Austin Lowell | Sat, Mar 29th 2025, 7:19am EDT

Top 11 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 1)

All players listed are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues. I rarely repeat waiver wire pickups to target week-to-week, so it’s not a bad idea to check back to previous articles and see if any of those guys are still available. Without further due, here are the top priority fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 1.

Top 11 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 1)

Opening Day is in the rearview, and there’s already a plethora of players off to an excellent start. The Angels were in familiar form using a position player to pitch the ninth. The Reds blew another lead in the final inning and the Orioles reminded everyone they can still mash even without Gunnar Henderson in the lineup.

Meanwhile, it’s anyone’s guess who will be closing for several clubs. It seems as though many big league managers have bought into the dreaded bullpen-by-committee approach. We already saw many high-leverage lefties as well as some believed to be sure-fire closers utilized in earlier innings.

The Red Sox, Dodgers and Phillies all used their projected closers in the eighth. And that’s not to mention teams like the Reds, Tigers, and Diamondbacks, whose backends of the bullpen are all in a state of flux. The Pirates are also a mess. David Bednar couldn’t even secure an out yesterday against the lowly Marlins. He wasn’t good in the spring or last year, for that matter, either.

This only makes the reliable closers even more valuable. On the bright side, it also opens up opportunities for risk-taking moving forward. I have a strong suspicion about who could emerge as the winner in one or two of these situations, which I’ll explain in a moment.

There were also a few surprise offensive standouts on Opening Day. Kyle Manzardo was a revelation, coming up a single short of the cycle. Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya tied for the lead among all players with five RBI. Both players are just waiver wire watch assets for now. But there are still plenty of worthwhile players ready to be claimed. Let’s dive into it.

Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL): 36%

Cedric Mullins is rostered in nearly two-thirds of Yahoo leagues but only 36% of ESPN leagues, so I feel he deserves mentioning. Any time a player goes off for two home runs on Opening Day, it’s worth taking note.

Mullins offered plenty of stolen base prowess last year but gave you little else. However, it wasn’t that long ago the speedy center fielder launched 32 homers in a season. Having just turned 30, Mullins should still have plenty left in the tank to supply you with 30+ steals and over 20 home runs. He likely won’t hit above .250, but in today’s game, that is hardly a deterrent.

Mullins may sit on an occasion versus lefties, but with the fences moved partially back in for Baltimore, I expect a return to fantasy relevance for Mr. Mullins.

Tyler Soderstrom (1B – ATH): 19%

Tyler Soderstrom hit 29 home runs over three stops in the Minor Leagues (including Triple-A) at 20 years old. He then hit 21 dingers (plus three in the Majors) in half a Minor League season at just 21 years old. Last year, he slugged 10 more homers in 122 at-bats in Triple-A before spending the majority of the season with the big league club. While he struggled to adjust to Major League pitching, he still produced a .429 slugging rate and .315 on-base percentage (OBP) at 22 years old.

Now 23, Soderstrom not only hit the ground running with two bombs on Opening Day, he also showed an improved batting eye while striking out just five times over 57 spring training plate appearances.

That level of discipline has the former stud prospect off to an immaculate start to begin the season. His confidence is at an all-time high. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the young slugger take the next step forward in his growth. This year, I fully expect the former catcher to mash his way to 25 or 30 home runs. You always have to be wary about early-season overreactions, but with Soderstrom, the progression throughout his young career tells me he should continue to rise.

Lars Nootbaar (OF – STL): 16%

Lars Nootbaar was on his way to fantasy relevance until a handful of injuries derailed his progression. Now back at 100%, the 27-year-old is leading off for the Cardinals again, where he’s a strong 20/20 candidate.

If Nootbaar can stay healthy, a 20-home run, 85-run, 18-stolen-base season could be in the works. The St. Louis outfielder does bat left-handed but fared better against lefties than righties last year, so a platoon situation isn’t likely.

The Cardinals aren’t picked to finish atop the division this year, but don’t tell that to Mr. Nootbaar. The boys in St. Louis look ready to compete, making Nootbaar a solid addition in leagues of 12 teams or more.

Spencer Torkelson (1B – DET): 17%

I’m a quiet believer in Spencer Torkelson. Too many pundits were quick to write off the 25-year-old after just one bad year. Yes, he wasn’t great in his rookie season and didn’t exactly light the Minors on fire, but in the second half of 2023, the dude was one of the most productive sluggers in the American League.

Torkelson talked about not trying to kill the ball after Thursday’s game. So far it seems to be paying off. The former number-one overall pick was a beast in the spring, mashing five homers to go along with a .340 average. That production seems to have carried over to the season as Torkelson opened the season with four walks and a solo home run against the Dodgers’ vaunted pitching staff.

Torkelson should be given every opportunity with the influx of injuries to the Tigers’ regulars. If he can maintain some level of early-season consistency, he should secure a regular spot in the middle of their order throughout the season.

Jorge Polanco (2B – SEA): 3%

Is Jorge Polanco in for a bounce-back season? It wasn’t that long ago the Dominican infielder hit 33 homers and 35 doubles in a single season. Plagued with injuries over the last few seasons, Polanco has been somewhat of a disappointment. Now fully healthy, the former All-Star could be ready for fantasy stardom once again.

After going 3-for-3 with a homer on Opening Day, his rostership has already begun to pick up. He qualifies for the toughest position to fill, so it may not be a bad idea to snag the upside of the switch-hitting Polanco while he’s still available on the waiver wire.

Kristian Campbell (2B, SS, OF – BOS): 37%

Kristian Campbell can do it all on the baseball field, but he may suffer through a bit of an adjustment period. The Red Sox infielder smashed 20 home runs, stole 24 bases and hit .330 in the Minor Leagues last year but wasn’t exactly a model of production during spring training.

Campbell will be given every opportunity to succeed in Boston. He is worth stashing because of the upside, but you may have to be patient with the 22-year-old for now.

Matt Strahm (RP – PHI): 12% & Jose Alvarado (RP – PHI): 12%

I know I’m offering two guys from the same bullpen here, but both are worth taking a chance on in standard leagues. While everyone was sold on Jordan Romano taking the lead as the closer in Philadelphia, Rob Thomson deployed the former Blue Jay in the eighth inning on Opening Day, where he quickly squandered the lead.

Brought in to face the heart of the lineup, Romano looked like his 2024 self when we wrapped up an injury-plagued season with an unsightly 6.59 ERA with a 7.60 xERA (meaning he was lucky to finish with the 6.59 ERA).

Alvarado was then brought in to clean up the mess, firing BBs past guys with his trademark electric stuff. Matt Strahm finally closed it out in extras, tossing a 1-2-3 inning after Philadelphia scored a bunch of runs in the top of the 10th.

The argument for adding Strahm is that he was saved for when the club had the lead and is coming off an immaculate season. The lefty from North Dakota allowed just 36 hits and 11 walks over 62.2 innings of work. He struck out 79 and earned six wins and three saves. Strahm has often been thrown into the fire for the fightin’ Phils, evident by his 15 wins over the past two seasons.

Because of Jose Alvarado’s presence, you can’t rely on Strahm to get regular save opportunities, but you can count on him improving all five major pitching categories. A seven-win, seven-save season with 75 strikeouts and ultra-low ratio numbers is a commodity in roto leagues. He’s worth adding now if you’ve got the space.

Alvarado has closed in the past. It already looks like he could be called upon when a heavy dose of lefties is in the forecast for the ninth inning. That’s not to say he can’t get righties out as well. With one of the best cut fastballs in the game, Alvarado held righties to even worse numbers in 2023 than lefties. The flamethrower has secured 23 saves over the last two seasons. With the manager showing his cards already on Opening Day, Alvarado is worth picking up in most leagues.

Justin Slaten (RP – BOS): 21%

While we’re on the topic of closers, we might as well throw Justin Slaten’s name in the mix. With Aroldis Chapman used in the eighth, it was Slaten who closed out the ninth. Liam Hendriks was added to the injured list (IL) after an awful spring. Chapman will likely continue to be utilized in lefty-heavy, high-leverage situations. With those two unavailable, Slaten is the Red Sox’s next-best candidate to close games.

The 27-year-old certainly has the arm for it. His fastball has been clocked as high as 99 miles per hour (MPH), and he shows great command with it. Over 55.1 innings last year, the former Texas Ranger walked just nine batters while striking out 58. He also only gave up four home runs.

With Hendriks far from game-ready and Chapman called upon when the situation dictates, Slaten could be in for a decent amount of saves early on. Especially with Boston expected to win plenty of games this year.

Will Vest (RP – DET): 1%

This one’s for extremely deep league players desperate for saves. Yes, Will Vest is a long shot to close and is more of a speculative add, but he still carries value.

Jason Foley was sent down to the Minors and Tyler Holton is going to be brought in to face tough lefties. Beau Brieske is a candidate to close but is better utilized pitching over multiple innings and was used in the eighth inning on opening day while trailing — hardly a role closers are selected for.

That leaves Tommy Kahnle, who has never earned more than two saves in a season. Now 35, Kahnle gives up too many walks and allows a few too many homers. Vest, on the other hand, has been their most dominant reliever. He’s not the biggest or most intimidating guy on the mound, but he does throw 96 MPH and is as steady as they come.

Over the past two seasons, the 6-foot-0 righty has registered an ERA under 3.00 with an even lower FIP. He keeps the ball in the yard (0.36 HR/9), doesn’t walk guys (6.2% walk rate) and gets a heavy dose of ground balls (48.8% ground ball rate). He also regularly misses barrels, registering a minuscule 2.9% barrel rate last year. Vest was perfect in five out of six playoff games last year, earning a save in one of them. He even had one of the lowest average exit velocities on the team.

Will Vest be a regular in the ninth inning with the game on the line? The term regular is pushing it, especially with all the capable arms in Detroit. But my money is on Vest with a slight chance of him eventually locking down the position. Especially with A.J. Hinch favoring a set closer. Brieske, Holton and company may also be worth rostering at the moment, but my money’s on Vest as the sleeper underdog to come out ahead, with Kahnle a close second.

Seth Halvorsen (RP – COL): 3%

The Rockies will be lucky to win 60 games, but at least half of them should involve a save. At this point, it seems like Seth Halvorsen will be the man in Colorado with Tyler Kinley and Victor Vodnik both surrendering runs earlier in the game on Friday.

Halvorsen averages over 100 MPH on his fastball and saved two games for the club late last season. I wouldn’t expect an ERA below 4.00, but his strikeout numbers should be decent and he could snag you a handful of saves as your No. 3 closer.

Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.

NFL

MLB

NBA

NHL

Top 11 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 1)