Fantasy Baseball Weekly Waiver Wire Roundup — Monday, September 28, 2026

Weekly Waiver Wire Roundup — September 28, 2026

Detroit's infield is producing two of the most compelling adds in fantasy right now. With 80 rising signals detected this week — the densest cluster we've seen in months — the waiver wire is overflowing with actionable names heading into October. But the signal-to-noise ratio matters, and the data this week points clearly to a handful of players who need to be on your roster by Tuesday morning.

Top 5 Adds of the Week

1. Hao-Yu Lee (2B/3B, DET) — 20% Owned (+14% 7d)

Lee is the top add of the week and it isn't particularly close from an ownership delta perspective. His wOBA surged from .329 over the past 30 days to .442 over the last seven, powered by a .385 batting average with a home run across 28 plate appearances. The strikeout rate is trending in the right direction, dropping from 29.0% to 25.0%, and his 56.7% hard-hit rate confirms the quality of contact is real. At 20% ownership and climbing fast, the window to add Lee as a free pickup is shrinking daily — he could be a 40%+ owned player by next Monday.

2. Garrett Mitchell (OF, MIL) — 16% Owned (+8% 7d)

Mitchell posted an outrageous .532 wOBA over the past week, up from an already-strong .407 over 30 days. The process matches the results: his walk rate climbed from 6.4% to 10.5%, his strikeout rate dipped from 28.2% to 26.3%, and his 93.9 mph average exit velocity with 52.5% hard-hit rate suggests he's squaring balls up consistently. A .400 batting average with a homer in five games is eye-catching, but the underlying discipline improvements are what make this a high-conviction add rather than a hot streak.

3. Bryce Eldridge (1B, SF) — 30% Owned (+7% 7d)

Eldridge's profile this week is quieter than the names above him, but the batted-ball data is elite. His 94.1 mph average exit velocity is the kind of number that sustains production, and a .384 wOBA with a .292 average and a home run across 28 plate appearances shows a player with a full workload producing at an above-average clip. At 30% owned, Eldridge is the most rostered player on this list, which means the market is already pricing in some of this breakout — but there's still room if you're in a league where he's available.

4. Jake Cronenworth (1B/2B/SS, SD) — 12% Owned (+6% 7d)

Cronenworth's multi-position eligibility alone makes him a valuable waiver target, but his bat has come alive in a major way. His wOBA exploded from .276 over 30 days to .468 this past week, driven by a .348 average with two home runs in 25 plate appearances. The strikeout rate dropped from 21.0% to 16.0%, indicating a legitimate approach adjustment rather than lucky sequencing. At just 12% owned, Cronenworth is being criminally overlooked — this is a proven major leaguer with 1B/2B/SS eligibility hitting like a star.

5. Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET) — 46% Owned (+6% 7d)

Torkelson rounds out the top five with the most complete signal profile of any player this week. His wOBA jumped from .414 to .508, his strikeout rate fell from 31.5% to 25.9%, and his walk rate soared from 14.1% to 29.6% — an elite display of plate discipline. The 94.6 mph exit velocity and 55.6% hard-hit rate confirm that he's punishing mistakes when he swings. A .353 average with a homer in 27 plate appearances is the headline, but the discipline gains are the story. At 46% owned, he's the closest to universally rostered on this list, so move quickly in shallower formats.

Biggest Risers in Ownership

The five biggest ownership movers this week are the same players in our top-five adds, which tells us the fantasy community is largely reading the signals correctly this week. Here's whether each surge is justified:

• Hao-Yu Lee (+14%) — Fully justified. The combination of rising wOBA, declining strikeout rate, and hard-hit quality in a full workload is the ideal signal trifecta. This is a legitimate breakout, not a blip.
• Garrett Mitchell (+8%) — Justified with a caveat. A .532 wOBA is unsustainable, but the process improvements — walk rate up, K rate down, elite exit velocity — suggest a real talent surge. The correction will come, but Mitchell should settle at a very useful level.
• Bryce Eldridge (+7%) — Justified. The exit velocity is real, the playing time is locked in at 28 PA, and the production is steady rather than spikey. This feels like the market correctly identifying a young player establishing himself.
• Jake Cronenworth (+6%) — Under-appreciated. A +6% move for a player with 1B/2B/SS eligibility posting a .468 wOBA should be larger. This is a market inefficiency you can exploit.
• Spencer Torkelson (+6%) — Justified. Already 46% owned, so the ceiling for weekly gains is lower, but the underlying metrics support him being an 80%+ owned player.

Buy Low Candidates

These players are flashing strong underlying metrics without the surface-level stats or ownership movement to draw widespread attention. They represent the next wave of waiver wire adds — the players you want to target before the crowd arrives.

Brady House (3B, WSH) — 2% Owned

House is the most exciting name on this watch list. His 98.4 mph average exit velocity is the highest among all players flagged this week, and his 72.2% hard-hit rate is extraordinary. A .485 wOBA with a 23.1% walk rate (up from 12.5% over 30 days) and a .400 batting average shows a player who is simultaneously patient and punishing. At 2% ownership, he's essentially free. The power metrics here are elite.

Eduardo Valencia (C/1B, DET) — 3% Owned

A .598 wOBA demands attention even in an early signal window. Valencia slashed his strikeout rate from 16.1% to 5.3% while posting a staggering .562 batting average with 58.3% hard-hit quality. The exit velocity (89.6 mph) is modest, which tempers the enthusiasm slightly, but the contact quality and approach improvements are impossible to ignore at 3% ownership. Another strong Detroit signal.

Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM) — 16% Owned

Alvarez's wOBA jumped from .293 to .444, his strikeout rate dropped from 35.2% to 25.0%, and he posted a .400 average with a homer across 20 plate appearances. The 92.5 mph exit velocity with 56.7% hard-hit quality suggests the power is back. At 16% ownership with zero movement this week, the market hasn't reacted yet — this is a classic buy-low window on a player with star upside.

Ethan Salas (C, SD) — 3% Owned

The .618 wOBA is the highest single-week mark of any player in this entire report. Salas hit .333 with two home runs and a 95.1 mph exit velocity, and his strikeout rate improved from 33.3% to 22.2%. This is an early signal sample, so proceed with appropriate caution, but the raw tools here are tantalizing at 3% ownership.

Drew Gilbert (CF, SF) — 1% Owned

Gilbert's .512 wOBA is backed by a 70.0% hard-hit rate and 93.4 mph exit velocity, with two homers in the sample. The strikeout rate is stable at 14.3%, down slightly from 15.5%. At 1% ownership, he's available everywhere and the Statcast data supports a real breakout if the playing time holds.

Nick Loftin (2B/3B/OF, KC) — 1% Owned

Loftin's 4.8% strikeout rate this week — down from 22.2% — is one of the most dramatic improvements in the dataset. Pair that with a .471 wOBA, .421 average, a homer, and 55.8% hard-hit quality in 21 plate appearances, and you have a multi-position eligible bat producing at a high level with elite contact skills. The 1% ownership is a gift.

Vaughn Grissom (1B/2B/3B, LAA) — 3% Owned

Grissom posted a .468 wOBA with two homers while cutting his strikeout rate from 18.2% to 8.3%. His multi-position eligibility (1B/2B/3B) adds significant roster flexibility. The 87.7 mph exit velocity is the one concern, but the contact rate and power output in 24 plate appearances suggest he's locked in at the plate.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B/3B, BAL) — 9% Owned

CES hit .417 with two home runs and a .512 wOBA, while dropping his strikeout rate from 30.0% to 24.0% across 25 plate appearances. The ownership actually dipped 2% this week despite the production surge, creating a genuine buy-low window. The hard-hit rate (47.2%) is moderate, but the results are hard to argue with.

Walker Jenkins (OF, MIN) — 8% Owned

Jenkins hit .375 with two home runs and a .470 wOBA, fueled by a 94.9 mph exit velocity and 62.5% hard-hit rate. Like Encarnacion-Strand, his ownership actually dropped 2% this week despite monstrous production — this disconnect between performance and roster movement is exactly the kind of inefficiency you want to exploit.

Henry Davis (C, PIT) — 0% Owned

Davis's 98.2 mph exit velocity is the second-highest in the entire report behind only Brady House. His strikeout rate plummeted from 12.1% to 7.7% while his walk rate surged from 15.2% to 23.1%. The .111 batting average is ugly, but his .339 wOBA and a home run show that when he's connecting, the ball is leaving the park. The 56.2% hard-hit quality and elite EV make him a deep-league must-add at the catcher position.

Position Scarcity Report

This week's 80 signals were spread across positions in revealing fashion:

• Relief Pitchers (13 signals): The most active position group this week, reflecting the volatility inherent in bullpen roles. Players like Mason Miller, Tanner Scott, Edwin Díaz, and Kenley Jansen are among those generating signals. If you need saves or ratios, the wire is flush.
• Catcher (9 signals, plus 4 C/1B): An unusually deep week for catchers. Francisco Alvarez, Ethan Salas, Henry Davis, Hunter Feduccia, Kyle Teel, and Moisés Ballesteros all appeared on the watch list. Catcher is typically the thinnest position on the wire, so this week represents a rare opportunity to upgrade.
• Outfield (8 signals): A solid crop including Garrett Mitchell, Drew Gilbert, Walker Jenkins, and Randal Grichuk. Speed-power combinations are available.
• First Base (7 signals) and 1B/3B combos (4 signals): The deepest position group overall when you combine pure 1B with multi-eligible players. Bryce Eldridge, Spencer Torkelson, Pavin Smith, and Andrés Chaparro headline the group.
• Shortstop (3 signals): Relatively thin. Michael Arroyo and Denzer Guzman are the primary names to watch, both at 1% ownership or below. If you need shortstop help, Cronenworth's SS eligibility becomes even more valuable.
• Starting Pitchers (6 P signals, 5 SP/RP): Moderate activity. Names like Chase Burns, Reid Detmers, MacKenzie Gore, and Shane Baz are among those generating signals. The SP wire is modestly stocked but not overflowing.
• Second Base / Third Base: Relatively scarce as standalone positions (2 signals each for pure 2B and 3B), but multi-position eligibles like Hao-Yu Lee, Vaughn Grissom, and Nick Loftin fill gaps nicely.

Looking Ahead

The Detroit pipeline demands continued monitoring — with Hao-Yu Lee, Spencer Torkelson, and Eduardo Valencia all generating strong signals simultaneously, the Tigers' lineup is producing fantasy-relevant bats at a notable clip. Watch for the several "early signal" players in this report — Brady House, Ethan Salas, and Drew Gilbert in particular — to either confirm their breakouts with a second strong week or regress, which will determine whether they move from watch list to must-add. The catcher position was abnormally deep this week, and if even half of these signals sustain, next week could see a significant reshuffling of catcher rankings across the industry.