Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 19)

Andy's hitter fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers, and risers to watch for Week 19 of 2025. His list includes waiver wire outlooks and underachieving hitters so far.

Welcome back to the Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 19 of the 2025 MLB season. The focus of this article is to highlight players who could be on the verge of a breakout, citing current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, stolen bases, and isolated power (ISO).

This week, we will highlight two surging San Diego hitters and a potential emerging star in Toronto. In addition, we will look at some of the top performers of the month and determine if they can sustain their impressive run.

Who should fantasy managers look to grab off the waiver wire or even plug into their DFS lineup this week? Let's dive in!

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Hit Streak Leaders

Data through 7/30

Luis Arraez (13 games)

After a modest showing in May and June, the three-time Batting Champion has returned to his elite hitting form in July. Arraez currently boasts an impressive 13-game hitting streak. During this stretch, the 28-year-old has held a .404/.446/.519 line with three doubles, a home run, and a stolen base.

Across these 13 games, Arraez has only struck out once and drawn four walks. While his power production remains quite minimal, he is a top target for batting average and an elite asset in points leagues given his overall 2.7% K rate.

Tommy Pham (9 games)

Even though the 37-year-old has been held out of action twice over the past two weeks, he has still maintained an impressive nine-game hitting streak. During this surge at the plate, Pham has been one of the few bright spots in the Pittsburgh offense, boasting a .455/.514/.636 with four doubles, four RBI, and five runs scored.

However, fantasy managers should expect Pham to cool off at the plate in the near future, given his modest .254 xBA and 44.9% hard-hit rate.

Josh Jung (9 games)

I also wanted to give a shout-out to Josh Jung of the Texas Rangers. Jung was optioend ot Triple-A Round Rock on July 2 after a rough start in the major leagues. However, the Rangers recalled him on July 21 and have been on thing short of impressive since returning.

Over his last nine games back in Texas, Jung has tallied at least one hit in all of them and added two long balls with five RBI. During this stretch, he has held a 10:3 K:BB and scored six runs. Given his solid stretch in June, Jung is worth a look on the waiver wire as he appears to be rounding into form.

He currently sits in the 94th percentile in LA sweet-spot rate and holds an above-average hard-hit rate. He should see nearly every day opportunity at the hot corner for the remainder of the season.

Highest Batting Average Last Seven Days

Data through 7/30, minimum 13 at-bats

Manny Machado (.533 BA)

What a week for Manny Machado. Over his last seven games, the third baseman has posted a remarkable .533 AVG with an .833 SLG and a 1.409 OPS. During this surge, he has hit three doubles and gone deep twice.

He has brought in 10 runs and crossed home plate four times. The 33-year-old remains a set-it-and-forget-it player in all leagues and a top option in DFS as he continues to swing a hot bat.

Joey Loperfido (.500 BA)

Joey Loperfido made headlines during the first half of the 2024 season when he launched an impressive 13 home runs in just 39 games with Triple-A Sugar Land. After making his MLB debut in Houston, Loperfido was eventually shipped to Toronto. However, through 81 total games in the big leagues last season, Loperfido struggled as a rookie, posting a .214/.264/.350 line.

The Blue Jays opted for the Duke product to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Buffalo, but he has been rather impressive during his second stint in the majors. Since joining Toronto on July 6, Loperfido has held a .396 AVG with a 1.033 OPS. Over the last week, he has taken an even bigger step forward, posting a .500/.556/.750 line with two round-trippers.

The 26-year-old is worth adding in deeper five-outfield leagues, but he could be in danger of losing opportunities once Daulton Varsho (hamstring) returns from the IL.

Highest ISO Last Seven Days

Data through 7/30, minimum 13 at-bats

Nick Kurtz (.625 ISO)

While Kerry Carpenter would have topped this list, he only saw 12 plate appearances over this stretch, which will instead give budding superstar Nick Kurtz the top spot. The rookie sensation enjoyed one of the best individual performances in MLB history as he launched four home runs en route to defeating the Houston Astros on July 25.

Anyone who picked up Kurtz shortly after his MLB debut secured a league-winner.

Tyler O'Neill (.619 ISO)

Tyler O'Neill was held out of action early in the week due to general soreness, but was able to return to the starting nine on July 24 and has yet to slow down. Over his last seven games, O'Neill has launched four long balls and added a double. He has held a 5:4 K:BB over this stretch and tallied 10 RBI with seven runs.

From July 25 through July 29 (four games), O'Neill rode a four-game home run streak. He should be viewed as a top target on the waiver wire this weekend if looking for power.

Most Steals Last Seven Days

Data through 7/30

CJ Abrams (6 SBs)

After stealing only three bags through the first 18 games of the month, CJ Abrams finished the month in style, swiping six bags over his last seven contests. During this seven-game stretch, Abrams did all of his damage in just two games, as he posted two three-steal performances.

While also flashing elite speed, Abrams tallied two doubles and one home run. Overall, the 24-year-old is up to 26 stolen bases and 14 home runs. He should push for 20/40 upside during the back half of the campaign.

Josh Naylor (4 SBs)

Through his first six games with his new club, Josh Naylor has showcased surprising high-speed procurement. Through this short stint with the Mariners, Naylor has already swiped four bags while also adding a home run.

While he already set a career-high mark in steals before being shipped to Seattle, seeing the first baseman continue to run with his new club is a very promising sign. Fantasy managers who drafted him as their top first baseman are enjoying the added speed production as he sits with 15 stolen bases, 12 home runs, and a strong .288 AVG through 99 games.

However, his upside may be capped at this mark as he sits in the second percentile in sprint speed.

Highest wRC+ in July

Data through 7/30, the player must be qualified according to FanGraphs in terms of PAs.

To close things out, let's take a look at a more advanced metric under the hood to see if some of their recent production is legit. wRC+ (or Weighted Runs Created plus) measures a player's total offensive value in relation to the marks of an average hitter while adjusting for several factors like ballpark effects. When looking at this stat, if a player has a 165 wrC+, that means they are 65% better than the average hitter during a given stretch.

Here we will take a look at the highest wRC+ during July and determine if they can sustain this hot stretch over the final two months of the season.

Kyle Stowers (.240 wRC+)

If you didn't believe in Kyle Stowers when he began to break out in June, he proved any remaining doubters wrong in July. Through 91 PAs, Stowers has posted an elite .364/.451/.818 slash line with a 1.269 OPS. During this stretch, Stowers has launched 10 home runs while drawing walks at an impressive 12.1% rate.

Under the hood, Stowers sits in the 96th percentile in xwOBA and 96th percentile in xSLG. He should be viewed as a No. 2 OF in all formats going forward. He could very well lead the sport in several metrics down the stretch.

Corey Seager (.183 wRC+)

The other player that is worth spotlighting is Corey Seager. Seager had a rough start to the season as he held a .239/.328/.387 line through his first 44 contests. However, during this stretch, his underlying metrics remained quite strong, and there's a decent opportunity to grab the two-time World Series MVP at a discount in late-June.

The buy-low window for Corey Seager is closing fast https://t.co/2DL9Izeqbr

— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) June 21, 2025

Since June 20 (32 games), Seager has hit nine home runs and held a 1.041 OPS. The 31-year-old sits in the 94th percentile or better in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate. Expect a massive second half from Seager as the Rangers look to make a push in the Wild Card race.

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