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Five hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, and sleepers for Week 17 (2025). Undervalued hitters outperforming their ownership percentage and should be more widely owned.
Coming out of the All-Star break, Major League Baseball is back up to full speed and sprinting toward the trade deadline, which is coming up at the end of the month. As teams look to find upgrades at various positions and put themselves in position for the playoffs, it's also a great time to pick up some useful pieces for your fantasy baseball team. Whether your season has been filled with disaster or domination, every smart fantasy baseball manager is always watching the waiver wire to keep an eye out for any helpful additions.
This week, we're focused mostly on the outfield, where some strong options are emerging. Some of them could be on the move at the deadline as well, which could land them in better lineups or home stadiums. We're shopping for those hidden values in this post each week. We're not looking at the splashy, big-name additions that quickly get scooped off the waiver wire with high priority. Instead, we're diving deeper and looking at some bargain basement hitters who are available in many leagues but can still bring some benefit to your lineup. These options won't cost a considerable chunk of your budget and are good plug-and-play options that can be scooped and started in most formats.
Which widely available hitters should be on your watch list leading up to the trade deadline? Let's dive in!
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Austin Hays, OF, Cincinnati Reds
23% rostered
The Reds signed Hays this past offseason after he was non-tendered by the Phillies, who acquired him from the Orioles in exchange for RHP Seranthony Dominguez and OF Cristian Pache at last year's deadline. Hays has only played 51 games for the Reds this year, but he has been productive when available.
He suffered a calf strain at the end of spring training, a hamstring strain in April, and a left foot contusion at the end of May. He returned from his most recent stint on the injured list on June 27, and he has gone 18-for-71 (.254) in his 20 games since then with three doubles, a triple, four home runs, 15 RBI, and a .350 wOBA. He had a pair of those homers against the Mets in his first game after the All-Star break.
Austin Hays blasts his second homer of the game to extend the @Reds lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/5P9SID3LiE
— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2025
Hays has been especially effective this year against left-handed pitching. On that side of his splits, he's hitting .354 with two homers and a .480 wOBA.
After the Reds finish their series in Washington to start the week, they'll be home at Great American Ball Park for nine games against the Rays, Dodgers, and Braves. The offense-friendly park should be a good spot to play Hays for the next couple of weeks, and he has been productive enough when healthy to be a fringe starter in standard leagues.
He doesn't offer speed or batting average, but his power and run production numbers are solid.
Jordan Beck, OF, Colorado Rockies
17% rostered
Another outfielder in an offense-friendly environment that has been showing some recent upside is Rockies' 24-year-old, Jordan Beck.
BYE BYE BALL!!
Jordan Beck was a double shy of a cycle last night. INSANEpic.twitter.com/V1m12s2FCl
— WVLT Sports (@WVLTSports) July 19, 2025
Beck had a hot stretch earlier this season with five homers in three games, but then he cooled off and hit just .241 with just three homers over his next 35 games. He seems to have made the needed adjustments, though, since he's rounding back into form. In his last 38 games, he's hitting a very solid .296 with 10 doubles, three homers, and a .338 wOBA.
In addition to his near-cycle highlighted above, he has five other multi-hit games in his last 18 contests, totaling 21 hits and slotting into a spot in the top four of the Rockies lineup. We've highlighted Tyler Freeman and Mickey Moniak in the last few weeks in our bargain basement post, and Beck is another emerging option for the Rockies, who have shown some signs of improvement during the summer.
After their home series with St. Louis, the Rockies head to Baltimore and Cleveland before coming home for another six-game homestand to start August. The Rockies also have an upcoming series at Chase Field along with home and road matchups against the Pirates.
They have the potential for enough high-scoring contests to make Beck worth a look if you need counting stats, since he has been piling up hits and extra-base hits. He has the potential to get even more run production numbers as the offense-friendly environments should give him and the other top Rockies a boost over the next few weeks.
Jesus Sanchez, OF, Miami Marlins
6% rostered
Most home runs by a left-handed batter in Marlins history:
Cliff Floyd, 110
Justin Bour, 83
Mike Jacobs, 69
JESÚS SÁNCHEZ, 67 pic.twitter.com/rxZ3t80F5Q— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) July 18, 2025
At just 27, he's not an old-timer, but he doesn't quite fit with the Marlins' extremely young core that is now pushing to claim more playing time in the outfield. Sanchez is a very popular name in trade talks, and he could land with a contender before the deadline.
Depending on where he lands, he could be in a great lineup and a hitter-friendly environment, or he could end up stuck in a platoon. Some teams that have been rumored as good fits are the Royals, Padres, Guardians, Angels, and Twins; however, his ultimate landing spot remains uncertain.
Until the trade, though, he'll get a chance to showcase his upside in the middle of the Marlins' order. In July, he's hitting .316 with two doubles, two triples, a home run, and a .350 wOBA. The lefty has been especially good against righties, hitting .286 against righties, including seven homers and a .347 wOBA.
Depending on your team needs, you could also platoon Sanchez, mixing him in where necessary in favorable matchups. He boasts a decent batting average and good power potential, and has even recorded nine stolen bases, lending him sneaky stolen base potential as well.
Victor Scott II, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
14% rostered
If you're looking for speed upside, Scott is another strong option to consider from the Cardinals. The 24-year-old lefty has 25 stolen bases in 27 attempts this year and has added five homers and a .291 wOBA.
Victor Scott II's home run tonight was the hardest-hit and longest of his pro career (in Statcast-tracked games):
EV: 106.4 MPH
LA: 31°
Distance: 421 ft. pic.twitter.com/eqQ8x0x3A7— Kareem (@KareemSSN) July 19, 2025
The downside with Scott is that his batting average is low at just .234 for the season. He has hit safely in five of his last seven games with six hits and has three stolen bases in his previous eight contests.
Scott only has a 26.8% hard-hit rate and a 4.7% barrel rate, but he has flashed a little pop to go with his speed, including the home run in the highlight above. With Scott, though, it's all about those stolen bases being worth the sacrifices in other categories.
He's locked into the ninth spot for the Cardinals and should keep getting plenty of playing time down the stretch, and can be a good cheap source of speed.
Brady House, 3B, Washington Nationals
5% rostered
The Nationals are quietly assembling an exciting young lineup that now includes House at third base. House just turned 22 earlier this season but has quickly adjusted to the majors and looks ready to join James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Dylan Crews as part of the team's core for the future.
House spent 65 games in Triple-A and hit .304 with 13 homers and a .380 wOBA. He reduced his strikeout rate as the season progressed and earned a promotion in mid-June. After only hitting .231 in his first 10 games in the majors, he has picked it up by hitting .308 since then with five doubles, two home runs, and a .342 wOBA.
Overall, he's up to .280 for the season after picking up three three-hit games in his last nine contests with a 46.9% hard-hit rate over that span.
Brady House is now batting .280 after his 3-hit night.
His defense has also been ELITE‼️
We see you Brady‼️👀#Natitude
pic.twitter.com/BHUzFEymql— SleeperNationals (@SleeperNats) July 22, 2025
House offers solid all-around production with power upside from the hot corner and can be a nice pickup if you need depth at the position. If you're in dynasty leagues, the big righty has plenty of long-term upside that makes him more valuable in those formats. Even in standard mixed leagues, though, he's bringing enough upside to be worth considering as a fill-in.
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