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Five hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, and sleepers for Week 12 (2025). Undervalued hitters outperforming their ownership percentage and should be more widely owned.
With several top prospects recently getting the call, you may be running low on your FAAB dollars. Don't worry, because there are several hitters on the waiver wire that will not cost you much but carry quite a high ceiling.
This week, we will take a look at an outfielder who was a popular breakout pick in the winter but has been limited by injuries. We also take a look at an infielder who had a down season in 2024 but is returning to form in 2025.
Which players who are widely available should be added to our roster this week? Let's dive in!
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J.P. Crawford, SS - Seattle Mariners
15% rostered
After a strong 2023 campaign when Crawford posted a .266/.380/.439 slash line with 19 home runs and two stolen bases, the shortstop took a step back in 2024 as he held a .202/.304/.321 line with just nine home runs and five stolen bases
However, Crawford has been able to flip the script in 2025 and is emerging as a solid middle infielder in all formats. Throughout his first 68 contests, the 30-year-old has posted a solid .296/.411/.413 line with 10 doubles, six home runs, and four stolen bases.
Over his last 15 games, Crawford has been one of the best hitters in the sport, slashing an impressive .439/.536/.632 line with five doubles, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 5:12 K:BB.
Should fantasy managers run to the waiver wire to add the veteran? Under the hood, Crawford sits in the 84th percentile in xwOBA (.371) and 90th percentile in xBA (.292). While he has a below-average hard-hit rate and barrel rate, he has generated a remarkable 44.5% LA sweet-spot rate, which has helped offset those weaknesses.
Crawford has also shown a remarkable eye at the plate, drawing walks at a 15.9% rate and striking out at a 17.6% rate. Being penciled in as the leadoff hitter in Seattle makes Crawford a viable starting option in all leagues. Given his elite eye at the plate, he gets an even bigger boost in points leagues.
In category formats, Crawford should chip around 15/15 HR/SB with a solid amount of runs (batting leadoff) and an elite batting average.
J.P. Crawford knew right away.
His slash line for the season is up to .297/.411/.414 (.825 OPS). pic.twitter.com/HvofDT34wi
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) June 15, 2025
Parker Meadows, OF - Detroit Tigers
15% rostered
Following the 2024 All-Star Game, Parker Meadows was one of the most valuable outfielders in fantasy. Over his final 201 PA, Meadows posted an impressive .296/.340/.500 line with 10 doubles, six home runs, and five stolen bases. Rightfully so, Meadows was a trendy breakout pick during draft season.
However, in early March, Meadows was diagnosed with a nerve issue in his right arm, which shut him down until June.
He made his season debut on June 2 and wasted little time to make an impact as he went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and two runs. Through his first total of 12 games, Meadows has held a pedestrian .143/.234/.286 line with just one round-tripper and two stolen bases. During this early stretch, Meadows has been deployed as the leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching, but has dropped to the nine-hole against southpaws.
While his slash line does not look appealing, fantasy managers should move him towards the top of their waiver claim this week. Under the hood, Meadows has generated a .349 xwOBA, .474 xSLG, with an 84th percentile sprint speed. This is right in line with a .350 xwOBA he held from July through September during the 2024 campaign.
Meadows have a five-category potential that needs to be rostered everywhere.
Parked it in the seats 🚗
Parker Meadows' first homer of the year is a 3-run shot! pic.twitter.com/jXUz7jy8Ly
— MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2025
Ernie Clement, 1B/2B/3B/SS - Toronto Blue Jays
15% rostered
The 29-year-old super-utility infielder is on pace to enjoy a career year but remains un-rostered in nearly 80% of leagues. Through 69 games, Clement has posted a .292/.326/.416 slash line with 15 doubles (14th-most in the AL) with four long balls and two stolen bases.
Over his last 17 games, the Virginia product has been procuring as a high-end fantasy asset, posting a .397/.406/.647 line with eight doubles, three home runs, and a 3:1 K:BB. During this stretch, he has scored 14 runs and tallied seven RBI.
Should Clement be viewed as a viable starting option going forward?
Unlike the names above on this list, Clement's metrics scream regression. Currently, the 29-year-old sits below the average marks in numerous hitting statistics, which is not a promising sign. Clement's .301 xwOBA (20th percentile), .373 xSLG (22nd percentile), and 27.8% hard-hit rate (sixth percentile) are not positive signs and suggest he will take a significant step back.
The only two hitting metrics Clement sits above average in are xBA (.273) and LA sweet-spot% (35.9), suggesting significant regression is coming.
While Clement will continue to have an everyday role, and could have value in deeper leagues given his multi-positional eligibility, fantasy managers should not expect a .300 hitter for the remainder of the season. Clement carries minimal power upside and will see his batting average drop during the second half.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B - Los Angeles Angels
12% rostered
Last season, Nolan Schanuel saw most of his value in points leagues given his elite eye at the plate, evident in his 17.0% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate. However, through the opening months of 2025, Schanuel is starting to show he can hold value in category formats as well.
Through 68 games this season, Schanuel is on pace to post a career-best .282/.376/.394 line with 13 doubles, four home runs, and three stolen bases. He held a 37:34 K:BB and added 35 runs and 22 RBI.
Under the hood, Schanuel has generated impressive metrics, suggesting the 23-year-old has taken a significant step forward in his third MLB campaign. When facing fastballs, Schanuel has posted a .428 xSLG, a stark increase from the .348 xSLG he held last season.
Much of his improvement can be found when looking at breaking balls as he has generated a stellar .511 xSLG, much higher than the .382 xSLG from the previous campaign.
Overall, he has increased his barrel rate by three points, hard-hit rate by five points, and xwOBA by 40 points.
Schanuel has held a .341/.396/.500 line over his last 11 games, which suggests his underlying metrics are beginning to show on the box score. Fantasy managers in deeper formats looking to add a corner infielder with a high-floor batting average and increasing power should add Schanuel.
In addition, in points leagues, given his improvement at the plate and already elite eye, he should be viewed as a top target.
Schanuel breaks the deadlock!! pic.twitter.com/FzWqVoonYV
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 17, 2025
Brooks Lee, 2B/3B/SS - Minnesota Twins
5% rostered
We round out this week's column with a former top prospect, Brooks Lee. The Cal Poly product was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Lee was dominant at the Triple-A level last summer, which earned him a taste of the majors. At Triple-A, Lee posted a strong .308/.368/.606 line with seven doubles and eight home runs.
However, during his first look in Minnesota, Lee showed growing pains as he held a .221/.265/.320 line with six doubles and three long balls across 50 games. During this stretch, he generated a modest .340 xSLG with a .274 xwOBA.
However, Lee is beginning to turn the corner and is catching the eye of several fantasy managers. Over his last 16 games, Lee is beginning to produce as a top prospect, slugging a .350/.371/.533 line with two doubles and three long balls.
Lee has taken significant steps at the plate, as shown by this visual.
In June, Lee has hit fastballs and offspeed pitches at an elite rate compared to May. While his production on breaking balls has remained subpar, to see him begin to see major league pitches better is a very positive sign.
Overall, in comparison to last season, in a very similar sample size (50 games in 2024 - 55 games in 2025), Lee has raised his xSLG by 60 points, xwOBA by 30 points, and more importantly, his hard-hit rate by nearly 15 points. While his 2025 metrics still sit just around the average marks of qualified hitters, Lee has begun to turn the corner rather quickly.
While shallow league managers should continue to take a wait-and-see approach, fantasy managers in 12+ team leagues needing infield help should view Lee as a high-end bench stash that could be a starting option in the second half.
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