Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options, and we’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites, and let you know which players to add and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Luis Morales (ATH) – SP (Yahoo! – 41%)
There’s been an infusion of incredible rookie pitchers in the past few weeks. None has been a bigger surprise than Luis Morales. He’s 22 years old and wasn’t expected to hit the major leagues until next year or the year after. He’s an elite athlete and possesses incredible stuff, but he is certainly not a finished product. This year, he compiled a 3.73 ERA in the minors between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. Yet his MLB ERA sits at 1.59 after another gem of a start yesterday.
Morales was my Deep League Pick last week, and his roster percentage has exploded from 5% to 41% since then. But his high ERA in the minors raises some red flags. He has had amazing results in the majors, but his expected ERA stands at an ominous 4.64. There aren’t many pitchers with an xERA above 4.00 and an actual ERA below 4.00 — Jose Quintana and Lucas Giolito are the two that stand out as valuable fantasy assets.
Managing players with this profile through the playoffs is not easy. Pay extra close attention to how your matchup is shaping up before deploying any of these potentially volatile rookies. They could be the key to surging past your opponent, or they could backfire and end your season. I believe in Morales (I own him in all five leagues I play in), but make sure you know when and how to use him. Of this recent crop of rookies, I’d rank Morales below Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, but above Payton Tolle and Kai-Wei Teng. Morales will likely face the Angels later this week, and I’m definitely starting him there.
Luis García Jr. (HOU) – SP (Yahoo! – 21%)
Garcia has posted strong results through the final stretch of his lengthy rehab, and he followed them up with a solid season debut yesterday. In his first game in the majors since 2023, Garcia earned a quality start and the win over the Angels. He allowed three runs in six innings and racked up six strikeouts. He’s not the flashiest pitcher, but he presents a high-floor option compared to some of the rookie options, such asTolle or Parker Messick. With fantasy playoffs underway or on the horizon, a single blow-up start could derail an entire season’s worth of winning. Veterans like Garcia or Kyle Bradish are known quantities, with the only question mark being their health. Garcia looks healthy and ready to raise the floor for your playoff run.
Josh Jung (TEX) – 3B (Yahoo! – 38%)
Jung struggled to start the year and was eventually sent down to Triple-A to get his head on straight. He returned at the end of June and has been excellent since, posting an .848 OPS in the second half. That figure sat at just .648 in the first half. If you missed out on Mark Vientos, Jung looks like an excellent third base option for a playoff run.
Yahoo! and ESPN Most Added Players
Yahoo!
I ended up with an easy Yahoo! check-in this week. Luis Morales, Luis García Jr., and Josh Jung all got the nod as priority picks this week and got extended write-ups above.
Parker Messick has been one of the many rookie pitcher surprises this year. He faltered in his most recent start yesterday, surrendering three runs in just under four innings. He’ll likely get another start against the Rays this week — he should have a better showing in that one.
Kyle Bradish had a pedestrian outing yesterday against the Padres, giving up two runs in four innings. His season debut against the Red Sox was excellent, and I’d definitely target him for his next start against the Pirates.
ESPN
Nolan McLean is perhaps the best of this most recent crop of rookies. He holds a 0.89 ERA over 20 innings in the majors this season after posting a 2.45 ERA across 18 starts in the upper minors to start the year.
Right behind McLean is Jonah Tong. Tong only has one major-league start under his belt, but it was an impressive one. He racked up six strikeouts across five innings in his debut. Tong had an even better season in the minors than McLean, posting a 1.43 ERA. Both of the young Mets are worth a look in all league sizes.
The Mets are getting hot at just the right time. Mark Vientos broke out last year — or so it seemed. He had a disappointing season through July and caught on fire in August. He has eight home runs and a .263 average in the last month. Hopefully, he’ll carry the momentum through the fantasy playoffs.
See above for more on Luis Morales.
Brayan Bello has had a great year, posting a 3.07 ERA across 146 innings. He doesn’t pile up the strikeouts, but he’s as steady as they come. He gets a big boost in quality start leagues.
Streaming Pitchers
Check out Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings for breakdowns and recommendations for every start.
Zebby Matthews (MIN) – SP (Yahoo! – 13%)
Matthews has been good and has a great matchup against the White Sox tomorrow. He’s coming off a quality start against the Padres, and Chicago shouldn’t pose much of a threat in comparison.
