Infield Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 6 (1B, 2B, 3B, SS) - May 5 to May 11

Dan's favorite infield-eligible fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups (1B, 2B, 3B, SS) for Week 6 of 2025 (May 5 - May 11). His top free-agent hitters to add.

Hello RotoBallers, and welcome back to the weekly Infield Waiver Wire Adds series. For those of you just joining us, this column runs every Sunday morning to give you some inspiration before scoping out your league’s player pool for new talent at the infield positions. Finding the right player to add isn’t always easy, and deciding who to drop in return can be just as hard.

It being relatively early in the season, I still have some lingering attachments to my “sleepers,” even if they are underperforming. It can be hard to let go, but on the eve of Week 6, it is time to face facts and give these players the boot (sorry, Michael Conforto). My preferred approach (because, you know, this week could be the week Conforto turns it around) is to drop players previously added from the wire. If they are no longer bringing to the table the same production that attracted my attention in the first place, it is an easier decision to say goodbye.

Who are you having to cut ties with this weekend? You can let me know on X (@danifestmestiny) or on Bluesky (@danifestmestiny.bsky.social). While you are at it, tell me who you are adding this week, or give me your thoughts on my top fantasy baseball waiver wire adds for the infield for Week 6 - May 5 to May 11.

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Waiver Wire Pickups For Shallow Leagues (30-50% rostered)

Jonathan Aranda, 1B/2B, Tampa Bay Rays (46%  rostered)

Be forewarned: Aranda regularly sits against left-handed pitchers, and the Rays are scheduled to face three southpaws in Week 6. Managers with daily roster adjustments can get by if they have another first baseman on the bench, but managers with weekly locks should be aware that their new infielder will likely see three starts at most this week.

Aranda is batting clean-up when he does play, so he is in the right spot to collect RBI once the top of the Rays’ order can start setting him up. For now, Tampa’s one through three hitters have a collective .285 on-base percentage, and when hitting fourth, Aranda has only 10 RBI (of his 14 total) to show for it. Aranda has been a boon for batting average in category leagues. A recent slump has dragged his batting average to .298, but batted ball numbers are too good to ignore when set against others in this range.

I would recommend Aranda only if you don’t need immediate help at first or second base. With only three games to look forward to, and then waiting to see if he can warm back up at the plate, he is probably not someone to plug into lineups straightaway. However, if you can wait out Week 6, then you might see dividends come Week 7.

Javier Baez, 3B/SS/OF, Detroit Tigers (31% rostered)

A recent shift to center field in Detroit has not stopped Javier Baez from being one of the hottest hitters in the league over the last two weeks. Since April 21, he has been batting .353 and slugging .706, with three home runs, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. The three homers came in consecutive games from April 30 to May 2 and were his first of 2025. On the season, Baez is hitting .300 with 10 runs scored and 14 RBI.

The Tigers start Week 6 with a three-game series against the Rockies at Coors Field, where Baez has eight home runs in 18 career games as a visitor to the park. Fantasy managers dealing with Jake Burger’s sudden demotion should ride Baez’s hot streak while it lasts.

Waiver Wire Pickups For Deeper Leagues (10-30% rostered)

Jake Cronenworth, 1B/2B, San Diego Padres (23% rostered)

Another one for those of you who can wait a player out, Jake Cronenworth (ribs) is available in more than three-quarters of leagues. Sure, he is on the injured list right now, but he could be activated in time for San Diego’s road series in Colorado at the end of Week 6. In 38 career games at Coors Field, Cronenworth’s triple-slash is an impressive .340/.416/.610 with 32 runs scored and 27 RBI.

Hyeseong Kim, 2B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (15% rostered)

At long last, the Dodgers called up Hyeseong Kim from the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. Kim, signed in the offseason from the KBO, had been doing serious damage at Oklahoma City, tallying five home runs, 22 runs, 19 RBI, and 13 steals in 28 games. In Korea, Kim was a perennial .300 hitter and averaged 30 stolen bases per season from 2019 to 2024.

Kim made his MLB debut as a defensive replacement on Saturday night, but with Tommy Edman (ankle) heading to the injured list, Kim should see more action in short order. He is a potential source for stolen bases. During his time in the minors, the Dodgers asked Kim to focus on power over contact, which may have nerfed his potential to contribute to the team's batting average. The Dodgers have seven games all on the road in Week 6, starting with four in Miami and then three in Arizona.

Hyeseong Kim enters the game to make his Major League debut with the Dodgers 👏 pic.twitter.com/b3rck61kVX

— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2025

Waiver Wire Pickups For The Deepest Of Leagues (Under 10% rostered)

Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels (8% rostered)

Another first base eligible player for all you Burger and Triston Casas managers out there. Nolan Schanuel had run cold lately but might be seeing things turn back around. In his last five games, Schanuel went 5-for-19 with two walks and three runs scored.

The light-hitting Schanuel won’t contribute much in the way of home runs or RBI, but if he is warming up, he should help out at batting average. Schanuel is apparently locked into the second spot in the Angels’ order, so he is in a good position to see an uptick in runs scored. The lefty will face six right-handed pitchers in the week ahead, when the Angels host the Blue Jays and then the Orioles for three games each.

Jeff McNeil, 2B/OF, New York Mets (6% rostered)

After starting the season on the injured list, Jeff McNeil (oblique) recently made his 2025 debut. McNeil has hit safely in his first six games back and has one home run and four RBI. In the last couple of years, McNeil has had trouble replicating the production that made him the National League’s batting champion in 2022. In the deepest of leagues, his hot start is worth buying into if you need help filling in second base or a middle infield slot. Just beware that McNeil has been sitting against lefties, and the Mets are scheduled to face two in Week 6.

JEFF MCNEIL HAVING HIMSELF A DAY 😯

RBI Sac Fly
420 ft Home Run
Triple

Silencing ALL the haters. pic.twitter.com/iM3XoMZckn

— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) April 28, 2025

More Waiver Wire Pickups To Consider

• Jonathan India, 2B/3B/OF - Kansas City Royals (42% rostered)
• Connor Wong, C/1B - Boston Red Sox (10% rostered)
• Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B - Pittsburgh Pirates (6% rostered)
• Brooks Lee, 2B/3B/SS - Minnesota Twins (4% rostered)
• Oswaldo Cabrera, 1B/2B/3B - New York Yankees (4% rostered)

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