ortiz totaled a .845 OPS and 114 wRC+ with a perfectly manageable 19.5% K rate. Wood’s injury, of course, is a major drag on Washington’s lineup, but Ortiz should get enough at-bats against right-handers (he sat against Luzardo on Tuesday) to be useful for deep leagues.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
José Ramírez’s injured wrist prompted the Guardians to recall switch-hitting infielder Angel Genao. A shortstop by trade, Genao started at third base and hit ninth last night. Before the promotion, he slashed a stellar .300/.401/.474 with a 133 wRC+ with Triple-A Columbus. Ramírez might not miss much time, leaving Genao as a speculative add, albeit a very interesting one based on his minor league work.
Ho-hum. Bryce Elder earned some clicks for a beatable matchup against the Marlins in Atlanta. Remember that hot start? Fun times.
Jung Hoo Lee earned some clicks for swatting two home runs Monday night. He has been quite productive, posting a 119 wRC+, but unless you need batting average help (he’s hitting .305) or are in a points league, you might want to look for someone with more categorical upside.
The latest example of TINSTAAP, Andrew Painter, has struggled mightily during his first taste of the majors after a long recovery from TJ surgery. In fairness, Painter could figure it out eventually, but his struggles have been so pronounced that even if he pitched well against the Nats last night, I’d attribute it to them having lost two of their most dangerous bats, in Wood and García Jr.
Cody Bradford returned after an internal brace procedure, having last pitched on September 25, 2024. He started against the Giants and pitched well, but those who streamed him were probably disappointed to see him fall an out short of qualifying for the win. Drats. Bradford showed some potential two years ago, posting an 18.5% K-BB% across 76.1 IP, but a wait-and-see approach seems warranted.
George Lombard Jr. got the spotlight in yesterday’s column after going yard while becoming the youngest shortstop to start for the Yankees since the Pride of Pequannock himself, Derek Jeter. He slashed .284/.411/.498 with 12 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 140 wRC+ with Triple-A Scranton before the call-up.
Noah Cameron posted a pretty decent line last night against a Buxton-less Twins lineup. He’s done enough lately, including an eight-inning gem against the Twins on July 30th, that I wouldn’t want to let another manager scoop him off the wire.
The Tigers’ firesale included Casey Mize, who made his Padres debut last night in Arizona. Sure, you can’t expect him to hold the 2.70 ERA and 0.99 WHIP he posted during his final tour with the Tigers, but I couldn’t imagine him being on the wire. He’s 73rd on The List.
Trevor Rogers racked up a season-high nine strikeouts last night against the Angels. His 4.20 ERA and 1.24 WHIP don’t jump off the page, but Nick is bullish on his ROS outlook; he’s 37th on The List, and that’s good enough for me.
Category Specific Players to Add
Jacob Lopez (A’s) – SP (Yahoo – 4%)
As we saw last night, team context isn’t going to do J-Lo any favors. But he has racked up 17 strikeouts over his last two starts. If you recall, he went on a pretty decent run as a rookie last August, so don’t overlook him if you are trying to catch up in strikeouts.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today:
David Peterson (CHC) – SP/RP (Yahoo – 18%) vs. TOR
Peterson benefited from a gusting inward wind at Wrigley and an awful Yankee lineup during his last start. Still, save for a blowup against the Cards on July 3rd, he has pitched pretty well since the Cubs acquired him from the Mets in late June. I’m unsure if Vlad will play, but at this point I’m not even sure if that would even move the needle for a Jays team that’s playing out the string.
Tomorrow:
Kyle Leahy (STL) – SP (Yahoo – 34%) vs. COL
I wish I could say Leahy has done something really cool to warrant the 1.21 ERA and 0.88 WHIP he has posted over his last seven starts. But he hasn’t. I know, that’s not much of a sales pitch, right? But here come the Road Rockies to save the day.
Deep League Players to Watch
Tyler Mahle (ATL) – SP (Yahoo – 5%)
You might’ve missed it, but Mahle was one of the players who swapped uniforms this past Monday. His 5.13 ERA and 1.39 WHIP are hideous, I’ll grant you that. But his final start with the Giants included a potential silver lining: a season-high nine strikeouts backed by a season-high fastball velocity of 94.2 mph. If that holds, he could rack up a few wins with Atlanta and be useful down the stretch.
Patrick Sandoval (BOS) – SP (Yahoo – 8%)
Sandoval picked up his first win Tuesday and has done just enough to be on the radar as a 15-team streamer. Up next is a home draw this weekend against a watered-down A’s lineup sans Kurtz and Langeliers.
