This year's fantasy baseball season will be over before we know it. Now that it’s so late in the year, it’s easy to feel like most diamonds in the rough have already been uncovered.
But there are four players on the waiver wire this week who could benefit your team in a variety of ways. They are listed below, ranked from highest to least availability (all rostered rates via Fantrax):
Daylen Lile
(OF, Washington)
17% Rostered
Since debuting on May 23rd, Daylen Lile has posted a .278/.323/.435 slash line in 271 trips to the plate for the Washington Nationals. Drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft, Lile worked his way up the Nationals’ minor-league system on the merits of his bat-to-ball skills.
After hitting .269 in 2023 during his first full professional season, Lile’s power output experienced a significant drop in 2024. That has continued to a certain extent this season; while his slugging percentage in the minor leagues sits at a career-high .503, he’s only hit four home runs and isn’t a big power threat in the major leagues.
Despite his shortcomings in the home run department, Lile has been a valuable roster piece for fantasy baseball managers. His .278 batting average is well above-average and even trails behind his .298 xBA, meaning his quality of contact indicates we could see a higher batting average from him in the final month of the season.
Lile is your typical contact hitter and ranks well above league average in chase, whiff, and strikeout rate. He uses the whole field, and nearly 20% of his batted balls are pulled in the air. That’s helped him maximize the limited power he possesses (he has an 89 MPH average exit velocity this season).
While his eight stolen bases this season would put him on pace for just 16 over a full campaign, Lile’s 89th-percentile sprint speed indicates we could see more stolen base production in the final month of the season. He’s stolen at least 20 bases in each of the last three seasons.
Jeremiah Jackson
(2B, Baltimore)
47% Rostered
Jeremiah Jackson’s fantasy stock has shot up in the last week. The Orioles infielder has an impressive average exit velocity (91 MPH) and hard-hit rate (48.3%), especially when you consider he plays middle infield.
Selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the second round of the 2018 draft, Jackson was one of the hottest hitters at Triple-A prior to being promoted to the big leagues. Through 162 at-bats, the infielder was slashing .377/.400/.673 with 11 home runs.
For the most part, Jackson has carried that success into Baltimore. While his plate discipline does leave much to be desired, his power ceiling as a middle infielder is simply too high to ignore.
In nearly 120 plate appearances with the Orioles this season, Jackson’s OPS sits at .854. Fantasy managers in need of an offensive boost at second base should certainly consider adding Jackson to their rosters.
Tyler O’Neill
(OF, Baltimore)
59% Rostered
I wrote about Tyler O’Neill earlier this season, and much of the same reasoning from back then applies to his current situation. While he is currently on the injured list, MLB.com reports that O’Neill is expected back in roughly a week. When he returns, he will be an instant boon to fantasy managers in rotisserie leagues with a stable batting average.
O’Neill is extremely strong, which is why it should come as no surprise that his 18.9% barrel rate ranks ninth among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this season. O’Neill does trade some bat-to-ball skills for bat speed, which makes him a good fit for rosters where home runs are a significant need.
The Orioles outfielder had been on a tear before going on the injured list. During July, O’Neill posted a .438 xwOBA that ranked 12th among players with at least 50 plate appearances. That stretch also included five home runs.
Luis Morales
(SP, Oakland)
62% Rostered
Luis Morales ranks as the Athletics’ fourth-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Of all the players on this list, Morales is the one I’m most excited to watch in the final month of the season.
After signing for $3,000,000 in January of 2023, Morales moved through the minor leagues rapidly and has been nothing short of outstanding for the Athletics this season at the major-league level. He made his MLB debut on August 1st and made his first start on August 10th. Since then, he’s showcased his dominant arsenal in starts against the Cardinals, Mariners, Angels, Orioles, and AL Central-leading Tigers.
Morales attacks hitters with an electric four-pitch mix. His fastball averages a tick over 97 MPH, and batters are hitting just .211 against it. The right-hander also throws a tight slider at 86 MPH and a high-break sweeper, both of which have registered whiff rates over 30% this season. And his best pitch by RV/100 (Run Value per 100 pitches) is his changeup. Take a look at the following excerpt from his MLB Pipeline scouting report:
"Morales can light up the radar gun with an electric fastball that reaches 99 mph and sits around 96 thanks to his whip-like delivery. He trimmed his pitch mix down to three after shelving his curveball and [opted] to instead focus on his developing slider and changeup, both of which have the makings of quality secondary pitches. The A’s believe there is still plenty of room to grow and will continue stretching him out with the hopeful ceiling of a frontline starter."
In six appearances this season, Morales has tossed 28.1 innings. He is the proud owner of a 1.59 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Fantasy managers in need of starting pitching shouldn’t hesitate to pick him up for the stretch run, especially given the Athletics’ fairly easy schedule.
The four players above are great options for fantasy baseball managers to add off the waiver wire in week 25 of the fantasy baseball season. Remember to check back next week for more fantasy baseball analysis!