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Five hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, and sleepers for Week 20 (2025). Undervalued hitters outperforming their ownership percentage and should be more widely owned.
The dog days of summer roll on into the middle of August, which is crunch time for fantasy baseball managers. Whether you're pushing for a playoff spot, just fighting to stay out of the basement, or putting the finishing touches on your season of domination, some very important bats have emerged as good plays in mixed leagues over the last few weeks. These bargain basement hitters can give your squad just the boost you need in the remaining weeks of the season.
Wherever you are in the standings, smart fantasy baseball managers constantly keep an eye on the waiver wire for options who can fill in gaps or strengthen your squad's depth. In this post, we're not running down big-name, obvious pickups; we're shopping in the bargain basement for hidden values each week. These options are often available for free or at a minimal cost from your FAAB budget. If your league uses waiver priority instead, these are options that can be targets even if you have low priority as plug-and-play options that can be scooped and started in most formats. If injury or ineffectiveness is forcing you to look for a bargain basement solution, check out these fun young bats to consider. All stats are through games played on Monday, August 11, unless otherwise noted.
Which widely available hitters should be on your shopping list? Let's dive in!
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Tyler Locklear, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
5% rostered
Locklear was the big piece that went back to the Diamondbacks in the Eugenio Suarez trade to Seattle. The 24-year-old righty was ranked as the No. 7 prospect in Arizona's system by MLB Pipeline, and the D-backs saw him as MLB-ready, since they promoted him directly to their major league roster.
Last year, Locklear played 16 games for the Mariners but hit only .156 with two home runs, 20 strikeouts, and a .238 wOBA. He made a swing adjustment midway through the season in Triple-A this year, while playing with the Tacoma Rainiers. In his 42 games after the adjustment, he hit .366 at Triple-A with 15 homers and a .486 wOBA.
In his 10 games in the majors, Locklear has gone 7-for-37 (.189) this time around with five singles and a pair of home runs, while striking out 15 times. His second homer came off Nathan Eovaldi, who had not allowed a homer at Globe Life since April 19.
Pop, Locklear & Drop It pic.twitter.com/Zky2ofJxud
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 12, 2025
Locklear has seven hard-hit balls since joining Arizona, and five of those have come in the last four games, during which he has a 45.5% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity over 90 miles per hour.
Since he put together such a strong second half in Triple-A and will get a long look the rest of the season in Arizona, Locklear is an exciting young first baseman to consider adding to your squad. He brings plenty of power and good counting stats potential. He also offers some sneaky speed after stealing 18 bases in Triple-A and already swiping a bag with Arizona as well.
Be aware that he could hurt your batting average and has a high strikeout rate, but the raw potential is there for him to be a relevant fantasy contributor for this season and moving forward.
JJ Bleday, OF, Athletics
10% rostered
Last season, Bleday seemed to be ready to be a big part of the Athletics' offensive foundation. The lefty had 43 doubles, 20 homers, and a .330 wOBA in 159 games. He only hit .243 but had a solid 19.5% K% and .194 ISO. This season, though, the 27-year-old struggled and hit only .191 with 10 doubles, eight home runs, and a .167 ISO through his first 62 games.
He was sent to Triple-A at the end of June, and he seemed to rediscover his stroke for the Las Vegas Aviators. In his 22 games in Triple-A in July, he hit .349 with five doubles, a triple, five homers, and a .426 wOBA.
Since he was brought back up to the majors at the start of August, he's 12-for-27 (.444) with two doubles, two homers, a .519 wOBA, and a 52.6% hard-hit rate. He had a home run and six RBI in one of those games and has been very productive since his return.
JJ Bleday tonight:
4-for-6
6 RBI
2B, HR pic.twitter.com/L6KeWoWfGC— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2025
The A's face a significant decision on Bleday this offseason since he will be eligible for arbitration for the first time. He looked like a non-tender candidate before his recent turnaround, but now that he's hitting again, he could return to a key role on the roster.
The rest of the season, he should get plenty of playing time as the A's evaluate what his future with the club will be. For your fantasy squad, he can be a nice all-around source of power and extra-base hits, especially when the A's are playing at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.
Luis Rengifo, 2B/3B, Los Angeles Angels
17% rostered
Rengifo is another multiyear veteran who has gotten some recent momentum after a rough start to the year. He's a nice option in the infield and can fit at either second base or third base in most formats.
Last year, he thrived against lefties and ended up hitting .300 in his 78 games with six homers and a .335 wOBA. This year, he has played 110 games but is hitting only .250 with seven homers and a .285 wOBA. His stolen base production has also dropped way off from 24 stolen bases in 78 games last year to just four stolen bases in 110 games this year.
If he did get drafted in your league, he was most likely dropped since his production fell off so sharply from last year. However, he's back on the fantasy radar after finding a good groove since the All-Star break. In his last 20 games, he is 23-for-71 (.324) with two doubles, three homers, and a .390 wOBA.
LAA - Luis Rengifo 2-run HR (7)
📏 Distance: 408 ft
💨 EV: 105.6 mph
📐 LA: 27°
⚾️ 95.4 mph four-seam fastball (DET - RHP Rafael Montero)
🏟️ Would be out in 30/30 MLB parksLAA (5) @ DET (9)
🔺 8th#RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/L5kRHAuEQM— MLB Home Runs🚀 (@MLBHRs_) August 10, 2025
He also has a pair of stolen bases in those 20 games, matching his total from his previous 90 games. He still has some solid speed upside and is now hitting again. When he's rolling, Rengifo brings a solid batting average and countable stats, even though he won't match the power output of Locklear or Bleday.
Blake Perkins, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
5% rostered
Perkins has been one of my favorite second-half storylines associated with the Brewers' surge to the best record in baseball. He's an ultimate team guy and a great clubhouse presence, but he had a long road back after fracturing his shin when he fouled a ball off during a live batting practice session in spring training.
He was lined up for a depth role in the outfield after contributing 23 stolen bases in 121 games for Milwaukee, adding six homers and a .288 wOBA with a .244 batting average. The switch-hitter did most of his damage against lefties, which was a great fit in Milwaukee's lineup that typically relies on several left-handed hitters.
With Garrett Mitchell (oblique) ultimately needing season-ending shoulder surgery and both Sal Frelick (hamstring) and Jackson Chourio (hamstring) ailing, Perkins has been able to get regular playing time after his extended rehab assignment that required him to be activated and optioned to Triple-A.
He was in our bargain basement hitters last week after his first 15 games back, and he's stayed hot over the last week while still staying on the waiver wire in most leagues.
In 20 games, Perkins is 17-for-65 (.262) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs, and three stolen bases. He's also contributed his reliably excellent defense, including this game-winning play from center field:
BLAKE PERKINS ARE YOU KIDDING ME FOR THE WINNNNNNNN pic.twitter.com/PFljquuVfI
— The Brew Crew Scoop (@BrewCrewScoop) August 9, 2025
While plays like that don't usually get fantasy points, they will earn him more playing time and keep him in the lineup, where his power and speed make him a solid dual-threat to consider.
Brandon Marsh, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
6% rostered
Like both Rengifo and Bleday, Marsh is trying to redeem his season after his slow start. He started the season going just 4-for-42 (.095), including a 0-for-29 April, before landing on the injured list with a right hamstring strain.
Since returning on May 3, Marsh has hit a very solid .275 with 16 doubles, a triple, seven homers, five stolen bases, and a .333 wOBA. He even drew comparisons to a Phillies legend after 324 games with the Phils.
First 324 games with the #Phillies:
Shane Victorino - .281/.342/.415 | .758 OPS
162 R, 269 H, 45 2B, 12 3B, 20 HR, 102 RBI, & 43 SB
27 years and 157 days oldBrandon Marsh - .269/.346/.439 | .784 OPS
167 R, 324 H, 67 2B, 12 3B, 38 HR, 162 RBI, & 36 SB
27 years and 233 days old— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) August 9, 2025
Marsh has been especially hot lately, hitting .370 with six doubles and four homers in his last 19 games coming out of the All-Star break. He's working in a platoon right now, but still getting enough at-bats to contribute excellent production with both batting average and power potential. He's also contributing to a strong lineup, so his RBI and runs scored potential is high as well.
If you need an outfield boost, Marsh has been a more reliable option in batting average than Perkins or Bleday, even though Perkins has more speed and Bleday has more power. Each of the three outfielders can help your team, depending on exactly what you need for your roster.
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