MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

We are so back. Baseball is back, MLB FAAB Factor is back, I'm back, many of you are probably also back, and most importantly, the opportunity for you to walk away with a fantasy championship at the end of the season is back. But let's not start talking about the end of the season just yet. We have 2,430 games to get through before then, and there will be plenty of other things to talk about in the meantime. More specifically, the best ways to improve your fantasy roster. No matter how well you think you may have drafted, there is always guaranteed to be someone on your squad who underperforms expectations while someone collecting dust on the waiver wire blossoms into a true difference-maker. My job over the course of the season will be to identify 15 players every week who could fit into the latter description and help you decide whether they're worth picking up. Of course, there are many other players you may be considering aside from the 15 who I cover, so feel free to leave a comment if I miss somebody — chances are they were included in my shortlist but didn't make the final cut for the week.

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Cody Ponce, Toronto Blue Jays (40%)

It's been a while since we've seen Ponce suit up in the majors, as the 31-year-old righty pitched in Japan from 2022-24 before heading to Korea for the 2025 campaign. He was named the KBO's MVP last year after posting a 1.89 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 180.2 innings, prompting the Blue Jays to bring him in on a three-year, $30 million deal this winter. His dominance followed him into the Grapefruit League, where Ponce surrendered just one earned run on seven hits and four walks while fanning 12 batters in 13.2 frames. Some of his success likely has to do with the fact that he's turned up the heat on his fastball, which sat around 93 mph during his time with the Pirates but averaged roughly 96 mph in spring training. Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (forearm) and Jose Berrios (elbow) will open the regular season on the injured list and could threaten to steal Ponce's rotation spot once they're healthy, but with Ponce cruising into his return to MLB against the Rockies at home on Monday, he's worth an early-season pickup. FAAB: $4

 Mick Abel, Minnesota Twins (24%)

Abel didn't fare well during his first taste of the majors last year, posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over 39 innings between Philadelphia and Minnesota. He did a much better job limiting runs in the Grapefruit League, finishing spring training with a 2.05 ERA and 0.86 WHIP alongside 27 strikeouts through 22 frames while beating out Zebby Matthews for a rotation spot, but that's not the biggest eyebrow raiser here. Abel has notoriously struggled with giving up walks throughout his professional career, but he allowed just four free passes this spring, giving him a 1.6 BB/9 — a notable improvement from the 3.7 BB/9 he recorded in the majors last year. If he continues to keep walks to a minimum in the regular season, his 96-mph fastball and plus curve should propel him toward MLB success. FAAB: $2

 Brandon Sproat, Milwaukee Brewers (23%)

One of the biggest headlines out of Milwaukee last season was how the Brewers' famous pitching lab transformed Quinn Priester into a plus starter after the team acquired him in an early-April trade that initially wasn't viewed as significant. Sproat's move to Milwaukee this winter didn't fly under the radar quite as much, as it involved Freddy Peralta being shipped out to Queens, but The Lab received a new project to experiment with all the same. Sproat, 25, finished Cactus League play with a 3.46 ERA and 1.23 WHIP alongside a 15:4 K:BB through 13 innings. He saved his most impressive performance for last, striking out five batters while giving up just two hits and two walks across four shutout frames against the Reds on Tuesday. Ironically, Sproat's inclusion in the Brewers' Opening Day rotation has a lot to do with Priester beginning the year on the injured list with a wrist injury, but it tentatively sets up the former to make his first three starts as a Brewer against the White Sox, Royals and Nationals — all of whom ranked in the bottom half of MLB in OPS and runs scored last season. FAAB: $1

Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (46%)

This one is for those of you who have an IR opening or are willing to burn a bench spot for a few months, as Burnes is still working his way back from a Tommy John procedure he underwent last June. The good news is that he began throwing off a mound a couple of weeks ago, but he's still expected to remain sidelined for most, if not all, of the first half of the season. The potential reward for waiting is obvious: a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher who is usually good for a strikeout per inning and has kept his ERA below 3.00 for most of his career. That certainly sounds like someone you'd like to have on your squad during a late-season push. We'll likely check back in on Burnes around the All-Star break when he's closer to being activated, but it may not be a bad idea to invest in him now while his demand is still relatively low. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

 Paul Sewald, Arizona Diamondbacks (29%)

Elbow trouble will keep both A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez on the injured list for the first several months of the season, but somebody still has to close games for the Diamondbacks. Manager Torey Lovullo hasn't officially named a closer, but he brought up Sewald, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel last week as candidates to handle the ninth inning to begin the year. The 35-year-old Sewald easily had the best spring of the three, finishing the Cactus League with a 2.25 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over eight innings. Thompson and Ginkel, on the other hand, turned in a 5.79 ERA and 8.59 ERA, respectively. The situation will probably require a bit of monitoring, but if you're trying to find saves on the wire, Sewald feels like the safest bet at this point. FAAB: $1

Catcher

 Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles (42%)

Basallo never got comfortable at the plate last season after being called up to the big leagues in mid-August, finishing the year with a .559 OPS over 118 plate appearances. However, after slashing .333/.422/.692 with three homers, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored through 45 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League, the 21-year-old slugging backstop seems determined to redeem himself and remind the baseball world he deserves to be considered one of the game's top prospects. He figures to serve primarily as Baltimore's designated hitter this year, though he should still see a handful of starts behind the plate whenever the O's decide to give Adley Rutschman a breather. FAAB: $8

 Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals (24%)

Much like Basallo, Jensen is expected to begin the regular season as Kansas City's main DH while occasionally relieving Salvador Perez from his catching duties. But unlike Basallo, Jensen was hardly affected by his late-season call-up last year, as he slashed .300/.391/.550 with three home runs, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored during his first 20 games in the bigs. He's caught in a bit of a slump coming out of spring training, but series against Atlanta (22nd in ERA last season) and Minnesota (24th) to begin the season could be just what he needs to get back on track. FAAB: $3

First Baseman

 Jake Bauers, Milwaukee Brewers (1%)

It would be hard to name a player who had a better spring than Bauers, who slashed an incredible .462/.571/1.154 while mashing seven home runs, driving in nine runs, scoring 14 himself and swiping three bases. Under normal circumstances, he probably would've played himself into a starting job at first base, but Andrew Vaughn also had a nice spring to the tune of a 1.049 OPS and likely kept a hold on his role as Milwaukee's starter. However, Bauers is also capable of covering the corner outfield spots and could push Jackson Chourio or Sal Frelick into center field while he starts in left or right. Only time will tell what manager Pat Murphy has planned for Bauers, but while we wait, I recommend buying low on one of the league's hottest bats just in case he becomes a regular part of Milwaukee's lineup. FAAB: $1

Second Baseman

 Willi Castro, Colorado Rockies (23%)

Castro essentially vanished at the plate after the Twins traded him to the Cubs last season, as he slashed just .170/.245/.240 across 110 plate appearances with Chicago. Signing with Colorado and taking advantage of the environment of Coors Field is usually a good way for hitters to improve upon their offensive numbers (unless you're Kris Bryant), and Castro is already off to a great start after logging a 1.346 OPS over 10 games in the Cactus League. Additionally, the Rockies have expressed a desire to be far more aggressive on the basepaths this season. Castro has a 30-steal season under his belt and could certainly benefit from an aggressive approach, but it's also worth noting he's gone just 24-for-40 on stolen base attempts since 2024. FAAB: $2

Third Baseman

 Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers (42%)

I have to admit, I was a bit shocked to see Muncy fall below the 50 percent rostership threshold, but when a player misses 151 games in the span of two years, I can understand why so many fantasy managers are hesitant. That being said, this still feels like a classic, "don't overthink it" situation. When healthy, he's an on-base machine and is still more than capable of slugging home runs at 35 years old. Let's also not forget what team he plays for. Whenever he gets on base or hits a ball over the fence, there's a healthy chance that it will plate one or more of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez or Will Smith, and there's an equally strong chance that one of them will be able to drive him in as well. FAAB: $4

 Caleb Durbin, Boston Red Sox (36%)

After Durbin slashed .256/.334/.387 with 11 homers and 18 steals during his rookie season, the Brewers sent him (and every other third baseman they had) to the Red Sox to battle for the starting job at the hot corner in Boston. The 26-year-old rose to the challenge and won the job by posting a .946 OPS over 56 Grapefruit League plate appearances, tallying nine RBI, 13 runs scored and three steals in the process. His speed is his most useful fantasy asset, as he projects as someone who could easily eclipse the 20-steal mark, and he does a great job avoiding strikeouts while not chasing pitches outside the zone. He's a candidate to move over to second base because of his poor throwing arm, which would add another position to his fantasy eligibility and thereby give his fantasy value an additional bump. FAAB: $2

Shortstop

 Carson Williams, Tampa Bay Rays (4%)

Wililams will open the season as the Rays' starting shortstop while Taylor Walls heads to the injured list with an oblique injury. The 22-year-old Williams appeared in 32 games at the end of last season, and two things became clear. The first is that he has the potential to become a regular 25/25 player in the majors. He hit 23 homers and stole 22 bases at Triple-A Durham in 2025, so 25/25 doesn't seem out of the question. However, there's the second thing: He strikes out so much that he may never get the chance to reach his full potential. He struck out in 44 of his 106 big-league plate appearances last season, putting him at the bottom of the league with a 41.5 percent strikeout rate. Any amount of progress with his swing-and-miss issues will have a positive impact on his fantasy output, but if you decide to bet on Williams, make sure you have enough contact specialists to make up for the toll he'll have on your batting average. FAAB: $1

Outfielder

 Carson Benge, New York Mets (28%)

Benge rapidly ascended through the Mets' farm system last season and will officially begin the season as New York's primary right fielder after slashing .366/.435/.439 over 46 plate appearances in spring training. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much power out of the 23-year-old, but he excels at making contact against right-handed pitchers and has also proven to be a threat on the basepaths after swiping 24 bags in the minors in 2025. His playing time may be somewhat limited at the beginning of his MLB career if the Mets decide to platoon the lefty hitter in right field with Tyrone Taylor, but the majority of playing time should go to Benge. FAAB: $6

 Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies (21%)

If you weren't able to get your hands on Chandler Simpson but still want the perfect combination of contact and speed, look no further than Crawford. The 22-year-old has played three full seasons in the Phillies' minor-league system, and he's finished each one of them with a batting average north of .310 and no fewer than 43 stolen bases. He offers a bit more power than Simpson (as if that's a high bar), but by no means should Crawford be considered a reliable power source, as he's never hit more than nine round-trippers in a year. With Johan Rojas suspended for the first 80 games of the season, Crawford will open the season as Philadelphia's everyday center fielder, though he'll be buried at the very bottom of the Phillies' lineup, meaning limited potential for RBI. When Rojas returns, the lefty-hitting Crawford could fall into a strong-side platoon role. FAAB: $5

 Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians (32%)

Add DeLauter to the list of players in this week's article who put up video game numbers in spring training. He finished the Cactus League slashing .459/.535/.838 with three homers, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored over 43 plate appearances, and he tallied a hit in each of his final seven games. His strong spring combined with his career .903 OPS at the Triple-A level are expected to allow him to open the season as Cleveland's primary right fielder. So what's the catch? Injuries. Since beginning his professional career in 2023, the 24-year-old outfielder has never played in more than 57 total games in a season. He's managed to make it through 14 spring contests without landing on the IL and is fully healthy entering Opening Day, but it might be a good idea to keep your fingers crossed if you choose to gamble on the talented rookie. FAAB: $3