Well, we’ve made it. It’s Week 25 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season, the last one before the MLB regular season concludes on the 29th. If you’re still in it in fantasy, congratulations. But, there’s plenty of work to be done in what is the most difficult week to navigate from a fantasy perspective. So, here’s a look at the hitters on the waiver wire that we think you should target.
Best hitters to target for Week 25 of 2024 Fantasy Baseball
Here’s a look at the best pickup targets for Week 25 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season, based on availability (>= 50% availability in Yahoo! leagues):
- Jose Tena (SS)
- Lenyn Sosa (2B, 3B)
- Luisangel Acuna (SS)
- Otto Lopez (2B, SS)
- Parker Meadows (OF)
This is the point of the year when things can get hairy. Playoff teams are likely to give players rest days. And, any player who goes on the IL is done for the season and we’ve seen a few of those over the past few days.
Rafael Devers is done for the year with shoulder inflammation, while the shortstop position has taken a severe hit. Bo Bichette is done thanks to a fractured finger, Francisco Lindor‘s status is up in the air, and CJ Abrams was demoted after an all-nighter at a Chicago casino.
Thus, much of the focus this week is on infielders.
Two of the hottest infielders over the last month are Otto Lopez and Jose Tena. Both Lopez and Tena are fighting for 2025 roster spots and both have performed well. Lopez has done it all for the Marlins in recent weeks. The ex-Blue Jay prospect notched 22 hits over a 17-game span from September 4-21, drove in 11, and also added three stolen bases.
Tena, meanwhile, is a name I’ve honed in on before this season. That’s because I like what the Nationals infielder’s offered so far. He can hit — a .306 average over 148 PA and an above-average Hard Hit% — and steal. Tena ranked in the top ten of MLB in stolen bases (5) from September 4-21.
Then, there’s Luisangel Acuna from the Mets. We’ll see how much Acuna will play over the final few days but one can assume he’ll start every day if Lindor can’t go over the final six games. The Mets prospect’s been electric in his first days as a Major Leaguer, as he went 10-26 (.385) with three home runs and six RBI over his first eight games.
As seen in the clip above, Acuna doesn’t have as much power as brother Ronald Jr. — has a similar swing to his brother. His swing is short and Acuna has pounded baseballs thus far. His 63.6% Hard Hit% is well above the league average, although it’s a short sample size.
And for AL-only leagues, might we recommend Lenyn Sosa. Sosa’s surprisingly been one of the game’s better hitters over the last few weeks. The former top prospect picked up 22 hits between September 4-21, four of which were extra-base hits. Those 22 hits were tied for the fifth-most in that span.
Lastly, Parker Meadows didn’t record a hit in his last two games against the Orioles. But, the Tigers outfielder had three multi-hit games between September 13-17, and Meadows has driven in 14 on the month.
Other recommendations
- Logan O’Hoppe (C)
- Michael Busch (1B, 3B)
It’s good to see Logan O’Hoppe snap out of his funk before the end of 2024. O’Hoppe reached the 20-home run marker on September 21, and he notched four runs scored and five hits between September 21-22. He’s hitting just .229 on the month but a strong final week can go a long way. Nonetheless. O’Hoppe — once we get into the spring — will be among the best catchers available in drafts come 2025.
Lastly, Michael Busch has been a favorite here this season. Why? Busch has quietly put up a strong 2024, or at least quiet in terms of what he’s done as a rookie relative to some of his other peers. Busch is a 20-home run hitter, as he belted five this month to get to #20. He’s also driven in 14 this month, second-most for Busch this season.
Before I cap off this article, I want to thank everyone who’s read our fantasy articles this season. We’re not done yet, though, as we will do a post-2024 analysis and prepare for the 2025 campaign.