Top 5 Adds of the Week

Eighty rising signals fired across the waiver wire this week, but one number cuts through the noise louder than any other: Cole Carrigg posted a .544 wOBA over seven days while striking out on just 12.5% of his plate appearances — and he's still available in 72% of leagues. That combination of elite production and declining whiff rate is the rarest signal our system tracks, and it headlines a week loaded with actionable adds before the All-Star break.

Kody Clemens (1B/2B/OF, MIN) — Add Now

Clemens has been the hottest multi-position bat on the wire, and his 16-point ownership surge to 39% reflects how quickly managers are catching on. His 7-day wOBA of .460 dwarfs his already-respectable .341 over 30 days, powered by 3 home runs, a .333 average, and a 95.0 mph average exit velocity with 55.6% hard-hit quality. The 23 plate appearances across five games confirm consistent playing time in Minnesota's lineup. His multi-position eligibility — first base, second base, and outfield — makes him a roster construction dream. The ownership window is closing fast; this is a player who will be universally rostered within a week.

Garrett Mitchell (OF, MIL) — Add Now

Mitchell is putting together the most impressive Statcast profile of anyone on this list. His 107.4 mph average exit velocity is elite by any standard, and a perfect 100.0% hard-hit quality rate over the sample backs up the raw power. The .461 wOBA is up from an already strong .423 over 30 days, and he's moving his plate discipline in the right direction — strikeout rate down to 26.7% from 27.3%, walk rate up to 10.0% from 6.8%. At just 20% owned with a 15-point weekly surge, Mitchell should be a priority add in every format. The 30 plate appearances in seven days signal a firm everyday role in Milwaukee.

Cole Carrigg (OF, COL) — Add Now

The numbers are almost absurd: a .476 batting average, a .544 wOBA, and a strikeout rate that dropped from 17.7% over 30 days to just 12.5% this past week. Yes, Coors Field inflates counting stats, but a strikeout rate collapse of that magnitude paired with a wOBA north of .500 isn't a park effect — it's a mechanical adjustment taking hold. Carrigg has 24 plate appearances across five games, giving us a solid sample to trust. At 28% owned and surging 14 points, he's the type of player who separates winning rosters from the pack in the second half.

Nick Gonzales (2B/3B/SS, PIT) — Add Now

Gonzales won't dazzle you with power — zero home runs this week — but his profile screams sustainability. The 11.5% strikeout rate is a massive improvement over his 17.3% 30-day mark, while his walk rate ballooned to 23.1% from 11.5%. That kind of plate discipline shift is the most predictive signal we track for future production. His .376 wOBA is stable against his 30-day .372, meaning this isn't a BABIP mirage — it's an approach change. With eligibility at second, third, and shortstop, Gonzales offers the positional flexibility that makes waiver adds roster-friendly. He's 38% owned and climbing 11 points weekly.

A.J. Ewing (2B/OF, NYM) — Add Now

Ewing's 3 home runs in five games jump off the page, and the underlying data supports the power surge. A 97.0 mph average exit velocity and 50.0% hard-hit quality give the long balls a foundation beyond luck. His wOBA climbed from .377 over 30 days to .449 this week, and 29 plate appearances in the sample confirm he's locked into consistent at-bats in New York's lineup. At 30% owned with a 10-point surge, Ewing is the final boarding call before mass adoption. The dual eligibility at second base and outfield adds lineup flexibility.

Biggest Risers in Ownership

Kody Clemens leads all players with a 16-point ownership jump to 39%. As detailed above, the surge is fully justified by a .460 wOBA, 95.0 mph exit velocity, and three home runs in a five-game sample. This is not a reactionary add — the Statcast data supports the surface numbers.

Garrett Mitchell rose 15 points to 20% ownership, and he may be the most undervalued player on this list relative to his metrics. A 107.4 mph exit velocity and 100% hard-hit quality are numbers you typically see from established sluggers, not 20%-rostered outfielders. The ownership gap between Mitchell and his production is one of the biggest market inefficiencies on the wire right now.

Cole Carrigg jumped 14 points to 28%, driven by a .544 wOBA and a dramatic strikeout rate improvement. The question isn't whether his average comes back to earth — it will — it's whether the contact quality sustains. The strikeout rate trend says yes.

Tyler Wells climbed 12 points to 17% ownership. Wells is the lone pitcher on the top risers list this week, reflecting a thin pitching wire. His signal data isn't included among position player adds, but the ownership trajectory suggests managers are banking on his return to form in Baltimore's rotation.

Nick Gonzales rose 11 points to 38%. The elite plate discipline — 23.1% walk rate, 11.5% strikeout rate — fully justifies the ownership surge. If anything, he should be rostered in more leagues given his multi-position eligibility and the rarity of a sub-12% strikeout rate from a middle infielder.

Buy Low Candidates

This is where the next wave of adds lives. These players carry "Watch" classifications with strong underlying metrics that haven't yet moved ownership needles. The smart play is to add before the breakout shows up in box scores.

Deepest Sleepers

Heriberto Hernández (OF, MIA) is the single most explosive bat on the buy-low radar. His .635 wOBA, 102.2 mph exit velocity, 83.3% hard-hit quality, and 3 home runs in five games are numbers that scream breakout — yet he sits at just 2% owned. The K-rate dropped from 21.5% to 11.1% and the walk rate ticked up to 16.7%. This is the add you'll wish you made in two weeks.

Coby Mayo (1B/3B, BAL) exploded for a .613 wOBA while cutting his strikeout rate from a bloated 35.7% to 14.3% over seven days. That K-rate improvement — more than 20 points — is one of the most dramatic one-week swings in the dataset. His 98.6 mph exit velocity and 66.7% hard-hit quality suggest the raw power is finally connecting with a more disciplined approach. At 2% owned, he's essentially free.

Lane Thomas (CF, KC) quietly posted a .566 wOBA with a .409 average, 2 home runs, and a 96.8 mph exit velocity across 26 plate appearances. His strikeout rate came down to 19.2% from 22.6%, while his walk rate rose to 15.4%. At 2% owned, Thomas is one of the most undervalued players in this entire report.

Ty France (1B, SD) looks resurgent: .500 average, .511 wOBA, 104.6 mph exit velocity, and a 100% hard-hit quality rate over five games. His K-rate cratered from 20.7% to 6.2%. At 1% owned, he's a zero-cost add with elite contact quality.

Andruw Monasterio (1B/2B/3B/SS, BOS) has near-universal positional eligibility and a .513 wOBA this week, up dramatically from .289 over 30 days. His 15.0% strikeout rate, 15.0% walk rate, 93.9 mph exit velocity, and 58.4% hard-hit quality paint a picture of a hitter who has made a mechanical adjustment. He's 0% owned — completely unrostered — making him the highest-upside free agent on the wire.

Catcher Targets

The catcher position generated the most signals this week (15), and several backstops are flashing buy-low indicators. Eduardo Valencia (C/1B, DET) leads the group with a staggering .736 wOBA, 103.4 mph exit velocity, and 100% hard-hit quality, though the early signal sample warrants caution. Jake Rogers (C, DET) posted a .695 wOBA with a 30.0% walk rate — extreme numbers that likely regress, but the directional signal at a shallow position is worth monitoring at 0% owned. Henry Davis (C, PIT) showed a more sustainable profile with a .405 wOBA and a strikeout rate drop from 25.0% to 18.2%.

Multi-Position Stashes

Vaughn Grissom (1B/2B/3B, LAA) ripped a .412 average with a .438 wOBA and 96.6 mph exit velocity while cutting his K-rate to 21.1% from 24.1%. At 1% owned, he's essentially free. Jasson Domínguez (OF, NYY) is a name managers have been burned by before, but a .425 wOBA, .346 average, 2 home runs, and declining strikeout rate at 12% owned make him worth another look — especially with 28 plate appearances confirming consistent playing time. Nolan Arenado (3B, AZ) quietly posted a .363 wOBA with 101.1 mph exit velocity and 100% hard-hit quality in Arizona, yet his 19% ownership hasn't budged.

Also worth monitoring: Trevor Larnach (LF, MIN) with a .433 wOBA and 100.7 mph exit velocity at 9% owned, Luisangel Acuña (SS, CWS) batting .500 with a .440 wOBA and a K-rate that dropped from 22.6% to 12.5%, and Brett Baty (1B/2B/3B/OF, NYM) showing improved contact quality with a 95.2 mph exit velocity and 55.6% hard-hit rate at just 4% owned.

Position Scarcity Report

Catcher (15 signals) dominated the wire this week by volume, which is notable given how barren the position typically is in waiver pools. Names like Eduardo Valencia, Jake Rogers, Luis Campusano, Henry Davis, Drew Cavanaugh, Patrick Bailey, Carson Kelly, and Hunter Feduccia all fired signals. If you've been streaming catchers, this is the week to lock someone in.

Outfield (11 signals) was the second-most active position, with high-end options like Garrett Mitchell, Cole Carrigg, and Heriberto Hernández leading the charge. The outfield wire remains deep enough to find impact bats.

Relief pitching (11 RP signals, plus 3 SP/RP) made up a significant share of the week's activity. Managers hunting saves and ratios should keep an eye on the bullpen signals, as the volume suggests role changes and opportunity shifts across multiple teams.

Shortstop (4 signals) and first base (3 signals as a standalone position) were relatively thin, though multi-position eligibility from players like Nick Gonzales, Andruw Monasterio, and Vaughn Grissom fills some of the gap. Third base generated 3 standalone signals but benefits from significant overlap with multi-eligible players.

The thinnest position on the wire? Designated hitter, with only José Tena appearing among the signals — though his .474 wOBA and 6.2% strikeout rate make him an intriguing deep-league stash.

Looking Ahead

The volume of catcher signals this week — 15 across the position — is a trend worth tracking. If even half of these backstops sustain their improved metrics, it could reshape the catcher landscape in fantasy leagues heading into the second half. Watch Eduardo Valencia and Coby Mayo specifically: both showed dramatic K-rate improvements paired with elite exit velocities, and a second week of confirmation would upgrade them from Watch to Add Now. The plate discipline shifts from Nick Gonzales and Coby Mayo — walk rates surging, strikeout rates plummeting — are the most durable predictive signals in our model, and next week's data will tell us whether those adjustments are mechanical or situational.