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
Jordan Beck (COL), OF (32% rostered on Yahoo, 9.8% on ESPN)
Beck is someone who is starting to put it all together at the MLB level. He was only drafted back in 2022, but he made it to the majors during the 2024 season. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily while he was there, posting just a .188 and a 32 wRC+. He got another crack to start 2025 and struggled once again, leading to a demotion back to Triple-A.
Beck made it back to the big leagues on April 19th and hasn’t looked back since. He’s hit .278 with eight homers and nine stolen bases since returning to Colorado, and the power and speed production is legit. He ranks in the 95th percentile for barrel rate and the 86th percentile for sprint speed, so he should continue to provide value in both areas. His contact and decision-making at the dish have also improved, leading to sizable gains in Process+:
While the batting average might regress a bit moving forward—his xBA is just .258 and he strikes out a ton—he should still be rostered in far more leagues than he currently is. He’s the No. 21 outfielder in ESPN’s Fantasy Player Rater over the past 15 days, putting him directly behind Juan Soto and two spots ahead of Fernando Tatis Jr. With half his games coming in the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball and a locked-in spot near the top of the Rockies’ order, this is a player who is viable in just about every league.
Kody Clemens (MIN), 1B/2B/3B (2% rostered on Yahoo, 1.1% on ESPN)
Clemens has bounced around the league for most of his career, and he’s already on his second team in 2025. He was scooped up by the Twins earlier this season, and he has been an absolute revelation at the dish. He’s on pace for career highs in nearly every category across the board, and his 170 wRC+ puts him well above league average.
The big question is, can he keep it up? The most likely answer is probably not. His previous track record is far from exciting, so he will likely experience some regression moving forward. However, his underlying data does give a glimmer of hope. He is absolutely obliterating baseballs at the moment, posting a 63.9% hard-hit rate and 16.7% barrel rate. Add it all up, and his .336 xBA and .648 xSLG are actually higher than his current marks.
Even if this is just a hot streak, it’s worth riding it out to see where it goes. Add in eligibility at three separate infield spots, and Clemens makes for a valuable bench bat to add to your lineup.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
As usual, Thursday’s list featured a couple of streaming pitcher options: Stephen Kolek and Mike Burrows.
Kolek was extremely impressive in his first two starts this season, including a complete-game shutout against the Rockies in Coors Field. Unfortunately, he came back to reality in his third, surrendering five earned runs on three homers vs. the Mariners. Kolek bounced back from that performance on Thursday, though he didn’t quite reach the heights of his first two starts. He recorded a quality start, going six innings while allowing three earned runs, and he added six punchouts. He had plenty of traffic on the bases due to seven hits and three walks against, but he was pretty much able to survive. Kolek’s ERA dipped to 2.84 for the year, while his xERA moved to 3.23. He’s not going to give you much in the strikeout department, but he can definitely be streamed in the right matchups.
Burrows made his first start of the year for the Pirates, and he entered the year as their No. 15 prospect per MLB Pipeline. That makes him far from a slam-dunk future big-leaguer, and he didn’t look the part on Thursday. He surrendered four earned runs in just 5.0 innings, and he tallied just three punchouts. The decision to promote Burrows instead of Bubba Chandler definitely raised some eyebrows, but he should stick in the Pirates’ rotation for the time being. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday in Arizona, and he should not be trusted in that spot.
Nick Kurtz was one of the most-hyped prospects coming into this season, and he made it to the majors less than a calendar year after being drafted. Kurtz has yet to perform at a high level in the majors, but he clearly has immense power potential. His bat speed is up there with some of the top sluggers in baseball; he just hasn’t made enough contact for that to matter yet. He went 0-2 with two walks on Thursday, and he added a sacrifice fly. Ultimately, he’s more valuable in deeper formats or dynasty/keeper leagues.
Jake Burger clubbed two homers vs. the Yankees on Wednesday, which led some to take a chance on him on Thursday’s small slate. While Burger has some power potential, he and the rest of his teammates were absolutely blanked by Carlos Rodón. He allowed just two hits with eight strikeouts in his six innings, and the Yankees’ bullpen slammed the door for the shutout. There are ultimately better options available if you’re looking to add some pop to your lineup.
Chase Meidroth was acquired by the White Sox as part of the return for Garrett Crochet, and he has held his own at the big-league level. He’s hitting better than .300 across his first 95 at-bats, and he’s added eight stolen bases. His best attribute is his ability to make contact—he ranks in the 96th percentile for whiff rate—but he’s been fortunate from a batted-ball perspective. His xBA is at .264, and with almost no power to speak of, he’s not a particularly appealing target.
ESPN’s list of most-added players features five separate starting pitchers. Most of these guys have been touched on recently, and AJ Smith-Shawver, Merrill Kelly, Logan Henderson, and Matthew Boyd were all highlighted in Thursday’s column.
Ranger Suárez is the new addition to this list. He missed roughly the first month of the season with an injury, but he’s made four starts since returning to the Phillies’ rotation. His 3.70 ERA from those outings doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s 3-0 with elite peripherals. His 2.59 xERA puts him in the 90th percentile, and he’s generated some of the softest contact in the entire league. He also has just enough strikeout upside and a solid track record of success, and he currently checks in at No. 46 in the Pitcher List Rankings. Overall, this is someone who should be almost universally rostered.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Chandler Simpson (TBR), OF (27% Yahoo, 16.5% ESPN)
Simpson is here to steal bases and chew bubble gum, and he’s almost out of bubble gum. He’s up to 12 steals for the year, which puts him in a tie for 10th place in the MLB. He’s done that despite appearing in just 28 games, while everyone else in the top 10 has at least 40.
Simpson is so dynamic on the basepath that he doesn’t even need to start to make an impact. He’s been sitting against left-handed pitchers recently, but he appeared as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning on Monday and proceeded to steal third base twice in three innings.
Simpson provides nothing from a power standpoint, and he’s basically a one-trick pony. However, he’s hitting and getting on base just enough to put his speed to work. If you’re looking for steals, it’s hard to do much better on the wire.
David Bednar (PIT), RP (41% Yahoo, 25.9% ESPN)
Bednar’s season-long numbers still don’t look great, but he’s been fantastic since returning to the Pirates’ bullpen. He’s pitched 13.1 innings since being activated, and he’s posted a 0.30 FIP with 20 strikeouts. He continues to get really unlucky from a batted-ball standpoint, but by most accounts, he’s been far better than his numbers look on paper.
Bednar has just three saves over that time frame, and unfortunately, the Pirates don’t figure to give him a ton of chances this season. Their offense simply isn’t good enough to set up save opportunities. That said, Bednar’s strikeout rate puts him in the 93rd percentile, and his walk rate is in the 89th. If his BABIP returns to normal levels—he’s currently at a ridiculous .447—he has the potential to be one of the most undervalued closers in fantasy.
Hyeseong Kim (LAD), 2B/SS (30% Yahoo, 12.1% ESPN)
Kim continues to hit for the Dodgers. His batting average currently sits at a robust .378, and he’s added one homer and three steals. He ranks in the 87th percentile for sprint speed, so he should continue to use his legs to rack up hits for one of the best offenses in baseball.
The big development with Kim is that he’s played in the outfield now on three separate occasions. Not only will that help him stick around as the Dodgers get healthier, but it gives him another potential position for fantasy eligibility. Being playable at both middle infield spots and the outfield with his batted-ball ability makes him a viable bench add.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices. Friday’s slate features a handful of potential options. Nick makes the case for Landon Roupp vs. the Nationals, but he’s far from the only option:
Jackson Jobe (DET), SP/RP (42% Yahoo, 20.7% ESPN)
Jobe remains one of the most promising pitching prospects in baseball. He was the No. 3 overall pick back in 2021, and he entered this season as a borderline top-10 overall prospect. Unfortunately, Jobe has yet to live up to the billing. He’s struggled to a 4.12 ERA and a 4.45 xERA, and he’s managed just 7.32 strikeouts per nine innings.
The good news is that Jobe appears to be trending in the right direction. He’s posted back-to-back solid outings, pitching 11 innings with three earned runs allowed and 12 strikeouts. His recent production was good enough to land him a spot inside the top 50 in the Pitcher List rankings.
Jobe gets a solid matchup to keep the production rolling on Friday. He’s taking on the Guardians, who are merely 21st in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers.
Speculative Adds
Addison Barger (TOR), 3B/OF (5% Yahoo, 1.7% ESPN)
Barger got his first taste of big-league action back in 2024, and he unsurprisingly struggled. That’s not uncommon for a 24-year-old. He wasn’t making nearly enough contact, and he posted a paltry .197 batting average and .250 on-base percentage.
Barger is doing a much better job in his second go-around. His strikeout rate is way down, which has allowed him to showcase some excellent batted-ball numbers. His hard-hit rate (56.3%), average exit velocity (94.9 miles per hour), and barrel rate (14.1%) are all fantastic, leading to excellent xBA and xSLG figures.
Barger’s actual figures don’t jump off the page, but he’s a strong positive regression candidate moving forward. We’ve already started to see that a bit, with Barger racking up five hits over his past two games. Two of those hits have gone for extra bases, though he hasn’t managed to get one over the fence.
Austin Hays (CIN), OF (25% Yahoo, 15.2% ESPN)
Hays is another potential source of power that should be available in most leagues. His metrics have come back to reality a bit, but he’s still hitting above .300 with six homers in just 95 at-bats. That’s one more homer than he launched in 235 at-bats last season, and playing in Cincinnati should continue to help in that department. He’s someone who’s not going to kill you in any one area and has more upside than his current rostership suggests.
Deep League Players to Watch
Slade Cecconi (CLE), SP/RP (2% Yahoo, 1.1% ESPN)
Cecconi was acquired by the Guardians in the Josh Naylor trade, and he made his first start of the season for the club last Saturday. He allowed three earned runs across five innings, but his advanced metrics suggest he was a bit unlucky: his 3.47 xERA was well below his actual mark. He also racked up eight punchouts, and he generated 15 swings-and-misses. His arsenal looks a bit better overall, and his fastball velocity is up a tick from his time in Arizona.
Cecconi is someone who could stick in the Guardians’ rotation, making him an interesting option in deep mixed or AL-only leagues. He’s going to have to navigate a brutal schedule in the coming weeks, but if he can survive through then, he could provide some value after.
