Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (2025)

This week’s group of waiver wire recommendations contains a handful of players that may not seem exciting at first glance, but have somehow made their way back to fantasy relevance. While they may not be as intriguing as the up-and-coming prospects, the wily vets who’ve had to reinvent themselves should never be forgotten.

Were you able to pick up Noelvi Marte last week? Or perhaps Jorge Polanco the week prior? Those guys have been monsters lately, as well as a handful of other guys highlighted. They won’t be mentioned today, however, because I rarely repeat players. With that in mind, it may not be a bad idea to read articles to see if any of those guys are still available and suit your needs.

If old guys ain’t your bag, however, don’t fret, we’ve got something for everyone. Let’s get right to it. Here are your top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups this week.

All players listed are rostered in 50% or fewer in Yahoo Leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (2025)

Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM): 31%

I mentioned Francisco Alvarez two weeks ago as a solid replacement off the injured list (IL). His return was slightly delayed, but he is now fully healed. Alvarez is again punishing baseballs. With an average exit velocity in the 94th percentile, Alvarez has a chance for extra bases every time he makes contact.

Contact may be the problem, however, as Alvarez is swinging and missing more than ever. The good news is he’s only played a handful of games and has knocked in six in as many games since being activated.

Alvarez still isn’t a top-10 backstop, but he’s more than serviceable. If he gets hot, the home runs and RBI could come in bunches.

Will Vest (RP – DET): 11%

I’ve been back and forth on Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle all season long. In Week 1, I believed Vest would be the one to close until the Tigers turned to their oft-injured, newly acquired 36-year-old to finish off games.

Kahle then did an excellent job until recently, when they moved him into a more classic set-up role. Mr. Vest suddenly secured three saves in a row, while Kahnle just randomly garnered his fifth one. The club would probably like to preserve his arm a bit, so you could see Vest more often in the ninth inning in the coming months.

Both are worth rostering, but Vest will likely get you more saves.

Jordan Lawlar (SS – ARI): 29%

Jordan Lawlar has been lighting up Triple-A pitching, producing an eye-popping .381/.470/.690 slash line. He’s also swiped 12 bases and scored 34 times in 26 games.

The Diamondbacks currently don’t have a position for the former sixth overall pick in the draft. But if he keeps performing like this, Lawlar’s gonna force their hand. He’s worth stashing if you’ve got the room.

Eury Perez (SP – MIA): 27%

Eury Perez is on a rehab assignment where he touched 99 in his first time out. Ahead of schedule, the young flamethrower is expected to return to the Marlins’ rotation before the calendar flips to June. That may be a bit ambitious, but either way, Perez is going to be a stud when he returns.

Despite what they say, the Marlins brass won’t let him pitch deep into games. But even if he doesn’t win a ton or throw many innings, his ratios should be top-notch again, and the strikeouts will be there.

Perez is far better than anyone else you’ll find on the waiver wire. You’ll just have to wait a bit to use him.

Trent Grisham (OF – NYY): 22%

Didn’t I tell you guys about Trent Grisham two weeks ago? I pointed out his change in batting stance. Ever since then, Grisham has been a nuke-hitting specialist.

Over the past seven games, Grisham has led off or batted second in the Yankees’ lineup. Manager Aaron Boone simply can’t sit a guy who’s nearly leading the league in home runs per at-bat. The toolsy outfielder has now launched eight home runs in fewer than 80 at-bats.

As long as Grisham’s earning playing time, batting in front of Aaron Judge and lighting up his Statcast page with dark red, Grisham is worth rostering in all league types.

Lucas Giolito (SP – BOS): 21%

Lucas Giolito looked good in his 2025 debut, striking out seven over six solid innings of work. Yes, he served up a couple of gopher balls, but he held the Blue Jays to just one line drive through 25 batters faced.

The massive Giolito relied heavily on his change-up this week while decreasing his slider usage. His breaking stuff hasn’t been great for him in recent years, so maybe this slight change could be a recipe for success.

I would understand if fantasy managers choose to take a wait-and-see approach with Giolito, but if he improves in his next outing, it may be too late to obtain his services. Giolito’s worth a look in deeper leagues.

Andy Pages (OF – LAD): 49%

Andy Pages had an awful first half of April. The numbers were so bad that most Los Angeles beat writers and radio hosts were questioning the front office’s decision to keep him on the active roster. Then came April 20th. A day that will live on in Dodgers folklore forever. Pages received the day off and spent the extra time working with hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. Whatever he and Van Scoyoc discussed that day, it’s been working.

Since April 20th, Pages has experienced the type of turnaround you don’t witness every day. Over the last 10 days, Pages has blasted four home runs, scored nine times, knocked in nine RBI, stole three bases and registered a .546 batting average (18-for-33). He won Player of the Week honors last week and has been an absolute boon for the Dodgers.

Pages mashed in the Minors as well, so the breakout shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. He could go back into a funk at any minute or slow down a bit. While he’s performing like a first-round, five-tool talent, it’s worth riding the wave to see how far it’ll take you.

Tony Gonsolin (SP – LAD): 36%

Surprise, surprise, the Dodgers are dealing with a plethora of starting pitching injuries again. Thankfully, Tony Gonsolin is back toeing the rubber. A standout in previous years, Gonsolin threw well in his first game back, limiting Miami to just six base runners over six innings while striking out nine. He did give up three runs but finished the game with a win and a quality start to his credit.

The Dodgers are going to rely heavily on Gonsolin in the coming weeks, meaning strikeouts and wins could be aplenty. He’s not the dominant arm he was back in 2022, but the 31-year-old should have plenty left in the tank. He’s set for another upcoming matchup against the Fins, so you’re gonna want him in your lineup.

Javier Baez (2B, SS, OF – DET): 23%

It’s extremely difficult in this day and age to recommend Javier Baez. His last serviceable fantasy season was back in 2021. Since coming to Detroit, his offensive production has fallen off a cliff. That said, Baez looks to be reborn. Playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and with the flair he once possessed, Baez has been a force to be reckoned with lately.

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican has now homered in three straight games while playing center field. The free-swinging Baez is 10 for his last 24 (.417) while scoring five runs and knocking in a whopping 10 RBI. On the season, the former All-Star’s batting average is over .300.

Will the hitting barrage continue? Only time will tell, but Baez has cut his weak contact down from 19.4% (2024) to 11.1%. He’s also hitting the fastball well, which is something he hasn’t done in the past two seasons. Perhaps most importantly, Baez has cut his chase percentage (swings at balls out of the strike zone) to a career low 37%. That’s down over 5% from last year and 10% from three years ago.

All the data shows that Baez could be in for a resurgent year. He’s worth taking a gamble on in deeper leagues.

Gunnar Hoglund (SP – ATH): 26%

Gunnar Hoglund’s Friday debut did not disappoint. The former Ole Miss star secured his first Major League victory, holding the Marlins to just one run over six innings. The Athletics’ third-ranked prospect, per FanGraphs, was dominant from the start, striking out seven while not surrendering a single walk.

Hoglund put together plenty of similar performances the past two years in the Minors. The 6-foot-4 righty held opponents to just 44 walks over 160 innings while maintaining an ERA below 3.00 in Double-A last season and Triple-A this year.

Hoglund has been extremely resilient this season, holding opponents to just eight earned runs over six starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League (PCL). He’s also striking out just over a batter per inning while holding opponents to a 2.12 BB/9.

Hoglund has plenty of upside and does a great job at missing barrels, but his lack of strikeout stuff could limit his value long term. There is still a good chance he’s successful, however, which makes him a worthwhile add in most leagues.

Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.

MLB Sleepers Waiver Wire MLB Weekly Advice Noelvi Marte Jorge Polanco Francisco Alvarez Will Vest Tommy Kahnle Jordan Lawlar Eury Perez Trent Grisham Aaron Judge Lucas Giolito Andy Pages Tony Gonsolin Javier Baez Gunnar Hoglund

About Author

Austin Lowell

Fantasy baseball is life! I run a site that focuses solely on fantasy baseball. We cover all things such as rankings, projections, updates, strategies, one on one advice, etc. I played baseball growing up, never made it to pro ball, but always had a knack for spotting talent and was always pretty successful betting on games. I am constantly keeping tabs on all things baseball, looking for anything to gain that competitive edge.