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5 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, sleepers, and trade targets for Week 7 -- undervalued hitters outperforming their rostership and should be more widely owned.
In the ever-shifting landscape of fantasy baseball, managers are always searching for hidden gems -- players whose performance far exceeds their roster percentages. This season, a handful of under-the-radar names are making waves and turning heads with surprising production.
Andy Pages has brought a spark to the Dodgers outfield, while Jonathan Aranda continues to prove he’s more than a depth piece for Tampa Bay. TJ Friedl's blend of speed and pop is finally translating into consistent value (barring injury), Victor Scott II is flashing elite base-stealing potential, and Trent Grisham is showing signs of a breakout in a new role.
Though lightly rostered in many leagues, these players are outperforming expectations, and it may be time to take notice.
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Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
58% rostered
One of the hottest hitters on the Dodgers right now is outfielder Andy Pages, slashing .281/.281/.344 with nine hits and six RBI across his last seven games. He has a .791 OPS with 13 extra-base hits and 20 RBI in 156 plate appearances in 2025.
The 24-year-old has accrued 1.5 fWAR while posting a .357 wOBA and 130 wRC+, significantly better than his Steamer preseason projections of a .326 wOBA and 111 wRC+.
Andy Pages has tools man. Elite arm, above average speed, and can go on heaters at the plate and rake for stretches. He's getting close to the 150 PAs Doc said was the mark to evaluate him, and he has a 138 wRC+ through 126 PAs. He's here to stay.
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) May 6, 2025
The 6-foot-1 center fielder made his MLB debut in April 2024 and hit .300 with two home runs and eight RBI in his first month on the scene. In 77 first-half games, Pages posted a .706 OPS with eight homers, 26 RBI, and 17 walks, but struck out 76 times in 313 PAs.
Los Angeles optioned him to the minors in August, but recalled him a few weeks later. He ended the year on a decent note, with a .868 OPS in his final 18 games.
Although Pages has been on a tear through the season's first month and a half, the underlying numbers do not support long-term success. Most notably, Pages ranks in the 17th percentile in hard-hit percentage. The strikeouts are an issue, with a 23.7% K%, slightly above the league average of 22.2. Steamer projects a .331 wOBA and 112 wRC+ for Pages the rest of the way.
Jonathan Aranda, 1B/2B, Tampa Bay Rays
54% rostered
The baseball community is familiar by now with the Rays' propensity to produce talented homegrown players seemingly out of thin air.
The latest player to watch is Jonathan Aranda, who debuted in 2022 but has broken out to begin the 2025 campaign. He's slashing .500/.571/.750 with 12 hits, including two homers, and six RBI in his last seven games. Overall, Aranda has posted a .996 OPS, .427 wOBA, and 184 wRC+ through 37 games in 2025.
The 26-year-old has already matched or bested his 2024 season totals in home runs (six), RBI (20), and walks (16) in 138 PAs, compared to 143 last season. Aranda is hitting the ball hard this year, placing in the 99th percentile in hard-hit percentage and averaging a 94.2 exit velocity, which ranks in the top 5% in MLB.
Jonathan Aranda IS ON ANOTHER PLANET!
108.8 MPH
25 Degree LA
433 FT
1.000 xBA
HR in 30/30 BallparksHe is now hitting .348 with a .437 OBP, .583 SLG, and a 194 wRC+!
He’s been a top 10 hitter in Major League Baseball!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/80eqZf6XK3
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) May 13, 2025
He's reaping the benefits of the Rays' move to George M. Steinbrenner Field as their home ballpark. Aranda's home/road splits are staggering. At home, he's batting .395/.466/.618 with 11 XBH, 13 RBI, and 10 walks in 88 PAs. On the road, he has a .238/.360/.476 slash line with four XBH, seven RBI, and six walks in 50 PAs. While Aranda has taken home-field advantage to a whole new level, it's undeniable that he's been one of the hottest hitters in MLB this season.
TJ Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds
50% rostered
Before a hit-by-pitch forced him to leave Tuesday's game early, Friedl slugged .650 with a pair of homers, four RBI, and nine walks in his last seven games. The recent hot streak helped bring his season totals to .274/.359/.382 with 19 XBH in 40 games.
Friedl's 40 hits this season lead the Reds, while his .359 OBP ranks second to Gavin Lux (.370). Therefore, Cincinnati hopes his early exit vs. the White Sox is merely precautionary, especially since it lost him most of last season due to injury.
2 AB, 2 HR for TJ Friedl 💪 pic.twitter.com/3DWkAQSRzS
— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2025
The 29-year-old enjoyed a breakout performance in 2023, posting career highs in nearly every offensive statistical category. If he avoids the injured list, Friedl seems on pace to match or surpass his 2023 numbers in 2025.
He's primarily a left-handed pull hitter, but does have some pop in his game. This could be why fantasy managers avoid him, though, as he doesn't bring much power. However, he doesn't strike out a lot, ranking in the 92nd percentile in Whiff% and 94th in Chase%, and is an on-base machine.
Trent Grisham, OF, New York Yankees
46% rostered
Although Grisham appeared in last week's edition of this article, he's only a little over 40% rostered despite being on a tear. On Monday, he had a two-homer game in a rout of the Seattle Mariners, bringing his 2025 HR total to 12, tied for fifth in the league.
As one Reddit user pointed out, Grisham is outslugging his former teammate, Juan Soto, to this point in the season. Soto has an .845 OPS for the Mets through 192 PAs, while Grisham has a 1.025 OPS in 123 PAs. The Yankees acquired both from the Padres in December 2023, but Grisham is the only one still in pinstripes. Nobody says Grisham is better than Soto, but Yanks fans are looking for a silver lining.
Trent Grisham since opening up his stance last June:
262 PA | .337 OBP | .528 SLG% | 143 wRC+ | 18 HR pic.twitter.com/gkXNrMUtTl
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) May 9, 2025
New York begins a six-game homestand on Friday against its crosstown rival, the Mets, and the Texas Rangers. Grisham is hitting the ball hard, and he has five home runs at Yankee Stadium this season -- take advantage of his hot start while you can.
Victor Scott II, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
40% rostered
Scott becoming the Cardinals' everyday center fielder in 2025 has proven beneficial for the team. During St. Louis' nine-game winning streak, which ended Wednesday, the 24-year-old batted .346 with nine hits, four RBI, and four walks.
Scott's speed and bat-to-ball skills make him a threat in STL's lineup. His 11 stolen bases are tied for seventh in the league, while his .288 batting average ranks second on the Cards behind Brendan Donovan's .312 average.
Moreover, he has a .336 wOBA and 115 wRC+ through 38 games, with FanGraphs predicting a .290 wOBA and 84 wRC+ for Scott the rest of the season. Furthermore, his .378 BABIP suggests Scott has been getting lucky, and his batted ball metrics support that.
Your daily reminder that Victor Scott II is very, very fast: pic.twitter.com/8Bskib9RLM
— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2025
Scott may not be the best long-term offensive option for fantasy lineups, but he's projected to steal 25 bases this year. So, at the very least, his speed is a weapon to be utilized.
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