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
Kyle Stowers (MIA), OF (58% rostered on Yahoo, 32.5% on ESPN)
This is probably going to be our last opportunity to talk about Stowers, so let’s take advantage while we can. He’s up to 58% rostership on Yahoo, which just barely puts him under the 60% threshold. However, his rostership is still lagging far behind on ESPN, and that simply should not be the case.
Stowers has made elite contact all season. His 19.5% barrel rate puts him in the 96th percentile, and he grades out extremely well in terms of bat speed and hard-hit rate as well. As a result, his .519 xSLG is in line with his actual mark, so his production doesn’t feel particularly fluky.
The bigger question is will he continue to provide help in terms of batting average? He has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, ranking in the 12th percentile for strikeout rate and third percentile for whiff rate. That makes it tough to see him sustaining a .300 batting average all season, though his .291 xBA is still really strong.
The good news is that Stowers has shown a bit better decision-making at the plate as the season has progressed, which has resulted in a boost to his Process+:
If Stowers can continue to maintain a solid average, he’s a legit five-tool contributor. He’s currently the No. 18 outfielder in ESPN’s Player Rater, so he’s a must-roster player in all formats.
Hyeseong Kim (LAD), 2B/SS (24% Yahoo, 10.0% ESPN)
Kim’s biggest problem is that he plays for the Dodgers. His signing was noteworthy during the offseason, with Kim hitting above .300 in each of his final three seasons in the KBO. However, the Dodgers are so loaded that the team chose to start him in Triple-A. He was productive in 28 games at that level, posting a 105 wRC+ with five homers and 13 stolen bases.
Now, Kim is going to get his chance to shine at the big league level. Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández both recently landed on the IL, which has opened the door for Kim to get regular at-bats for the time being. He’ll likely have to produce if he’s going to stick in the lineup long term, but he’s shown the ability to do that at basically every level.
Kim is off to a great start so far, hitting .333 with two steals, two RBIs, and three runs scored through his first 15 plate appearances. At a minimum, Kim should be a solid source of average and stolen bases for one of the best offenses in baseball. There are worse things to have on your roster.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Thursday featured a double-header at Coors Field, and fantasy players clearly wanted to get a piece of that. That’s reflected in Thursday’s top waiver odds on Yahoo, which featured three players between the Cubs and Rockies: Ryan McMahon, Javier Báez, and Trey Sweeney.
McMahon certainly didn’t take advantage of his multiple games on Thursday. He went 0-7 with two walks, dropping his average to .185 for the year. He also has just four homers and one steal, so he’s not helping much in the other categories either. He’s ultimately striking out far too often to provide any real value in fantasy.
The Tigers were the far more productive offense on Thursday. They put up 21 total runs in the doubleheader, but Baez unfortunately only played one of the two games. Still, it was another productive showing for the former MVP runner-up, collecting one single and one double across five at-bats. His average for the year is up to .318, but it’s hard to imagine that sustaining. He’s still swinging at everything, and his BABIP won’t live at .400 forever. He also has just three homers and one steal, so if the average dips, there’s not much else worth holding on to.
Sweeney isn’t someone who figures to garner much attention on most days, but he did his job on Thursday. He tallied four hits and scored four runs across eight at-bats. Now that the Tigers are leaving Colorado, he can be pretty safely ignored.
Dean Kremer was also a popular streaming target in his matchup vs. the Twins. He hasn’t pitched particularly well this season, entering Thursday’s contest with a 5.73 ERA and 5.21 xERA, but he was able to produce vs. Minnesota. He pitched seven innings with eight strikeouts, and he surrendered just two earned runs. Unfortunately, Kremer was unable to secure the victory, with his offense and the bullpen ultimately letting him down. While adding Kremer worked out on Thursday, he’s definitely still not someone who needs to be rostered in most formats.
The final Yahoo target is one of the best pitchers of this generation. Clayton Kershaw has yet to throw for the Dodgers this season, but he is expected to make his return to the lineup soon. Manager Dave Roberts said his scheduled tune-up start on Sunday could be his last before rejoining the Dodgers, and it’s hard to argue too hard against that. Kershaw threw six scoreless innings on Wednesday, so he doesn’t appear to need much more seasoning. It remains to be seen what Kershaw is capable of doing against major league opponents at 37 years old, especially after posting a 4.50 ERA in seven starts last season. Still, this is Kershaw we’re talking about. He’ll also get to pitch for one of the best teams in baseball, so there are plenty of reasons to scoop him up if you have an IL spot available.
Baez is also featured on ESPN’s list of most-added players, as is Stowers. Both players are still rostered at a far lower rate than they are on Yahoo, so they should continue to pop up in this section in the coming weeks.
Jorge Polanco is also on this list, and he should be dropping off in the near future. It’s taken a while for Polanco’s rostership to catch up to his production, but he’s up to nearly 80% rostership on ESPN. That’s a big increase, but it’s still about 20% too low. Polanco has been one of the best hitters in the league, and his advanced metrics suggest it hasn’t been fluky.
This section is rounded out by two pitchers: Robbie Ray and Tony Gonsolin. Ray is someone we were high on in our Pitcher List Rankings before the start of the year, and he’s been awesome of late after a shaky start to the year. He’s allowed two earned runs or less in four straight outings, and he’s had eight strikeouts in two of them. Ray has always been an elite strikeout arm, and pitching half his games in San Francisco should help from a run prevention standpoint. He’s up to No. 22 in our rankings, so he’s a priority add wherever available.
Gonsolin has only made two starts for the Dodgers, but he’s been fantastic out of the chute. His 4.09 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, but his 2.81 xERA is excellent. He’s also racked up 17 strikeouts in just 11 innings, and pitching for the Dodgers should give him plenty of win opportunities as well. Ultimately, he’s another pitcher who is not nearly as rostered as he should be on ESPN.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Sean Murphy (ATL), C (40% Yahoo, 24.7% ESPN)
It’s hard to knock what Murphy has done so far this season. He’s only had 77 at-bats since being activated from the IL, but he’s already clubbed seven homers. That’s just three fewer than he had last year in 233 at-bats, so his power production has been way up this season.
Murphy is striking out at an alarming rate—his 32.2% strikeout rate puts him in the fourth percentile—resulting in a .221 BA and a .225 xBA. That’s not ideal, but it’s also not an absolute killer at the catcher position. He’s one of the better sources of power at the position, so he’s worth adding if you’re looking for more pop.
Daniel Schneemann (CLE), 2B/3B/SS/OF (20% Yahoo, 4.9% ESPN)
In addition to having one of the coolest names in baseball at the moment, Schneemann is also producing for the Guardians. He’s absolutely smashing baseballs, ranking in the 84th percentile for hard-hit rate and 98th percentile for barrel rate, and the Guardians are looking to keep his bat in the lineup in one way or another. He’s spent time at second base, third base, and all three outfield spots in just May alone, giving him excellent versatility for fantasy lineups.
Schneemann might not continue to hit near .300 all season, but the power profile looks pretty legit. His .573 xSLG puts him in the 92nd percentile, and as long as he continues to hit, expect the Guardians to find him a spot somewhere on the diamond on most days.
Ben Casparius (LAD), SP/RP (26% Yahoo, 10.4% ESPN)
At this point, the Dodgers need to fully commit to getting Casparius in their rotation. That’s easier said than done—the Dodgers have an abundance of starters when healthy—but Casparius has absolutely shoved when given the opportunity. He pitched four scoreless innings after an opener on Monday, picking up his fourth win of the year. He combines elite batted-ball data with above-average strikeout stuff, and he’s also limited the number of free passes he’s handed out to opponents. In other words, he checks every box you’re looking for in a starting pitcher.
Finding opportunities for Casparius isn’t going to get any easier as the Dodgers’ starters get healthier, but he can at least be counted on for the time being. He’s next slated to take the bump Sunday vs. the Diamondbacks, and while that’s a difficult matchup, Casparius has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Porter Hodge (CHC) RP (16% Yahoo, 7.4% ESPN)
It appears as though Hodge’s opportunity may be coming sooner rather than later. Ryan Pressly has been shaky as the Cubs’ closer all season, but they officially blew up on Tuesday. He surrendered eight earned runs without recording a single out, which seems almost impossible. It dropped his ERA all the way to 7.62 for the year, while his 6.38 xERA isn’t much better. He also ranks in the first percentile in strikeout rate, so he has nothing going for him at the moment.
Hodge’s 4.50 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s been significantly better from a batted-ball standpoint. He ranks in the 95th percentile or better in hard-hit rate, average exit velocity, and barrel rate, so he’s done an excellent job at limiting the damage on balls in play. Hodge also posted a sub-2.00 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 43 innings last season, so expect him to be the next man up in the Cubs’ bullpen. Chicago has been one of the best offensive teams in baseball this season, so Hodge could get plenty of save opportunities if he does get the nod as the team’s closer.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices. Friday’s slate features fewer quality streamer choices than usual. Nick makes the case for Tomoyuki Sugano vs. the Angels, but he’s not the only potential target:
Jordan Hicks (SFG), SP/RP (12% Yahoo, 6.4% ESPN)
Hicks is off to an absolutely dreadful start this season. His ERA is above 6.o0, and he’s not generating a ton of swings and misses. That said, he still throws in the upper 90s, and he remains elite at generating ground balls: his 61.9% ground-ball rate puts him in the 96th percentile.
Ultimately, he’s been more unlucky than bad, with his 3.52 xERA putting him in the 60th percentile. That makes him a viable target vs. the Twins, who are not an offense we need to fear. They’re merely 19th in wRC+ vs. right-handers, so expect better results on Friday.
Speculative Adds
Coby Mayo (BAL), 3B (9% Yahoo, 2.9% ESPN)
Mayo has officially been called up to the Orioles’ roster, and he remains an exciting prospect. He had a cup of coffee in the big leagues last season, ultimately struggling to a .098 batting average and .196 on-base percentage, and he’s still looking for his first career homer. However, he still entered this season as the team’s No. 2 prospect and No. 48 overall per FanGraphs.
Mayo was crushing Triple-A pitchers to start the season, racking up six homers with a 131 wRC+ in 28 games. He’s just 1-12 through his first three games at the MLB level so far this season, but there’s enough upside to justify an add in deeper leagues.
Cade Horton (CHC), SP (10% Yahoo, 4.0% ESPN)
The hot rumor in Chicago is that Horton will be called up over the weekend to fill in for the injured Shota Imanaga. Horton was selected seventh overall in the 2022 MLB Draft and has established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He’s shined in Triple-A so far this season, pitching to a 1.24 ERA and 10.24 K/9, though walks have been an issue. Still, he has the talent and pedigree to stick in the Cubs’ for the rest of the year if he pitches well.
His first start is tentatively expected to come on Saturday vs. the Mets, which is a daunting first opponent. If you are scooping him up, it might be best to keep Horton on the pine for that matchup before looking to deploy him in the future. If he does start on Saturday, it would put him in line to make another start Friday in a much friendlier spot vs. the White Sox.
Deep League Players to Watch
Romy González (BOS), 1B/2B/3B/SS (2% Yahoo, 1.6% ESPN)
Like Schneemann, Gonzalez is someone who can fill a plethora of positions in fantasy lineups. He has eligibility at every infield spot except catcher, making him an ideal bench bat.
Gonzalez is also producing at the dish. His batting average is above .300 through his first 52 at-bats, and he’s added three stolen bases. He doesn’t provide a ton of pop, but he should see pretty consistent at-bats for the Red Sox with Triston Casas landing on the IL. Unfortunately, Gonzalez was also out of the lineup on Thursday with a back injury, so make sure he’s healthy enough to play if you are looking to scoop him up.
