Austin Lowell | Sun, Sep 7th 2025, 8:42am EDT

Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (2025)

Welcome back to another edition of top waiver wire pickups. If you’re still in the running at this point, you deserve a medal. Let’s face it, Fantasy Baseball is a massive undertaking, and those who last the entire season and end up near or at the top deserve their kudos.

Hopefully, I was able to aid you along the way by guiding you towards some explosive players before the rest of the market caught wind. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner per league, so let’s see if I can’t find a few more difference-makers for you before the season comes to a close. With that said, here are this week’s top waiver wire pickups.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

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

Kyle Teel (C – CWS): 22%

The White Sox have been winning games, and Kyle Teel is a major reason why. The 14th overall pick from just two years ago has been raking at the dish, posting a .292 average on the season with six home runs. Teel also has 30 runs and has batted in 28.

Teel was called up to make his debut back in early June and has looked the part of a Major Leaguer ever since. If your catcher is in a rut, replace him with the youngster.

Braxton Ashcraft (SP, RP – PIT): 16%

Braxton Ashcraft has been excellent for the Pirates. Since joining the rotation on August 9th, the brother of Graham Ashcraft has given up just three runs in five starts. Ashcraft also started a game back in June for the Pirates, where he also didn’t surrender a run.

Ashcraft tends to only throw about five innings, but the strikeouts have been plentiful (26 in 25 innings), and he rarely allows any base runners. His official numbers are now a 1.08 ERA over six starts with a .161 opponent batting average and a .201 wOBA. Ashcraft has got the juice and deserves a spot in all leagues.

Jeremiah Jackson (3B, SS, OF – BAL): 34%

Jeremiah Jackson came out of nowhere. After Baltimore traded away Cedric Mullins and Tyler O’Neill headed back to the injured list (IL), the O’s turned to a relatively unknown player in Jackson, who quickly showed he belonged.

In just over a month of games, the 25-year-old has hit for a .318 average. Jackson has also launched four home runs and driven in 17. Jackson’s even been moved up to the two hole now in the Orioles’ lineup, furthering his value. He’s a solid addition for the final few weeks of the season.

Keegan Akin (SP, RP – BAL): 10%

Baltimore has used multiple closers over the last month, but Keegan Akin seems to be the most likely to earn a save on any given night. Akin’s now up to four saves on the year after securing one earlier this week.

However, Akin is hardly a sure thing and has blown plenty of late-inning leads this year, so he’s better left for those truly desperate.

Josh Lowe (OF – TB): 43%

It took Josh Lowe most of the season to really get going, but his upside never left. After putting together a 20-homer, 32-steal campaign in his sophomore season in 2023 (he hit .292 as well), Lowe has been on the radar of fantasy managers ever since. Injuries have slowed the toolsy 27-year-old, but now back on his game, he should be a top waiver wire target.

Lowe is 18 for his last 55 (.327) with five steals, three home runs, 13 runs scored and eight RBI. He’s finally worth starting on an everyday basis. Or, at the very least, against right-handed pitching.

Luis Garcia (SP – HOU): 26%

Luis Garcia had his next start pushed back, but it wasn’t due to injury. That postponement should set up the crafty righty for a solid two-start week. Garcia was excellent back in 2022 when he secured 15 victories to go along with a strikeout per inning (157) and a 1.13 WHIP.

Surgery has largely kept him on the shelf since then, but in his 2025 debut earlier this week, Garcia picked up right where he left off. He defeated the Angels while striking out six over as many innings. The fifth-year starter held the Halos to just three base runners all game and looked in control from the get-go. Garcia is worth a look in most leagues.

Jordan Leasure (RP – CWS): 7%

The White Sox are fighting tooth and nail to avoid another 100-loss season. If they can pull off a 9-10 finish, they will end the season with 99 losses. They’ve now won six out of their last seven contests and are suddenly a team to be reckoned with.

With wins come saves, and the young Jordan Leasure has secured three of them this week. His got an electric arm, and as long as he’s controlling the fastball, good things should continue to happen. He’s now got a nice six-inning scoreless streak going, and he’s up to 70 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. Leasure is worth a shot if you need saves.

Jake Burger (1B, 3B TEX): 30%

The slugging third baseman is back, and he already went yard. In his second start since being activated off the IL, Jake Burger launched a two-run shot to help lead his club to a 4-3 victory.

Burger is now up to 13 homers on the season despite limited playing time due to injury. He hasn’t been as productive as he’s been in the past, but the power-hitting Burger could be a solid source for dingers and RBI over the final few weeks of the season.

Sal Stewart (2B, 3B – CIN): 6%

This is more for deep leagues. Sal Stewart isn’t exactly a must-add this week, but his upside is appealing, and he can produce in all five major categories. The 21-year-old former first-rounder crushed 20 home runs and stole 18 bases this year in the Minor Leagues. Perhaps even more impressive were his strikeout and walk ratios, which only differ by about 5%. Stewart hit .309 and produced an excellent .413 wOBA this year down on the farm.

With the big league team struggling, the hopes are that Stewart can bring a youthful energy and help spark the bats back alive. He’s only 2-for-9 so far in his early taste of the show, but better days could be just around the corner.

Ha-Seong Kim (2B, SS – ATL): 3%

Ha-Seong Kim was claimed by the Braves this week, where he’ll likely serve as their everyday shortstop. Kim has been obsolete for most of the year after battling multiple injuries and spending most of his time on the IL. Now back to full strength, the Korean-born infielder can help boost your fantasy team.

As part of an upgraded lineup, Kim has now strung together five hits over four games, including a home run. He’s totaled five RBI in that span and has already been moved up to fifth in the lineup.

Speed is usually Kim’s calling card, but as he’s done three times already this season, the ex-Padre can hit homers as well. Fully healthy and as a regular in the Braves’ lineup, Kim is once again a relevant fantasy piece.

Daulton Varshn (OF – TOR): 21%

Dalton Varsho has become one of the elite sluggers in the Major Leagues. All this guy does is hit homers. Yes, I have highlighted the Gold Glover multiple times in the past, but every week he continues to mash, yet he remains widely available.

Varsho’s home run per at-bat ratio is now better than that of Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Varsho has become a home run-hitting machine with a ridiculous 18.1% barrel rate and a .365 ISO. He’s also driving in runs at an alarming rate, with 47 RBI in just 181 at-bats. Varsho’s now up to 18 homers, 10 doubles and one triple in just over 50 games.

Once a top prospect in the Diamondbacks’ organization, Varsho is finally fulfilling scouts’ promise as a middle-of-the-order weapon. His batting average is meh, but the homers and RBI alone make him worthy of a starting spot in all leagues. He’s your best target for homers off the waiver wire this week, along with Colson Montgomery, whom I’ve also highlighted multiple times.

Brandon Sproat (SP – NYM): 17%

Another day, another Mets pitching prospect called up. After plenty of struggles earlier in the year, the Mets’ top prospect is set to make his debut this Sunday. Brandon Sproat has been a household name for some time now among Mets faithful. He’s got all the talent in the world and some of the best stuff in the Minors, yet the results haven’t always been favorable.

Luckily for a Mets club whose veteran pitchers seem to have collapsed down the stretch, Sproat is coming off an elite stretch. The 30th-ranked overall prospect in baseball has produced a 2.44 ERA over the last two-plus months of the season with a 30% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate. He’ll likely take Kodai Senga‘s place in the rotation for the stretch run and is worth a roster spot in most leagues.

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

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