Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Kris Bubic tops the rankings of must-add players.

Ballparks play a significant role in our fantasy baseball valuations. We tend to favor hitters who thrive in hitter-friendly venues like Coors Field, Great American Ball Park, and Yankee Stadium, to name a few. Conversely, we search for pitchers hailing from the most pitcher-friendly ballparks, including Oracle Park, T-Mobile Park, and Petco Park.

This week’s recommended pickups for standard ESPN leagues align with this approach, featuring players who are situated in optimal environments for success.

Week 2’s top ESPN standard league pickups

Kris Bubic, RP, Kansas City Royals (available in 70.6% of leagues): Since modifying his repertoire in 2023 with the addition of a sweeper, Bubic has been a strikeout phenomenon. However, he was largely overlooked due to undergoing Tommy John surgery just three starts into that season. After returning last May, Bubic showcased his skills in both the minors and the Royals’ bullpen in 2024, demonstrating over a full-mph increase in average fastball velocity along with his effective sweeper.

Now back in the rotation, Bubic has retained most of that extra fastball velocity — he averages 92.2 mph over his first two starts, which is a half-tick higher than his pre-surgery numbers. He boasts a 33% whiff rate (misses per swing) and strong strikeout rates through these starts. Considering that Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium is one of the more challenging environments for hitters, Bubic is well-positioned for favorable fantasy matchups.

Hunter Goodman, OF/C, Colorado Rockies (available in 86.1%): Initially viewed as a utility player at the start of 2025, Goodman has morphed into a dynamic catcher/DH for the Rockies, akin to William Contreras or Adley Rutschman. He has started all but three of the team’s nine games behind the plate, significantly boosting his fantasy value, especially for those eligible as catchers.

Goodman embodies an “all or nothing” hitting approach, homering in 4.7% of his career plate appearances while striking out at a 28.9% clip. Nevertheless, thanks to his team playing in the league’s best hitting environment, this strategy has proven effective. If you start him during home games and bench him on the road — his career wOBA is 66 points higher at Coors than away — you can maximize his fantasy potential.

Tyler Soderstrom, 1B, Athletics (available in 61.1%): Benefiting from a favorable home environment, as Sutter Health Park hosted a combined 44 runs and 12 home runs during its opening three-game series, Soderstrom is a hidden gem for power at first base. He also carries added appeal as an emergency backstop, potentially qualifying for catcher eligibility mid-season.

Since last season, Soderstrom has achieved a 14.5% Statcast Barrel rate and a 50.0% hard-hit rate, placing him in the 94th percentile among players with over 250 plate appearances during that span. He serves as the everyday first baseman and the No. 5 hitter against right-handed pitching and has also batted sixth in the Athletics’ only matchup against a lefty so far.

Two-start pitcher pickup

Hayden Wesneski, RP/SP, Houston Astros (available in 95.7%): While he might only serve as a stopgap for the Astros until Lance McCullers Jr. returns, Wesneski’s two-start week aligns well with his schedule. He’s set to pitch Monday at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park against a Seattle Mariners offense that has only managed 32 runs in 10 games, followed by a home game against a Los Angeles Angels lineup ranked as one of the ten worst in the majors according to the Forecaster.

Rotisserie-style player to add

Jose Alvarado, RP, Philadelphia Phillies (available in 87.0%): In their last three wins, the Phillies have given their bullpen a ninth-inning save opportunity, with Alvarado converting two. Jordan Romano, expected to fill the closer role, took the third opportunity on Alvarado’s night off on April 4 (Alvarado had thrown 35 pitches the previous day) and served in a setup role during the other two victories.

Injuries and command issues have hindered Alvarado in the past, but his stuff has been impressive recently — his average fastball velocity of 99.7 mph would be a career best, and his cutter has resulted in a whiff rate of 50%. He looks like a dominant finisher. Although the closer role may be shared in Philadelphia throughout the season, the lefty is a must-add in all formats based on early indicators.

Deeper-league pickups

Kyren Paris, 2B, Los Angeles Angels (available in 93.3% of leagues): Paris has always been known for his speed — having stolen 47 bases in 128 games across both majors and minors in 2023, and currently ranking in the 93rd percentile for Statcast sprint speed. After working with batting coach Richard Schenck (who has notable clients like Aaron Judge) in the offseason, Paris has enhanced his hitting, already tallying a pair of Barrels and a 54% hard-hit rate across his 13 batted balls.

Dennis Santana, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates (available in 97.1%): The unexpected demotion of David Bednar to Triple-A on April 1 opened a closer opportunity for the Pirates, and Santana appears to be the frontrunner. He closed out the team’s April 2 victory and delivered a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday before Ryan Borucki blew the save opportunity in the ninth. With a slider that garnered over a 40% whiff rate in 2024, he has maintained that effectiveness through his initial six outings this season.

Zac Veen, OF, Colorado Rockies (available in 97.0%): Veen narrowly missed securing a starting role during spring training, finishing with a batting line of .270/.352/.460 with two homers and nine steals in 28 Cactus League games. After an impressive start in Triple-A Albuquerque, where he hit .387/.472/.677 over his first eight games, he’s reportedly set for a recall by the Rockies ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. His blend of potential elite speed, patience at the plate, and power — not to mention the Coors effect — makes him an ideal target for rotisserie formats.