2025 Fantasy Baseball: Waiver Wire Week 10 (Infielders)
Catchers
Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates placed Joey Bart on the injured list this week due to a concussion. Over his previous 43 at-bats, he only had four hits with no runs and one RBI. Davis showed growth over his last eight games, leading to eight hits over 24 at-bats with three runs, one home run, and five RBIs.
Pittsburgh drafted him first overall in 2021, but Davis has yet to show that pedigree in the majors (.194/43/10/36/3 over 387 at-bats). His minor league profile (.290 over 694 at-bats with 129 runs, 38 home runs, 127 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases) paints a much higher ceiling. The Pirates must develop their young upside bats in the majors, which means playing Davis as much as possible for the remainder of the year.
Danny Jansen, Tampa Bay Rays
In any fantasy league with two catchers, the goal is to get more than one home run over every other week, with two runs and two RBIs each scoring period. Over a 27-week baseball season (six games per week), this path would result in approximately 55 runs, 14 home runs, and 55 RBIs. Only 10 catchers scored more than 55 runs or 55 RBIs in 2024, along with 16 players hitting at least 14 home runs.
This season, Jansen has been a fantasy bum in 12- and 15-team formats (.191/10/4/12 over 115 at-bats). On the positive side, he has a home run in three consecutive weeks, resulting in five runs and six RBIs. His flyball swing path invites more power, and better success at the plate should lead to more starts. Viable placeholder C2, who may surprise with some big games going forward.
First Basemen
Josh Bell, Washington Nationals
Over 10 scoring periods this season, Bell has at least one home run seven times. He showed an uptick in play two weeks ago (6-for-22 with two runs, one home run, and one RBI), but the Nationals only gave him nine at-bats the following week (one hit with empty stats). Heading into Saturday night, Bell has a three-game hitting and home run streak (7-for-14 with five runs, three home runs, and seven RBIs), putting him front and center in the free agent pool in shallow leagues at first base.
Bell has a 70/20/70 profile, assuming he receives over 525 at-bats (not on pace to reach this mark this year), with three notable power seasons on his resume (26/90, 37/116, and 27/88). Ride him while he’s “hot player” who has the bat to be better over the final four months.
Carlos Santana, Cleveland Guardians
Santana is another veteran bat who played at a higher level over the past week. He has a 10-game hitting streak (14-for-31 with 10 runs, three home runs, and eight RBIs) while having more walks (8) than strikeouts (6). Santana brings some batting average risk, but he has a floor of 23 home runs and 71 RBIs over the past two seasons.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cincinnati Reds
The Reds gave Encarnacion-Strand five rehab games at AAA over the past week. He went 6-for-16 with three runs, one home run, and three RBIs. Over this span, he also had three doubles, a triple, and one strikeout. Cincinnati should recall him soon.
Second Basemen
Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto lost Anthony Santander this week due to a left shoulder injury, which should help Clement see more playing time after Andres Gimenez returns from the injured list. This scoring period, Clement leads all second basemen in at-bats (26) with 11 hits, five runs, two home runs, and six RBIs. His power (three home runs) is trailing his success in 2024 (.263/48/12/51 over 434 at-bats), and he also has more speed on last year’s resume (12 stolen bases). Clement is a bridge player until his starting window closes.
Thairo Estrada, Colorado Rockies
After opening the season on the injured list with a wrist injury, Estrada returned to the majors on Friday night. He went 1-for-7 over his first two games with a run and an RBI. At AAA, Estrada had a five-game hitting streak (.304 over 23 at-bats with four runs and one RBI). In 2023 and 2024 with the Giants, he offered steady second base at-bats (.266/134/28/111/44 over 983 at-bats). A switch to a hitter-favoring park may lead to surprising results.
Third Basemen
Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles
The injury to Ryan Mountcastle opens up a big opportunity for Mayo with the Orioles. His bat shined at AAA in 2023 and 2024, leading to a .283 batting average with 101 runs, 37 home runs, 128 RBIs, and five stolen bases over 575 at-bats. Unfortunately, Baltimore kept him back at AAA again this year, but Mayo had weaker results (.226/24/8/28/1 over 168 at-bats).
The Orioles gave him 22 games of experience in the majors, but Mayo struggles to make contact (28 strikeouts over 56 at-bats). He only had four hits and one RBI. Based on name value and his potential, Mayo will be an attractive add in 12- and 15-team formats, but he will need time to find his major league rhythm.
Jose Tena, Washington Nationals
Over his last nine games, Tena went 11-for-32 with eight runs and three RBIs. He has yet to hit a home run this year, over 111 at-bats with only one steal, putting him in the avoid category in the fantasy market. His swing showed more punch in 2024 at AAA (.284/60/18/68/15 over 408 at-bats), making him worthy of a dart in deep formats.
Shortstops
Scott Kingery, Los Angeles Angels
Back in 2018, Kingery drew attention in fantasy leagues after success at AA and AAA the previous season (.304/103/26/65/29 over 543 at-bats). He hits way out of the majors over three years (.233 over 1,023 at-bats with 131 runs, 30 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases), partly due to a weakness in his strikeout rate (27.8).
Kingery tried to reinvent his career from 2021 to 2024 at AAA (.248/206/47/156/71 over 1,248 at-bats). His bat showed growth this season in the minors (.373 with 14 runs, two home runs, 12 RBIs, and one stolen base over 83 at-bats). The Angels called him up on Friday, and Kingery went 1-for-3 with a run in his first game. He has no fantasy value until Los Angeles gives him starting at-bats, but he is worth a follow.
Ha-Seong Kim, Tampa Bay Rays
After delivering below replacement-level stats over his first two seasons with the Padres (.235/85/19/93/18 over 784 at-bats), Kim proved to be a fantasy value in 2023. He set career highs in at-bats (538), runs (84), home runs (17), RBIs (60), and stolen bases (38), with a much better approach (walk rate – 12.0).
Last season, Kim missed the final six weeks of the season with his shoulder injury. He was on a competitive pace in his overall stats (60 runs, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases) over 403 at-bats, but he was making weaker contact based on his batting average (.233).
In his first three rehab games, Kim went 2-for-10 with a run and a stolen base while playing DH. Since the middle of May, he has been taking infield and trying to build up his arm strength. Tampa will give him time to get his bat in rhythm in the minors while also finding a balance with his recovery on the defensive side of the game.