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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters to add as category boosters for Week 15 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 15 of the 2025 MLB season. As we head into the All-Star break, it's time to take a long look and engage in some honest reflection on our teams.
As we conduct calculus on our teams, it is essential to assess our standing in every offensive category and identify players who can help us bridge statistical gaps on our team. It might be time to churn those underperformers this weekend.
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
Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox (50% rostered)
It is just a matter of time until Anthony solves the riddle of the pitching he is seeing for the first time. There is much to like in this profile: he is hitting .429 over his last week of games, and has scored six runs over that span. He also added a home run in that span. Anthony's stock is going to skyrocket soon.
Jake Meyers, OF, Houston Astros (13% rostered)
Meyers missed a couple of games with a calf strain, but has been playing well for the Astros. He is not hitting for power or stealing many bases, but he is hitting .316 over the last two weeks and scored 11 runs. Meyers is hitting .308 with 14 stolen bases and 47 runs scored this season.
Ronny Mauricio, 2B/3B, New York Mets (5% rostered)
Mauricio looks like he might be getting an extended chance with the Mets this month. Still just 24, he has eligibility at both second base and third base. Mauricio hit a home run Tuesday and has scored at least one run in four of five games this month.
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Addison Barger, 3B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays (50% rostered)
I saw Barger first-hand this week in Chicago, and I can tell you he passes the eye test: beautiful swing, hard contact, played both right field and third base that night. What's better than passing my eye test is the numbers he can put up for your fantasy team. Barger is hitting .323 in July with three home runs, 12 RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base. He is up to 12 home runs on the season. Take a look at his Statcast below, which is absurd, most notably in the hard-hit numbers and barrel percentage. Barger should be rostered far more.
Ben Rice, C/1B, New York Yankees (36% rostered)
In my mind, there is a slight disconnect between Rice's Statcast page (seen below) and his actual batting average of .231. His xBA is an excellent .294, his hard-hit and barrel percentage are in the 94th and 93rd percentiles, respectively, and he looks to be someone who will have positive regression in the second half. With the catcher eligibility, that adds a layer to his profile. Grab him now.
Sean Murphy, C, Atlanta Braves (18% rostered)
Murphy has been forgotten about and dropped from most rosters, but perhaps we should reconsider. He has played four times in the last week, including one start against a right-hander and three against a lefty. In those games, Murphy slugged two home runs. More interestingly, he now has four home runs in his last six starts. He has 12 this season in a limited role. With Drake Baldwin cooling off over the last few weeks, maybe Murphy gets a larger proportion of the playing time.
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Romy Gonzalez, 1B/2B/3B/SS, Boston Red Sox (11% rostered)
Gonzalez has been a lifesaver for the Red Sox and their flagging postseason hopes. He continues to hit at every position he plays for Boston, knocking in at least one run in five consecutive starts over the last week. He has every infield position covered. Gonzalez is hitting .338 with 26 RBI, only three away from his career high.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Colorado Rockies (11% rostered)
Sometimes it is easy to forget that Moniak was the number-one pick in the amateur draft in 2016 by the Philadelphia Phillies. It has been a long road to Colorado for him, but Moniak is putting up stats right now and should be rostered far more. His career high in home runs is 14; he is at 13 today, and eight of those home runs have come in June and July. Add in that he hit .300 in June and .450 in July, and you have a useful player who is rostered in a small number of leagues.
Joey Ortiz, 3B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers (8% rostered)
I have a confession: I love the Brewers and their style of play. They are gritty, moving guys over, taking extra bases, playing great defense, and finding ways to win. Ortiz is part of that group and is showing signs of life after being one of the worst statistical hitters in the game through June. Ortiz is not hitting for average, but he is showing some pop and the ability to drive in runs, with 14 RBI in his last 13 games. Keep him in mind during this next FAAB run.
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Evan Carter, OF, Texas Rangers (19% rostered)
People expected more balance in his game, but Carter is showing a predilection for stealing bases since he returned from the injured list. He has three steals after five last month, and with the ample playing time he is getting, he is a good target.
Tyler Freeman, SS/OF, Colorado Rockies (17% rostered)
Freeman continues to bat leadoff in Colorado and provide dividends to a patchy lineup. He had six steals last month and has added another three this month. Add in a .373 batting average in June and .433 in July so far. He is swinging a hot bat, and you should roster him if you need middle infield or outfield help.
Ha-Seong Kim, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (5% rostered)
Kim quietly made his debut last week and immediately hurt his calf. The injury proved minor, and he missed a couple of days. When healthy, Kim will not hit for a high batting average but will help with stolen bases and runs, and could crack double digits in home runs, too. Kim has already stolen one base since his return from the IL. He is worth considering in deep leagues this weekend.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Josh Smith, 1B/3B/SS/OF, Texas Rangers (37% rostered)
Smith continues to receive and max out his playing time in Texas. His eligibility all over the field is another bonus. He hit .311 in June and is hitting .346 in July through 30 plate appearances. Smith is batting leadoff and holding down third base for the Rangers. He is on pace for double-digit home runs and stolen bases, too, with eight of each as of today. Smith can help you with your batting average right now.
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers (16% rostered)
Keith is finally getting an opportunity in Detroit. Keith is similar to Smith above in that he plays all over the infield and is holding down the leadoff position, but he does it for the best team in baseball. What Keith has over Smith is power. He has eight home runs on the season, two in July, to go with an eye-popping .458 batting average. You can see his xwOBA below growing by the month. Keith is a good bet to get regular playing time at second base, third base, and designated hitter. Grab this Swiss Army knife before your league mates do this weekend.
Mike Tauchman, OF, Chicago White Sox (4% rostered)
I saw Tauchman play in person on Monday night, and all he did was get three hits while hitting leadoff for a retooling White Sox squad. Tauchman is playing well enough that he will likely be moved at the trade deadline to a contending team that needs a spare outfielder. Tauchman had four consecutive games with multiple hits this week, raising his batting average to .353 in 37 July plate appearances. He is worth rostering if you need help with your team average; he will not provide much in the home run or stolen base departments.
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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