4 Pitchers to Add Now: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Finding pitching help on the fantasy baseball waiver wire is never easy, especially as the season progresses. By this point in the year, most fantasy managers are chasing strikeouts, hunting for saves, or looking for starters who have quietly figured something out before the rest of the league notices.

This week’s waiver wire targets offer a little bit of everything.

There’s a starter who appears to have unlocked another level with a revamped pitch mix, a pair of relievers who may have secured ninth-inning duties, and a speculative saves play who could see his value jump dramatically in a matter of days.

4 Fantasy Baseball Pitchers to Add Off the Waiver Wire Before Their Value Spikes

Let’s take a closer look at four pitchers fantasy managers should have on their radar.

Brandon Young (SP – BAL)

Sometimes player development isn’t a straight line.

Brandon Young was mentioned as a possible pickup earlier in the season, but the results weren’t there yet. Now, things appear to be changing.

The biggest development has been the progress of his splitter. According to the discussion, Young has leaned into the pitch more heavily, and the results have followed. Over his last 10 starts, he’s posted a 3.04 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 56 innings while recording 33 strikeouts against 14 walks.

Those aren’t fluky numbers.

The recent run has helped lower his overall ERA to around 3.00, and more importantly, he’s showing increased confidence on the mound. The splitter is generating more whiffs, leading to additional strikeouts and helping him navigate lineups more effectively.

Opportunity also matters.

Baltimore’s rotation has dealt with inconsistency and injuries throughout the season, creating room for Young to establish himself. If he continues performing at this level, there’s every reason to believe he’ll keep receiving starts.

Fantasy managers searching for rotation depth should take a serious look before his roster percentage climbs higher.

Alex Lange (RP – KC)

Closers don’t stay available for long.

That’s why Alex Lange stands out as one of the more appealing waiver wire additions for fantasy managers chasing saves.

While he entered the discussion coming off a blown save, the overall body of work remains encouraging. Lange has recorded four saves in June and has consistently been deployed in high-leverage situations.

More importantly, the podcast discussion suggested Kansas City appears comfortable using him as its primary ninth-inning option.

One rough outing isn’t enough to erase that confidence.

Lange’s profile also offers some reasons for optimism. He’s generating strikeouts at a healthy rate, and his sinker-slider combination creates a useful mix of whiffs and ground balls. His slider, in particular, has been a highly effective weapon.

The Royals haven’t been an elite team, which naturally limits save opportunities compared to some contenders. Even so, fantasy managers don’t need perfection from a waiver wire closer.

They need opportunity.

Right now, Lange appears to have it.

Elvis Alvarado (RP – ATH)

Every week there are speculative saves targets. Few come with as much upside as Elvis Alvarado.

This recommendation comes with some risk, but that’s exactly what makes it interesting.

Alvarado recently picked up a save for the Athletics and has been dominant since returning to the major league roster. After struggling earlier in the season, he’s looked like a completely different pitcher during his latest stretch.

In just three appearances since returning, Alvarado has struck out nine batters across 4.1 innings while allowing only one hit.

That’s eye-opening production.

The Athletics haven’t fully settled on a long-term answer in the ninth inning, which creates an opportunity for someone to seize the role. The podcast discussion framed Alvarado’s recent save chance as something of an audition, and so far he has passed the test.

There’s no guarantee he becomes the full-time closer.

However, fantasy managers in deeper leagues don’t necessarily need certainty. Sometimes they simply need to get ahead of the next waiver wire run.

At worst, Alvarado can help with strikeouts and holds. At best, he could emerge as a meaningful source of saves.

That’s the kind of speculative upside worth targeting.

Yoendrys Gomez (SP, RP – MIN)

Yoendrys Gomez may not be generating headlines, but fantasy managers should be paying attention.

The Minnesota reliever has quietly put together an impressive stretch, and it appears the Twins are beginning to trust him with more save opportunities.

After posting a strong May highlighted by a sub-1.00 ERA, Gomez has carried that momentum into June. He already has two saves this month, matching his total from the previous month while continuing to pitch effectively.

The discussion acknowledged that an ugly April still inflates some of his season-long numbers, but the recent performance tells a much different story.

The key takeaway is role stability.

Minnesota seems increasingly comfortable using Gomez in save situations, and that trust can be incredibly valuable for fantasy managers searching for bullpen help.

The Twins may not generate as many save opportunities as stronger clubs, but volume isn’t everything. Consistency matters too.

At his current roster percentage, Gomez remains one of the more overlooked sources of potential saves available on the waiver wire.

Why Saves Are Suddenly Available

One of the most interesting points from the discussion is that fantasy managers rarely get multiple viable saves options sitting on waiver wires at the same time.

Usually, these opportunities disappear quickly.

Right now, Lange and Gomez appear to have relatively clear paths to ongoing save chances, while Alvarado offers a higher-risk speculative play with room to grow into a larger role.

For managers falling behind in saves, this may be one of the better opportunities they’ll get all season to address the category without paying a premium in trades.

Fantasy Baseball Takeaways

Brandon Young (SP – BAL) appears to have turned a corner thanks to improvements with his splitter and deserves consideration as a rotation pickup.
Alex Lange (RP – KC) remains the preferred saves target despite a recent blown save and looks positioned to continue handling ninth-inning work.
Elvis Alvarado (RP – ATH) is a speculative add with strikeout upside and a potential path to more save opportunities.
Yoendrys Gomez (SP, RP – MIN) has quietly emerged as a reliable bullpen option and may have secured the primary save role in Minnesota.
Lange and Gomez are the strongest immediate saves targets.
Alvarado is the high-upside stash for deeper formats.
Young offers the most value among starting pitchers discussed and could continue climbing fantasy rankings if his recent improvements hold.