Daily Waiver Report — Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Esmerlyn Valdez is slashing at a .969 wOBA over the past seven days with three home runs, a 95.5 mph exit velocity, and just a 10.0% strikeout rate — and he's sitting at 3% ownership. If that name isn't on your radar yet, you're already behind the wave. But let's start with the players you should be grabbing right now.

Today's Top Adds

Ryan O'Hearn — 1B/OF, PIT (58% rostered)

O'Hearn's bat has caught fire with a .407 wOBA over the past week, a massive jump from his .312 mark over the trailing 30 days. The underlying process is clean: his strikeout rate has cratered from 29.0% to 16.7% over the same window, he's walking at a 5.6% clip (up from 2.2%), and the quality of contact is elite — 87.5% hard-hit rate paired with a 98.1 mph average exit velocity. Two homers and a .294 average across five games. At 58% ownership, he's still available in nearly half of leagues. The approach change — fewer whiffs, harder contact — is the kind of signal that sustains. Add now before this week's games push him past 70%.

Kerry Carpenter — OF, DET (39% rostered)

Carpenter is the best bat available in more than 60% of leagues. A .513 wOBA in the past week — up from an already-strong .387 over 30 days — with a .400 batting average and two home runs. His strikeout rate ticked down from 26.8% to 25.0%, his walk rate nudged up from 5.6% to 6.2%, and he's posting a 72.2% hard-hit rate with 94.3 mph exit velocity. At 39% rostered, this is a free power bat that's producing at an elite level. The fact that his 30-day wOBA was already .387 tells you this isn't a mirage — the hot week is just the latest gear in an already-productive stretch.

Kody Clemens — 1B/2B/OF, MIN (22% rostered)

Clemens is the sneakiest add of the morning. The batting average doesn't jump off the page at .214, but peel it back: two home runs, a .391 wOBA, a 12.5% walk rate (up from 5.0%), and a strikeout rate that fell off a cliff — 6.2% this week versus 15.0% over 30 days. He's making contact on virtually everything and taking his walks. Ownership actually dipped 10% over the past week, meaning managers are leaving the party just as the data says they should be arriving. Multi-position eligibility (1B/2B/OF) adds extra lineup flexibility. At 22%, he's essentially free.

Watch List

Esmerlyn Valdez — 1B/OF, PIT (3% rostered)

The numbers are absurd: .969 wOBA, .667 batting average, three home runs, 95.5 mph exit velocity, a 10.0% strikeout rate (down from 23.8%), and a 10.0% walk rate (up from 4.8%) — all in a five-game sample. This is an early signal, which is why he's on the watch list and not in the "Add Now" tier. But at 3% ownership, the risk is essentially zero. In deeper leagues, grab him now. In standard formats, monitor one more series and act fast if the contact quality holds.

Miguel Andujar — 3B/OF, SD (2% rostered)

Andujar's wOBA surged from .247 over 30 days to .353 this past week, driven by a 10.0% walk rate (up from 8.1%) and a 66.7% hard-hit rate at 94.2 mph exit velocity. The .250 average without a homer doesn't scream "must-add," but the plate discipline and contact quality suggest a hitter finding his timing. Monitor for another week.

Tyler Alexander — SP/RP, TEX (3% rostered)

Alexander's strikeout rate jumped from 16.2% to 22.2% over the past week, and he posted a sparkling 1.77 FIP. If the whiff gains hold, he's a viable streaming arm. Early signal only — keep watching.

Jeff Hoffman — RP, TOR (54% rostered)

Already 54% rostered, Hoffman is trending the right direction with a 36.4% strikeout rate this week (up from 29.8%), a 0.00 ERA, 12 K/9, and a 1.43 FIP. If he's somehow available in your league, he shouldn't be. The K-rate spike is the kind of development that elevates a reliever from roster-filler to must-own asset.

Heriberto Hernández — OF, MIA (2% rostered)

The average is ugly at .125, but the process underneath is intriguing: 99.0 mph exit velocity, 72.2% hard-hit rate, strikeout rate slashed from 28.4% to 16.7%, and walks up from 6.8% to 11.1%. He hit a homer despite the low average. This is a classic "results will follow the process" profile. Watch for the average to catch up to the exit velo.

Zach McKinstry — 2B/3B/SS/OF, DET (2% rostered)

McKinstry posted a .420 wOBA with a .316 average, one homer, and a 0.0% strikeout rate over 21 plate appearances this past week. The playing time is there, and the contact is real. Exit velocity (92.3 mph) isn't elite, but you don't swing and miss at all and good things happen. Worth monitoring in deeper formats.

Brett Baty — 1B/2B/3B/OF, NYM (4% rostered)

Baty's .091 average is brutal, but look at the walk rate: 31.2%, up from 11.7%. His strikeout rate dropped from 27.3% to 12.5%. The wOBA climbed from .218 to .271. This is a hitter who's seeing the ball significantly better and refusing to chase. The results haven't shown up yet, but the plate discipline transformation is a real precursor signal. Stash candidate in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.

Stream of the Day

No streaming-specific signals triggered today. With no pitching matchup data flagged, the best short-term play is to grab Tyler Alexander from the watch list if you need an arm. His 1.77 FIP and rising 22.2% strikeout rate make him the closest thing to a streamable asset in today's report. Check back tomorrow for targeted matchup recommendations.

Ownership Movers

It's a quiet day on the ownership wire. None of today's flagged players showed significant roster percentage movement over the past seven days. Jeff Hoffman held steady at 54%, which is surprising given his 36.4% K-rate and 1.43 FIP — he should be higher. Miguel Andujar sat flat at 2% despite his wOBA jump to .353. The lack of ownership movement means the market hasn't reacted to these signals yet — which is exactly the window you want. By this time next week, Esmerlyn Valdez (3%) and Heriberto Hernández (2%) will likely show the biggest spikes if their trends hold.

Quick Hits

  • Kerry Carpenter's .513 wOBA this week is the highest among today's "Add Now" tier. His 30-day wOBA of .387 was already well above average, making this surge feel like an acceleration of a real trend rather than a blip.
  • Kody Clemens's 6.2% strikeout rate this past week is the lowest among all position players flagged today. You don't accidentally cut your K-rate by more than half — something mechanical or approach-related has clicked.
  • Ryan O'Hearn's 87.5% hard-hit rate leads all hitters in today's report. Combined with his 98.1 mph exit velocity, he's producing the most consistently dangerous contact of anyone on this list.
  • Heriberto Hernández's 99.0 mph exit velocity is the highest among all players flagged today — yet he's batting .125. That gap between process and results is historically unsustainable. Expect correction upward.
  • Brett Baty's 31.2% walk rate over the past week is eye-popping. For context, his 30-day mark was 11.7%. Whether that level of patience holds or regresses, even a partial retention signals a meaningful approach shift for a hitter who has struggled to find consistency at the big-league level.