Baseball is back. The long, arduous wait is over. Excitement is abound for the 2025 MLB season, and there’s a lot to think about. At some point in the offseason, you drafted your team, and at the time, everything felt great. But then injuries and roster decisions struck. Depending on when you drafted, it’s possible there’s some initial work to do on your team, regardless of how much you liked it on draft day. It’s also possible, there were some open items to deal with based on how the draft progressed. The good news though, is that you now are in the position to fix it thanks to your fantasy baseball waiver wire. The great news is that baseball is back.
In doing our weekly diligence, the criteria for inclusion will generally be any player rostered in less than 50% of Fantrax leagues (as of 3/26), with some exceptions. The popularity of Dynasty leagues on Fantrax does sway some of these percentages compared to other platforms, but these are players who should be on your radar.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Recommendations
Cam Smith, Houston Astros, 3B
At this point, it might be too late for Cam Smith. Granted, the 2024 first-round pick has just 32 professional games under his belt, but it’s hard to ignore the potential. Smith was the central focus of Houston’s return for Kyle Tucker, and it’s become abundantly clear why, if it wasn’t already apparent. The talent is evident, and the production to this point has been there.
After dominating the NCAA ranks in 2024, hitting .387 with 16 home runs and 57 RBI in 66 games, Smith continued that success all the way through Double-A. On an overall basis, Smith hit .313 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. All Smith has proceeded to do in Spring Training is simply build on that.
In 43 plate appearances, Smith hit .342 with four home runs and 11 RBI while also acclimating himself to right field. Smith made it impossible for the Astros to do anything with Smith but put him on the 26 man roster. Ultimately, that’s what they did, and while there could be some growing pains as Smith adjusts to major league pitching, he’s not to be ignored. The fact that he’ll add outfield eligibility to his ledger only enhances Smith’s value.
Max Muncy, Athletics, SS
Max Muncy enters the 2025 season with his health intact and ready to capitalize on Zack Gelof’s injury. The former first round pick is still just 22 years old as he looks to make his major league debut.
In the major leagues, Muncy has shown the ability to be a 15/15 and 20/20 option from the middle infield based on his playing time. Last year, Muncy hit .277 in 50 games at Triple-A and finished with eight home runs, four stolen bases, and 33 RBI. This isn’t production that will truly create upside, but Muncy has the potential to be a solid option in the middle infield. Even when Gelof is healthy, Muncy could remain in the lineup if he continues to produce.
Tyler Freeman, Colorado Rockies, OF
This could be a quick one. After being traded to Colorado, Tyler Freeman gets the Coors Field boost, but how much faith can we really place in it?
Freeman will be starting the season with Colorado after hitting .209 in 383 plate appearances last year. That did come with a .227 BABIP, and Freeman’s .236 xBA does provide a little optimism. He did finish with seven home runs and 11 stolen bases and does bring both some power and speed to the table. However, at this point, on a per plate appearance basis, he was ahead of his minor league production.
It’s possible, Freeman’s playing time is fleeting, and he struggles, but for little to no investment, it’s worth a look. This is a situation where it’s preferable to be a week early rather than a week too late.
Victor Scott, St. Louis Cardinals, OF
Let’s just get right to it: Victor Scott is fast. Not only is Scott fast, but he is proficient on the basepaths. In 2023, Scott stole 94 bases, which put fantasy players on notice. He did so, in part, by hitting .303 as you can’t steal first base from the bench.
I wouldn’t call Scott truly a liability in the power department, but he’s just one step above after hitting nine home runs in 2023 and eight last year. However, it made it that much more interesting to see Scott hit four home runs in Spring Training this year. The outfielder has been able to limit the strikeouts and he does know how to draw a walk. The problem, though, is that last year was a disaster for Scott.
In 53 games at the big league level, Scott hit just .179 while striking out 27% of the time. That was uncharacteristic of what we previously saw from Scott, but even worse, he stole just five bases. While Scott did steal 30 bases in 81 games at Triple-A, he only hit .210. This spring, though, Scott seemingly got back on track as he hit .349 in 51 plate appearances. He stole five bases, which isn’t surprising, but his four home runs were impressive.
By no means do we expect the power to continue, but the stolen bases should. The fact that Scott opens the season starting in centerfield for St. Louis puts him on our radar. You can never have enough stolen bases.
Tylor Megill, New York Mets, SP
Here we go again with Tylor Megill beginning the season in New York’s rotation. This is now the third straight season that right-hander finds himself starting for the Mets. In 2025, Megill is actually slotted to start the second game of the season against Houston.
The potential has always been there for Megill, but he has struggled with consistency. However, in September, Megill put it together over 25.2 innings. He posted a 2.45 ERA while holding hitters to just a .213 average. Overall, Megill had a 4.04 ERA (3.55 FIP) last season while striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings. If Megill continues to build on what he did in the second half, the right-hander could be an interesting option. The support, both on and off the field, is there.
Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers, SP
It’s been a long time since we’ve truly seen Tyler Mahle as a healthy pitcher. He made three starts at the end of 2024 to prove he was healthy before having an up-and-down Spring Training. At one point, Mahle was shut down due to elbow pain, but it proved to be temporary and he quickly moved past it.
Mahle made five starts, logging 17 innings, and recorded a 3.59 ERA. The right-hander has a career 4.32 ERA with 9.54 strikeouts per nine innings, which includes some successful seasons. Even if he doesn’t get all the back to those levels, Mahle can be a productive streaming option, at worst, backed by a powerful offense.
Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox, RP
And here we go. A surefire clue that we are back in fantasy baseball mode is that we are chasing saves. After Liam Hendriks struggled this spring, the Red Sox named Aroldis Chapman their closer to begin the year. While it’s unclear, and likely not plausible, that he’ll remain the closer all season, we have to go where the saves are to start the season.
Last year, Chapman averaged 97.9 miles per hour with his fastball and struck out 14.3 batters per nine innings. The problem is that it came with 5.69 walks per nine innings, but Chapman still had a reasonable 3.79 ERA with a 2.98 xERA that looks even better. Chapman also saved 14 games which shows that he can still have success in the role. Boston figures to be one of the better teams in the American League, so save opportunities should be plentiful.
Beau Brieske, Detroit Tigers, RP
With Jason Foley being sent to the minor leagues, saves are clearly up for grabs in Detroit’s bullpen. Beau Brieske has just three career saves, but currently, he’s slated to open the season closing games for the Tigers. It likely will go by committee, and certainly warrants continued attention, but Brieske should be on our radars. Last year, he struck out a batter per inning while posting a 3.59 ERA as a solid setup option.
