Queue the “It’s Gonna Be May” meme because ladies and gentlemen, May is here. We’ve made it an entire month of the baseball season and data is really starting to round into shape. It’s a great time for the fantasy baseball waiver wire because we’re able to look at a player who’s playing well – or poorly – and start to figure out if it’s sustainable production or if a player has just simply been unlucky and we can buy low. There are also some elite prospects on the cusp of being called up, such as Bubba Chandler and our old friend Matt Shaw, so determining whether you have the room to stash players on your bench that could be difference makers in the long term is a part of the process too. Let’s dive into the fantasy baseball waiver wire for Week 7 of the MLB season.

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers

Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

ESPN: 7% / Yahoo: 26%

FAAB: 12-14%

Time is ticking and we’re not going to see Bubba Chandler make many more minor league starts before he’s called up for good with the Pirates. Baseball America’s number seven overall prospect heading into 2025 has dominated at Triple-A this season pitching to a 1.42 ERA while striking out 36 batters across 25.1 innings. From 2024 to 2025, Chandler’s fastball velocity – and velocity in general – has risen from 96.8 MPH to 98.2.

There isn’t anything official on when Chandler’s promotion will come, but it’s coming soon and if you’re trying to gain an edge on your league mates, stashing Chandler could be an elite move to bolster your staff.


Tony Gonsolin, SP, Athletics

ESPN: 14% / Yahoo: 34%

FAAB: 5-7%

I was incredibly skeptical of Tony Gonsolin’s return for multiple reasons, one being he wasn’t a very good pitcher back in 2023 pre-Tommy John and was extremely lucky in ‘22, a year he went 16-1. He looked great in his opening start of ‘25 and while it came against the Marlins, there’s a lot of positives to take away from it. He generated a 22% swinging strike rate, which is nearly double his best season in that department. There were basically zero hard-hit baseballs against him (20%) and his 1.9 SIERA and 1.95 xFIP suggest he was even a little unlucky in a game he only allowed three runs in. He’s never been this good at missing bats, but he changed his pitch mix a lot by throwing the fewest percentage of fastballs he’s ever thrown and the most sliders of his career.

 

Shelby Miller, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks

ESPN: 3% / Yahoo: 20%

FAAB: 4-6%

With Justin Martinez’s velocity falling off a cliff and now placed on the injured list while A.J. Puk was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day. Both of them are the team leaders in saves, so who’s next up? Shelby Miller was called on with the first opportunity and Miller has been elite.

He has yet to allow an earned run in 13 innings this year and has a 30% K-rate to boot. Opponents are batting sub .200, when contact is made it’s soft, and all of his pitches are moving as if he’s throwing a wiffle ball. It’s hard not to run, not walk, to your waiver wire to add Miller if you need an influx of saves because there is absolutely no return in sight for Puk or Martinez.


JP Sears, SP, Athletics

ESPN: 18% / Yahoo: 41%

FAAB: 4-6%

It’s a scary proposition these days suggesting pitchers that play their home games in Sacramento, but JP Sears has looked very sharp at the start of 2025. Sears has three pitchers per fangraphs that rank as a plus pitch and is generating over a 8 K/9 while walking the fewest batters of his career. The fly balls remain a concern, and that’s my only hold up with Sears at this point. He makes a start on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, so that’s an obvious streaming opportunity but his following starts looks like it comes against the New York Yankees in Sutter Health Field. No bueno there. You won’t be using him in your fantasy baseball lineup for that one.
 

Lucas Giolito, SP, Boston Red Sox

ESPN: 6% / Yahoo: 14%

FAAB: 3-5%

Well well. What do we have here? Lucas Giolito looked pretty damn sharp in his debut returning from Tommy John surgery punching out seven strikeouts over six innings while actually running a little unlucky posting a 3.41 SIERA and 3.86 xFIP.

Giolito’s fastball velocity sat at 93.3 MPH in his first major league start back from Tommy John, which is exactly what it was in 2023 and higher than ‘22. Giolito is a great source of strikeouts notching a K-rate of at least 25% in every season since 2025.
 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Infielders

J.P. Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners

ESPN: 8% / Yahoo: 11%

FAAB:  6-8%

10 games. That’s what we’re at in terms of hitting streak for J.P. Crawford. He has six multi-hit games over his last nine and has forced his way to the leadoff hole over the last two games because of it. Crawford becomes incredibly appealing if he continues to lead off considering what offensive firepower hits behind him. He has legit massive run upside, both scoring and driving them in. Over the last 10 games, he’s scored nine runs and driven in 12 more. Crawford is ALWAYS on base and that’s thanks to a 98th percentile walk rate and 78th expected batting average. He’s a really nice fantasy baseball waiver wire add.


Matt Shaw, 2B, 3B, SS, Chicago Cubs

ESPN: 12% / Yahoo: 18%

FAAB: 3-5%

As the number one Matt Shaw believer, this one brings a smile to my face. He’s on the cusp of being recalled as the Cubs third base revolving door just hasn’t worked out. Shaw’s the most talented of the bunch and since being demoted, he’s batting .333 with a 20% BB rate and 6% K-rate. His eligibility is elite and if he can keep the K-rate down, he’s going to produce results at the major league level.

It’s worth mentioning, we don’t have any date set in stone for the recall, but everything is pointing to it being sooner rather than later, so if you want to wait to pick him up, you have to hope someone in your league isn’t looking to stash him. If you have a deep bench, stash him now because he’s most likely been dropped by now in any redraft format.

 

Ty France, 1B, Minnesota Twins

ESPN: 8% / Yahoo: 10%

FAAB:  3-5%

I see London, I see France..nevermind. I only see Ty France and what he’s doing this year. What he’s doing is absolutely raking and things look pretty sustainable for him too. There have definitely been inconsistencies with France in the past, but not this year with Minnesota;

He’s 88th percentile or better in expected wOBA, expected batting average, and expected slug and is available in 90% of leagues on ESPN and Yahoo! Fantasy.

Some of his batted ball profile things are interesting. He’s hitting more line drives and fly balls while pulling the ball less and the results are obviously there.

This does not feel fluky to me and Ty France could be a legit 1B option for your fantasy baseball teams, especially if you’re someone who just lost Tristan Casas to his serious injury.

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outfielders

Kyle Stowers, OF, Miami Marlins

ESPN: 5% / Yahoo: 16%

FAAB: 15-18%

Things are going extremely well for Kyle Stowers and his fantasy owners. Stowers has a career-high 10.8% BB rate, .188 ISO, .395 wOBA, and .907 ISO and all of it seems..susaintable. Look at what we’re looking at:

ELITE. RED. EVERYWHERE! The more red the better. We should absolutely be looking at Stowers on the waiver wire because he’s available everywhere. Possibly my favorite thing about Stowers' season to this point is how good he is against left-handed pitching. Typically we don’t get this many at-bats for lefties against the same split. Gives you an idea that he’s not being taken out of many games even when a lefty comes into the game.


Andy Pages, OF Los Angeles Dodgers

ESPN: 25% / Yahoo: 50%

FAAB: 5-7%

The hottest waiver wire pickup on the block this week is none other than Andy Ohtani. Whoops, I mean Mookie Pages. Shoot. Not him. Andy Judge aka Andy Pages. Just over the last 14 days – a span of 10 games – Pages has slashed .462/.488/.846 with four home runs, nine runs batted in and has stolen three bags.

It’s uncertain how long this magical run will continue because the peripherals suggest it’s a little bit of “Linsanity” but hop on the train while it’s still on the tracks. Pages won’t be sitting on your fantasy baseball waiver wire for too much longer.

 

Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays

ESPN: 5% / Yahoo: 10%

FAAB: 2-4%

It’s not as if we haven’t seen this before with Daulton Varsho, but the talent is undeniable; he's just never fully put it together. Twice in his career he’s almost put up 20-20 seasons and even has a 27-homer season on his resume. He’s only played four games so he doesn’t qualify for anything, but look at where he WOULD rank if he he did:

It’s ridiculous stuff, truly. Varsho, outside of the strikeouts, has looked incredible through four games and we know his dual-threat ability keeps him fantasy viable, especially when he’s hitting the ball for power and hard. You won’t have to break the bank for him on the waiver wire either, he’ll be cheap.