Willi Castro and Hunter Goodman Lead Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitting Options on Wednesday

After checking out some fantasy baseball waiver wire pitchers to possibly add, let's now look at some waiver wire hitters to possibly add.

We won't include any players who were in waiver stories on Monday or Tuesday. Also be sure to check out Wednesday's pitching streamer story.

Check out the top fantasy baseball waiver wire options everyday on FantasySP. 

Should You Add Ronny Mauricio?

Mauricio is rostered in 22.43% of leagues after a 7.29% increase. He's someone I covered in a prospect story on Tuesday, but want to discuss more here today.

Mauricio was called up to replace the injured Mark Vientos, so there's playing time available for the Mets' infielder. Mauricio started at third base and batted in the seventh slot for New York on Tuesday. Mauricio went 0-for-4 in the contest, with a strikeout. 

Across 19 games and 73 minor league plate appearances this season, Mauricio was tearing it up. He hit .323 and got on base at a .384 clip across those games. Across his 21 hits, he had three doubles and three home runs, along with posting 11 RBIs, six stolen bases, 13 runs scored, seven walks and 17 strikeouts.

There's clearly nothing left for Mauricio to prove at the minor league levels. He has worked his way back from a torn ACL after debuting in the MLB in 2023.

He played in 26 games and got 108 plate appearances that season. Mauricio had a .248 average and .296 on-base percentage. He doubled four times and homered twice among his 25 total hits that season. Mauricio also had nine RBIs, seven stolen bases, 11 runs scored, seven walks and 31 strikeouts.

You can see that Mauricio has fantasy appeal with his well-rounded game. He just needs to stay healthy and put it all together at the big league level now.

For the time being, Mauricio is going to get a chance to start most games, and that makes him a good fantasy asset inside the Mets' stacked lineup. Depending on how well he performs during Vientos' absence, that will determine if Mauricio sticks in the lineup after Vientos' return.

I'm fine adding Mauricio in some deeper leagues, but will need to see some results before calling him a must-add deep leaguer. I'd avoid adding him in standard leagues until we know how long Vientos is out, or if Mauricio will retain a starting role for the remainder of the season.

He's definitely a player to keep tabs on though.

Should You Add Willi Castro?

Castro is rostered in 36% of fantasy leagues right now. He was around 25% at the end of May.

He's logged two hits in back-to-back appearances, and has four multi-hit efforts over his past five games. Castro has 10 hits over his past six games and 28 plate appearances.

Among those 10 hits, Castro has four home runs and one double. He also had five RBIs, a stolen base, eight runs scored, five walks and six strikeouts over that span.

Castro has appeared in 40 games and gotten 156 plate appearances this season. He's got a .261 average and .346 OBP - he was at a 226 average and .303 OBP before these past six games. Castro has 36 hits (nine doubles, six homers included), 12 RBIs, three stolen bases, 25 runs scored, 14 walks and 37 strikeouts as well this season.

Something working in Castro's favor is that he's played second and third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots this season. He could be available to start at several spots in fantasy leagues, and that ups his fantasy value quite a bit.

Castro has had some fantasy relevance over the past couple seasons, with that position versatility helping him out. He's a career .249 hitter with a .315 OBP though, so he's mostly just a deep-league asset.

Castro is trending up right now, and is worth adding and utilizing in deeper redraft leagues for the time being. He can start at several positions, meaning he can likely help you out at a position of need. I don't think he'll ever be a great standard league option, but if his hot hitting keeps up, he could at least be streamed for his hot stretch.

Use FantasySP's improved AI Waiver Advice inside the Fantasy Assistant to see which waiver wire targets might fit your team best. 

Should You Add Hunter Goodman?

Goodman is trending back up after seeing his own percentage drop a bit. He was at 77% owned on May 31, then dropped to 70% on June 2 - he's back up to 73% today.

He has five hits over his past two games, including three home runs and a double. Goodman has four RBIs and runs scored, no walks and three strikeouts over that short span.

Goodman is becoming known as a streaky hitter. He has good overall numbers this season though, with a .277 average and .325 OBP over 59 games and 237 plate appearances. He's got 10 homers, 12 doubles and a triple among his 61 total knocks, while also having 35 RBIs, a stolen base, 29 runs scored, 13 walks and 61 strikeouts.

He starts at catcher most days for Colorado, but also has 23 appearances as the team's designated hitter. In other words, he's getting in the lineup daily, and typically hits third in the order.

Colorado is not a good lineup for a fantasy hitter to be in, but Goodman has made it work so far. He sits in fourth among fantasy catchers in points leagues, using ESPN scoring settings.

I think Goodman is underrated and undervalued as a fantasy asset. He deserves to be added and utilized in more deeper leagues. Sure, there are ups and downs to his fantasy outlook, but you could pair him with another catcher and be set up pretty well for the remainder of the season. 

If both your catchers are excelling at the plate, you can start one at a utility spot, or sell one high in a trade. Adding Goodman is a move a lot of standard redraft fantasy owners would benefit from though.

Should You Add Michael Busch?

Busch is rostered in 51% of leagues right now. That's up from 48% at the start of this month.

He's on a five-game hitting streak, posting eight total hits over his past 18 plate appearances. Busch had two homers and triples among those hits, along with eight RBIs, four runs scored, three walks and just two strikeouts.

In 56 games and 210 plate appearances this season, Busch has a .276 average and .376 OBP. Across 50 total hits, Busch has 11 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. He also has 36 RBIs, three stolen bases, 27 runs scored, 24 walks and 50 strikeouts.

Busch has mostly played first base this season. He sits when a lefty starting pitcher opposes the Cubs, but also hits fifth or sixth when starting, which puts him in a great fantasy spot.

He deserves to be rostered and held in deeper redraft leagues all season. Busch can be streamed in standard leagues when he's hot at the plate, like he is now. He's not a must-add waiver bat though, so only scoop him up if you have a need at first base, or are looking for a short-term burst of help.

Should You Add Ceddanne Rafaela?

Rafaela is rostered in 42% of leagues right now. He'd been under 40% since May 27.

Rafaela is on a seven-game hitting streak, collecting 13 hits over that span. He had three home runs and two doubles among those hits, along with four RBIs, five runs scored, no walks and five strikeouts.

He has 213 plate appearances over 58 games played this season. Rafaela sits with a .254 average and .299 OBP - he was at a .220 average and .275 OBP before this seven-game stretch. Rafaela has five homers, two triples and five homers among his 50 hits on the season, along with 23 RBIs, seven stolen bases, 34 runs scored, 10 walks and 41 strikeouts.

There's enough fantasy value in those numbers, especially when he's hot at the plate, to roster and utilize him in some deeper redraft leagues. He's started the past seven games, and moved up to eighth and seventh in the order over the past couple games, so that's a positive trend as well.

Rafaela is likely to top out as a deep-league option with his lower OBP, and because he's at a stacked fantasy position. He's worth streaming in some deeper redraft leagues until his bat cools off though.