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Top 14 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (2025)

Top 14 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (2025)

Just when I thought I couldn’t top last week’s total of 13 waiver wire targets, I went ahead and found 14 more for this week. Well, 14 is pushing it, with a couple of names featured as repeats, but this week’s list does contain a massive variety, so there should be something for everyone. Whether you play in a shallow league or your competition maintains 30-man rosters, some of these players should be available to you.

With so many players to cover, let’s get right to it. All players listed are rostered in 55% or fewer of Yahoo Leagues and can help boost your squad now or very soon.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant Analyze Moves Who To Pick Up

Without further ado, here are this week’s top fantasy baseball waiver wire adds.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (2025)

Moises Ballesteros (C – CHC): 7%

The Cubs have a new designated hitter in town, and it’s 21-year-old Venezuelan-born Moises Ballesteros, who exhibits a keen eye at the plate and swings a heavy stick. The phenom crushed this season in Triple-A to the tune of a .368/.422/.522 slash line.

Ballesteros bats left-handed, so he likely won’t play every day, but he already has a productive game under his belt after knocking in two and scoring twice on Friday. He is a catcher by trade, so he could be a solid replacement in deeper leagues if your backstops just aren’t getting it done.

Dalton Rushing (C, OF – LAD): 17%

Hopefully, Dalton Rushing wasn’t brought up to simply sit on the bench and fill in for Will Smith on occasion. That would be surprising considering Rushing’s status as a top prospect.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will likely find ways to get him into the lineup by either replacing the struggling James Outman or Michael Conforto. Of course, Teoscar Hernandez won’t be out forever, but for now, I see Rushing starting at least four times a week.

Rushing is one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and like Ballesteros, he may perform better than your current backstop, so he’s worth a look.

Jordan Lawlar (SS – ARI): 36%

Jordan Lawlar has all the tools to succeed at the Major League level, he just may require a slight adjustment period. Hopefully, Torey Lovullo plays him because he’s notorious for making some backward lineup decisions.

Like our two recently mentioned catchers, Lawlar is also one of the top prospects in the game, except he’s ranked higher. In the Minor’s top division this season, Lawlar produced a fine .992 OPS to go along with 13 steals.

It’s still not completely clear how he fits into the lineup, but like Rushing, the club should find a way to get him near every day at-bats.

Michael Wacha (SP – KC): 48%

Let’s face it, Michael Wacha is a boring name to roster in fantasy leagues. He’s not going to win you a championship or push you too far ahead in any single category. However, fantasy baseball isn’t always about your top studs. Guys like Wacha, who quietly go about their business and consistently do it well, are a key factor in building a successful squad.

Ironically, Wacha’s numbers this year are quite exemplary. Through nine starts, the 33-year-old veteran is sporting a tidy 2.93 ERA with a 3.09 FIP. He’s earned the victory in three out of his four last games and has held opponents to two runs or fewer 66% of the time.

Wacha’s not for everyone, but he’s deserving of a roster spot in most standard leagues.

Colt Keith (1B, 2B – DET): 19%

Colt Keith’s swinging a hot stick lately and has now moved into the three-hole for the Tigers. Detroit has been a force to reckon with, leading the American League in wins while tying for third in runs per game.

If Keith continues to bat third in the lineup, he’ll be in an opportune spot to maximize his return. He also qualifies at second base, furthering his value. Add Keith now for a boost in everything but stolen bases.

Matthew Boyd (SP – CHC): 54%

Matthew Boyd remains un-rostered in many fantasy leagues despite continuing to put up zeros. Through eight starts, Boyd has unsurprisingly maintained a 2.78 ERA while striking out 45 hitters in just 45.1 innings. He also has three wins to his credit.

Boyd’s WHIP is a little higher than anyone would like, but he’s cut down on the walks and hits in his last two outings, registering a WHIP below 1.00.

I was high on Boyd coming into the season after he was stellar for the Guardians in the second half of last year. He put up similar numbers there, finishing with a 2.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10.44 K/9. He’s looked good in every start so far. As long as he stays healthy, it should continue. Boyd may not last the full season, but while he’s active, he deserves a spot on your fantasy roster.

Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN): 53%

I’m a big Andrew Abbott fan, as he is far from conventional. Abbott lives at the top of the zone despite averaging under 92 miles per hour (MPH) on his fastball. A six-foot lefty out of Virginia, Abbott mixes in a fading change-up that looks identical to his heater. He also throws two breaking pitches that come from the same high-arm slot.

The only worrisome part of his game is that he lives and dies by the fly ball. In the coming months, that’s not exactly a recipe for success in Cincinnati’s tiny ballpark. That said, he’s generating plenty of medium contact, resulting in lazy fly balls. His expected batting average against is nearly at the top of the league at .170. He’s also striking out an impressive 31.7% of batters, leading to a slender 2.33 expected ERA.

While Abbott may walk a few and give up the occasional home run, the strikeouts should be exemplary. He’s given up one earned run or fewer in five of his seven outings this season and should be rostered in all league types.

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Ronel Blanco (SP – HOU): 55%

Ronel Blanco has been fantastic at home this year and atrocious on the road. Hopefully, his latest gem, an eight-inning, two-hit shutout over the Reds, can grant him the confidence to pitch better on the road. He looked excellent against Cincinnati, and Statcast tends to agree. His page is full of dark red percentages, so there should be plenty more success to come.

Blanco was one of the best sleepers last season for fantasy managers, as he seemed to come out of nowhere. He finished as the 12th-best starter in terms of production, per Yahoo, beating out some big-time names.

Blanco’s average exit velocity is one of the lowest in the league again this year. If he can continue to cut down on the walks, as he did in his latest outing (just one over eight innings), Blanco could be in for another stellar summer.

Trent Grisham (OF – NYY): 48%

Do I need to mention Trent Grisham again? I think I have to after his home run barrage earlier this week. Grisham is still near the top in homers per at-bat, racking up 12 taters in just 113 at-bats. The former Padre is not only hitting homers, but he’s also leading off in front of Mr. Aaron Judge.

With Hall of Fame ability behind him, Grisham is going to continue to receive quality pitches to hit. With 12 bombs already to his credit, we’re beyond fluke territory. I know I’ve mentioned this all before, but Grisham made an adjustment to his stance in the spring, and it’s paid off. Add him immediately from the waiver wire before you miss out on more homers.

Logan Henderson (SP – MIL): 21%

Logan Henderson pitched well in both his Major League starts, holding the Athletics to one run over six innings and limiting Cleveland to two runs over five innings. The stat that stands out the most is the 16 strikeouts he recorded in those 11 innings. The red flag, however, is that Henderson is a two-pitch pitcher with fastballs and change-ups accounting for 87% of his offerings.

With so few pitches to choose from, hitters have an easier time guessing, which has led to a 92.6 exit velocity and a 13.6% barrel rate. Henderson’s already surrendered a long ball in both of his starts, and he’s likely to continue that trend until he begins to rely more on his breaking pitches.

The Brewers have a plethora of quality arms on the injured list (IL), so Henderson’s opportunity could be limited. There’s also a phenom abusing hitters in the Minors right now that looks ready for a promotion (we’ll get to him in a minute).

All that said, a 40% strikeout rate with a 2.45 ERA is tough to ignore, especially since Henderson registered nearly identical ratios down on the farm. His next game should come at home against a scuffling Orioles team, which he’s worth starting for in the majority of leagues.

Jacob Misiorowski (SP – MIL): 5%

As mentioned, the Brewers have arguably the top pitcher in Triple-A so far this season. The 28th overall prospect, according to FanGraphs, Jacob Misiorowski has been as dominant as they come, registering a 1.46 ERA and a 31.4% strikeout rate over nine games (eight starts).

The 6-foot-7 Misiorowski was a second-round draft pick back in 2022. Had he pitched at a university instead of in JUCO, Misiorowski very likely would’ve gone in the first round.

Strikeouts have never been a problem for the flame-throwing righty, it’s his command that hinders him. Those issues may be behind him, however, as he’s decreased his walk rate from averaging nearly six walks per nine in previous seasons down to just over three this year. And he’s gotten better as the season’s progressed. Over his last five starts, Misiorowski has walked just seven batters over 30.2 innings while striking out 38.

Misiorowski also rarely allows a home run (0.55/9), pitches deep into games (averaging six innings over his last five starts) and limits hits well (.148 opponent batting average). Minor League hitters aren’t Major League ones, but almost every report on Misiorowski has him succeeding at the next level.

The Brewers prospect is currently blocked by a handful of mediocre arms as well as a few veterans nearing their return from the IL. That said, if the Brewers are serious about competing this year, they’re going to need Misiorowski starting every five days to have a chance. My guess is he’ll be up by the end of the month, if not, then by the first week of June. If you’ve got the room, now is the time to stash him.

Zebby Matthews (SP – MIN): 23%

Zebby Matthews isn’t as lights-out as some of the other top young arms out there, but he’s still a quality asset. Matthews has upped his control this season and has become a ground-ball specialist. He’s given up just one home run this season over seven starts and has the potential to strike out a batter per inning.

Matthews will surrender a decent amount of hits, but if he can continue to keep the ball in the yard and limit the free passes, he could end up with excellent numbers across the board. He’s worth a shot in deeper leagues.

Max Muncy (3B – LAD): 34%

Max Muncy managers who have waited patiently for a breakout may be on the brink of being rewarded. After hitting just one home run through April and half of May, Muncy crushed homers in back-to-back games earlier this week. He also hit fourth in the lineup on Thursday, signaling that management believes he’s ready to be a steady contributor once again.

Muncy is 10 for his last 29 (.345 batting average) and has driven in 10 runs over that span. The former Baylor Bear mashed 15 home runs and knocked in 48 in just 272 at-bats last year (he was hurt for a few months). And the year prior, he launched 36 dingers with 105 RBI. Muncy usually hits his home runs in bunches, so we may be seeing just the tip of the iceberg at this point.

Spencer Horwitz (1B, 2B – PIT): 2%

The Pirates are receiving a much-needed shot in the arm this weekend with the return of Spencer Horwitz. Pittsburgh parted ways with Luis L. Ortiz, among others, to obtain Horwitz’s services, so it was devastating news for the club when he required wrist surgery early in spring.

Horwitz won’t move the needle much in terms of fantasy production, but he is an above-average bat with decent pop. He’ll likely bat in the middle of the order or at least after he gets his feet wet, where he could construct another decent showing.

Horwitz hit .265 last season for the Blue Jays, with a .790 OPS, which was good for a 124 OPS+. He smacked 12 homers and drove in 40 RBI in half a season, so there is some value here in the deepest of leagues.

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

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