FAAB & Waiver Wire Report: Hitters (Week 10)

Jeff Zimmerman’s son competed in the State Track Meet this weekend, so he only had time to cover the pitchers while I’ll cover the hitters.

In this article, I am helping Jeff Zimmerman cover the hitters using CBS’s and Yahoo’s ADD/DROP rates. Both sites have the option for daily and weekly waiver wire adds. CBS uses a weekly change while Yahoo looks at the last 24 hours. Yahoo is a great snapshot of right now, while CBS ensures hot targets from early in the week aren’t missed. I will start with hitters being added at CBS who started the week on less than 40% of rosters.

Staying true to the format, the players are ordered for redraft leagues by my rest-of-season preference, separating out catchers and prospects from the overall hitter pool. 

Batters

Carlos Cortes: Since May 18, he’s led off every game that he has started, slashing .296/.500/.407 over those nine games. The counting stats should follow as the weather heats up. He gets an extra bump in daily lineup leagues where you can cherry pick righties, as he sat against each of the last two lefties the Athletics faced. 

Spencer Horwitz: With Ryan O’Hearn set to return from the IL on Sunday, he may move back down to the bottom half of the order against righties. But that’d be a bit silly. Since moving up to the leadoff spot against righties on May 23, Horwitz has 3 home runs, 6 runs, and 4 RBI. He’s walking more than he strikes out and his .299 BABIP is actually a career low. Go get him. 

Chase Meidroth: A grand slam likely boosted his profile this week, but he does have 2 doubles and 2 home runs since May 24. Hitting fifth for the White Sox is a solid spot. He is eligible at 2B, 3B, and SS in Yahoo, so he should be prioritized there.  

Jesús Sánchez: Another grand slam beneficiary, he’s basically been the same hitter he always is (6 HR, 19 R, 28 RBI), just with a better team context, AL East ballparks, and a career-best 21.5% strikeout rate. He’ll keep hitting in the heart of the order, but the double digit steals from the last two seasons may not materialize. And you won’t find much power on this list, so if you need a homer, he may just be your man. 

Joc Pederson: Remember him? He’s up to 6 homers in May and is leading off every day for the Rangers. He needs to be added in deep leagues that are ignoring him. Joc Pop!

Miguel Andujar: His teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. finally homered on Saturday. Between Gavin Sheets, Xander Bogaerts, and Andujar, the Padres have the top of their order hammered out on most days, with Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado at the heart. If these guys heat up, the somewhat middling counting stats for Andujar (17 runs, 17 RBI) could improve. 

Dylan Crews: He started five of the Nationals’ last six games, hitting fifth in each. The 24-year-old outfielder had a hit in six straight games before an 0-4 on Saturday, though he did score twice and drive in a run. Plus, this is somehow not a bad lineup to be exposed to so far this season. Let’s wait and see. 

Curtis Mead: Speaking of that fine offense out in D.C., Mead has been a solid contributor thus far (8 HR, 28 RBI, .244/.360/.496). Since Brady House was sent down to the minors on May 19, Mead has hit either second or third with 8 runs and 9 RBI in nine games. 

Kody Clemens: He had a nice week at the dish with 2 HR, 2 triples, and a double. He seems to be platoon proof and hitting in the heart of the Twins lineup. He’s a fine deep league option, but don’t expect him to hit for much average (as Jeff noted last week, .239 AVG in ’26, career .206 AVG heading into this season). 

Austin Martin: Clemens seems to have leapfrogged Martin for a spot in the first three slots in the order over the last four games, though Martin does seem to have a grip on right field, with Matt Wallner languishing, and struggling, in AAA. One thing to note is degrading plate discipline, as the 27-year-old outfielder has seen his 22.1% walk rate through April tumble down in May to 5.4%.

Oswald Peraza: The 25-year-old is up to 7 home runs and 6 steals after putting up one of each on Saturday. The stolen base is his first of May, but otherwise Peraza has shown little sign of slowing down, starting in five of the last six games for the Angels.

Jacob Young: He stole 33 bags in 150 games in 2024, and it’s starting to seem like that will be his high watermark in the majors. He stole 15 bases in 120 games last season and has just 3 bags in 4 attempts thus far. But he already has a career-high 7 homers after hitting just five across 2024 and 2025 combined. He should at least play, as he started five of the last six games for the Nationals.

Colton Cowser: The Orioles are using him as a strong-side platoon bat. Even with a .292 BABIP, he’s hitting just .210. He should keep the right-handed hitting vultures on the bench at bay. 

Blake Dunn: At 27 years old, he is a Fangraphs 40 FV prospect with 60 grade speed. Since being bumped up to the lead off spot on May 23, Dunn has gone 0-1 on stolen base attempts and is without an extra base hit. Between Matt McLain and TJ Friedl, it’s hard to bet on the playing time and lineup spot to last long term. Hitting ahead of Elly De La Cruz is prime real estate.

Troy Johnston: Even in Colorado, he’s not going to hit for power (2 HR). But he is getting on-base (.372), hitting fifth, and playing every day. With three outfielders on the IL (Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck, and Brenton Doyle), he may not have a long leash in the second half. 

Tommy Troy: Since teammate Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit the IL on May 23, Troy has started each of the last six games in left field and is hitting ninth for the Diamondbacks. He popped 15 homers and stole 24 bases in AAA last season and was hitting well down on the farm to start this season (3 HR, 6 SB, .307/.397/.449). 

Owen Caissie: He’s a strong-side platoon in the lower third of the order who is striking out (40.9%) so, so much. 

Yohendrick Piñango: Another in a long line of strong-side platoon bats in this list, except maybe not anymore? Starting just four of the Blue Jays’ last six games, he’s splitting time with Nathan Lukes and Jesus Sanchez, and both have more experience and pop than Piñango (2 HR, 88 PA).

Bryan Torres: Another older prospect, Torres is 28 years old, and a former Indy baller, he has hit well over .300 at each level of the minors since debuting in the Cardinals’ system in 2024. He  topped out at 9 home runs in 104 games at AAA last season. Torres is hitting seventh now, and with Lars Nootbaar set to come off the IL in early June, he may be up for a good time not a long time. 

Blaze Alexander: Racking up 6 RBI in a start on Wednesday certainly got some attention. He hit ninth on Thursday, and failed to draw a start on Friday or Saturday.

Rikuu Nishida: Between the prospects and bench bats the White Sox are working with, it seems unlikely that Nishida will stick through the summer. At 25 years old, the former Oregon Duck outfielder walked as much as he struck out across AA and AAA this season, and the White Sox offense has been cooking. With the injury to Munetaka Murakami, there may be more ABs to go around, but likely a bit less counting stats that will filter down to the bottom of the order. 

Harrison Bader: He was likely a speculative add, but plantar fasciitis will have him out for another spell. Even once he comes back, the playing time may not be there. Jung Hoo Lee is healthy again, Bryce Eldridge has the DH spot locked down, and the other outfield ABs are being split between Drew Gilbert and Jesus Rodriguez.

Catchers

Tyler Stephenson: He hadn’t been doing much until this week (6 hits, 1 HR, 3 runs, 4 RBI in five games). He’s reached 13 homers in each of the last three seasons, only needing 88 games to do so last year, so expect some positive regression (4 HR in 46 games so far). And in his career, he’s always slugged more in the summer, accumulating a sub-.400 SLG across March, April, and May in his seven seasons, and slugging over .400 in each of the following months. 

Jimmy Crooks: A 50 future value prospect, Crooks got the call up to the majors this week, getting the start behind the plate on Saturday, going 0-3 with a strikeout. He was mashing in AAA (13 HR and slashing .262/.412/.567 in 35 games). He hits left-handed, so at the very least he should start most of the time over the veteran Pedro Pages. Go ahead and give him a shot. 

Keibert Ruiz: If you’ve noticed a lot of Nationals representation on this list, it may be because they’ve scored the most runs in baseball to start the season. His home run on Friday may have sparked a few adds, but he’s started just three of his team’s last six contests.

Daniel Susac: He’s started four of the Giants’ last six games, but he’s hitless in that span. His 18 home runs in 97 games at AAA last season show a glimmer of upside. 

Christian Vázquez: A career .250 hitter who’s hitting .250. He’s hit ninth and started four of the last six games for Houston’s offense, which is not at all the cause of their slow start. He is what he is. 

Miguel Amaya: He played three times across six games for the Cubs this week, hitting eighth each time and failing to collect a hit, so I think he’s safe to leave on the wire. 

Prospects

Edwin Arroyo: In AAA, the 22-year-old shortstop is batting .329/.389/.573 with 11 HR and 9 SB.

Noelvi Marte: In AAA, the 24-year-old outfielder is batting .378/.423/.595 with 8 HR and 9 SB, including a pair of bombs this week.

Kaelen Culpepper: In AAA, the 23-year-old shortstop is batting .245/.346/.470 with 12 HR and 12 SB, including 3 homers and 2 steals this week alone. 

Joshua Báez: In AAA, the 22-year-old outfielder is batting .255/.335/.578 with 16 HR and 11 steals. A two-homer game this week may have given him some helium.

Jacob Gonzalez: In AAA, the 24-year-old middle infielder is batting .317/.419/.668 with 19 HR and 8 RBI.