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
Brett Baty (NYM), 2B/3B (17% rostered on Yahoo, 5.9% on ESPN)
It’s a relatively weak class of waiver targets at the moment. We’ve had enough of a sample size where most of the surprise players with sustained success have been scooped up, while the “flashes in the pan” have come crashing back to reality.
That said, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still potential breakouts to be had. Baty stands out as one possibility. The former highly-touted prospect has struggled to put it together at the big-league level for going on four years now. He’s graded out as a below-average hitter in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and he got off to a slow enough start to land him back in the minors this season.
However, injuries to Jesse Winker and Jose Siri opened the door for Baty to make it back to Queens, and he finally appears ready to take advantage. In 19 games since returning on May 7, Baty has posted a .288 batting average, an .889 OPS, and five homers. His barrel rate is up to 14.1% for the year, putting him in the 84th percentile.
With Baty starting to hit, there are opportunities for him to drive in and score plenty of runs for the Mets. He’s occupied the No. 5 spot in the lineup in each of his past two games, putting him directly behind guys like Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso. It’s hard to find much better circumstances than that. Add in his pedigree and dual eligibility, and Baty is worth an add.
Daniel Palencia (CHC), RP (31% rostered Yahoo, 8.8% on ESPN)
You don’t get to add closers for top MLB squads to your rosters all that often, but Palencia fits that description at the moment. With Ryan Pressly struggling and Porter Hodge injured, Palencia has taken over as the Cubs’ top relief pitcher. He blew his first save opportunity on May 19, but he’s converted four straight since then.
For the year, Palencia’s numbers look excellent. He has a 1.83 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 19.1 innings, and opposing batters have managed just a 2.1% barrel rate. That puts him in the 97th percentile. Palencia averages just under 100 miles per hour on his fastball, which he throws more than 73% of the time. When he goes to his slider, it has also been really effective: opposing batters have managed a paltry .260 xwOBA against it.
It remains to be seen if Palencia can hold down the closer job for the rest of the year. Hodge will be a threat for saves when he ultimately returns from injury, but he’s pitched to a 5.18 ERA for the year. If Palencia continues to pitch well, there’s no reason why he should lose opportunities to guys who have been less effective. His leash could be a bit longer than you might think, and he should continue to get plenty of save chances for the NL Central-leading Cubs.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
There were only five games to choose from on Thursday—two of which were a doubleheader—but that didn’t stop fantasy players from looking for streaming pitcher options on Yahoo. Both Jacob Lopez and Ryan Gusto were among the most-added players.
Lopez was making just his third start of the year, and he entered his matchup vs. the Blue Jays with a 2.57 ERA and 2.86 ERA. Unfortunately, those numbers look a whole lot worse now. He failed to make it out of the second inning vs. Toronto, surrendering seven earned runs in just 1.2 innings. He also failed to record a single strikeout. It drove his ERA all the way up to 6.32 for the year, so he can be pretty safely left on the wire.
Things went slightly better for Gusto, but only slightly. He lasted just 3.2 innings vs. the Rays, allowing two earned runs, four hits, and three walks. Gusto has now made seven starts this season, and he’s only gotten through the fifth inning in two of them. It’s tough to rely on a starter with such little win potential.
Miguel Vargas has been on a bit of a tear for the White Sox. He’s gone 8-24 over his past five games, and seven of those hits have gone for extra bases (five doubles and two homers). He has a .947 OPS for the month of May, and he routinely hits in the top third of the White Sox’s lineup. His advanced metrics suggest this hot streak probably won’t continue for much longer, but there’s no harm in riding it out while you can.
Max Kepler started one game in the Phillies-Braves doubleheader on Thursday, starting against right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver while sitting against southpaw Chris Sale. He ultimately went 0-4 in that contest, dropping his average to .227 for the year. His xBA and xSLG are both slightly higher than his actual marks, but there’s not much to get excited about here.
Gavin Sheets is the far more appealing target if he’s available. He’s already slugged 11 homers in his first year with the Padres, which is more than he had in 139 games with the White Sox last season. His underlying metrics also suggest the production could be sustainable. His xBA and xSLG are in line with his actual marks, and he ranks in the 94th percentile for hard-hit rate. He’s also bat fifth or cleanup in each of his past four outings, so he’s moving up in the Padres’ lineup.
The top four players on ESPN’s most-added list are all repeats from Friday: Ryan O’Hearn, Noah Cameron, Brandon Lowe, and Taylor Ward.
O’Hearn is a platoon bat, but he’s absolutely smashed against right-handers this season. He owns a 193 wRC+ in that split, so he can certainly be used in those matchups.
Cameron has excelled since getting the call-up for the Royals, pitching to a sparkling 1.05 ERA across four starts. His advanced metrics aren’t quite that good, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t be more rostered at this point.
Lowe and Ward are both proven power hitters who have been on hot streaks of late. Lowe has launched four homers in his past eight games, bringing him to 11 for the year, while Ward is up to 15 bombs for the season. It’s hard to do much better if you’re looking for power on the wire.
David Peterson is the new addition to this list. He owns a 2.89 ERA through his first 10 starts, and he’s added nearly a strikeout per inning. The Mets continue to make chicken salad with basically everyone in their rotation, and Peterson is no exception. He’s scheduled to take the bump for the Mets Friday in Colorado, and while pitching in Coors is never fun, there’s no reason not to use him in that outing. Even at home, the Rockies rank last in wRC+ and first in strikeout rate vs. southpaws.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Gabriel Moreno (ARI), C (37% Yahoo, 37.1% ESPN)
Gabriel Moreno is a bit different from the traditional fantasy catcher. Most backstops struggle to hit for average but are capable of providing solid power. Moreno is the opposite. He’ll struggle to get to double-digit homers most years, but he’s currently hitting .276 with a .272 xBA.
Moreno has also hit for a bit more power of late. He has four homers in May, which is just one fewer than he launched in 351 plate appearances last season. He ranks in the 80th percentile for hard-hit rate and the 89th percentile for average exit velocity, so perhaps this is the year he cracks 10 homers. If he can add that to his solid average, he has the potential to be a viable fantasy backstop.
Kody Clemens (MIN), 1B/2B/3B (8% rostered Yahoo, 3.4% on ESPN)
Clemens continues to go ignored in all but the deepest of leagues, and that simply shouldn’t be the case. It’s hard to find anyone swinging the bat better than Clemens at the moment. He has a .309 xBA and a .617 xSLG thanks to some absolutely elite Statcast data. It’s not just theoretical production, either. Clemens has posted a .304 batting average, 1.087 OPS, and five homers since getting traded to the Twins.
He’s been in the lineup for the Twins in most of their recent contests, spending time in all three outfield spots, second base, and first base. He makes for an outstanding bench bat with outfield eligibility looming, even if he does regress a bit moving forward.
Robert Garcia (TEX), RP (16% Yahoo, 3.8% ESPN)
The theme of today’s article is closers. Garcia is another pitcher who could theoretically be taking over for his squad. He’s pitched to a 2.25 ERA so far this season, and he’s picked up the Rangers’ past two save chances. With Luke Jackson struggling and Chris Martin on the IL, the door is open for Garcia to cement his status as the team’s top reliever. Even if it’s just for the time being, Garcia appears likely to get a handful of opportunities until Martin is activated from the IL.
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 Kyle Harrison vs. the Marlins, but he’s far from the only option:
Zebby Matthews (MIN), SP (17% Yahoo, 4.8% ESPN)
Matthews is one of Minnesota’s top prospects, and while he’s not exactly considered a can’t-miss, he has gotten surprisingly little fanfare. Part of that stems from the fact that he got shelled in his first outing, but he bounced back nicely in his second. He allowed two earned runs in four innings, and he added nine strikeouts.
Overall, Matthews’ 3.76 xERA is significantly better than his actual mark (7.71). While the Twins will likely be conservative with his innings, he has some appeal Friday in Seattle. T-Mobile Park is the most pitcher-friendly venue in the league per Statcast Park Factors, and the Mariners’ offense has cooled off considerably of late: they’re just 26th in wRC+ when facing a righty at home over the past two weeks.
Speculative Adds
Ronny Henriquez (MIA), RP (5% Yahoo, 0.9% ESPN)
Another potential closer, anyone? Henriquez is ultimately the toughest sell of the trio mentioned, mostly because he pitches for the Marlins. He’s simply not going to get the same volume of save opportunities as Palencia and Garcia.
Henriquez picked up his first save of the season last Sunday, and his numbers for the year are excellent. He boasts a 2.30 ERA with elite strikeout numbers, so there could be more save chances headed his way in the future. Calvin Faucher got the last save opportunity for Miami, but his ERA is 5.21 for the year. There’s little doubt that Henriquez is the best reliever in Miami at the moment.
Connor Norby (MIA), 2B/3B (22% Yahoo, 8.1% ESPN)
Sticking with the Marlins, Norby is starting to hit a bit. He started the year after a stint on the IL, but he’s posted a .282 average with two homers and two steals in May. Add that to his production from a 39-game stint with the Marlins last year, and Norby is one of the Marlins’ most exciting offensive prospects. He doesn’t stand out in any one area, but he has the potential to contribute in every category across the board.
The big red flag is his strikeout numbers. He currently ranks in the ninth percentile for strikeout rate, 11th percentile for Whiff rate, and fifth percentile for Chase rate. If he can start putting the bat on the ball a bit more consistently, he’s someone who could be an asset down the stretch.
Deep League Players to Watch
AJ Blubaugh (HOU), SP/RP (0% Yahoo, 0.0% ESPN)
This is about as deep as it gets. Blubaugh isn’t even on the Astros’ roster at the moment, but they are getting really desperate for starters. Hayden Wesneski is done for the year, while Ronel Blanco is currently on the IL. Lance McCullers Jr. is far from the picture of health, and Gusto has given the team very little as a starter. It leaves the team looking for answers after Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez.
It’s possible that Blubaugh could be one of them. He’s already made one start for Houston this season and was ultimately pretty effective. His 4.50 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, but his 31.3% strikeout rate does. He’s averaged more than 10 punchouts per nine innings in Triple-A, so he should be a solid source of strikeouts at a bare minimum. He’s someone to consider getting the jump on in deep mixed or AL-only formats.
