Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 7)

May 9, 2025

Jarod's hitter fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers, and risers to watch for Week 7 of 2025. His list includes waiver wire outlooks and underachieving hitters so far.

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 7 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 and isolated power (ISO). You will also find expected batting average (xBA) underachievers and overachievers.

In this week's edition, we'll dive into players like Victor Scott II, Maikel Garcia, and Jacob Wilson. You'll not only find out who is hot at the plate, but also which hitters deserve better results due to their quality of contact, or who might be on the verge of a cold spell.

Last week, Javier Baez and Zach Neto were a couple of good callouts who kept on hitting. So, let's take a closer look at our breakout watch to help your fantasy baseball teams heading into Week 7. You might find a potential waiver wire target or some worthy DFS plays!

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Hit Streak Leaders

Data through 5/7

J.P. Crawford (15 games)

I discussed J.P. Crawford in last week's article because he was on a nine-game hit streak; now, a week later, he has the longest current hit streak in the majors at 15 games. He's also hit safely in 21 of the last 23 games.

Over the last seven games, the 30-year-old has been the team's leadoff hitter, which should continue to prove fruitful for fantasy (five RBI, three runs). With a 23:25 BB:K on the season, the left-handed hitter is clearly seeing the ball well.

You may not have noticed, but the Mariners are averaging the fifth-most runs scored per game so far this season (5.14 R/game), so look for Crawford to continue producing, and the former first-round draft pick is still available in almost 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Victor Scott II (8  games)

A little lower on this list is Victor Scott II, currently riding an eight-game hit streak. I'm singling him out because of his 30.0 feet-per-second sprint speed, which is tops in the majors.

When someone like him starts to get on base more, you could see the stolen bases pile up. With an above-average walk rate of 10.1%, steady stolen base production should remain even if the bat slows down.

The 24-year-old has 11 steals on the season, and if he continues to hit well, it could lead to a J.P. Crawford situation where he finds himself hitting leadoff, which also could be a boon to the left-handed hitter's fantasy value.

Even if he continues to hit toward the bottom of the order, as long as the speedster is on base, then he's a threat to score. With his speed, he's in scoring position even when he's on first base.

Victor Scott II has scored from first twice today 😳💨#STLCards

pic.twitter.com/EGTFxvrC9c

— Jacob Cersosimo (@JacobCersosimo) May 7, 2025

The former fifth-round draft pick is still available in almost 60 percent of leagues for managers looking for some steals with the potential to contribute to other categories as well.

Highest Batting Average Last Seven Days

Data through 5/7, minimum 13 at-bats

Maikel Garcia (.500 BA)

Ok, at almost 80 percent rostership on Yahoo!, there aren't many leagues you can go out and get Maikel Garcia off the waiver wire, but if you're looking for a hot bat for DFS, then Garcia could be your guy.

Not just because he can hit, as evidenced by going 12-for-24 (.500) over the past seven days and based on the snapshot below from his Baseball Savant page, but because he can run, too.

It took a little while for him to get going in the stolen base department, swiping just three bags over his first 28 games, but it wasn't really for a lack of trying -- the 25-year-old was caught stealing five times during that span as well.

However, over his last nine games, the 6-foot-1 Venezuelan has stolen six bases, without ever getting caught.

While many of his current stats, such as K%, Contact%, O-Swing%, and Barrel%, are career-bests, one might assume some regression is coming. However, an xBA of .328 is right in line with his actual .323 AVG, so that may not necessarily be the case.

The rest of the Kansas City offense has been picking it up lately, which should only help support Garcia's production, so feel confident using him in any format.

Jacob Wilson (.483 BA)

Ok, want someone you have a good chance of grabbing on the waiver wire? What more does Jacob Wilson have to do to get your attention? He's rostered in just 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but is currently the 40th-ranked player in 5x5 roto.

The Athletics are not the team of recent memory. This team can actually hit and score runs, and that includes Wilson. A player with a .357 AVG, with eight doubles, three home runs, 21 RBI, and 20 runs scored should be able to at least find a way onto your bench.

The kid rarely strikes out and owns a .379 wOBA and a 148 wRC+. Ok, so you might have to find stolen bases elsewhere, but this is a four-category producer, so make sure he is not available on your waiver wire.

Jacob Wilson is currently hitting .483 over his past seven games 😳 pic.twitter.com/8ZLPRBOAiU

— Milb Central (@milb_central) May 8, 2025

Highest ISO Last Seven Days

Data through 5/7, minimum 13 at-bats

Ryan McMahon (.588 ISO)

This potential waiver idea is not for the faint of heart. Despite the recent hot stretch, Ryan McMahon's batting average still sits at .193 for the season. An 0-for-33 stretch of futility preceded this mini-breakout.

But we want to be early on breakouts, the first ones to sniff it out, and that's what this article is all about. So, why should we trust McMahon for season-long fantasy or DFS? Well, he was striking out at an alarming rate to begin the season, 35.5 percent over the first 29 games.

However, during this little run he's been on that includes two doubles, a triple, and two home runs, there has been just one strikeout (5.0%), compared to three walks (15.0%).

Ryan McMahon is starting to heat up, and we are absolutely here for it 🔥🔥

Last 5 Games:

.357, 2 HR, 5 RBI including this 💣 tonight pic.twitter.com/gfyZ4O0P41

— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) May 8, 2025

The 30-year-old has been durable and consistent the last four years, playing at least 151 games and hitting around .245 each year with at least 20 home runs. In other words, there is more room for this hot streak to run if you dare to embrace it.

Daniel Schneemann (.579 ISO)

Since April 13, Daniel Schneeman is hitting .373 (19-for-51), but over the last week (five games), he has picked up the pace in the power department, collecting two doubles and three home runs.

CLE - Daniel Schneemann Grand Slam (1)

🔥 2nd HR of the game
📏 Distance: 395 ft
💨 EV: 111.2 mph
📐 LA: 27°
⚾️ 95.1 mph four-seam fastball (TOR - RHP Yimi García)
🏟️ Would be out in 30/30 MLB parks

CLE (5) @ TOR (3)
🔺 9th#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/1312ic12pE

— MLB Dongs🚀 (@MLB_Dongs) May 3, 2025

Along with that power surge, the counting stats followed, tallying seven RBI and eight runs scored. On top of that, the 28-year-old has walked more than he's struck out (2:3 K:BB).

The 20.0% barrel rate is due to come down, so don't expect this type of home run production from here on out, but a better-than-league-average chase rate and an xBA of .263 suggest he could still be productive for Cleveland.

The left-handed hitter is eligible at 2B, 3B, SS, and OF on Yahoo!, giving managers plenty of flexibility to plug lineup holes when usual starters are unavailable, and is rostered in just 20 percent of leagues.

Most Steals Last Seven Days

Data through 5/7

Dane Myers (three SBs)

Dane Myers has been getting playing time as the Marlins' regular center fielder and has started to use his legs over the last week and a half. After stealing just two bases over his first 20 games, the 29-year-old has now swiped four bases over the last seven.

The former sixth-round draft pick can steal bases because he's also been hitting, going 9-for-22 (.409) over that seven-game stretch, including a double and a home run. The right-handed hitter has also reduced the strikeouts, registering a 4:5 BB:K over that time.

Myers is available in around 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues for managers looking for some stolen base help.

xBA Underachiever

Data through 5/7   

Salvador Perez (.233 vs. .320)

After April 19, the Royals' record stood at 8-14, losers of six straight. But back in Week 4, Salvador Perez was highlighted in this article as an underachiever, and you were reassured that he'd start to hit again.

And he did. Since April 22, the veteran has gone 15-for-45 (.333), and although those were all homer-less at-bats, he tallied eight doubles during that 12-game stretch.

With contributions from the aforementioned Maikel Garcia and Perez, as well as Bobby Witt Jr. hitting more home runs and other players contributing, the Royals have gone 14-2 since April 19.

In that Week 4 article, Perez was hitting .204, and he now has his BA up to .233. The good news for fantasy managers is that there is still room for more production, as the nine-time All-Star still has the single-biggest discrepancy between BA and xBA.

Many of his metrics, like strikeout rate, contact rate, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate, are as good as or better than they were last year, when he hit .271.

Does that mean the right-handed hitter will get to .320 like his xBA suggests? No, but a .250 to .270 BA wouldn't be surprising, so fantasy managers who roster the five-time Silver Slugger award winner should remain patient.

xBA Overachiever

Data through 5/7

Alex Call has been quietly raking lately, but you might not have noticed since he doesn't play every day. Over the 30-year-old's last seven games, he's gone 10-for-23 (.435) with two doubles, six RBI, six runs scored, and a 4:6 K:BB.

If you were fortunate enough to play him in season-long fantasy and ride that hot streak, congratulations. However, based on his xBA, he should be hitting 65 points lower.

That would put his BA at .283, which isn't bad, but that's quite a ways to fall. As a career .244 hitter, don't expect that he'll hit well over .300 for the rest of the year, and don't be surprised to see a slow and steady drop from here.

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