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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters to add as category boosters for Week 16 of 2025. His top hitters to pick up or stream for HR, RBI, SB, AVG, and runs.
Welcome back to our Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters - Category Boosters column for Week 16 of the 2025 MLB season. As we head out of the All-Star break, it's time to take a long look and engage in some honest reflection on our teams.
Ostensibly, we are on a break from baseball this week, but we need to consider the next steps for our teams. The grind never stops, my friends. Even on a break, we still have to do our homework and be ready for the start of the second half.
We will aim to give you three options for each of the five offensive categories in a standard five-by-five league. Our rule: All hitters will be listed according to their percentage of rostered players on Yahoo!, with a maximum of 50 percent. Let's look at names that might be under the radar, but who can help you now.
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Runs Scored (R) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers (32% rostered)
Keith was a preseason darling as a late pick, but struggled out of the gate. He's been hot and batting leadoff for the surprising best team in baseball, the Detroit Tigers. Keith has scored five runs over the last week, including two home runs.
Keith offers some nice counting stats, with eight home runs, 30 RBI, and 43 runs scored on the season.
J.P. Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners (20% rostered)
Crawford isn't going to hit for much power, and he is probably not going to steal many bases. What he will do is help with a decent batting average and scoring runs. Runs scored is always a forgotten category, but Crawford has scored runs all season.
The veteran is hitting .364 with six runs scored over the past two weeks.
Angel Martinez, 2B/OF, Cleveland Guardians (5% rostered)
Martinez is currently under-rostered, but that could change soon if he continues to perform well. He is hitting .323 in July with three home runs, and has scored runs in six straight starts. Playing time has been his with the absence of Lane Thomas.
Would the Guardians, who struggle on offense, actually bench a hot hitter when they are trying to stay afloat in the AL Central? Look for Martinez to continue to play if he's hitting.
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Noelvi Marte, 3B, Cincinnati Reds (29% rostered)
Marte got off to a good start before his injury, and he looks to be picking up where he left off. He has three home runs in nine July starts. Power and speed should play up in his profile moving forward, and playing time should be assured now.
Look at his bat speed metrics below, and you will see this is an above-average swing speed compared to other players. Roster him now.
Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B, Seattle Mariners (26% rostered)
Polanco is an intriguing player. He vacillates between being a free agent and being a useful, if underutilized, player on many fantasy rosters. The fact that he has corner and middle infield eligibility boosts his value.
Polanco has 15 home runs, and four of those have come in his last nine games. Grab him now before the price goes up, or your league mates beat you to him.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, New York Yankees (24% rostered)
Stanton is a total power play, and that is it. But look at that average bat speed: I have never seen any that are that high. He is not going to help in any other category, but he tends to hit homers in bunches, and if he plays and stays healthy, he will hit them.
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Evan Carter, OF, Texas Rangers (18% rostered)
Carter has surprised many people with his base-stealing acumen this season. While his power has waned, his ability to get on base and steal bases has not. Carter is hitting .269 with four home runs, 18 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 134 at-bats this season.
Over the last two weeks, Carter has knocked in seven RBI and stolen four bases.
Austin Hays, OF, Cincinnati Reds (16% rostered)
Hays continues to be a valuable player in Cincinnati. He could find himself on the trade block shortly. The biggest difference for Hays this year has been the highest barrel percentage of his career; he's hitting the ball harder and getting better results.
Hays has eight RBI in his last 10 July starts and should continue to get playing time if he keeps hitting.
Ramon Laureano, OF, Baltimore Orioles (12% rostered)
Laureano is another veteran having a nice year who could find himself at a different address at the end of the month. He has been great for Baltimore: a .284 batting average, 11 home runs. 35 RBI, four stolen bases, and 35 runs scored.
Laureano is hitting .306 with eight RBI over the last two weeks. Will playing time continue to be there with the return of Tyler O'Neill? Time will tell, but Laureano could be a trade candidate over the next two weeks.
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Chandler Simpson, OF, Tampa Bay Rays (36% rostered)
Simpson just continues to hit for average and steal bases. I know we want players who stuff more stats into more categories, but runs, batting average, and stolen bases are very useful categories, even if Simpson never hits a home run.
Simpson is hitting .308 with 26 stolen bases and 23 runs scored. He is a useful player and should be rostered far more.
Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (14% rostered)
Caveat here: Frelick is nursing a hamstring issue. But he has become one of my favorite players to watch in the game. Frelick has made some key additions to his game this season. If he is healthy, he will remain a productive player for the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.
Frelick is hitting .294 with a career-high seven home runs and career-high 39 RBI with a helpful 17 stolen bases. He is helpful if you need average and steals. Watch what happens this week; if he hits the IL, he is a pass this week.
Hyeseong Kim, 2B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (11% rostered)
You will often hear analysts say that you do not want to roster a guy in any kind of platoon. Kim is an exception because of his skill set, and I suspect that he could get more at-bats in the second half for the experimenting Dodgers.
Kim is hitting .455 with three stolen bases over the last week of games.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Alec Burleson, 1B/OF, St.Louis Cardinals (48% rostered)
Burleson can hit. That is my expert advice! He continues to be an important cog in St. Louis, and he can help your roster as well. He is hitting third in the lineup and playing daily. Check out those batting averages over the last three months. Use him now.
Jung Hoo Lee, OF, San Francisco Giants (43% rostered)
I feel like Lee is a victim of lofty expectations and a large contract, held to an impossible standard by fantasy managers. The thing is, he is useful in the right build. In 10 July games, he is hitting .324, even as his counting stats linger behind.
Lee is worth rostering if you need outfield depth.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels (16% rostered)
Schanuel reached the major leagues quickly and has taken some time to find his stride. If you are looking for someone to hit homers weekly, keep looking, because Schanuel is not that. What he is: a guy who has three three-hit performances over the last week.
Schanuel is hitting .438 over the last week, and for the season, he is hitting .275 with eight home runs and 40 RBI, with four stolen bases.
I hope this helps you out! Good luck and happy hunting, RotoBallers! You can always message me @mdrc0508 on X to complain about picks or make other suggestions!
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