The injury was out of control, but that’s the best time to remove the waiver wire. There are new players appearing every week because of these injuries, and falling into those gems can change your fantasy season. Finding those diamonds on the waiver wire is one of my favorite things about fantasy baseball, which is why I love playing in daily leagues. There’s something fun about searching for this quit line every day and taking some risks, whether it works or not!
The stats and rankings below were updated on 6/4. All rostership percentages are at Yahoo.
Feel free to comment here or contact me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
Also, check out my Streamers article coming out tomorrow.
THE CATCHERS
10/12 Team additions
Ryan Jeffers (MIN, 34% Program) – Players from IL will be the subject of this article. Jeffers is the first of the few because it was surprising to see him reduced to so many waivers after the IL was put on. We say that because Jeffers was one of the best catchers in baseball before that hand injury. He had a .408 OBP and .949 OPS before the injury while hitting in the heart of Minnesota’s program. This is the time to pick him up, though, because everyone will be looking for him once we get more updates on his condition. The latest update says Jeffers is back to throwing and about three weeks out from a potential comeback. If you have an IL slot available or need a catch, take Jeffers to your stop call!
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Gabriel Moreno (ARI, 37% Rostership), Carter Jensen (KC, 38% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Francisco Alvarez (NYM, 15% Rostership) – We might put another IL guy in another host! The difference with Alvarez is that he is expected to return with the Mets next week. He began his rehab career on Tuesday, recording a double in his first start. That’s the form we’ve been wanting to see, especially since Alvarez has a .763 OPS since the start of last season. That’s not something you see on the waiver wire for most catchers, and it needs to be listed in every deep league out there.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: Alejandro Kirk (TOR, 24% Rostership), Endy Rodriguez (PIT, 1% Rostership), Mickey Gasper (BOS, 2% Rostership)
THE INFIELDERS
10/12 Team additions
Spencer Steer (1B/2B/OF, CIN, 49% Rostership) – People who haven’t played fantasy for a long time probably don’t remember that Steer was ever a significant player. The man had 43 homers and 40 steals between 2023 and 2024 while flirting with an .800 OPS. Steals aren’t a big deal anymore, but Steer is hitting the ball better than at any point in his career. Steer has a .322 AVG, .397 OBP and .901 OPS over his last 33 games. He also has a .425 OBP and a .939 OPS over the past three weeks and needs to be cleared from all waiver wire until he’s fully recovered. Taking advantage of second base only adds to his craftiness because that is one of the weakest positions in fantasy.
Recommended FAAB %: 3-5%
QUICK HITS: Jake Bauers (1B/OF, MIL, 46% Rostership), Brooks Lee (1B/2B/3B, MIN, 38% Rostership), Travis Bazzana (2B, CLE, 51% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Vaughn Grissom (1B/2B/3B, LAA, 3% Rostership) – There’s a reason why Grissom was once one of the top prospects in baseball. The guy had a .291 AVG and .793 OPS in his rookie season with Atlanta in 2022 after accumulating a .391 OBP and .848 OPS during his minor league career. Grissom also had 51 homers and 78 steals in 489 minor league games, so the potential is there to be a 20-20 player. We’ve seen glimpses of that since joining the Angels, with Grissom producing a .405 OBP and 1.016 OPS over his last nine games. That’s why they’ve been hitting him third or fourth lately, and having that kind of roster spot from a waiver-wire player is a godsend, especially with so many positional merits.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: JP Crawford (SEA, SS, 16% Rostership), Bryce Eldridge (SF, 1B, 9% Rostership), Spencer Horwitz (PIT, 1B, 21% Rostership)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team additions
Luke Raley (SEA, 32% Rostership) – This is a fun week to praise Raley. The guy has been one of the Mariners best bats this season, posting a .261 AVG, .547 SLG, and .847 OPS. Those are ridiculous averages to get from a waiver wire, and it looks a lot better since Raley is hitting four or five times every day. The schedule might be the best part of this recommendation, though, because Seattle is one of two teams with seven games this week. They couldn’t be better matchups either, as they face the Orioles and Nationals in this seven-game week.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Brandon Marsh (PHI, 38% Rostership), Carson Benge (NYM, 32% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Jason Dominguez (NYY, 9% Rostership) – Let’s keep the IL guys going with Dominguez. The sad thing about this one is that we only recommend Dominguez because of Aaron Judge’s injury. Seeing a star sidelined for so long is unfortunate, but it makes Dominguez more likely to be considered for waivers. People are sleeping with this guy again because he is in IL, but he is on rehabilitation work and he has to come back next week. Dmoniguez has a .415 OBP and .893 OPS in Triple-A this year after posting a .381 OBP and .836 OPS in the minors since 2022. Most importantly, he’ll have to play every day with Judge out, and that’s the opportunity fans have been waiting to see since Domingueze’s short season.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Jung-Ho Lee (SF, 16% Rostership), Tyler Johnston (COL, 9% Rostership), Heriberto Hernandez (MIA, 1% Rostership)
STARTING BEAMS
10/12 Team additions
Shane Baz (BAL, 53% Rostership) – Injuries have derailed Baz’s career, but fantasy managers forget how revered this guy once was. Baz had a 3.38 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in his first three seasons with Tampa after compiling a 3.09 ERA and 1.22 WHIP throughout his minor league career. Things haven’t been going well the past two seasons, but Baz looks healthy for the first time since 2024. The righty has a 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 over his last three starts and has a good matchup this week. Baz is playing for the Padres this week, and San Diego is dead last in scoring, wOBA and OPS.
Recommended FAAB %: 5%
Dustin May (STL, 31% Rostership) – I had May in my broadcast article last week, and I have to add all the quit lines now. Something has changed since he signed with St. Louis, sporting a 3.19 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over his last nine games. The hitting is starting to turn around, too, with May picking up at least seven K’s in three of his last four. That leaves him out of the running this week because May has two starts for the Mets and Twins. New York ranks 29th in OPS and wOBA, while Minnesota ranks 20th in K rate and wOBA.
Recommended FAAB %: 3-5%
QUICK HITS: Grant Holmes (ATL, 32% Rostership), Jack Flaherty (DET, 49% Rostership), Merrill Kelly (ARI, 55% Rostership), Bubba Chandler (PIT, 55% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Kodai Senga (NYM, 13% Rostership) – This is our final IL recommendation on the waiver wire. It’s hard to get excited about Senga after what we’ve seen before his IL, but this guy is still worth considering in deeper formats. We’re talking about a pitcher with a 3.39 career ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He also had a 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 12.3 K/9 in his first two starts this year before struggling in his next three. We’ll hope it’s the young man’s 54th start in the last three years because Citi Field is one of the best parks to step into. That makes Senga a great addition to the speculation, as he is expected to return from IL and the Mets have all their games at home next week!
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
Gage Jump (ATH, 12% Rostership) – This is one of the wildest words I’ve ever seen, which means something since I lumped the EPL with the NBA in the past. You have to play with a name like this, and Jump has done just that. The lefty had a 3.73 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 32% slugging percentage during his minor league career and looked sharp in his latest start. Jump held the Cubs to just three hits and one run in seven innings at Wrigley Field in his second start at this level. That’s pretty good, but not that surprising since he’s thrown 11 scoreless innings in his last two starts in Triple-A this year. The best part is that you have a home game against Colorado this week. The Rockies ranked last in every offensive road statistic over the past decade.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: Keider Montero (DET, 11% Rostership), Spencer Kolek (KC, 23% Rostership), Lucas Giolito (SD, 9% Rostership), Noah Cameron (KC, 22% Rostership)
THE LIBERATORS
10/12 Team additions
Troy Melton (DET, 29% Rostership) – There aren’t many good shutdown options right now, so let’s get some RP starters on the waiver wire. Melton exploded last season with a 2.76 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, but has backed it up with a 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP so far this year. Those are only three starts this season, but those are incredible averages, nonetheless. All of those were on the road, and Melton should improve in an open field like Comerica Park. That’s where he’ll start this week against Minnesota.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Jacob Latz (TEX, 38% Rostership), JT Ginn (ATH, 30% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Kai-Wei Teng (HOU, 21% Rostership) – The Wu-Tang Clan is one of the biggest rap groups of all time, and Teng is doing everything he can to live the life of CREAM. The right-hander has struggled in his recent starts but still has a 3.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP this year. That alone makes him an attractive option on the waiver wire so low on the list, but he has another impressive combination this week. Teng is facing the Angels this week, who have the worst K-rate in baseball for the second straight season.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: Yoendrys Gomez (MIN, 9% Rostership), Antonio Senzatela (COL, 18% Rostership)
