Weekly Waiver Wire Roundup — Monday, September 14, 2026

Eighty rising signals lit up across the waiver wire this week, and the single most important one belongs to A.J. Ewing, who posted a .596 wOBA over five games with a 68.6% hard-hit rate and a 95.4 mph average exit velocity — numbers that scream legitimate breakout rather than small-sample noise. But Ewing is only one of several hitters flashing elite underlying metrics while sitting in fewer than a third of fantasy leagues. With September rosters expanded and playoff races tightening, the wire is rich this week. Here's everything you need to know.

Top 5 Adds of the Week

Javier Sanoja (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA) — 31% Owned (+9%)

Sanoja was the most-added player in fantasy baseball this week, and the data justifies the surge. He slashed .444 with 2 home runs and a .525 wOBA across 29 plate appearances, while cutting his strikeout rate nearly in half — from 7.8% over the trailing 30 days down to 3.4% over the past seven. His walk rate held steady at 6.9%, and his 41.7% hard-hit rate, while not elite, is more than sufficient when paired with that kind of contact quality. The multi-position eligibility (second base, third base, shortstop, and outfield) makes him a roster construction dream. At 31% ownership and climbing fast, the window to add Sanoja for free is closing. He's a priority claim in all formats.

Henry Bolte (OF, ATH) — 18% Owned (+7%)

Bolte delivered the most complete offensive week of any sub-20% owned player in the player pool. His .511 wOBA was backed by three home runs, a 92.8 mph average exit velocity, and a 46.4% hard-hit rate over 35 plate appearances — the largest sample among this week's top adds. The 22.9% walk rate is the eye-popping number: nearly double his 30-day rate of 10.9%, suggesting a genuine improvement in pitch recognition and approach rather than random fluctuation. Bolte is available in over 80% of leagues. Add him now before his ownership doubles again next week.

A.J. Ewing (2B/OF, NYM) — 21% Owned (+6%)

Ewing's week was borderline absurd by any standard. A .545 batting average, .596 wOBA, 95.4 mph exit velocity, and 68.6% hard-hit rate across 25 plate appearances — those are MVP-caliber outputs regardless of sample size. What makes this more than a hot streak is the underlying process: his strikeout rate cratered from 23.8% over 30 days to just 4.0% this week, while his walk rate ticked up to 8.0%. The wOBA delta is staggering — .596 vs. .282 over the trailing month — suggesting a player who has found something mechanical or in his approach. Ewing appeared in the buy-low section in a previous week at 15% ownership; at 21% and surging, the market is catching up. He's a must-add in standard leagues and a strong play in deeper formats where his 2B/OF eligibility provides flexibility.

Spencer Jones (OF, NYY) — 32% Owned (+5%)

Jones didn't hit a single home run this week, and he's still a top-five add. That tells you how good the process metrics are. His .490 wOBA was driven by a .450 batting average and a 16.0% walk rate — nearly double his 30-day mark of 8.2%. The most encouraging signal: his strikeout rate dropped from 36.7% to 28.0%. That's still elevated, but for a power-over-hit prospect like Jones, cutting eight percentage points off your whiff rate while maintaining a 90.6 mph exit velocity is a significant step forward. The power will come. At 32% ownership, he's the most-owned player on this list but still widely available in shallower leagues. The Yankees are giving him consistent at-bats (25 PA this week), and the leash looks long.

Heriberto Hernández (OF, MIA) — 27% Owned (+5%)

Hernández's surface line — a .200 batting average — won't excite anyone scanning box scores. But the underlying metrics tell a different story. His strikeout rate declined from 28.7% to 22.6%, his hard-hit rate sits at 44.0%, and he clubbed two home runs in 31 plate appearances. The .373 wOBA is solid, and Miami is giving him everyday run with consistent playing time. Hernández profiles as a power-first outfielder who can provide 20-plus home run upside down the stretch. The batting average risk is real, but in categories leagues where homers and RBIs are scarce on the wire, he fills a genuine need. The ownership trend confirms the market agrees.

Biggest Risers in Ownership

The five biggest ownership movers this week are identical to the top-five adds — Javier Sanoja (+9%), Henry Bolte (+7%), A.J. Ewing (+6%), Spencer Jones (+5%), and Heriberto Hernández (+5%) — and in every case the pickup is justified by the data. Sanoja and Bolte lead the pack with the most aggressive ownership surges, and both have the signal quality (wOBA north of .500, declining strikeout rates, consistent playing time) to sustain demand. Ewing's rise is arguably the most warranted of the group given his exit velocity and hard-hit metrics. Jones and Hernández are slightly more speculative — Jones still carries swing-and-miss risk, and Hernández's batting average is a drag — but both are locked into playing time and showing tangible process improvements. All five are consensus adds.

Buy Low Candidates

This is where the next wave of breakouts lives. These players carry "Watch" classifications — meaning the signal is strong but the ownership hasn't caught up yet. Many are available in 95%+ of leagues.

Sean Murphy (C, ATL) — 3% Owned

Murphy posted a .542 wOBA this week with 2 home runs, a 93.4 mph exit velocity, and a 54.2% hard-hit rate. His 29.4% walk rate is more than double his 30-day mark of 11.5%, and his strikeout rate dipped slightly to 29.4%. At 3% ownership, he's essentially free in all formats. The catcher position is thin, and Murphy's power-and-patience profile makes him an ideal streaming option or long-term stash.

Leo Bernal (C, STL) — 3% Owned

Bernal is quietly putting together a strong September. His 61.1% hard-hit rate and 91.6 mph exit velocity are elite for any position, let alone catcher. He hit .320 with a homer and a .367 wOBA in 27 plate appearances this week while keeping his strikeout rate at a manageable 14.8%. In a position wasteland, Bernal deserves serious attention in deeper leagues.

Cam Smith (OF, HOU) — 11% Owned

Smith exploded for a .579 wOBA with 3 home runs in 20 plate appearances. The 58.3% hard-hit rate and 10.0% walk rate (up from 5.1% over 30 days) suggest a hitter who is both making quality contact and being more selective. Houston is giving him consistent playing time, and at 11% ownership he's available in most leagues. The 87.5 mph exit velocity is the one red flag — monitor whether the power sustains without harder contact.

Moisés Ballesteros (C, LAA) — 3% Owned

Another catcher flashing buying signals. Ballesteros hit .333 with 2 home runs and a .430 wOBA across 22 plate appearances. His 59.7% hard-hit rate and 92.9 mph exit velocity are outstanding, and his strikeout rate dropped from 25.7% to 18.2%. At 3% ownership, he's essentially undiscovered. If you need catching help for the stretch run, Ballesteros should be a top target.

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

Baty's underlying numbers this week were electric: .574 wOBA, 96.3 mph exit velocity, 58.3% hard-hit rate, and a strikeout rate that plummeted from 29.1% to 11.1%. The sample is classified as an early signal, so caution is warranted, but the process improvements are dramatic. His quad eligibility (1B/2B/3B/OF) adds significant roster flexibility. At 3% ownership, he's worth a speculative add in 12-team leagues and deeper.

Andrew Benintendi (DH, CWS) — 3% Owned

The headliner here is the batted ball quality: Benintendi posted a 90.0% hard-hit rate with a 97.8 mph exit velocity this week. Those are elite Statcast numbers by any measure. His .362 wOBA and .231 average suggest some BABIP bad luck, and his walk rate jumped to 18.8% while strikeouts held at 18.8%. The DH-only eligibility limits his utility, but the contact quality is impossible to ignore at this ownership level.

Coby Mayo (1B/3B, BAL) — 19% Owned

Mayo launched 3 home runs this week with a .485 wOBA in 21 plate appearances. His strikeout rate declined from 26.4% to 19.0%, and his walk rate climbed from 8.0% to 14.3%. At 19% ownership and trending slightly downward (-1%), the market is actually fading him — which makes this a textbook buy-low window. The 87.7 mph exit velocity and 50.0% hard-hit rate aren't elite, but the power production is real and the approach improvements are encouraging.

Cole Young (2B, SEA) — 12% Owned

Young cut his strikeout rate in half — from 20.6% to 10.0% — while posting a .460 wOBA and .400 batting average in 20 plate appearances. The 58.3% hard-hit rate is strong, and Seattle is giving him consistent run. At 12% ownership with zero movement, the market hasn't noticed yet. That's an opportunity.

Esmerlyn Valdez (1B/OF, PIT) — 19% Owned

Valdez's .167 batting average looks ugly, but underneath that surface number is a 75.0% hard-hit rate and a 97.8 mph exit velocity — numbers that scream positive regression. His strikeout rate dropped from 37.9% to 20.0%, and his walk rate doubled to 20.0%. The .354 wOBA with a homer confirms there's production here despite the low average. At 19% and cooling off in ownership (-5%), this is a prime buy-low on elite contact quality.

Henry Davis (C, PIT) — 0% Owned

Davis is essentially unowned across all formats, which is stunning given this week's output: .397 wOBA, an 88.9% hard-hit rate, 90.5 mph exit velocity, and a strikeout rate of just 10.0%. The sample is early, but these are the kinds of process metrics that precede sustained production. If you have a free roster spot and any catcher need, Davis is worth the flier.

Other Names to Monitor

  • Richie Palacios (2B/OF, TB): .479 wOBA, 62.5% hard-hit rate, 21.4% walk rate — just 2% owned.
  • Graham Pauley (1B/3B, MIA): .546 wOBA, 93.7 mph exit velocity, 55.0% hard-hit rate — 0% owned. Essentially invisible.
  • Joc Pederson (1B, TEX): .469 wOBA, 2 home runs, strikeout rate down from 28.8% to 18.8% — 5% owned.
  • Justin Foscue (1B/2B, TEX): .500 wOBA, 94.9 mph exit velocity, 58.3% hard-hit rate — 0% owned.
  • Logan O'Hoppe (C, TEX): .571 batting average, .485 wOBA, 54.2% hard-hit rate — 2% owned.
  • Wade Meckler (LF, LAA): .443 wOBA, .417 average, 11.1% strikeout rate in 27 PA — just 1% owned.
  • Victor Mesa Jr. (OF, TB): .487 wOBA, 2 homers, .409 average, consistent playing time — 3% owned.
  • Michael Massey (2B, KC): 0.0% strikeout rate this week, 95.7 mph exit velocity, 62.5% hard-hit rate — 3% owned.
  • Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM): wOBA jumped from .199 to .379, strikeout rate down from 48.6% to 35.3%, 2 homers — 17% owned and worth re-adding if you dropped him.

Position Scarcity Report

Relief pitchers dominated the signal landscape this week with 18 rising signals — more than any other position group. That's not surprising for September, when bullpen roles shift, closer jobs change hands, and contending teams lean heavily on high-leverage arms. If you're in a saves-plus-holds format, the wire is stocked.

Catcher was the second-most active position with 12 signals, which is genuinely unusual. Names like Sean Murphy, Leo Bernal, Moisés Ballesteros, Henry Davis, Logan O'Hoppe, Joe Mack, and Harry Ford all flashed quality underlying metrics. Catcher is typically the thinnest position on the wire, so this week's depth is a rare opportunity — act accordingly.

Outfield produced 10 signals, reflecting the volume of everyday at-bats available at the position. The multi-eligibility players — Sanoja (2B/3B/SS/OF), Tim Tawa (1B/2B/3B/OF), Brett Baty (1B/2B/3B/OF), and Blaze Alexander (2B/3B/SS/OF) — deserve extra attention for their roster flexibility alone.

Starting pitching was notably thin, with SP/RP combination players accounting for just 6 signals and no pure starters cracking the top adds. If you need rotation help, the wire is sparse this week — consider trading from positions of strength rather than scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Middle infield (2B, SS, and their multi-position variants) combined for roughly 12 signals, providing a reasonable level of depth. First base and third base were relatively quiet as standalone positions, though multi-eligible players like Coby Mayo and Graham Pauley fill that gap.

Looking Ahead

The Miami Marlins are quietly becoming a waiver-wire factory. Three of this week's top adds — Javier Sanoja, Heriberto Hernández, and Griffin Conine — wear Marlins uniforms, and Graham Pauley and Joe Mack are on the watchlist as well. With September expanded rosters giving young players extended runway, Miami's lineup could be a source of continued value. Keep a close eye on whether A.J. Ewing's ridiculous 68.6% hard-hit rate and sub-5% strikeout rate hold into next week — if they do, his ownership will explode past 30% and the free-add window will slam shut. And with 12 catcher signals this week, the position may finally be offering legitimate depth; if you've been punting catcher all season, this is the week to stop.