Welcome to another fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups by category column. Last week, a few recommended players really made me look good. We’ll look to keep the positive momentum rolling this week as we break down a few more potential adds.
We’ve reached the All-Star break. The season seems to be flying by with plenty of welcome surprises and upsets along the way.
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Best Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Tools
- Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
This week, we’re going to focus mostly on players who are rostered in fewer than 25% of leagues. Too often, pundits recommend players who are already rostered in most leagues. Therefore, similar to an article from last month, this one will be geared toward deep leagues.
While most of these players will contribute across multiple categories, their primary value comes from the one they’re listed under. I also rarely repeat players week to week, so it’s not a bad idea to read previous articles to see if any of those players are still available.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups by Category
Without further delay, here are this week’s top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups by category. Most players listed are rostered in fewer than 25% of Yahoo leagues.
Runs
Tommy Edman (2B, 3B, OF – LAD): 21%
Tommy Edman has batted fifth, second and ninth in the order over the last four games for the Dodgers, but more importantly, he’s back to starting every day.
If Edman is able to maintain his health, the speedy utility player should continue to score with regularity in Los Angeles. Not only is he reaching base at a massive .431 clip, but he’s also back to stealing bases, which will help boost his runs scored.
Edman has touched home five times in the last four days since returning from injury and is a fine asset playing every day in the Dodgers’ lineup. He also qualifies at multiple positions, which helps further his value.
RBI
Jacob Gonzalez (1B, 2B, SS – PIT): 2%
The Pirates didn’t trade away their competitive balance pick for nothing. With Konnor Griffin lost for at least the next two months, Jacob Gonzalez should be their starting shortstop against right-handed pitchers.
Incumbent shortsop Jared Triolo is hardly an impact player. The four-year vet is sporting a measly 65 wRC+, which ranks among the lowest in the league. His defense hasn’t kept him afloat either, ranking just above average with a 0.4 defensive WAR.
Gonzalez showed sparks of breaking out in his short stint with the White Sox, but it was his performance in the minors that really struck a chord. At the time of his call-up, Gonzalez led all minor leaguers in RBI and home runs. He finished Triple-A with 19 homers and 63 RBI over just 200 at-bats. He also stole eight bases and hit for a .320 average with a .422 on-base percentage (OBP).
In Chicago, despite only hitting for a .244 overall batting average, the former 15th overall draft pick continued his trend as a clutch performer.
Gonzalez posted a .353 average with runners on base and a massive .444 average and a 1.157 OPS with runners in scoring position. In high-leverage situations, FanGraphs grades Gonzalez as 2.3 times better than the average hitter, which is similar to what he did on the farm.
Some of this can be chalked up to luck, but there is something to be said about a player who consistently comes through in the clutch. Whether he becomes more hyper-focused or changes his approach at the plate, the results have been there. Pittsburgh no doubt honed in on the value and made the move.
Now joining the highest-scoring offense in the league, Gonzalez should be presented with plenty of RBI opportunities. Qualifying across multiple positions on the infield, Gonzalez is a significant player in the second half for RBI.
Stolen Bases
Jake Mangum (OF – PIT): 14%
Speaking of Pittsburgh, Jake Mangum is playing every day and has 18 stolen bases. He’s hitting .311 on the year and has batted in the lead-off spot for the last five games. Mangum is a switch-hitter who rarely hits home runs but does put the ball in play (16.9% strikeout rate).
The 30-year-old outfielder has 24 steal attempts in limited playing time and should continue to start while Oneil Cruz is on the shelf with a hand fracture.
Home Runs
Mickey Moniak (OF – COL): 42%
Mickey Moniak is basically Aaron Judge when facing right-handers at home. I’ve featured Moniak in the past, but now finally healthy again, the former top overall draft pick deserves to be rostered everywhere.
Moniak is elite in daily leagues where you can sit him when the team’s on the road or facing a lefty, but even in weekly leagues, Moniak is so dominant when facing righties in Colorado that he’s worth starting. Against righties in Colorado this season, the slugging outfielder is hitting .327 with a .755 slugging rate and a 1.123 OPS.
Moniak has connected for 10 homers, eight doubles and two triples, all in 98 at-bats against right-handed pitching in Coors Field. Last season, he put up similar numbers at home, blasting 14 homers while producing a .948 OPS at home.
With the Rockies set for back-to-back home series against the Reds and the Nationals, Moniak is someone to start in all league types.
Batting Average
Luis Lara (OF – MIL): 9%
It remains a mystery how much playing time Luis Lara is going to receive, but the Brewers didn’t promote their 21-year-old prospect to sit on the bench.
Lara may be small in stature, but he carries a big stick. A switch-hitting line-drive specialist who walks more often than he strikes out is every pitcher’s nightmare. He’s scrappy, gets on base and swipes second before you know it.
The Brewers just signed Lara to a seven-year deal, and if he’s offered enough playing time, he’s a strong bet to help boost your batting average.
WHIP
Jared Jones (SP – PIT): 29%
After shaking off some understandable rust, Jared Jones has been a beacon in the WHIP department. Over his last 17.2 innings, the Pirates’ former prospect has allowed just 12 baserunners to reach base, good for a 0.69 WHIP.
Jones has a 4.34 ERA to go along with a low 1.14 WHIP. Those numbers aren’t too bad considering he’s already suffered a pair of clunkers. His velocity is a tick higher than it was during his breakout campaign. Jones’ 100 miles per hour (MPH) fastball looks just as nasty as it did in his rookie campaign. He could be a massive value in the second half.
ERA
Reynaldo Lopez (SP, RP – ATL): 31%
Reynaldo Lopez got knocked around in the first inning of his latest outing. But after giving up a three-run homer in the opening frame, the Braves right-hander held the Cardinals to just one run over the following four innings. Holding opponents to just one run or fewer has been a pattern for Lopez lately, as he’s allowed just one run or fewer in his past six outings.
Lopez is once again part of the regular rotation, where a strong second half would do wonders for the Braves’ banged-up rotation. Lopez has shown his dominance before, posting an ERA below 2.00 back in 2024. He currently has a 3.50 ERA on the season but has posted a 2.49 ERA since June 5th.
Strikeouts
Peter Lambert (SP – HOU): 46%
There are plenty of options out there that can help boost your strikeouts, but most of them will hurt you in other ways. Luckily, there’s Peter Lambert. Lambert not only strikes out nearly a batter per inning, but his 3.14 ERA and 1.12 WHIP are also helpful.
Lambert’s coming off back-to-back wins where he struck out 13 batters over 11.2 innings. He’s been a solid option all season long and should continue as the second half begins.
Wins
Kyle Leahy (SP, RP – STL): 17%
Kyle Leahy’s been dominant lately. He even looked good in his rain-shortened outing. Leahy’s allowed just one run in his last four starts and has earned two victories (could have been three if not for the rain delay) during that span. The Cardinals have surprisingly continued their above-average play, leading to a .526 record going into the break.
The 6-foot-5 righty has done an excellent job in recent days keeping the ball in the yard (no home runs allowed in his last five appearances) and keeping runners off base (0.82 WHIP over his last four starts). With a very beatable Angels team on tap for Leahy, he becomes a fine target for those in search of wins.
Saves
Yoendrys Gomez (RP – MIN): 26%
I’ve highlighted Yoendrys Gomez before, but the Twins closer has now secured four saves over the last two weeks. He’s up to 11 on the season and has given up just two runs over the last month. Gomez is still available in three-quarters of leagues and deserves to be rostered in any league where saves matter.
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Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
