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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters to add as category boosters for Week 8 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 8 of the 2026 MLB season. At this point, we have a good idea of where our teams are and what we need to do to remake them. Can we salvage it?
The one thing I will never embrace is giving up on a fantasy baseball team, even if it perhaps seems advisable. You have to engage in a steady analysis and never stop grinding the gears trying to improve your teams. This article can help you find players who can help you now.
We will give you multiple options for each of the five offensive categories in a standard five-by-five league. All hitters will be listed by their percentage in Yahoo! leagues, with 50% being the max. Let's see who can help boost your categories.
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Runs Scored (R) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets (30% rostered)
Benge was a hot addition a few weeks ago, but when he struggled with the bat, many players forgot him and moved on. We may want to revisit the case for rostering Benge. The rookie has three three-hit games in his last five games.
Take a look below. The batting average is going up over time; he is hitting .412 over the last week, and he has scored a whopping nine runs this week. Roster Benge this week if you need outfield help and help in the runs category.
Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics (18% rostered)
Bolte looks like he will have a runway for the Athletics, given the struggles of players like Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom. If you are hurting in the outfield, Bolte might be a good add for you. Bolte stole 46 and 44 bases in the last two minor league seasons.
Sam Antonacci, 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox (15% rostered)
This is not a hometown pick because I am a White Sox fan; Antonacci can actually play baseball. The rookie is hitting .286 with four stolen bases and 16 runs in 30 games. Add in that he has eligibility at three positions and daily at-bats, and you may be sold on Antonacci.
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
JJ Bleday, OF, Cincinnati Reds (47% rostered)
Bleday is playing daily for Cincinnati, and he is hitting for power. Bleday was an afterthought for most teams, and he has shown that he might be coming into his own this season. He is hitting .292 with six home runs, two in the last week.
Check out his batted ball profile below. Highlighted is the pull air percentage, which is at a career-high 35.1% in 2026. Bleday is hitting for both average and power so far and is worth rostering in most formats.
Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres (34% rostered)
Sheets has hit four home runs over the last week and is getting regular time for San Diego. He has the bonus of eligibility at both first base and outfield. Sheets is hitting a blistering .526 over the last 10 days and is hitting .262 with nine home runs this season.
Zack Gelof, 2B/3B/OF, Athletics (18% rostered)
Gelof has resurrected his career this season with an opportunity to play for the Athletics. He has cut the strikeout rate to 22.5% this year, and the result thus far has been a .269 batting average, six home runs, 16 RBI, four stolen bases, and 18 runs.
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Matt McLain, 2B, Cincinnati Reds (50% rostered)
McLain was kind of forgotten about this draft season, but he is still worth taking a look at in 12-team and deeper leagues. He has quietly moved up to the leadoff spot for the Reds, and he has eight RBI over the last week. Take a deeper dive.
Below, you can see that McLain has cut his strikeout rate to under 23%, while increasing his walk rate to 12.3%. His expected batting average is 30 points higher. McLain could easily post double-digit home runs and steals, and knock in 70+. Consider McLain.
Brayan Rocchio, 2B/SS, Cleveland Guardians (42% rostered)
Rocchio was seen as a utility player who was unrosterable during draft season, but has become a starter at shortstop for the Guardians and is a usable fantasy player in deeper leagues. Rocchio has six RBI over the last week and is hitting .282 with 27 RBI on the season.
Rocchio is hitting .341 with eight RBI over the last two weeks. Roster Rocchio if you need middle infield help this week.
Jake Burger, 1B, Texas Rangers (15% rostered)
Burger hits the ball as hard as anyone in baseball and is starting to heat up in Texas. I am slightly surprised he is so widely available in leagues. Burger has 12 RBI over the last eight games, and is hitting .458 over that time as well. Burger is worth rostering at this time.
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Bryson Stott, 2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies (47% rostered)
Stott got off to a bad start this season, but has been turning it around over the last month. Stott is up to nine stolen bases this season, three over his last week of games. He is hitting .258 with five homers, 18 RBI, and four stolen bases in that span.
Check out his average exit velocity below. While this does not necessarily mean more stolen base success, he is hitting the ball harder than ever and getting on base, which could lead to more stolen base opportunities. Stott is a great second base target. 
A.J. Ewing, 2B/OF, New York Mets (42% rostered)
Ewing was a popular addition last weekend and will continue to be highly rostered this week. So far, Ewing has hit .292 with a homer, four RBI, six runs, and two stolen bases. Ewing stole a whopping 70 bases over three levels in 2025. He will get you bags.
Cedric Mullins, OF, Tampa Bay Rays (5% rostered)
Raise your hand if you had Mullins being viable as a fantasy player on your 2026 bingo card. Mullins is hitting .286 with a homer, six RBI, eight runs, and four stolen bases in May. With regular playing time, which he is getting now, Mullins will steal bases.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies (37% rostered)
Bohm is starting to look like himself again, and that means that he could help the right roster. Bohm has four multiple-hit efforts in the last week, hitting .324 over that span. Add in that Bohm has two homers and five runs over that time, and you have a useful player.
Spencer Steer, 1B/OF, Cincinnati Reds (37% rostered)
It's good to see that Steer is back and productive in Cincinnati. Steer has an 11-game hitting streak where he has hit .333 with five multiple-hit games over that span. With regular playing time, Steer is producing great results.
See his Statcast below. To see results supported by data helps build the case that Steer is back and can be useful to your fantasy team. The eligibility at first base and outfield helps his case for your roster.
Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers (22% rostered)
Bauers is underrated both in real baseball and fantasy baseball. I know that many people will say do not roster platoon bats, but this is a guy who can help you. He's hitting .438 over his last nine games, with five multiple-hit games over this time.
Look at his Statcast below. Bauers is hitting .292 with seven home runs, 28 RBI, four steals, and 27 runs scored. This box screams buy; if Bauers is available in your league, and you need help at the corner infield or outfield spots, consider adding him.
Happy hunting this weekend, my friends! Good luck on the waiver wire this week. Remember, above all, having fun with fantasy baseball is the key to all of this. Enjoy it!
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