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Fantasy baseball waiver wire

Tristan H. Cockcroft Apr 14, 2025, 02:18 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Sunday night’s star remains available in a shocking number of ESPN leagues. Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Chicago Cubs’ everyday center fielder and (at least thus far) No. 7 hitter, hit two home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball, propelling his […]

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1 month ago

April 15, 2025

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Tristan H. Cockcroft

Apr 14, 2025, 02:18 PM ET

Sunday night’s star remains available in a shocking number of ESPN leagues.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Chicago Cubs’ everyday center fielder and (at least thus far) No. 7 hitter, hit two home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball, propelling his team to a 4-2 victory and weekend series win. It was his first game all season with more than six fantasy points, and only his 11th among 18 total games with a positive point total. However, as it came on the big stage, it seems likely — and deservedly so — that this outing will boost his roster rate in ESPN leagues.

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Crow-Armstrong, somehow, remains out there in 68.0% of ESPN leagues, whereas in many offsite games he’s rostered in more than 80%. There’s a logical reason for there being a discrepancy, in that his skill set isn’t ideal for our standard scoring system (points) being that he’s a free-swinging type who provides a greater contribution to his fantasy teams with his legs than his bat. Still, Crow-Armstrong’s Sunday performance should serve a reminder that he’s capable of helping fantasy teams universally.

Crow-Armstrong’s raw speed provides a helpful base for fantasy play, as he had a 99th percentile Statcast sprint speed last year and has 98th percentile thus far in 2025. He’s a perfect 6-for-6 on his steals attempts after going 27-for-30 last season, and between this and last season, only Elly De La Cruz (41.4%), Dairon Blanco (37.7%), Jose Caballero (34.7%) and David Hamilton (34.5%) have attempted a stolen base on a greater percentage of his opportunities (minimum 50) than Crow-Armstrong (32.7%).

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With the bat, Crow-Armstrong has made contact on 78% of his swings, up from 70% last season, he has maintained the elevated launch angle he exhibited over the final three months of 2024 (16.1 degrees then, 17.1 this year) and kept his hard-hit rate within range (40.3% then, 35.8% this year). There’s enough pop in his bat that he’s capable of 15-20 homers, to go along with what’s already 40-SB ability.

Best yet, Crow-Armstrong’s defense is likely to rate among the game’s best, assuring him regular at-bats to drive up his counting numbers. There’s no question that he needs to be immediately added in all formats.

Week 4’s other top waiver wire picks

Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (available in 55.2% of leagues): Although the four-year, $45 million contract extension through 2029 that he signed in February might have been unexpected, Perdomo’s combination of elite plate discipline, baserunning smarts and above-average defense at three different infield positions makes him one of the game’s more underrated players.

He has filled in admirably as the Diamondbacks’ No. 2 hitter against right-handers and leadoff man against lefties since Ketel Marte landed on the IL, batting .273 with 12 walks compared to zero strikeouts in eight games. Perdomo’s skill set isn’t that of a league-winner, but his on-base ability makes him a worthwhile plug-in for so long as he remains in the top third of one of the better lineups in baseball.

Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics (available in 64.5%): An elite contact hitter in the style of David Eckstein, Wilson’s 88% contact rate on his swings since his July 19, 2024 debut is seventh-best among the 260 hitters who have had at least as many trips to the plate as him. And this is in spite of the fact that he has the 21st-highest chase rate (percentage of swings at non-strikes) during that same time span.

That’s a skill that minimizes downside in points leagues, even if Wilson to this point has been an extreme ground baller with little pop in his swing. He has recently moved up to sixth/seventh in the Athletics order and is their regular shortstop, playing in a home ballpark that should inflate offense up and down the lineup.

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Jose Caballero, SS/2B/3B, Tampa Bay Rays (available in 90.4% of leagues): As mentioned above, he’s one of the most likely players in baseball to attempt a steal when presented with the opportunity, but what stands out for him thus far in 2025 hasn’t been his speed, but rather his patience at the plate. Through 33 plate appearances, he has six walks, already more than 20% of his entire 2024 total (27), while cutting his chase rate from 35% to 22%.

Taking into account his ability to play all over the field, the Rays have taken notice, starting him in four of their past five games with multiple appearances at both third base and in right field. Caballero is plenty capable of a 40-steal campaign if he’s used regularly, as he was in 2024, but he could see that total — and his numbers on the whole — jump markedly if his new patient approach sticks.

Deeper-league pickups

Zebby Matthews, SP, Minnesota Twins (available in 97.1% of leagues): While he didn’t get the call this past week after Pablo Lopez was placed on the IL — David Festa instead was summoned — Matthews should factor into the Twins rotation soon. The Twins had already been mulling a six-man rotation, and Matthews has pitched excellently between spring training (9 1/3 scoreless innings with a 37.5% K rate) and two starts for Triple-A St. Paul (1.80 ERA, 36.1 K%). It’s possible Matthews could get a look in Chris Paddack’s spot in short order.

Chase Meidroth, SS/3B, Chicago White Sox (available in 98.0%): Though his spring statistics failed to impress (.146/.300/.171 rates over 17 games), the White Sox gave serious consideration to having this rookie begin the season as their starting shortstop. Instead, he reported to Triple-A Charlotte, hit three home runs, stole two bases and again posted more walks than strikeouts — he had 105 of the former and 71 of the latter for Triple-A Worcester last year — across nine games to earn a quick recall. Acquired in this past winter’s Garrett Crochet trade, Meidroth is a contact-oriented hitter whose patience is his calling card. If your league weights walks or on-base percentage more heavily, he’s well worth a speculative pickup.

Jose Quintana, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (available in 97.5%): The Brewers have a way of squeezing production out of the least likely pitchers — see Tobias Myers in 2024, Wade Miley in 2023 or Eric Lauer in 2022. Quintana is coming off a surprisingly productive 2024 of his own for the Mets. He’s one of the better pitchers at both getting ahead early in the count as well as minimizing hard contact, and in his first start for the Brewers he went sinker-heavy, generating a 55% ground ball rate. Quintana is a pitcher best used for matchup-seekers, but since the Brewers are starved for starting pitching and are paying him $4 million, he should see plenty of chances in that regard.

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NCAA Outdoor Championships Recap – North Park University Athletics

Story Links GENEVA, Ohio — North Park Track & Field officially wrapped their season at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Spire Institute, representing the Blue & Gold in three different events. Multis standout Thea Ring was the first Viking to compete on the biggest stage in Division III Track & Field, […]

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May 25, 2025

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GENEVA, Ohio — North Park Track & Field officially wrapped their season at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Spire Institute, representing the Blue & Gold in three different events.

Multis standout Thea Ring was the first Viking to compete on the biggest stage in Division III Track & Field, showing a fantastic opening day in the Heptathlon. She opened the day with a third-place mark in the 200m with a time of 25.04, just .05 seconds off Emma Burr’s (Thomas College) top mark in the event. Ring also placed third in the 800m with a time of 2:20.93 and she was third in the 100m with a time of 14.59.

ringhighjumpoutdoornationals25

Ring also boasted a season high 1.54m bound in the High Jump. After day one, Ring was in the second position in the event. The North Park Female Athlete of the Year ended up placing 11th in the event with a point total of 4800, cracking the top 10 in five of the seven categories.

The NPU Women’s 4x100m team also competed on day one. The team made up of Mariana Costa, Riana Hayes, Meja Lindberg, and Ring placed 12th in the prelims, three spots away from qualifying for the Finals.

NPU Male Athlete of the Year Jereme Ombogo was the final representative for the Vikings, competing in the 200m. Ombogo ran a qualifying time of 21.26 in the Prelims, positioning himself for Saturday’s Final race. On the big stage, the junior finished as Division III’s fifth-fastest runner in the 200, crossing the line at 21.32 to conclude a sensational 2024-25 season.

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MSHSAA Class 1, 2 and 3 track and field champions crowned in Jefferson City | Prep Sports

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May 25, 2025

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Why Monaco GP's exclusive trophy trunk is now standard in F1… and League of Legends

The Athletic has live coverage from the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. What do the Olympic flame, Ballon d’Or and Monaco Grand Prix winner’s trophy have in common with multiplayer battle arena game League of Legends? It’s the cases these trophies are delivered in. And, these days, they’re very visible. Since the start of 2025, the […]

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May 25, 2025

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Why Monaco GP's exclusive trophy trunk is now standard in F1… and League of Legends

The Athletic has live coverage from the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix.

What do the Olympic flame, Ballon d’Or and Monaco Grand Prix winner’s trophy have in common with multiplayer battle arena game League of Legends? It’s the cases these trophies are delivered in. And, these days, they’re very visible.

Since the start of 2025, the winning trophy for each Formula One event has been displayed on the grid ahead of the race start, white-gloved attendees at the ready. This is the first year of the partnership between F1 and LVMH, the luxury goods powerhouse that owns brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and TAG Heuer. But the trophy trunks, which have a deep history dating back to the 1800s, aren’t actually new for the Monaco Grand Prix. Louis Vuitton previously had a race-specific deal with the Automobile Club de Monaco from 2021-2024.

These trunks are also seen in similar presentation ceremonies across sport. From soccer (with the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Cup trophies), the rugby union World Cup, tennis (with the Roland Garros and Davis Cup winners’ trophies), and basketball (the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy).

The trophy trunks are handmade at Louis Vuitton’s atelier in Asnières, France, located just outside of Paris. Louis Vuitton, the designer, founded this atelier – an artist’s workshop – in 1859, five years after creating his House and long after he pioneered his now-famous trunk luggage design. The Frenchman spent 17 years perfecting the concept of a flat-topped rectangular trunk, the first of its kind, from which the trophy trunks take their cues. The original design proved easier to stack on ships or trains compared to the domed luggage pieces that were otherwise common in the 1800s. The flat-topped trunks and the distinctive canvas, a resistant and lightweight material to wrap the trunks, were created in 1854.

As rival fashion companies began replicating Vuitton’s idea in their own forms, the House needed to expand the trunk over the years — with a red-stripped canvas coming in the 1870s, a chequered Damier canvas in 1888, and the now iconic monogram in 1896. This was a concept that came a few years after Vuitton’s death. The monogram was designed by his son, Georges Vuitton. In addition to his father’s initials, “abstract floral shapes” are etched on the materials. According to the House, the trunks as we know them today are “virtually identical” to those being produced as early as 1906.

Louis Vuitton’s trophy boxes have been used for multiple events recently (via LVMH)

Some Louis Vuitton’s luggage trunks cost north of $50,000 today. And in 1983, the brand took its iconic concept into the sporting world for the first time — creating a trophy case that looks like a luggage trunk for the America’s Cup in sailing.

This partnership is still going in 2025. Louis Vuitton expanded from there, to even create an E-sports trophy for the League of Legends 2019 World Championships. A year later, it became the NBA’s official trophy travel case provider, housing the Larry O’Brien Trophy given to the winner of the NBA Finals each year. That trunk features details special to the NBA, such as the interior being the league’s dark blue.

Louis Vuitton created trunks for the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup trophies, and the House is poised to have a similar consistency in F1 with LVMH’s 10-year deal. Louis Vuitton’s automotive ties actually date back to 1897, when the House began creating luggage trunks for such travel. In the 1990s, Louis Vuitton also organised its own rally — the Louis Vuitton Classic Run.

Why this matters for F1

First, this is another example the fashion industry’s growing involvement in F1 and how luxury brands are finding ways to invest in the sport’s expanded and more diverse fanbase. H. Moser & Cie is a partner of Alpine, after executives cold-emailed the watch company with the idea of teaming up — according to The Hollywood Reporter. Richard Mille is involved with McLaren and Ferrari, and beauty companies such has Charlotte Tilbury and Elemis have begun investing in F1 Academy and Aston Martin, respectively.

For Louis Vuitton, use of the trophy trunks takes its involvement with F1 beyond simple branding around different parts of the track, as is the case for many of the championship’s other partners. These trunks have become symbolic parts of the pre- and post-race festivities, as individuals don white gloves to carry the trophy case into position at the front of the grid and near where the drivers stand for the host country’s national anthem. It’s a reminder to the drivers — if they really need it — of what’s at stake.

Simply put, this is a visual representation of how F1 has changed under Liberty Media. The LVMH deal meant Rolex stopped being the championship’s official timekeeper at the end of last year — with a TAG Heuer clock now installed at the end of every pitlane instead.

But, in the constant strive for sales, such deals cut both ways. Companies such as Louis Vuitton are now using F1’s reach to find new customers. A report in the New York Times last year stated that “the sports-sponsorship market is expected to grow from $63.1 billion in 2021 to $109.1 billion by 2030 as a host of new sponsors — such as sports betting and streaming giants — buy in.”

“Exclusivity is the central reputation pillar of all luxury brands,” states a report from London-based media analytics company Commetric. “The illusion of scarcity and rarity is what drives consumer demand towards luxury goods, even more than quality.

“But analysing (conversations on social media platform X), we found that in this case, exclusivity was the least visible LVMH reputation pillar. Instead, the discussions around things like Louis Vuitton medal trays.”

Louis Vuitton’s logo is very visible around F1 this season (Santanu Banik/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The report added that “by being everywhere at such a mass-appeal event, LVMH and its brands conveyed a message that goes against every luxury comms strategy – ‘our products are as accessible as beer and sneakers’. It seems like LVMH is becoming part of a larger strategic push into mass sports by the world’s top luxury companies.

“With the luxury industry in trouble, they realised that a growing share of their business depends on aspirational consumers they can reach through hugely popular events that ditch old-school exclusivity—some 60 per cent of global luxury sales today come from people who spend less than €2,000 a year on luxury goods.”

This is all a far cry from back in 2014, when former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone claimed he limited sponsorship signings to those targeted at older customers. He went as far as saying, in a typically combative interview with Campaign Asia-Pacific magazine that “young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can’t afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS – these kids don’t care about banking. They haven’t got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway. That’s what I think.”

Now, F1’s current custodian, Liberty Media, has greatly expanded its sponsorship portfolio. These days, F1 even has official chocolate and pasta partners — in an effort similar to LVMH to try and reach a new consumer base amid turbulent market pressures.

This explains why longstanding F1 traditions such as the Rolex clock shot at the start of every on-track session have changed. And the championship’s TV cameras are now trained on the race trophy and its case before lights out.

“This year kicks off our first participation at the Monaco Grand Prix within the Formula One partnership, unveiling, for the first time, our new creative signature along Monte-Carlo’s legendary track, while also celebrating the fifth appearance of our emblematic Trophy Trunk,” said Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, in a written statement to The Athletic.

“We are proud to carry history forward, reaffirming our enduring tradition of accompanying champions, as we did for prestigious sport events, such as the Australian Open, the Ballon d’Or, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

(Top photo: Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty Images)

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Selwyn Maxwell, Jr. – Men’s Track and Field Coach

STORRS, Conn. – UConn Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Beth Alford-Sullivan announced the promotion of Coach Selwyn Maxwell, Jr. to the role of associate Head Track & Field Coach on September 4, 2024. Coach Maxwell has been a key member of the coaching staff at UConn for the last three years as an assistant […]

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46 minutes ago

May 25, 2025

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STORRS, Conn. – UConn Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Beth Alford-Sullivan announced the promotion of Coach Selwyn Maxwell, Jr. to the role of associate Head Track & Field Coach on September 4, 2024. Coach Maxwell has been a key member of the coaching staff at UConn for the last three years as an assistant track and field coach, working with the sprinters, hurdlers and women’s multi-eventers for the Huskies. Since Coach Maxwell became a part of the coaching staff in 2021, both men’s and women’s track & field have won 3 BIG EAST Indoor and Outdoor Championships each, sweeping the championships from 2022-2024. In 2024, Maxwell helped coach Mekhi Stone to a gold medal finish in the BIG EAST Championships at a time of 47.13 seconds.

“I am excited to announce this great promotion for Coach Maxwell. He has shown up and worked hard every day for the UConn Track and Field teams. His daily impact in the program is felt by all the staff, student-athletes and the UConn administration. He is a talented, motivated, committed young coach that will continue to be successful in the coaching ranks. I am proud to have his leadership within my staff,” stated Alford-Sullivan.

A 2016 UConn graduate, Maxwell was a two-year captain of the men’s Track & Field program. He was instrumental in leading the Huskies to the 2013 Indoor and Outdoor Big East Championships, as well as the 2014 Indoor and 2015 Outdoor American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship. While at UConn, he earned All-Big East Honors, All-AAC Honors, was the 2013 Indoor New England champion in the 60-meter hurdles, and was a four-time NCAA East Regional qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles.

Following his days competing for the Huskies, Maxwell began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Amherst College where he worked with the men’s program coaching the sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws. From there, he accepted a coaching position at MIT and was entering his fourth season in 2020-21.

During his time at MIT, he helped guide the Engineer men’s and women’s programs to four NEWMAC Outdoor Championships and five Division III Regional Championships. He also coached six NCAA All-Americans and 10 NCAA qualifiers.

Maxwell holds several coaching certifications, including the USATF Level I and is a USTFCCCA Sprint / Hurdle / Relay Specialist. Maxwell also holds a USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning license and USA Weightlifting Certification. He also holds a USTFCCCA Program Management Certification.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the UConn in 2016 and graduated with his Master of Science in Sport Administration from Arkansas State University in 2017.

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Three Vikings place top 10 at track and field national championships

Western Washington University recapped its historic track and field season by sending seven athletes to compete at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado, May 22–24. Kevin McDermott completed his Western career with a 21st-place finish in the 5000-meter run, clocking in a time of 15:28.67. Earlier in the 1500-meter run, […]

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May 25, 2025

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Western Washington University recapped its historic track and field season by sending seven athletes to compete at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado, May 22–24.

Kevin McDermott completed his Western career with a 21st-place finish in the 5000-meter run, clocking in a time of 15:28.67. Earlier in the 1500-meter run, McDermott finished 18th in 3:57.09.

Bec Bennett competed in the first round of preliminaries of the 400-meter dash event on Thursday, May 22. Bennet finished 10th in 53.45 seconds, missing the cut of the top nine by 0.13 seconds.

Ila Davis claimed 10th place in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase after finishing in 10:58.15. Davis snuck through the first round on Thursday after coming in 12th place in 10:58.79.

Maurice Woodring placed 10th in the country in the 400-meter hurdles in 51.63 seconds. Woodring qualified for the finals after coming in seventh during the prelims at 50.95 seconds.

Katie Potts finished 19th in the discus after throwing 45.21 meters on her third throw.

Jakob Braunstein also came in 19th in the javelin event after throwing 60.41 meters on his first attempt.

Jessica Polkinghorn placed 10th in the shot put after throwing 14.74 meters on her third attempt.

Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN’s sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.

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USA Cadet Women To Play For Gold With A 29-8 Win Over Colombia

Story Links Medellin, Colombia – May 24 – The USA Women’s Cadet National Team will play for gold on Sunday in Colombia after recording a 29-8 win over the host nation. Campbell Pence scored six goals and Kiernan Hogan added five scores to pace the offense. Shelby Killingsworth and Gianna Adams […]

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2 hours ago

May 25, 2025

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Medellin, Colombia – May 24 – The USA Women’s Cadet National Team will play for gold on Sunday in Colombia after recording a 29-8 win over the host nation. Campbell Pence scored six goals and Kiernan Hogan added five scores to pace the offense. Shelby Killingsworth and Gianna Adams combined for 12 saves in cage in the win. Team USA will take on Canada for gold tomorrow at 2:30pm pt. Live streaming is available by visiting PanAmSportsChannel.org with live stats at 6-8Sports.com.

Teodora Diaconu scored first to give Team USA an early 1-0 lead. Colombia immediately tied the match at 1-1 but would get no closer than that. Team USA ran off six straight goals to close out the quarter with Diaconu scoring again and five other athletes getting in the mix on the offensive end. Gia Jacob and Pence opened the second quarter with goals, kicking off an offensive explosion that saw the United States pile up nine goals on the way to a 16-5 lead at halftime.

Pence kept it rolling to open the third with two straight goals for an 18-5 lead. Later in the period as Hogan scored back-to-back goals for a 22-6 advantage. Emilia Haast finished things off in the third with a score for a 24-7 lead going to the fourth. Team USA delivered five more goals in the fourth on the way to the 29-8 win.

Team USA went 5/6 on power plays and 5/7 on penalties with Colombia going 3/9 on power plays and 0/1 on penalties.

Scoring – Stats

USA 29 (7, 9, 8, 5) C. Pence 6, K. Hogan 5, E. Coughran 3, K. Fahey 2, A. Ting 2, M. Mack 2, G. Jacob 2, C. Daniel 2, T. Diaconu 2, J. Horton 1, P. Segesman 1, E. Haast 1

COL 8 (1, 4, 2, 1) S. Agudelo 2, S. Uribe 1, M. Bulla 1, S. Ortiz 1, S. Barrera 1, L. Vanegas 1, L. Atehortua 1

Saves – USA – G. Adams 7, S. Killingsworth 5 – COL – M. Herazo 6

6×5 – USA – 5/6 – COL – 3/9

Penalties – USA – 5/7 – COL – 0/1

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