Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jonah Tong and Payton Tolle have arrived to much fanfare

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs.

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For a player to qualify for this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Top 300 update: Aaron Judge clings to No. 1 spot, Yordan Alvarez returns to top 30

Mark Vientos returns after one-week absence, and rookie starters Jonah Tong, Parker Messick and Ian Seymour make their debuts.

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Waiver Wire Hitters

Trent Grisham – OF, NYY: 38% rostered
(INCREASED PLAYING TIME, POWER SURGE)

It’s been a career year for Grisham, who has 28 home runs and 70 runs scored while hitting at the top of the lineup for the Yankees. He has the highest pull rate of his career and has regulated some of his fly-ball tendencies from last year, which has enabled him to set a career-high barrel rate. With Aaron Judge now DHing regularly, Grisham has settled in as the regular centerfielder for the Yankees, and the roster rates should climb to reflect that.

Chandler Simpson – OF, TB: 37% rostered
(NEW LINEUP SPOT, THREE-CATEGORY VALUE)

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Simpson remains under-rostered because of the narrative that he’s a speed-only player. However, he’s been hitting lead-off for Tampa Bay in most games since coming up on August 5th and has hit .291 in 20 games with 11 runs scored and six steals. Now that he also has some value in runs scored, he can contribute solid production in three categories, and that makes him worth an add in more leagues.

Nathaniel Lowe – 1B, BOS: 35% rostered
(TEAM UPGRADE, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)

Lowe was on the Paternity List for two games last week, but will be back in the lineup on Sunday and should be ready to go on Monday. The veteran has delivered in his first nine games for Boston, going 8-for-27 (.296) with one home run and seven RBI. I’m not quite sure why Washington didn’t try to trade him at the deadline if they were going to cut him, but we appreciate it from a fantasy perspective. He’s not going to play against lefties, so keep that in mind, but he’s going to hit near the middle of the lineup against all righties, which should help his counting stats upside. Lowe is not a pull hitter by nature, with just a 30% pull rate for his career, so he could thrive with opposite-field shots off the Green Monster, like Rafael Devers did. Another corner infield option on a new team is Ryan O’Hearn – 1B/OF, SD (17% rostered). O’Hearn has gone 15-for-48 over his last 13 games with three home runs, 13 runs scored, and 11 RBI. He’s hitting cleanup for a good Padres team and should contribute meaningfully in four categories. But, much like Lowe, he won’t play against lefties.

Jordan Beck – OF, COL: 22% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, HOME GAME WEEK)

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Beck struggled during this recent stint on the road, but he gets six games at home this week, so I think you’re going to want to hold firm on him and other Rockies hitters for that. Beck has hit .250 in 26 games in August after a really hot start to the month, but that comes with two home runs, eight RBI, and three steals, so there is some chip-in production across the categories. We could also add Tyler Freeman – OF, COL (13% rostered), who is still leading off most games, and could be a decent source of runs and average for this week. Also look to Kyle Karros – 3B, COL (1% rostered), the son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, who has an advanced approach at the plate with a strong feel for the strike zone. The Rockies’ 8th-ranked prospect makes a ton of contact and was slashing .301/.398/.476 on the season with six homers, 26 RBI, and seven steals in 269 plate appearances across three minor league levels. I’ve been impressed with his at-bats, so far, and am happy to use him as a corner infielder with so many games coming up at home.

Samuel Basallo – C/1B, BAL: 23% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE)

When the Orioles called up Basallo, I didn’t fully understand the timing. He had proven his worth, hitting .270/.377/.589 in 76 games at Triple-A with 23 home runs and 67 RBI. However, he’s only 20 years old, and there was no open spot in the lineup, so it seemed like the Orioles were going to rotate Basallo, Ryan Mountcastle, Coby Mayo, and Adley Rutschman at C, 1B, and DH. Then Rutschman got hurt, and Basallo has stepped in as the primary catcher. He has struggled to start his career, and there will be a bit of a learning curve for such a young hitter, which means he may not have as much value in one-catcher formats as we’d like to believe, but he’s the most talented hitter you’re going to see get called up from now on, so he’s worth a gamble as a bench stash for now. I’d probably rather roster Kyle Teel – C, CWS (17% rostered) in a redraft league because Teel has made his adjustment to MLB pitching and is starting to take off. He’s hitting .333 in 30 games since the All-Star break with four home runs, 16 runs scored, and 16 RBI. His counting stats will be limited by a mediocre lineup around him, but that kind of production is something you love from the catcher spot.

Daulton Varsho – OF, TOR: 17% rostered
(RETURN FROM THE IL, POWER UPSIDE)

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Varsho got hit in the hand this weekend, but the Jays claim he is just dealing with some soreness, so he should be ready to go this week. Since Varsho came off the IL in August, he has hit .250 in 21 games with seven home runs, 22 RBI, and 12 runs scored. He has just one steal this season, so that potential 20/20 upside no longer exists, and he’s clearly selling out for power this season, so the batting average could go through some ebbs and flows. However, that statline above is something we’re interested in for all league types. We could also look to Mike Yastrzemski – OF, KC (9% rostered), who is hitting .272 in 26 games with the Royals with seven home runs, 13 RBI, and 19 runs scored. He’s been leading off against right-handed pitching, and that should continue to allow him to provide solid value for deeper formats.

Brett Baty – 2B/3B, NYM: 21% rostered
(REGULAT AT-BATS, POST HYPE PROSPECT)

Baty has quietly had a good second half, hitting .305 with six home runs, 25 runs scored, 11 RBI, and two steals in 33 games. We know that Baty is a former top prospect who has consistently performed well in Triple-A but has struggled to carry that success into the big leagues. Perhaps it’s happening now. The only issue is that, with Mark Vientos also playing well right now, Baty has had the odd day off here and thereHe plays every day for the Mets and hits sixth or seventh in a solid lineup. With his dual position eligibility, he’s useful in plenty of formats. We also need to acknowledge what Jared Triolo – 1B/2B/3B/SS, PIT (26% rostered) has done since being called back up in August. The 27-year-old is hitting .333 in 26 games with two home runs, 14 runs scored, eight RBI, and four steals. We know that the counting stats will be limited by the mediocre lineup around him, but Triolo is chasing less and making more contact than ever, so maybe we’re getting a modest later career breakout here. I’m not expecting Triolo to get me a fantasy title, but I like how he can play almost anywhere, which gives me a lot of insurance in my lineup.

Carson Williams – SS, TB: 11% rostered
(PROSPECT GROWTH, POWER UPSIDE)

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Another intriguing prospect call-up is Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Carson Williams, who was the 47th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Williams was hitting just .213 in 111 games at Triple-A, but he did have 23 home runs and 22 steals while playing good defense at shortstop. So far, the Rays have kept him in the lineup regularly, and Williams has produced similar numbers to what he did in the minors, going .231/.259/.423 with one home run, one steal, and five RBI in seven games. He has good power/speed for the position, so while you’re unlikely to get a high batting average, you can think of this a bit like the Colson Montgomery situation, and if that intrigues you, take a gamble.

Jordan Lawlar – SS, ARI: 8% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, PROSPECT UPSIDE)

Lawlar is back! We have been stashing him for a couple of weeks with Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez out of town, but now Lawlar is up to finish the season at third base. To be honest, I don’t care what his previous MLB stats are. He has always been fighting for playing time that never seemed to be there for him. Now he knows he’s “the guy,” and I think we’re going to see much better performance from him. The top prospect is hitting .313/.403/.563 at Triple-A with 11 home runs and 20 steals in 63 games, and has little left to prove there. Add him everywhere.

Dylan Beavers – OF, BAL: 7% rostered
(PROSPECT CALL UP, FIVE-CATEGORY UPSIDE)

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Beavers is a 2022 first-round pick who had been swinging a hot bat and hit .304 in 94 games at Triple-A with 18 home runs, 22 steals, 51 RBI, and a .953 OPS. We know that rookie hitters can take a while to adjust to the big league level, but there is some five-category upside here that could be worth chasing in most league types. So far, Beavers is hitting .306 with one home run, eight runs scored, and a 12/8 K/BB ratio in 12 MLB games. He needs to be picked up in far more places. In deeper formats, Jeremiah Jackson – SS/OF, BAL (8% rostered) is worth looking at. Jackson was a second-round pick of the Angels in 2018 and made it as high as Double-A before being traded to the Mets in 2023. He played a season and a half with the Mets before being signed as a minor league free agent by Baltimore, where he has turned his career around. The 25-year-old hit .313/.343/.537 in 85 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season with 15 home runs and 11 steals. Despite being an infielder by trade, Jackson has played a ton of right field for the Orioles and hits second in the lineup regularly. He’s hitting .325 in 24 games with one home run, 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI. His stolen base numbers have fallen since his 2023 season, so I’m not expecting a ton there, but he’s worth adding in deeper formats.

Luis Matos – OF, SF: 6% rostered)
(POST HYPE PROSPECT, STARTING JOB)

The Giants called up Luis Matos last week, and he has hit the ground running, going 14-for-33 (.424) with three home runs, seven RBI, nine runs, and two steals. He has been playing every day in right field and also gets to begin his week by playing three games in Coors Field, so this is a gamble we can take if you need an outfield bat.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Jonah Tong – SP, NYM: 42% rostered
In the midst of teammate Nolan McLean astounding the league, we saw his teammate Jonah Tong debut on Friday. I recorded a video about him on Tuesday, and we saw a lot of what we expected. He has tremendous extension and Tim Lincecum-like mechanics that give him a really high arm angle and plenty of iVB on his fastball. The secondary stuff looks good, but was not consistent on Friday, so it wasn’t quite as crisp a performance as we might have expected. It may not fully “click” until next year, but Tong has the talent that needs to be rostered in most league types.

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Abner Uribe – RP, MIL: 42% rostered
Uribe doesn’t technically qualify, but I wanted to mention him since he appears to be the closer in Milwaukee after Trevor Megill landed on the IL. Uribe has been great this season with a 1.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 78/24 K/BB ratio in 64 1/3 innings, so the fact that he’s now the closer for the best team in baseball makes him a must-add in all formats.

Bubba Chandler – SP, PIT: 34% rostered
It’s a real shame that the Pirates are such a cheap organization that they didn’t want to call Bubba Chandler up when he was carving up minor league hitters in May, because he has looked great in his first two bulk relief appearances. I would add him even if he’s not a traditional starter right now because he’s going to give you four solid innings for now and eventually move into the rotation.

Kyle Bradish – SP, BAL: 31% rostered
I recorded a video this week on Bradish’s dominant first start of the season, and I’m trying to add him everywhere. Much like Christian Javier, who also debuted well against the Red Sox, Bradish is coming off Tommy John surgery and could be inconsistent his next time out. However, he has the talent to be a top 20 arm and looked great, so that’s enough for me to take a chance right now.

Ryan Bergert- SP, KC: 28% rostered
I wrote about Bergert’s pitch mix changes with the Royals a couple of weeks ago, but I’m a fan of his. The sweeper is a solid swing-and-miss pitch that the Royals are leaning into, and he does a really good job of keeping his fastball up in the zone. He pitched well against the Tigers last week and White Sox this week, and he’s one of the top streamers available next week against the Angels.

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Payton Tolle – SP, BOS: 28% rostered
Tolle debuted on Friday alongside Tong and looked equally as impressive. He has a high-90s fastball from the left side with great extension, and he keeps it up in the zone well. It’s a dominant pitch. He also added a cutter this year, and the Red Sox are clearly trying to turn Tolle into a bit of a Garrett Crochet-type of arm. The issue is that Tolle started the season in High-A and is still young, so there are plenty of inconsistencies here. Additionally, the Red Sox have kept his pitch count around 75 pitches in most starts this season to limit the wear on him. That’s why he was pulled so early in the sixth inning after 82 pitches and had to watch as the bullpen allowed both runners to score. Another issue is that he won’t pitch on regular rest as the Red Sox look to not overwork him, so his usage could be a bit frustrating. However, he’s every bit the prospect that Jonah Tong is.

J.J. Romero – RP, STL: 24% rostered
Romero was one of the big winners after the trade deadline, and he had emerged as the primary closer for the Cardinals. He is also the only left-handed reliever in the bullpen, so this has become more of a committee with Romero sometimes needing to get big left-handed hitters out in the eighth inning. When that happens, we’ve seen Riley O’Brien – RP, STL (2% rostered) step in and pick up a save, so they can both have some fantasy value, but Romero is the main guy right now, and so he’d be the priority add.

Jose A. Ferrer – SP: WAS: 23% rostered
I know Washington isn’t winning tons of games, so people may not be into their closer, but Ferrer seems locked into the job and has four saves in the last 10 appearances plus a 1.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. That’ll play. Another closer option is Andrew Saalfrank – RP, ARI (6% rostered), who seems to have emerged as the closer in Arizona. Over his last 14 appearances, he has a 1.93 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and three saves. He’s not a big swing and miss bat and is not a typical closer, so there is some risk here, but if you’re chasing saves, he’s a name to know.

Ian Seymour – SP/RP, TB: 22% rostered
Seymour was a former top prospect in the Rays organization who was initially moved to the bullpen to expedite his path to the big leagues. Now he’s in the Rays’ rotation and looks great. On the season, he has a 3.18 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 34/9 K/BB ratio in 28.1 innings over his first 13 MLB appearances. The Rays should have a permanent spot available in the rotation for Seymour if he continues to excel.

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Parker Messick – SP, CLE: 19% rostered
Messick was a prospect of some note for Cleveland, pitching to a 3.47 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 29.1% strikeout rate in 20 starts at Triple-A this season. Nothing about Messick stands out when examining the metrics. He has a 93 mph fastball with poor extension and vertical movement. His curve and slider are fine. However, he has a good changeup and, as I discussed with Nick Pollack on the On the Corner podcast this week, plenty of left-handed starters have had success this year with a deep pitch mix and a good changeup (Noah Cameron, Ranger Suarez, Matthew Boyd, Kris Bubic, Trevor Rogers, etc.). Maybe Messick will follow in that mold. I wouldn’t go crazy on the waiver wire, but he might be worth a small bid in a two-start week. The issue is that Boston crushes left-handers.

Luis Morales – SP, ATH: 15% rostered
With all the top prospects being called up, we’ve lost sight of what Morales is doing in Sacramento. In 22.2 innings (five appearances, four starts), Morales has a 1.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 22/10 K/BB ratio. He has a big 97 mph fastball with good vertical movement, but his command of it could be better. He has a great changeup for lefties and a sweeper that can miss bats for righties. I think Morales could be a difference-maker for the final month of the season.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)