Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Week of June 1

Welcome to June, where we get true clarity on who the obvious buyers and sellers will be come the trade deadline. Now is the time to start thinking about who could be traded in the next two months, how it will impact your team, and which names will replace those traded players on rebuilding teams. You might be able to sneak in early on some value.

Another aspect of the calendar switching to June is added sample size. We now have two months of data, and trends are closer to reality. Don’t become too attached to the April darling that disappeared in May. Remember the guy who had a nice 2025 but awful April and was dropped but bounced back in May? Don’t let one down month cloud your vision.

Stats as of May 31st. Ownership percentages via ESPN.

Troy Melton – SP – Detroit Tigers (6%)

2026 Stats: 12.2 IP, 1.42 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 2.84 K/9, 2.84 BB/9

Troy Melton missed the beginning of the season due to injury and has only made two starts since returning. Throw out the funky numbers and know that Melton’s stuff is good enough to produce at least league-average swing and miss, if not above-league-average. He’s looked very good in his first two starts despite the low strikeout numbers.

Melton should stick in the rotation for the foreseeable future. A talented arm that showed his upside last season, especially in the minors, and is flying under the radar. He comes with plus command and should be an add, especially in deep leagues.

Kai-Wei Teng – SP/RP – Houston Astros (5.5%)

2026 Stats: 42 IP, 2.57 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 9.21 K/9, 4.07 BB/9

Teng has been a pleasant surprise in Houston after coming over in an offseason trade from the Giants. A sweeper heavy pitcher that produces a lot of swing and miss but also walks a few more batters than you’d like. Although he’s been pitching out of the bullpen recently, he will move to the rotation at least until the team’s health improves.

Even if Teng moves to the bullpen, I’d still keep an eye on him for fantasy. If you can pick him up on days where you think there will be bulk innings, and you could steal a few strikeouts without spending a start. I think Teng is more than just a flash in the pan or a small sample merchant.

Spencer Horwitz – 1B – Pittsburgh Pirates (11.3%)

2026 Stats: .292/.394/.470, 7 HR, 144 wRC+

Spencer Horwitz is always going to be an underrated hitter, isn’t he? All he has done since originally joining the Blue Jays in 2023 is hit, and it’s time for him to be a more valuable fantasy asset. He walks a ton, doesn’t strike out, and has enough power to not sink you at first base.

It’s not sexy, but it’s safe. The Pirates’ lineup has improved, which should help for more run production from Horwitz, and his playing time and health have been good enough to be added. If you’d like to learn more about Horwitz, I highly suggest you check out this great piece from our own Jay Staph.

Josh Jung – 3B – Texas Rangers (36.4%)

2026 Stats: .312/.367/.490, 7 HR, 142 wRC+

I understand the hesitation to add Jung. He’s dealt with some injuries, has always had an unfavorable walk-to-strikeout rate, and the power has been modest. But it is hard to ignore what he has done this season. His significant improvements in whiff rate and average exit velocity while lifting the ball more regularly have caught my attention.

The question will always come down to just how much power Jung has. Even if he doesn’t reach 25 home runs, I do think he’ll collect enough doubles to make him worthy of an add. Could this simply be a hot start that fades? Yes, but I want to find out if that is the case while he’s on my roster.

Travis Bazzana – 2B – Cleveland Guardians (28.7%)

2026 Stats: .308/.405/.471, 3 HR, 150 wRC+

Bazzana was excellent at every stop in the minors and has posted a 150 wRC+ in his first major league month. Power has not been there yet, but I think it will start to come with time. He’s already getting to his pull side, and major league pitching has not been a large learning curve.

I tend to trust certain organizations, and Cleveland is one of them. I see Bazzana as an advanced hitter for his age, and the stolen base upside only makes this add a slam dunk. We all know how weak second base gets after the top few, and Bazzana has the talent to solve your offensive woes at the position.