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Jeremy's catcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of 2025 (May 26 - June 1). His top catcher streamers and free-agent adds to target on waivers.
Week 9 and the end of May are approaching, and it's hard to believe we are already two months into the season. The catcher position has been one of the most pleasant surprises so far in 2025, as many breakout options have made sure there is never a shortage of good backstops on the waiver wire.
Whether you need a long-term option at the position or just a week 9 streamer, there are plenty of options to choose from in both shallow and deep leagues.
Below, we’ll take a look at catcher fantasy baseball waiver wire adds for Week 9 of the season — May 26 to June 1. There are recommendations for shallow leagues (30-49 percent rostered) and deep leagues (0-29 percent rostered). Additionally, there's one player who is worth keeping an eye on or stashing who could pay off in a big way later this season.
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Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Gabriel Moreno, Arizona Diamondbacks (30% rostered)
Gabriel Moreno was ice cold to start the year, slashing just .230/.321/.257 in April. As you’d expect, his ownership rate plummeted as he was no longer worth owning in one-catcher leagues. However, his underlying metrics suggested that he was getting unlucky and that a rebound could be around the corner.
That’s exactly what happened, as he has slashed an excellent .315/.351/.556 with three home runs so far in May, heading into Friday. Over the last 30 days, he has been the seventh most valuable catcher in standard 5x5 roto leagues.
The 25-year-old has posted a 92.2 mph average exit velocity and 47.6% hard-hit rate, which are both improvements over 2024, and that’s with his terrible April dragging him down. Although he didn’t start the game on Friday night, he still managed to launch a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning, his fourth of the season.
ARI - Gabriel Moreno 2-run HR (4)
📏 Distance: 399 ft
💨 EV: 107.7 mph
📐 LA: 30°
⚾️ 80.5 mph curveball (STL - RHP Ryan Helsley)
🏟️ Would be out in 30/30 MLB parksARI (3) @ STL (4)
🔺 9th#Dbacks pic.twitter.com/B0H6G3LT8w— MLB Home Runs🚀 (@MLBHRs_) May 24, 2025
Moreno’s week 9 matchups look particularly enticing, as he’s set for six games against the Pirates and the Nationals. The probable opposing pitchers include Andrew Heaney, Mike Burrows, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Parker, all matchups that certainly won’t be making any hitters nervous.
Agustin Ramirez, Miami Marlins (34% rostered)
Agustin Ramirez didn't do anything extremely notable in the past week, but his ownership rate remains too low for how valuable he is. Playing time is one thing that can truly differentiate a catcher from most others at the position, and Ramirez has it.
He splits his time between catcher and designated hitter, which allows him to be in the lineup almost every single day. He spends most of the time batting second in the order, but he even got the chance to be the leadoff hitter on Friday night. Those guaranteed plate appearances give him a higher floor than so many others in the position.
That's not even mentioning the fact that he has been a great hitter even since getting called up. He has cooled off as of late, particularly with his batting average, but he still possesses raw power and stolen base upside that most other catchers don't.
He totaled more than 20 homers and stolen bases in 2024 in the minors, which is a skill set you don't often see. He easily has what it takes to be a top-10 catcher the rest of the way, yet is the 15th most rostered catcher on Yahoo.
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Carlos Narvaez, Boston Red Sox (4% rostered)
Carlos Narvaez stepped into the everyday catching duties when Connor Wong went on the injured list on April 7 and has since run away with the job. Wong was activated on May 2 but has since been relegated to the backup role, with Narvaez playing in 11 of the last 12 games.
He definitely deserves the playing time, slashing .291/.357/.480 with five home runs, 17 RBI, and 20 runs through 37 games. Most of his underlying metrics are about league average, but his 12.5% barrel rate stands out in the 75th percentile. That type of production is definitely worth starting in two-catcher leagues.
It’s shocking that he is only owned in four percent of leagues despite being the fifth most-valuable catcher over the past 30 days. In that time frame, he’s batting .349 with four of his five homers. He ranks in the top 10 percent of the league in blocks above average, caught stealing above average, and pitch framing, so his defense is good enough to hold onto this starting job long term.
Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets (22% rostered)
Francisco Alvarez hasn’t done much to get excited about so far in 2025. He’s batting .250 with only three extra base hits in 72 plate appearances, which works out to a .328 slugging percentage.
The lack of power is alarming for a player who hit 25 home runs in 2023 as a 21-year-old. He did work his way back from a fractured hand to begin this season, and you have to wonder if that has sapped some of his power.
Still, he’s the 21st most rostered catcher in Yahoo leagues, and there aren’t 21 catchers who are truly worth getting excited about. In very deep leagues, the best streamers often won’t be the most exciting option but rather the ones with the best matchup for the upcoming week. That’s why Alvarez makes the cut as a waiver wire add for week 9 because he gets six games against two extremely lackluster rotations.
First, the Mets will face off against the White Sox at home, where they’ll be facing the likes of Adrian Houser, Shane Smith, and Sean Burke. Then the Rockies will come to town, where Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, and Ryan Feltner will draw starts. If there’s ever a week where Alvarez will find his power again, this is the week.
Fantasy Baseball Catchers Waiver Wire Watch List
Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles (5% rostered)
Samuel Basallo continues to show every day why he’s ready for the big leagues. This past Thursday night, he went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, and a walk. One of his home runs was a bomb that was launched at 107.2 mph off the bat.
Samuel Basallo leaves the yard again! ✌️
MLB's No. 16 prospect (@Orioles) launches one 107.2 mph for his second long ball of the night for the Triple-A @NorfolkTides. pic.twitter.com/fxkMnM1S0H
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 23, 2025
The number 16 overall prospect, according to MLB.com, is now slashing .267/.368/.622 with nine home runs in 27 games at Triple-A. He has truly elite raw power, and his ability to play first base could get him to the majors sooner rather than later. Ryan Mountcastle has continued to struggle as the Orioles primary first baseman, batting just .232 with two homers on the season.
On top of that, Baltimore has the third-worst record in baseball, beating out only the Rockies and White Sox with a 16-33 record. They will need some type of spark if they want to stop this from being a completely lost season, and Basallo would definitely provide that. There’s still no imminent promotion looming, but the 20-year-old remains one of the most exciting prospects to stash for fantasy.
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