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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters to add as category boosters for Week 2 of 2026. 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 2 of the 2026 MLB season. As always, week one has had its fair share of interesting moments to start the season.
The reality of cold starts for many hitters, coupled with covering your injury needs, leads you to an article like this one. Who are some guys who can help you gather those stats while you are waiting for a return to effectiveness and/or health of your selected players?
We will give you three options for each of the five offensive categories in a standard five-by-five league. All hitters will be listed according to their percentage of rostered players on Yahoo!, with a maximum of 50 percent. Let's find some bargains.
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Runs Scored (R) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Atlanta Braves (30% rostered)
Before you suggest I have lost my marbles, have you seen what Dubon has done this year? He is hitting .350 with two homers, seven RBI, and seven runs scored, with all of those numbers coming over the last week. With Ha-Seong Kim (finger) out another month, Dubon has a chance to gather stats.
Cole Young, 2B, Seattle Mariners (16% rostered)
Young has a starting spot on a very good team in the Seattle Mariners. Not only has he chipped in with two homers, but he has scored eight runs, five over the last week, despite hitting in the lower part of the order. He looks like he is ready to stick in the major leagues.
He has had a hit in 10 of 12 games this year, making Young a burgeoning useful player for fantasy teams. I think he is a good fit in deeper leagues if you are struggling with the likes of Marcus Semien or Bryson Stott at the keystone.
Josh Bell, 1B, Minnesota Twins (9% rostered)
Bell will probably make this list a few times this year, similar to last year. Playing almost daily, Bell is hitting .265 with two homers, eight RBI, and nine runs scored. All nine runs have occurred over the last week. Bell is streaky but worth adding when he gets hot.
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets
Alvarez has an everyday job and has launched three home runs already in his 10 games played. Fantasy players have been waiting for the skills to coalesce with good health. Are we there now? Those who drafted Alvarez are seeing that payoff now.
If you recently lost Alejandro Kirk (thumb) or need an upgrade over a current poor performer, consider Alvarez this weekend in your FAAB process.
Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals (25% rostered)
Jensen is the young backstop who is getting regular playing time in Kansas City while learning under the tutelage of one of the best of all time, Salvador Perez. Jensen has homered twice in his last three games while knocking in four runs.
Let's take a quick look under the hood. Check out those exit velocity readings below. That is elite. In only 104 career plate appearances, Jensen is hitting .275 with six home runs, and he is here to stay. Do not be afraid to grab him, even in one-catcher leagues.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Colorado Rockies (14% rostered)
It is easy to forget that Moniak had a nice season last year in Colorado: he hit .270 with 24 home runs, 68 RBI, 62 runs, and chipped in nine steals. Teammate Jordan Beck became an early-season sleeper as Moniak was set to miss the beginning of the season.
Well, he is back now and has slugged three home runs this week while hitting second in the lineup. He is back, and he can help your squad.
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (17% rostered)
All that we have been waiting for with Mitchell is clean health. And we have that now, as well as a clear opportunity to play daily in Milwaukee with Jackson Chourio out. All Mitchell has done is knock in 13 runs in nine games with a .333 average and three stolen bases.
Take a shot at Mitchell this weekend if you need outfield help in light of ineffective early play or the injury bug.
Mark Vientos, 3B, New York Mets (16% rostered)
Vientos has knocked in a run in five of his last six games while also posting multiple hits in three of those games earlier this week. With superstar Juan Soto on the IL for a few weeks, Vientos could get more at-bats against right-handed pitching, increasing his value.
Vientos is clobbering baseballs. See his Statcast data below.
TJ Rumfield, 1B, Colorado Rockies (16% rostered)
The rookie first baseman in Colorado is making a quick mark. He's hitting .389 in 11 games with two home runs, six runs scored, and seven RBI. Rumfield is hitting cleanup right now and doing a fine job. Will it continue?
Time will tell, but if you are struggling with the likes of Josh Naylor at first base, consider the addition of Rumfield. He has never hit more than 17 home runs in the minor leagues, but has hit .294 and .285 in the last two seasons there.
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox (37% rostered)
I am a Vargas champion, and I hope this is the year he breaks through. While he is only hitting .222, he has seven RBI and three stolen bases. Hitting in the middle of a growing White Sox lineup, Vargas should have plenty of opportunity for counting stats and hopefully a .250 batting average.
I am looking for Vargas to hit 20 homers and steal 15 bases. He is going to produce and reward the folks who roster him this year. He should play 150 games this year.
Kyle Isbel, OF, Kansas City Royals (19% rostered)
Isbel is off to a hot start in Kansas City, hitting .429 with four stolen bases on the year. Three of those stolen bases have come over the last week. Will that continue? Hard to say, but he is playing center field every day for his excellent defense and should have plenty of playing time.
Hyeseong Kim, 2B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (7% rostered)
This is a pure speed play for the Dodgers as veteran Mookie Betts takes time to recover from his oblique injury. Kim puts the bat on the ball but has limited power, yet he could steal double-digit bags while Betts is out, and he gets playing time.
Below, you can see the elite sprint speed that he showed in 2025 when he stole 13 bases in only 170 plate appearances.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers (26% rostered)
Keith is showing signs of life at the plate, and he, too, has that multiple position eligibility that helps you as injuries mount to your team. I love that he has been hitting leadoff for the Tigers, as he gets on base at a high clip.
Keith is currently hitting .360 with seven runs scored; he has not helped yet in the home run, RBI, or stolen base categories, but he might soon. A small bid gets you a profitable player. It's still early in the season, but check out this Statcast below.
Max Muncy, 2B/3B/SS, Athletics (43% rostered)
Muncy is playing daily and has positional eligibility at second base, third base, and shortstop. He is hitting .308 with three multiple-hit games over the last five games. Muncy has also chipped in two home runs and a stolen base. Strikeouts are part of his game, but in leagues where that doesn't hurt you, Muncy is a great guy to add to your team.
Jonathan India, 2B/3B/OF, Kansas City Royals (7% rostered)
Some pundits had been writing about India as a sleeper in the winter months. With eligibility at three positions, India is a bit of a Swiss Army knife that you can use on your teams to spell injured players. After a 1-for-10 start, India has hit .286 in early April, showing life with three two-hit games this week.
Good luck and happy hunting, RotoBallers! You can always message me @mdrc0508 on X to complain about my picks or make other suggestions! Please always remember to take care of your mental health daily. It is the most important thing you can do for yourself.
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