We're heading into the All-Star break, a good time to assess rosters and make necessary moves for a playoff push or to set up a deep playoff run. We highlighted some pitchers to roster for the stretch run of the regular season last week, although admittedly that group has delivered mixed results over the last seven days.
This time around, we'll highlight some hitters that are likely to be undervalued, either as an option on the waiver wire or to acquire cheaply via trade. The primary theme will be post-hype players, highlighting some former high-pedigree prospects as well as a past fantasy superstar that has quietly re-emerged.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!
Jo Adell 
Adell might be the ultimate example of a post-hype player. He was among the top overall prospects from 2017 to the time of his graduation in 2020, but his career in the majors had been unimpressive and limited coming into 2025 due to a combination of poor performance and injury. His sample this season is almost certain to be his largest at the big-league level, barring further health issues.
Simply put, that sample has gone well. Adell has always had power, but his progress has come from improved plate discipline, particularly important in a points league context. For example, his overall swing rate is in line with his career norm, but his in-zone swing rate has jumped to 73.4 percent (career 71.1), and
We're heading into the All-Star break, a good time to assess rosters and make necessary moves for a playoff push or to set up a deep playoff run. We highlighted some pitchers to roster for the stretch run of the regular season last week, although admittedly that group has delivered mixed results over the last seven days.
This time around, we'll highlight some hitters that are likely to be undervalued, either as an option on the waiver wire or to acquire cheaply via trade. The primary theme will be post-hype players, highlighting some former high-pedigree prospects as well as a past fantasy superstar that has quietly re-emerged.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!
Jo Adell
Adell might be the ultimate example of a post-hype player. He was among the top overall prospects from 2017 to the time of his graduation in 2020, but his career in the majors had been unimpressive and limited coming into 2025 due to a combination of poor performance and injury. His sample this season is almost certain to be his largest at the big-league level, barring further health issues.
Simply put, that sample has gone well. Adell has always had power, but his progress has come from improved plate discipline, particularly important in a points league context. For example, his overall swing rate is in line with his career norm, but his in-zone swing rate has jumped to 73.4 percent (career 71.1), and his o-swing rate has dipped to 29.8 percent (career 31.7).
Adell's expected stats also back up the improvement we've seen in his surface stats. His .355 wOBA is backed by an even more impressive .402 wxOBA, and every power metric is dark red on his Statcast.
The 26-year-old is likely rostered in most formats, but plenty of managers who have played for several years are likely skeptical of his first-half numbers due to his track record. That makes him an attainable trade target, if his current GM thinks they can "sell high" on him without considering that his floor may have risen significantly.
Jonathan Aranda 
Aranda's story is comparable to Adell in the sense that it's taken him a few seasons to break through the Rays' jammed depth chart to earn regular playing time. In contrast to Adell, Aranda has consistently shown some promise when given an opportunity (101 and 113 wRC+ marks in 2023 and 2024, respectively).
The 27-year-old has already surpassed his combined plate appearance total from 2022 through 2024, and the results have been impressive. His .321 batting average is certainly propped up by a .405 BABIP and aided by the friendly hitting environment at George Steinbrenner Field, but Aranda also has a .365 wOBA on the road.
Most importantly, he's started to stick in the lineups against lefties. After starting only six of Tampa Bay's first 17 games against lefties, Aranda has started five of seven games against southpaws since the start of June. The sample is too small to draw much of a conclusion, but Aranda has at least held his own without the handedness advantage to this point.
Tyler Freeman 
The Coors Field effect hasn't been quite as strong for Rockies' hitters this season simply due to the lack of quality in their lineup. Freeman is one player that should still be on fantasy managers' radar, and should be widely available in shallower redraft leagues, unlike Adell and Aranda.
Freeman's skillset is also perfectly tailored for points leagues rather than roto or categories due to his lack of standout skills in any traditional fantasy category. He makes contact at an exceptional rate (8.2 K% in 2025) though and now has a home field to accentuate that skill.
The Rockies seem to have picked up on this fit, as Freeman has led off for the Rockies in all but two games since June 21. He's also averaged 3.2 fantasy points per game in the last 28 days and 3.0 in the last 14. Freeman is rostered in only 39% of CBS leagues.
Trevor Story 
Story isn't post-hype in the same sense as the rest of these players, but the former Rockie had largely been cast aside by the fantasy community heading into 2025. His injury history and performance dictated that, but he's hit .315 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and 24 runs scored since the start of June. He's also cut his strikeout rate to 23.3 percent in that span, making him an underrated fit in points leagues.
Story could counterintuitively be the perfect addition in dynasty/keeper leagues for contenders. His current manager isn't likely to ask for a premium return for the 32-year-old, but he has shown the ability to be a key supporting piece for a championship run.
Kyle Stowers 
Stowers was among the prospects that never got a true chance in Baltimore due to their deep farm system, but that hasn't been a problem in Miami. He's performed steadily, with a spike, throughout his first full season with the Marlins by tagging at least three home runs in every month.
His strikeout rate ticked over 30 percent in June, which will be something to monitor. His longer history this season tells us he's a valuable power contributor and offsets his strikeout rate with a solid walk rate. Stowers should be rostered in more leagues than his current 50 percent rate on Yahoo.
