Whether you're in need of an injury fill-in or just a hot-hand play, Scott White has you covered with 10 sleeper hitters for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in no more than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any estimation, but they're the best you'll find off the waiver wire.
All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper hitters for Week 25 (Sept. 9-15)
Pete Crow-Armstrong has been one of the game's hottest hitters since the start of August, batting .309 (34 for 110) with five home runs and six steals, and given his age and pedigree, the hot streak may well be a full-fledged breakout. He's almost too easy of a pick with the Cubs having the best hitter matchups, including a series at Coors Field.
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Xavier Edwards was apparently dropped in enough leagues during his brief IL stint to qualify for this list again, which is kind of outrageous given that he's been a top-three second baseman since arriving for good in July -- even with all the time missed. He may just be a must-start the rest of the way, especially in a week when the Marlins have the fifth-best hitter matchups.
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I've mentioned that the Marlins have the fifth-best hitter matchups, but I haven't mentioned that those matchups include five left-handed pitchers, which is especially good news for Connor Norby. The 24-year-old, who's coming off a big three-homer weekend, was especially productive against lefties at Triple-A, batting .324 with a .968 OPS.
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Even though the Rockies have the fourth-best hitter matchups this week, their hitters are all so much better at home that it's difficult to recommend one with even half a week on the road. Michael Toglia is an exception, though, having hit 16 of his 23 homers on the road.
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Spencer Horwitz just took a wrecking ball to the Braves, going 6 for 8 with three homers and a double over the weekend. There's a good chance he sits against Sean Manaea Wednesday, but I like him to take advantage of vulnerable righties like Paul Blackburn, Erick Fedde, Kyle Gibson and Miles Mikolas this week.
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Though he's still batting .291 (43 for 148) with an OPS around 1.000 since returning to the majors July 7, Matt Wallner's pace has slowed enough in recent weeks that it's reasonable to wonder if you're about to catch him on the wrong side of streaky. But a home run Thursday buys him the benefit of the doubt for this week, particularly with the Twins having the second-best hitter matchups.
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The Cardinals didn't make the cut for five best-hitter matchups this week, but they didn't miss it by much either. Masyin Winn saw an uptick in power in August and makes for a high-floor option at a position that can be difficult to fill off the waiver wire.
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Andrew Vaughn had a strong August and has picked things up here in September, batting .283 (32 for 113) with four homers and eight doubles in his past 30 games. He doesn't get much help from his supporting cast, of course, but hopefully matchups like Ben Lively, Mitch Spence, J.T. Ginn and Osvaldo Bido are enough to sustain him.
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While 2024 will mostly go down as a lost year for Lars Nootbaar, the 26-year-old has shown signs of life recently, entering Sunday slashing .313/.403/.508 with two homers and two steals in his past 20 games. Again, the Cardinals have pretty good matchups this week, particularly the three games against the Reds' depleted rotation.
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After a quiet August, Carlos Santana has already homered twice in September, showing signs of a turnaround. He did sit out Sunday's game with an illness but presumably will be healthy in time to take advantage of the Twins' second-best hitter matchups, featuring such stalwarts as Griffin Canning, Jack Kochanowicz, Julian Aguiar, Nick Martinez, and Rhett Lowder.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 25
1. Cubs @LAD3, @COL3
2. Twins LAA3, CIN3
3. Astros OAK3, @LAA3
4. Rockies @DET3, CHC3
5. Marlins @PIT3, @WAS4
Worst hitter matchups for Week 25
1. Padres @SEA2, @SF3
2. Rangers @ARI2, @SEA4
3. Diamondbacks TEX2, MIL3
4. Mets @TOR3, @PHI3
5. Giants MIL3, SD3
