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
Jake Bauers (MIL), 1B/OF — 69% Rostership
Bauers’ rostership rate literally went up as I was typing out this exact sentence. He’s been a dynamic contributor to Milwaukee’s offense this season, slashing .278/.378/.527 with a career-high 13 home runs and a 152 wRC+ through just 59 games. It’s ridiculous what the Brewers’ PD staff is capable of. Here’s a look at a few other career-best marks Bauers has turned in this season:
| EV | HH% | xBA | xSLG | xwOBA | Fast Sw% |
| 92.5 | 55% | .265 | .490 | .369 | 78% |
The increase in bat speed over the past three seasons that Bauers has showcased since entering Milwaukee’s system has really turned his career around, going from an average of 73.8 to 77 mph. This has led to an average EV increase of over 4 mph and producing far more optimal xwOBAs.
Bryce Eldridge (SF), 1B — 32% Rostership
Nobody is hotter than Eldridge right now outside of Yordan Alvarez. The youngster is slashing .451/.517/.824 (!!) with a 267 wRC+ since May 29th, mashing four homers. The big improvement we’ve seen with Eldridge has been the SwStr% and K% downticks… his 8% SwStr and 88% zCon rates are absolutely phenomenal over this current hot stretch, especially considering his 16% SwStr / 82% zCon marks in Triple-A this season.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Jordan Lawlar is back and you should absolutely claim him if you have the chance. He went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI in his first game back yesterday, plus is slashing .364/.440/.545 with a 180 wRC+ this season. His ability to play multiple positions is also very intriguing.
Alejandro Kirk is another guy returning from an IL stint and is a must-add. He was unstoppable in his first game back, going 3-for-3 with a double, walk, and 2 RBI. The backstop could be a viable injury replacement for teams that are feeling the loss of Will Smith (like mine, lol), for example.
Cole Carrigg owns a 183 wRC+ through his first four major league games, popping two home runs and featuring a .458 xwOBA in 16 plate appearances. The 24-year-old outfielder is rostered at just a 10% clip.
Noah Cameron has posted a 3.84 ERA/3.15 FIP and 17% K-BB rate through 65.2 innings this season… given the lack of quality depth we see in the arm barn, Cameron would make a really good addition to your team. You could even spot start him if you aren’t confident in the stuff just yet. Speaking of stuff, Cameron’s changeup and cutter each feature whiff rates above 29% this season.
If Ben Brown and his 1.74 ERA/2.25 FIP can’t break your roster, we might as well crown you league champion right now. He’s been electric after adding in a sinker versus righties over the offseason. His knuckle curve boasts a 45% whiff rate this season.
Bubba Chandler is only rostered in 64% of fantasy leagues after a handful of rough outings, but I implore managers to just give the kid a chance. You don’t even need to start him — the spot start/stash method is still overpowered if you have roster room. The 23-year-old punched out 7 batters and allowed just one hit over 5.1 innings (1.61 FIP) in his last outing.
Streaming Pitchers
Our guy Nick Pollack does a fantastic job at highlighting and ranking starting pitcher streaming options… check out his list here!
Connelly Early (BOS), LHP — 62% Rostership
It feels like I mention Early week after week. He’s such a talented arm that continues to own a rostership rate below 75%… until that changes, I’ll keep spreading his propaganda. He’s posted a 3.30 ERA through 71 innings this season and draws a solid matchup against the Rangers.
Andrew Abbott (CIN), LHP — 62% Rostership
Abbott faces a premium matchup in the Diamondbacks, a lineup that ranks dead last in wRC+ (73) in baseball this month. Abbott himself hasn’t been all that sharp (4.10 ERA) over 74.2 innings this season, but since May 1st he does own a 2.48 ERA. His sweeper/changeup combo has excelled… it all comes down to if he can boost the four-seamer’s effectiveness. Developmental point: I’d love to see him mix in a cutter versus right-handers more often.
