Week 11 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Kyle Teel, Coby Mayo Headline Rising Infielders

Kyle Teel's promotion to the White Sox has sparked a surge of fantasy interest, as his minor league production suggests an immediate impact is possible. Let's take a look at a few other infielders fantasy baseball managers should consider targeting on the waiver wire.

Catchers

Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox

I’m tracking Teel for multiple weeks in my minor league watch series. The White Sox decided to call him up on Friday (6/6), creating another catcher bidding frenzy in leagues that use free agent dollars for pickups.

Teel has 45 hits over his last 134 at-bats with 27 runs, six home runs, 21 RBIs, and six stolen bases. Currently, Teel has a four-game hitting streak (six hits over 16 at-bats with three runs, one home run, two RBIs, and two steals).

Chicago is getting no production at catcher this season (24 runs, one home run, and 19 RBIs over 214 at-bats). I expect him to be in the starting lineup tonight.

The White Sox are calling up top prospect Kyle Teel.

Teel was acquired this winter in the Garrett Crochet trade 👏 pic.twitter.com/pi2C3h19qv
— MLB (@MLB) June 6, 2025

Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets

I’m heavily invested in Alvarez this year, but I’ve been rewarded with only five runs, one home run, and eight RBIs over his first 27 days. His struggles at the plate have led to him being on the bench in six of the Mets’ last 14 games, creating a waiver wire dumping over the last week or so.

Last week, I had the opportunity to trade Alvarez for Henry Davis in my deep leagues, which was probably the right move if I knew that Pittsburgh would commit to Davis for the remainder of the year. If he played well, the Pirates would move him up in the batting order.

Alvarez has a power profile with a better approach on his minor league resume. He’s hitting .250 over his last 24 at-bats with an RBI, which should put him in the avoid category. I believe in his home run potential, and a trip to Colorado may help him find his swing. I view him as a buy-low catcher, but I could be on a fantasy island with my opinion of him.

First Basemen

Dominic Smith, San Francisco Giants

Smith is another beaten-down Met prospect who failed to be fantasy relevant from 2022 to 2024 (.239/101/18/97/2 over 936 at-bats) while playing for four major league franchises.

The Giants signed him to a minor league deal this year. Over his last 17 games at AAA, Smith went 20-for-63 with 14 runs, six home runs, 17 RBIs, and four stolen bases. He took nine walks while striking out 13 times.

San Francisco called Smith up this week, giving him two starts in three games. He went 3-for-8 with a double and two RBIs. In deep formats, Smith could be a free dart for fantasy teams struggling to get league-average stats at first base. The Giants have a weakness at first base, creating a potential long starting window for Smith if his bat produces.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cincinnati Reds

As expected, the Reds activated Encarnacion-Strand off the injured list on Friday. He played well over his 10 games at AAA (12-for-37 with five runs, two home runs, and seven RBIs), highlighted by eight of his hits going for extra bases.

Cincinnati gave Encarnacion-Strand 395 at-bats in the majors over the last three seasons, leading to a .230 batting average with 46 runs, 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and two stolen bases. His strikeout rate (27.6) has been a liability so far with the Reds.

His bat offers impact power if Encarnacion-Strand plays up to his minor league profile in 2022 and 2023 (.314/114/52/176/10 over 762 at-bats).

Second Basemen

Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates

An ankle issue knocked Gonzales to the injured list for 60 days to start this season. From 2022 to 2024, between AA and AAA, he hit .288 with 159 runs, 26 home runs, 102 RBIs, and nine stolen bases over 771 at-bats. Last season, Pittsburgh gave him 359 at-bats in the majors, leading to 42 runs, seven home runs, 49 RBIs, and five steals.

After nine games at AAA (7-for-36 with three runs and RBI), the Pirates had him in the starting lineup in two of their past three games. He went 1-for-7 with four strikeouts.

Until his bat shows power, Gonzales is only worthy of a flier in deep formats with some value in NL-only formats.

Thairo Estrada, Colorado Rockies

After opening the season on the injured list with a wrist injury, Estrada returned to the majors last Friday night. He went 5-for-18 over his first five games with two runs and three RBIs on the road.

At AAA, Estrada had a five-game hitting streak (.304 over 23 at-bats with four runs and one RBI). In 2023 and 2024 with the Giants, he offered steady second base at-bats (.266/134/28/111/44 over 983 at-bats).

The Rockies play six games at home this week, which gives Estrada matchup value in shallow formats.

Third Basemen

Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles

The luster of Mayo’s bat is gone in shallow leagues. Baltimore called him up last week, but he remains in the free-agent pool in 89% of 12-team leagues in the high-stakes market. The Orioles had him in their starting lineup in four of their last five games, resulting in more empty stats (2-for-13 with three runs and one RBI). On the positive side, he only struck out three times.

His bat shined at AAA in 2023 and 2024, leading to a .283 batting average with 101 runs, 37 home runs, 128 RBIs, and five stolen bases over 575 at-bats. Unfortunately, Baltimore kept him back at AAA again this year, but Mayo had weaker results (.226/24/8/28/1 over 168 at-bats).

Mayo has talent and power, but he can’t succeed in the majors without making better contact. Over his 25 games with Baltimore, he has seven hits over 66 at-bats with seven runs, one RBI, and 31 strikeouts (ouch). At this point, Mayo is only a stash to see if his home run swing comes alive when Baltimore returns home.

Coby Mayo is absolutely dominating in AAA pic.twitter.com/nX24zqTAyp
— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) July 1, 2024

Jonathan India, Kansas City Royals

In fantasy baseball, it is easy to lose track of players if they aren’t on your roster. Over the past couple of weeks, India has found his way into the free agent pool in all formats due to his empty production over his first 200 at-bats (19 runs, one home run, and 13 RBIs). I was surprised to see that he was playing so poorly.

His lack of power and speed seemed out of line based on his success in both areas over the two previous seasons (32 home runs and 27 stolen bases over 987 at-bats). Over his last three matchups, India went 6-for-14 with five runs, one home run, and two RBIs. I have to believe he will be better in counting stats going forward, making him a viable gamble in all fantasy leagues.

Shortstops

Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins

Over his first seven games, Lopez outperformed expectations by going 10-for-29 with five runs, two home runs, and seven RBIs. The fantasy market took him for a dance, but he only hit .188 over his next 80 at-bats with 10 runs, four RBIs, and two stolen bases.

After two weeks on the injured list with an ankle issue, his bat showed a higher pulse over his last 43 at-bats (.256 with four runs, two home runs, seven RBIs, and two stolen bases). His minor league resume paints a higher ceiling in steals (91 over 2,011 at-bats), and Lopez ran more with Miami last year (20 stolen bases).

Lopez is an improving player while on a path to hit the most home runs of his career by a wide margin. Miami will give him middle-of-the-order at-bats, increasing his value in counting stats if he plays well.

Otto Lopez hammers a 2-run HR.

It's Otto's 5th of the season and the @Marlins trail the Rays 4-3. pic.twitter.com/biSb1kIE8R
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) June 6, 2025

Max Muncy, Athletics

Injuries to Miguel Andujar and Gio Urshela prompted Muncy's call-up this week. He made the A’s opening day roster, but his bat was overmatched over his first 21 games (.176/4/1/4 over 68 at-bats with 21 strikeouts). After his demotion to AAA, Muncy hit .325 over 123 at-bats with 24 runs, three home runs, 22 RBIs, and one stolen base.

In his first two games back with the Athletics, Muncy has three hits over nine at-bats with a run, a home run, and three RBIs, but he did strike out four times. His best tool in the minors over the past three seasons has been batting average (.304). Over 296 at-bats at AAA, Muncy hit .297 with 52 runs, 11 home runs, 55 RBIs, and five steals while striking out 23.8% of the time.

At best, he is a bridge player in deep formats.