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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters to add as category boosters for Week 9 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 9 of the 2025 MLB season. I don't know anyone who has not been impacted by player injuries this year. Now, we are also dealing with ineffective players; those guys we drafted who may not be coming through for us.
Struggling to determine what your team needs to be competitive in your league? There are ways to cover your needs by combing the waiver wire for needed stats. This week, we feature productive players on bad teams, like Nolan Schanuel and Chase Meidroth. The bottom of your roster should be churning most weeks, and we will help you find players to plug into your weekly lineups or your bench.
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
Brandon Lowe, 1B/2B, Tampa Bay Rays (44% rostered)
Lowe has been staring at us on the waiver wire for some time now, but he should be rostered in almost every league. He is hitting .293 this month with six homers and 14 RBI, while adding 17 runs scored in May. Of those runs, eight have come in the last week. Lowe is hitting the ball hard and getting good results. See the increase in Lowe's average exit velocity over the last few years below.
Gabriel Moreno, C, Arizona Diamondbacks (32% rostered)
I rarely give catchers much love here, despite being a retired catcher myself! But Moreno has become a mainstay in the Arizona lineup. He's hitting .324 this month with four home runs, 12 RBI, and 12 runs scored while hitting in a stacked lineup.
Moreno hits the ball hard and doesn't strike out, leading to more balls in play and better results. Given that he plays every day and usually only gets one day off per week, you can count on Moreno to pile up at-bats, score runs, and hit for a good average. Consider him if you are struggling for offensive consistency behind the plate on your team.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels (10% rostered)
He's hitting .313 this month, and while there may not be lots of pop in this profile, Schanuel can hit. He has also scored 15 runs this month while holding the No. 2 spot in the batting order. Of course, you may like to see more power production from the first baseman on your team, but if you can augment that in another spot, Schanuel will give you runs and a good batting average.
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres (31% rostered)
Sheets continues to hit home runs and knock in runs in San Diego. He's a good addition right now in both categories. I added him here due to the seven home runs Sheets has this month. Most of his at-bats are now coming from playing right field or manning the designated hitter spot.
Sheets should continue to get playing time, but be aware that he is a streaky hitter. No matter; he's on a good streak right now and should be added in most formats.
Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF, Chicago White Sox (17% rostered)
I have been touting Vargas and put the chart below to help make my case. He is getting daily at-bats for the White Sox and doing damage. He has seven home runs in May and boasts a low 17.7% strikeout rate. Vargas puts the ball in play, and his batting average is on the rise after a brutal first two weeks in April.
Add in that he has third base and outfield eligibility, and that he will soon have first base eligibility as well, and you have a useful player in most formats. I love that he is proving all the naysayers wrong by playing well in this extended opportunity. See his growth in May below.
Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (14% rostered)
Varsho appears to be a forgotten man in many fantasy leagues. The veteran outfielder won't hit for a high average, but he has power, as evidenced by his eight home runs since his return in late April from the injured list. He has also contributed 12 runs scored in that time.
He only has one stolen base, but that's ok; this is why he is on the waiver wire. But if you can absorb the batting average, then the home runs and the runs are a good reason to roster Varsho. Consider him if you are behind in home runs.
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Jonathan Aranda, 1B/2B, Tampa Bay Rays (49% rostered)
I loved Aranda at the beginning of the season, being a left-handed hitter in a minor league ballpark, playing half of his games in Florida. All he has done is hit .309 with seven home runs and 23 runs scored in 2025. Aranda has 16 RBI this month while hitting an outstanding .320. He has also chipped in three homers.
I am not sure what it will take to have more fantasy players buy into Aranda. He is holding down the cleanup spot and seems a cinch to drive in runs. Check out Aranda's hard-hit percentage growth throughout his career below.
Austin Hays, OF, Cincinnati Reds (29% rostered)
Hays makes the most of his playing time in Cincinnati. He continues to knock in runs, with 12 in 69 May plate appearances. Hays is also hitting .308 on the season and has slammed six home runs in total. Manager Terry Francona sees the wisdom in having Hays as part of his daily lineup. You should, too.
Connor Norby, 2B/3B, Miami Marlins (17% rostered)
Norby continues to fly under the radar despite being a productive player in Miami. Norby has moved to the No. 3 spot in the lineup and has an RBI in five of his last six games. He's hitting. 296 this month with two home runs, two stolen bases, and 13 RBI. The eligibility at both second and third base adds another element here as well. Norby should be rostered in more leagues.
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Matt Shaw, 2B/3B/SS, Chicago Cubs (48% rostered)
Shaw was recalled last week by the Chicago Cubs after being given a month in Triple-A Iowa to find his swing again. Since he has returned to the major league roster, Shaw is hitting .355 with four stolen bases on his record. He has also scored six runs in those eight games. Fantasy players are getting wise to Shaw being on the waiver wire, so take a look at him if you need infield depth and speed.
Victor Scott II, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (34% rostered)
I am not sure why fantasy players are not bigger fans of this guy. Scott doesn't have much power, but he hits for a decent average (he's at .268 for the season), steals bases (16 so far, six in May), and scores runs (27 in total, 13 in May). I will posit to people sometimes that we are in such a hunger for power that we often exclude players like Scott, who can help in three offensive categories. Take a longer look at him this weekend.
Chase Meidroth, 2B/3B/SS, Chicago White Sox (38% rostered)
I love Meidroth, and not just because of my undying White Sox loyalty. See below. I cherry-picked some stats to make the case for Meidroth. He doesn't strike out, and he takes walks. His on-base percentage is a robust .380. He gets on base, and he steals bases. He has seven steals this month and is hitting .299. He will not hit a bunch of home runs, but he can help in the other categories while also boasting eligibility at three different infield spots. There is value here.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles (33% rostered)
The automatic assumption, most of the time, is that platoon bats are not worth rostering. O'Hearn is the exception here. He is hitting .340 right now and has nine home runs as well. And for those who do not know, he is no longer a platoon bat; he has 98 plate appearances this month and should continue to receive playing time for the struggling Baltimore Orioles. Fantasy players are going to wake up soon and snag him; get him now if you can.
Carlos Narvaez, C, Boston Red Sox (16% rostered)
I have passed on Narvaez often over the last few weeks, as catcher wasn't a need for me on most teams. But Narvaez continues to make a case for being rostered in more leagues. He has wrestled the starting job in Boston away from veteran Connor Wong, and he continues to hit. He's batting .385 this month, and while not a huge help in other categories, he's a productive batting average at the very least from a position that can be a drag on averages.
Kody Clemens, 1B/2B/3B, Minnesota Twins (5% rostered)
This one is going a little deeper, but Clemens has found his stride this year with the Minnesota Twins. If I am being honest, I never saw this level of production coming. Yet, Clemens is hitting .333 in May and has chipped in five home runs and 12 RBI.
His eligibility all over the infield is also a feather in his cap and a boon to your roster. With the returns of Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner nearing, there could be a roster crunch coming in the Twin Cities, but Clemens has also made some starts in the outfield to help cement his roster spot. Roll with him now while he is hot and playing daily.
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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