Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 25

Two weeks. While fantasy football hits a loud, furious pace, fantasy baseball is in its home stretch. You could be angling for those last few rotoscoped points or your head-to-head playoffs could be in full swing right now. Now is not the time to take your foot off the gas pedal.

One of the keys to any fantasy success is not only nailing your draft, but scouring that waiver wire for players who can give your team a boost. Even though fantasy baseball can be a really long season, it's key to search those waivers and take it week-by-week to cement your fantasy status.

The four players below are all owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and could give your team a lift.

Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs (SS)

Yahoo Ownership: 14%

The Chicago Cubs are desperately trying to hold on to a playoff spot in the National League, and Nico Hoerner's ascent has been a big reason why they've stayed in the race.

In an admittedly very small sample size, the righty slugger has mashed his way to a .481 on-base percentage and .750 slugging percentage with 11 RBI. And while his spot in the batting order leaves a bit to be desired (often batting sixth), the kid has simply raked upon his call-up. This hasn't come completely out of nowhere as he struck out just 10.5% of the time across 294 Triple-A plate appearances this season.

It looks like Hoerner is a fixture in the Cubs' lineup for the time being, so fire him in there if you need middle infield help.

Nick Solak, Texas Rangers (2B/3B)

Yahoo Ownership: 28%

Like Hoerner, Nick Solak of the Texas Rangers has gotten the call to the big league club, and it's likely with 2020 in mind as Texas looks to see what they have on their roster. If he keeps hitting like this, Solak won't be back in the minors anytime soon.

In his small sample of 100 plate appearances, Solak has shown a keen batting eye (13.2% walk rate) with some pop (.415 wOBA). He's hit for plenty of pop along the way in the minors, too. In two minor league stops this year, he smacked 27 home runs, and a season ago, he provided a solid combo with a 19-homer, 21-steal season.

Unlike Hoerner, Solak has been batting smack in the middle of the lineup for this Rangers team, so there's no concerns there.

Eric Thames, Milwaukee Brewers (1B)

Yahoo Ownership: 7%

A glimmer of hope still exists for the Milwaukee Brewers' playoff hopes despite Christian Yelich missing the remainder of the season with a knee injury, and Eric Thames has a good chance of carrying them to a spot on his own.

Thames has been great against righties, and he's in a solid spot this week with six of them on his schedule. Since becoming a member of the Brew Crew prior to the 2017 season, Thames has posted a .525 slugging percentage and .274 isolated power (ISO) with a 45.9% hard-hit rate with the platoon advantage.

Playing at home with some premium matchups on tap, Thames makes for a sneaky-good add.

Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners (OF)

Yahoo Ownership: 18%

One time could be considered lucky. Two times, perhaps a fluke. Three games in a row?

Stud rookie Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners yakked in three straight games to open his career, which is a pretty impressive feat. Looking at his minor league numbers would make you think it's a flash in the pan as the outfielder hit only 11 homers this season in Double-A.

Remember, though, that unlike the overall profile of Pacific Coast League, which is a hitter-friendly environment, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Lewis's team, plays in a very pitcher-friendly park.

It's also interesting that Lewis rocked a 10.8% walk rate in Double-A this year, which follows an 11.2% walk rate in 152 plate appearances in his last stop in 2018. If you need to round out your outfield, Lewis could make for a strong add as a guy who should see regular playing time for Seattle for the rest of 2019.