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 you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Garrett Mitchell (MIL) – OF (Yahoo! – 16%)
A 40.6% strikeout rate, good for the sixth-highest this year, isn’t exactly the foundation for a promising fantasy asset. But we’ve seen good things from Mitchell before. In 2024, in just 69 games, Mitchell racked up eight home runs and 11 steals with a .811 OPS. Already this year, he has one home run and three steals with a .975 OPS. He’s displaying much more power and better contact than he did in 2024, all while stealing at a similar clip. Still, he’s striking out more than almost anyone. The good news is that he’s swinging mostly at strikes. It’s the Kyle Schwarber formula: swing hard at anything in the zone, don’t chase outside. Mitchell doesn’t have Schwarber’s eye, and it shows in his markedly lower walk rate and higher chase rate. What he does have is speed. Adding 24 stolen bases to an otherwise unexciting .250 average and a 15-homerun season is the difference between last year’s Andrew Vaughn and Jarren Duran (respectively the 762nd and 89th best performers on Yahoo!). Mitchell is doing everything he needs to right now, but it’s a long season and a long tightrope he has to walk. He’s widely available, and he’s off to a great start. I’m adding him in 10-team leagues and hoping that the results aren’t a mirage.
Carter Jensen (KCR) – C (Yahoo! – 21%)
Jensen is slowly beating the big sleepyhead allegations after snoozing through his alarm last week. I recommended Jensen in my Catchers to Stream article, and he’s looking better and better by the day. He got his first look in the majors at the end of last season and came out of the gate swinging with a .941 OPS and three home runs in 20 games. He’s on track to repeat his success, hitting his third home run in twelve games and raising his OPS to .953 on the season. He’s been an everyday player, splitting catching and DH duties with Salvador Perez. Jensen is a top prospect and is already clicking in the majors. Drake Baldwin won Rookie of the Year last year with 19 homers, zero steals, and a .274 average. In the minors last year, Jensen hit 20 homers, had 10 steals, and a .290 average. He’s on pace to beat that home run total, and his average is on the rise, currently sitting at .259. He’s yet to steal a base in his stint in the majors, but the Royals should give him the green light eventually.
Looking Back
I’m going to include a quick recap on how my previous picks are doing when I have the time:
Various Relievers: This was a more general recommendation to speculate on closers early, but the names I threw out have nine saves between them in the past week. Jordan Romano, Lucas Erceg, Paul Sewald, and Riley O’Brien are looking like they have pretty firm grips on closing jobs; Cole Sands: not so much. We have a bit more clarity on bullpen structures at this point, and these names are still worth a look.
Ryan Weathers: It was all clouds for Weathers against the Marlins as he failed to make it through the fourth. He’ll square off against the A’s next, and I still believe that things will come together for him sooner rather than later.
Andrew Painter: Oof, not a good week for my SP picks. One strikeout and four earned runs in four innings against San Francisco. We knew his floor was low, but we were hoping he’d sit closer to his ceiling. I think you’re safe to drop him for now.
Jordan Walker: Walker owns a 1.018 OPS and has tacked on two home runs since we last checked in. This might finally be the year. He’s a strong add in all league sizes.
Yahoo! and ESPN Most Added Players
Yahoo!
Cam Smith had a solid but unexciting MLB debut last season. Now, he’s looking a bit more like Houston’s top prospect. He has three homers and three steals already, along with a 1.017 OPS. I suspect he’s due for some regression as he’s not hitting the ball terribly hard, and he’s had the benefit of facing the less-than-stellar pitching of the Angels, Red Sox, A’s, and Rockies. Still, it looks like he’s levelled up across the board from last season and is worth an add everywhere.
The results are definitely there for Taj Bradley in his new life as a Twin, with a .087 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10.1 innings. His velocity is up, his whiffs are up: there’s a lot to like. But it’s not all positive – Bradley’s average exit velocity is among the worst in the league at 95.9 mph, and his hard hit rate isn’t much better. He’s had some very good luck along the way, and it will run out eventually. When it does, it’s going to get ugly.
Reynaldo López has had a sterling start to the season with a 1.64 ERA across 11 innings. His velocity is down from his last full year in 2024, and his approach is virtually identical. I don’t see how he can recapture his 2024 success, but he’s managed it so far. If he survived the Angels last night (I’m writing this before the game), you may as well let him fly against the Marlins next.
Jordan Walker continues to impress with a 1.018 OPS and three home runs. It’s looking like his year – I’d look to add him everywhere.
I came very close to naming Noah Cameron as a priority pickup after his first two excellent starts. The sophomore holds a 1.69 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 10.2 innings, and he looks like he should be an easy buy. But I couldn’t put together a compelling write-up for him. His fastball caps out in the low 90’s, his high BABIP doesn’t agree with his results, and he’s not getting many whiffs on any of his pitches. He’s a capable arm and can fill out the back end of your rotation, but there’s not much upside beyond that.
ESPN
Take a look at the Yahoo! section above for blurbs on Cam Smith, Taj Bradley, and Reynaldo López.
Bryce Elder is a slider-first pitcher with a mediocre fastball. His ceiling is very low, but he’ll have some good games and eat some innings for you. He’s fine if you need any old pitcher.
Jordan Romano has established himself as the clear favorite for save opportunities in Anaheim. He’s been lights out with a 0.40 ERA and four saves. His struggles last year look to be far behind him, and no one in the Angels bullpen will steal the job away from him as long as he’s producing.
Streaming Pitchers
Check out Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings for the complete breakdown on every start for the next few days. There are two pitchers I’d like to highlight.
Today: Will Warren is a good enough pitcher against a bad enough team in the A’s.
Tomorrow: Rhett Lowder looks like a solid arm so far this year, and Rhett is my cat’s name, so that’s an easy recommendation. Here’s Rhett “Michael Nelson Trout” Steinberg-Glaser:
