MLB Season Long Waiver Wire Watch & Two-Start Options
This article will focus on providing a few high-level pickup suggestions from among players who are currently highly available on the waiver wire in public leagues. The pitching portion will also focus on any two-start options who may be easily claimed.
Hitters
Tyler Soderstrom – 1B – The Athletics – 35% owned in Yahoo public leagues and climbing rapidly
Tyler Soderstrom will be one of the top recommendations industry-wide this week after ripping three home runs over the season’s first three games. Soderstrom is a highly-regarded power-hitting prospect who originally came up as a catcher and who is expected to see some starts at that position as the year goes on, adding to his appeal if he can gain the positional flexibility. As it stands, Soderstrom was already a popular value pick at first base after hitting nine home runs with a .196 ISO and creating runs 14% better than average in 213 opportunities last season. The first baseman carried a 14.6% barrel rate and 48.9% hard-hit rate and has the skillset to continue that elite-level contact while consistently drawing walks and keeping strikeouts around a 25.0% rate, which is perfectly acceptable for the power gains. Soderstrom was not inept with the hit tool through his tenure in the minors, something around a .250/.320/.450 slash would be within expectations though the median is more in the .230/.290/.425 range in projection systems.
Maikel Garcia – 2B/3B – Kansas City Royals – 32% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Maikel Garcia is a regular option for Kansas City’s infield with two starts at third base in the season’s first three games, but he was replaced at the top of the batting order by a far more appropriate option in Jonathan India. Garcia also pinch hit and saw two plate appearances in the opener that he did not start, beginning the season 4-10 with a solo home run but no additional counting stats. With India potentially set to miss time after getting hit in the head by a pitch on Sunday, Garcia should start virtually every game for the foreseeable future, given the additional positional openings. The infielder has a versatile skillset for fantasy, he stole 37 bases despite getting on at just a .281 clip last season but his bat left much to be desired. Garcia underperformed expectations with a .231/.281/.332 slash-line a 69 WRC+ over 626 opportunities but his .272/.323/.358 in 515 chances in 2023 is suggestive of upside, as are his solid 42.6% hard-hit rate last year and his terrific 50.6% mark from 2023. Garcia is a low-strikeout moderate-walk hitter, he needs some help from balls in play or he will need to develop his power stroke, the fact that he is a cousin of superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. helps with the wishful thinking in the power department.
Kyle Manzardo – 1B – Cleveland Guardians – 30% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Kyle Manzardo hit 20 AAA home runs in 364 opportunities last season, adding another five in 156 chances in the Show. Manzardo’s ISO in the Minors the past two seasons has been .228 in 2023 and .281 in 2024, he has solid power upside at the plate with most projection systems dropping him into a range of about 20 were he to see 500 plate appearances. With a highly regarded hit tool at the plate, Manzarod is a low-strikeout high-walk hitter who can be expected to contribute in four categories with regular chances. The first baseman has started all three games this season, going 5-11 with a pair of home runs, both of which came off of same-handed lefty pitching. Manzardo could be primed to begin his march toward his potential in the Majors this season.
Keibert Ruiz – C – Washington Nationals – 27% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Keibert Ruiz is a catcher with a ludicrous contact rate, he draws low-single-digit walk and strikeout rates but also has historically carried poor barrel and hard-hit rates, making him a tantalizing but frustrating option. Ruiz is off to a hot start with a pair of home runs while going 5-10 and filling in counting stats. Ruiz will see more than 500 plate appearances as the regular starter behind the plate for the Nationals, more if he is hitting well. The backstop hit 18 home runs just two years ago, despite poor premium contact marks, he is worth a flier if catcher is a spot of desperation, the plate appearances and batting average bump he should provide have value on their own.
Additional Options:
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – OF – Arizona Diamondbacks – 65% owned in Yahoo public leagues but a top priority OF replacement if he’s available in yours
Spencer Torkelson – 1B – Detroit Tigers – 30% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Garrett Mitchell – OF – Milwaukee Brewers – 19% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Hunter Goodman – C/OF – Colorado Rockies – 9% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Joey Bart – C – Pittsburgh Pirates – 17% owned in Yahoo public leagues
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Pitchers
Casey Mize – SP – Detroit Tigers – 13% owned in Yahoo public leagues – Two Starts
Casey Mize was picked 1st overall in the 2018 MLB Draft and made seven starts in the Show in 2020, his trajectory peaked with 30 starts at age 24 in 2021. Mize threw 150.1 innings while pitching to a 3.71 ERA with a 4.37 xFIP and a 4.45 SIERA. While he was effective in some outings, his strikeout stuff did not fully translate at the MLB level, the righty posted a 19.3% strikeout rate but a quality 6.7% walk rate over that stretch, but he worked closer to the mid-20s for strikeouts in the minors. Mize made just two starts in 2022 and was lost to injury until the 2024 season. The starter left plenty to be desired over his 20 starts and 22 outings last season, posting a 4.49 ERA but a 4.04 xFIP and 4.33 SIERA while striking out just 17.3% of hitters and walking 6.4%. Mize was far from unhittable last year but the Tigers have been excited about his development working with coaching over the Winter and through Spring camp. Mize was nearly unhittable through Spring, posting a 1.89 ERA with a 33.3% strikeout rate over 19.0 innings. Most importantly, Mize’s stuff looks back, the splitter was newly sharpened and looks elite and he has seen an uptick in velocity. For fantasy purposes, Mize is primed to start the season on a strong note with matchups on the road in Seattle’s pitcher-friendly park against the free-swinging Mariners and then against the White Sox at home in Detroit. Mize is a high-priority pickup for streamers this week, he is still available in nearly 90% of Yahoo public leagues as of Sunday evening.
David Peterson – SP – New York Mets – 21% owned in Yahoo public leagues – Two Starts
David Peterson is available in nearly 80% of Yahoo public leagues going into a two-start week against the Marlins in Miami and the Blue Jays at home in New York. Peterson had a weak fantasy season in 2024, posting just a 19.8% strikeout rate with an ugly 9.0% walk rate over 121.0 innings, though he delivered a 2.90 ERA through a bit of good fortune. Peterson’s 4.10 xFIP tells the true story of his work last season, he was “fine” but not necessary. That was outlier work on the low-side for Peterson when compared to both 2022 and 2023, over which the southpaw posted a 26.8% combined strikeout rate with a 10.4% walk rate. Peterson can be rough on WHIP and the strikeouts are no lock, but one of his two matchups is potentially excellent and the Blue Jays are a mid-pack team at best. Peterson is an interesting streaming option in a deep field.
Max Meyer – SP – Miami Marlins – 21% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Max Meyer is another name that was buzzy in the industry through Spring camp but that did not translate to significant exposure in public lineups. Meyer is currently available in almost 80% of leagues on Yahoo despite a strong 2025 debut in which he struck out seven Pirates hitters over 5.2 innings. Meyer showed increased velocity in the start and generated an excellent 34.0% CSW. The righty is a former 3rd overall pick – in the 2020 MLB Draft – and he has a long leash in the Miami rotation. Meyer carried a strikeout rate in the 27-28% range through several levels of the minors but managed just a 19.0% rate with a 7.7% walk rate over 63.0 MLB innings in 13 starts coming into 2025. Meyer is a medium-grade pickup with a tough divisional opponent in a single-start week but he has ongoing upside for the full season in spot starts with a bit more ceiling beyond that level of quality.
Additional Options:
Bowden Francis – SP – Toronto Blue Jays – 59% owned in Yahoo public leagues – Two Starts
Spencer Arrighetti – SP – Houston Astros – 60% owned in Yahoo public leagues and not a secret, but should be far more popular
Tylor Megill – SP – New York Mets – 11% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Reese Olson – SP – Detroit Tigers – 29% owned in Yahoo public leagues
Bryan Abreu – RP – Houston Astros – 28% owned in Yahoo public leagues – RP ratio/Ks option, better in SV+HLD formats
Hayden Birdsong – SP – San Francisco Giants – 15% owned in Yahoo public leagues – discarded by many after starting the season in the bullpen, should see starts eventually, an excellent stash in deep leagues with room
Will Warren – SP – New York Yankees – 9% owned in Yahoo public leagues
