As the fantasy baseball season has marched on, waiver wire pickups have become safer and more dependable due to an increased sample size. As players get more and more plate appearances and innings pitched under their belts, their statistics become a little bit steadier.
This week brings an abundance of infield and reliever options as the All-Star break looms in roughly a month. Here are the best waiver wire pickups for week 13 of the fantasy baseball regular season:
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets for Week 13
Gavin Sheets
(1B, San Diego)
Percent Rostered (Fantrax): 62%
Gavin Sheets enters today with a career-high .261 batting average and .795 OPS that ranks only behind his rookie season when he charted just 179 plate appearances. The San Diego Padres seem to have unlocked some of the talent that the first baseman has shown in flashes throughout his career.
Sheets fits the prototypical first baseman’s offensive profile. With a hard-hit rate in the 93rd percentile (per Baseball Savant) and 12 home runs, he’s established himself as one of the most productive power-hitting first basemen in baseball this season.
That batted-ball quality has exploded onto the scene after Sheets struggled to produce hard contact for most of his career. Previously, his highest average exit velocity was a 90.4 MPH mark, which pales in comparison to his 92 MPH average exit velocity this season.
After hitting just .233 with a .660 OPS last season, Sheets is pulling the ball in the air at a career-high 27.4% clip. Pulling the ball in the air has helped him utilize his strength and high exit velocities. Despite struggling against fastballs last season - he posted a -6 Run Value on said pitches - the first baseman is batting .306 with a massive .663 slugging percentage against heaters this year.
Ty France
(1B, Minnesota)
Percent Rostered: 45%
For a time, Ty France was one of the best contact hitters in the sport. From 2020 to 2022, he batted .285 and recorded 8.1 WAR. But last season, his strikeout and whiff rates skyrocketed in addition to a loss of power.
Perhaps he needed a change of scenery; after batting .223 with Seattle and then .251 with the Reds last season, France is slashing .273/.336/.378 in 2025. He’s also been healthy this season, which is a stark contrast from a 2024 campaign where he landed on the injured list with a heel fracture in June.
After increasing his sweet-spot rate drastically this season, France has returned to his former contact-hitting self. That’s great news for fantasy managers seeking high-average infielders.
J.P. Crawford
(SS, Seattle)
Percent Rostered: 59%
France’s former Seattle teammate J.P. Crawford has also experienced a resurgence at the plate this season. He boasts a career-high 15.4% walk rate, which has helped him post an on-base percentage over .410. In fact, Crawford’s .410 OBP ranks fourth in the big leagues and ahead of stars like Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Pete Alonso, and Alex Bregman.
While his walk and chase rates have stayed about the same as they were last season, Crawford’s batting average has shot through the roof and is reaching the lofty heights predicted for him as a top-five overall prospect in the Phillies’ system.
That drastic improvement is attributable to Crawford’s sweet-spot rate, which quantifies how often a batter hits the ball at the optimal launch angle. After posting a 30.2% sweet-spot rate last year that ranked in the 12th percentile of qualified big league hitters, Crawford has a 98th-percentile 44.3% mark in 2025.
While his excellent on-base percentage makes him more valuable in points leagues than rotisserie leagues, Crawford is a solid option at shortstop for a lot of fantasy baseball managers.
Reed Garrett
(RP, New York Mets)
Percent Rostered: 44%
Reed Garrett has been outstanding for the New York Mets this season. While he’s struggled to find the strike zone - his 13.4% walk rate ranks in the 5th percentile of qualified MLB pitchers - he ranks in the top 20% of said players in all the following categories: xERA, xBA, fastball velocity, chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate.
The Mets acquired Garrett in 2023 after he threw just 2.2 innings for the Baltimore Orioles. Although the acquisition didn’t pan out very well at the time - the right-hander posted a 6.41 ERA in 19.2 innings pitched - the deal is paying dividends now.
In addition to his two saves, Garrett has a 0.95 ERA in 29 appearances this season. He utilizes a deep five-pitch mix, which is rare for a reliever and has kept hitters on their toes this year. While opponents are batting .310 against his cutter, Garrett’s two other fastballs (sinker and four-seam), as well as his sweeper and splitter, have been elite.
Shelby Miller
(RP, Arizona)
Percent Rostered: 53%
Shelby Miller is 34 years old and coming off of a season where he posted a 4.53 ERA. But his surface-level numbers don’t tell the whole story and make it clear that he’s a valuable waiver wire pickup for fantasy baseball managers in 2025.
Miller’s WHIP was a fantastic 0.97 last season, which indicates his ERA was likely higher than it should be. And his 3.75 xERA confirms that suspicion. While not outstanding, it’s a large enough difference from his actual mark that it merits mentioning.
This year, Miller’s WHIP is up to 1.05 but he has raised his strikeout rate from 21.8% to 25% after increasing his splitter usage. Opponents are batting .095 against the offering this season, which has helped him navigate high-leverage situations late in games for the Diamondbacks.
Miller’s increased strikeout rate and low WHIP indicate he’ll continue to be valuable for fantasy baseball managers in both points and rotisserie leagues.
While waiver wire pickups don’t always work out, the waiver wire is critical to success in any fantasy baseball league. With a solid amount of talent available this week, don’t miss out on any of the potentially season-changing players above. And make sure to check back next week for our Week 14 waiver wire breakdown.