Games have finally been played and as lineups come out and pitchers toe the rubber, the more data we can collect on who the best fantasy baseball waiver wire adds are heading into the second week of the season. This is a very important week of fantasy baseball waivers because a LOT of players that are available after their big starts won’t be available for the remainder of the year, so getting a head start on the field is important. 

 

 

 

MLB Fantasy Baseball Week 2 Waiver Wire

A lot of really good, promising young players are off to good starts such as Cam Smith, Jack Leiter, Kyle Manzardo, and Wilyer Abreu. Let's dive into the MLB fantasy baseball Week 2 waiver wire column with the top adds available in over 50% of both ESPN and Yahoo fantasy leagues.
 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers

Jack Leiter, SP Texas Rangers

ESPN: 10% / Yahoo: 44%

FAAB: 11-13%

The Rangers chose the youth movement for their final two spots in the rotation as both Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker made the team. Leiter pitched in game number two for the Rangers and looked sharp, limiting a potent Boston Red Sox offense to just one run over five innings. The key was the control, which is something Leiter has struggled with, as he walked just one batter in those five innings. His average fastball velocity was 97.8 in the opener, which is nearly 1.5 MPH faster than it was last season. An interesting wrinkle, and something that plays into his 60% groundball rate, was that he threw a sinker 28% of the time in his first start. He didn’t throw that pitch once all of last year and threw it just 4% of the time in ‘23. If he’s keeping the ball on the ground, he’s going to be hard to hit.
 

Luis Severino, SP Athletics

ESPN: 30% / Yahoo: 43%

FAAB: 7-9%

2024 was a resurgent season for Luis Severino who made 31 starts for the first time since 2018 and he was sharp from start to finish. He had a sub four ERA and although the strikeouts per inning weren’t great, he had 161 punchouts total. He also had an elevated groundball rate as the 46% clip was his highest since ‘17 and it was higher than 42 once over that span. The elevated ground ball rate will be good in the minor league ballpark he’ll call home. He looked incredibly sharp in his debut firing six scoreless innings.
 

AJ Smith-Shawver, SP Atlanta Braves

ESPN: 5% / Yahoo: 24%

FAAB: 4-6%

Making the rotation out of a spring is no easy task, but that’s what AJ Smith Shawver did for the Atlanta Braves. He took hold of the job with his ability to miss bats, something he’s done at every level he’s pitched at. In 2024 he had 108 strikeouts in 89 innings, in ‘23 he had 79 strikeouts in 62 innings, and this spring he had a robust 20:5 K:BB ratio in 16 innings. Smith-Shawver will face a roadblock, however, when Spencer Strider returns, because he’s the most likely candidate to be sent back to the minors as he still has an option available according to Fangraphs. He could once again force his way to stay by how he pitches, so I’d temper my FAAB bids now, but grabbing him off of the waiver wire and worrying about that later is a great idea.
 

Jeffrey Springs, SP Athletics

ESPN: 13% / Yahoo: 41%

FAAB: 8-10%

Welcome back, Jeffrey Springs! Pitching in Seattle is never a bad thing, but Springs’ debut could not have gone any better. He fired six scoreless innings while striking out nine, walking one, and surrendering just three hits. He generated a 19.3% swinging strike and had a 45% groundball rate, so everything you could’ve asked for and more in a first start back from Tommy John. Springs will have to navigate his new home ballpark this year, but the Athletics have already stated there are no limitations for Springs heading into the year and this first start could be a springboard into a monster season. 
 

Tyler Holton, RP Detroit Tigers

ESPN: 9% / Yahoo: 27% 

FAAB: 2-4%

You never like to hear a three-headed monster when it comes to a closer’s role, but that’s what Detroit is currently faced with. At least it’s better than four, right? Last year’s closer, Jason Foley, is in the minors, so the save opportunities will be down to Tyler Holton, Tommy Kahnle, and Beau Brieske. Holton had eight saves last season and was incredibly dominant after the All-Star break pitching to a 0.83 ERA and held opponents to a .150 AVG. He’s not going to get the call each and every time the Tigers have a lead in the ninth inning, but he’s a great addition in saves+holds leagues and is a nice addition for any manager short on saves.
 

Luke Jackson, RP Texas Rangers

ESPN: 2% / Yahoo: 28%

FAAB: 4-6%

If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again, and try again Luke Jackson did after blowing his first save opportunity of 2025. He came in again and this time, shut the door on the Red Sox and converted his first save in game number two of the season. The most important part of this is that Jackson was given each of the first two opportunities. The 33-year old hasn’t closed any games since 2018, but this season he gets the first crack for Texas. He’s been over 10 K/9 in each of the last two seasons, so the strikeouts will come along with the saves.
 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Infielders

Kyle Manzardo, 1B Cleveland Guardians

ESPN: 10% / Yahoo: 26%

FAAB: 6-8%

He’s more valuable on Yahoo and formats where he has first base eligibility, but who cares if he absolutely rakes, am I right? He was a double shy of the cycle in his first game of the year and the most important part of it all was the home run came against a lefty. He only had 20 at-bats against them last year. He’s hit at every level and has hit for power as well. If he continues to hit lefties, his bat won’t be taken out of the lineup and at that point, there’s a legit chance he ends the year over 500 at-bats, which would give him a chance at 
 

Spencer Torkelson, 1B Detroit Tigers

ESPN: 10% / Yahoo: 21%

FAAB: 5-7%

It’s a two-game sample. That’s what we’re working with. That plus spring training, but dare I say Spencer Torkelson is..back? He mashed in the spring belting five home runs while hitting .340 and on night number one he went 1-for-1 with a home run and FOUR walks, something he did a total of just 33 times last year. The stolen base he notched in his second game of the year is a bit of a facade considering he had three total stolen bases in three seasons and they all came in 2023. Good to know that’s in the bag, at least. If Torkelson has changed his approach and is showing more patience at the dish, he could finally live up to the hype he once had.
 

Cam Smith, 3B Houston Astros

ESPN: 22%  / Yahoo: 46% 

FAAB: 18-20%

After making the team, the field has flocked to the waiver wire to add rookie phenom Cam Smith who currently is rostered as an infielder, but will gain outfield eligibility before you know it considering he’s playing right field. Smith has massive power and had such a good spring hitting .342 with four home runs and a 1.129 OPS that the Astros’ hands were forced despite playing in only 32 career minor league games. This is probably your last opportunity to claim him on the waiver wire, he’s going to be picked up in every competitive league this waiver cycle because talents like Smith don’t grow on trees.
 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outfielders

Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox

ESPN: 20% / Yahoo: 32%

FAAB: 14-16%

Since Opening Day, no player across the league has been added as highly as Wilyer Abreu. He’s a talented player with a LOT of power and has shown that for multiple seasons. He has a robust power season in 2023 at the AAA level as he belted 22 bombs in just 86 games. He did hit 15 bombs in 132 last year and posted a .459 SLG% to boot. His kryptonite is left-handed pitching as he had just 61 at-bats against them last year and hit .180. If he can find himself playing every day and be serviceable against lefties, Abreu is a must-own moving forward in this potent Red Sox lineup.
 

Victor Scott II, OF St. Louis Cardinals

ESPN: 5% / Yahoo: 30%

FAAB: 1-3%

We should be calling him Victor Speed with how fast he can run. With Victor Scott, former top-100 prospect in baseball, making the Cardinals as the every day center fielder, we have a player worth taking a look at on the waiver wire. He’s not a power hitter by any stretch, but there are not many players with as high a stolen base ceiling as Scott. In 2023, across two minor league levels, Scott stole 94 bases in 132 games. 94! He stole 30 in 82 games at AAA last season and should have the green light if he can simply hit. The issue we could face is Scott is Billy Hamilton 2.0 and isn’t ever on base enough to even show off his speed. If he can match his .264 minor league average at the major league level, he’s an elite roster for those looking for stolen bases. Wishful thinking? Possibly, but adding him for a few dollars early on won’t hurt.
 

TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds

ESPN: 10% / Yahoo: 38%

FAAB: 5-7%

Injuries truly derailed TJ Friedl’s 2024 but he’s healthy checking into 2025 and in game number one slotted right into the top of their lineup. It’s exciting to see him perched there with who’s hitting behind him and the upside he has. In 138 games back in ‘23, he hit 18 home runs, scored 73 runs, 66 RBI, and stole 27 bases. If he plays 150 games this year, especially with Great American Ballpark being his home, he has legit 20-80-70-30 upside, and he’ll win fantasy managers' entire leagues in that case.