Austin Lowell | Mon, Jun 29th 2026, 6:40am EDT

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups by Category (Week 14)

Welcome back to another fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups by category column. This weekly piece covers players who can help in at least one specific category. For example, if your team is scoring plenty of runs and hitting for a strong average but struggling to steal bases, you can scroll directly to the stolen bases section for a targeted pickup.

While most of these players will contribute across multiple categories, their primary value comes from the one they’re listed under. I also rarely repeat players week to week, so it’s not a bad idea to read previous articles to see if any of those players are still available.

Without further delay, here are this week’s top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups by category. All players listed are rostered in fewer than 60% of Yahoo leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups by Category

Home Runs

Joc Pederson (UTL – TEX): 4%

Joc Pederson is up to his old tricks, bashing four home runs over his last five games. Pederson went through a similar stretch in late May but was slowed earlier this month with a hip issue. All is right again, and Pederson is back to leading off for the Rangers against righties and is slugging .614 with a .944 OPS since May 26th. The veteran DH has racked up 10 homers in that span and is averaging one every 10 at-bats.

I’ve mentioned Pederson in the past as someone who can help in deeper leagues when he’s hot, and now is once again one of those moments. He was quietly excellent back in 2024 and 2022 and is showing he’s still got plenty left in the tank at 34 years old. Pederson is worth the gamble if you need to boost your homer totals.

Batting Average

Caleb Durbin (2B, 3B – BOS): 26%

Caleb Durbin has turned his season around and is suddenly a five-category threat. Reported to be working extensively with the Red Sox hitting coaches, the work is paying off, as Durbin is now 16 for his last 42 (.381) with nine runs, three homers, six RBI, and two steals. He is batting .417 this week and even hit the go-ahead home run against the AL’s best pitcher this season, Cam Schlittler.

Qualifying at two of the hardest positions to fill, Durbin is nearing must-add status across all league types. Boston gave up some big-name players to obtain Durbin’s services, and now it’s starting to look a bit less lopsided. Add the red-hot Durbin to help boost most categories, with a majority placed on batting average.

RBI

Luis Garcia Jr. (1B, 2B – WAS): 58%

By the time you read this, it may be a bit too late to snag Garcia. However, seeing as he just passed the 50% threshold today, he should still be available in a number of leagues.

The drawback against Garcia is he doesn’t usually start against left-handed pitching. That said, his performance against righties has been more than enough to make up for it. Garcia Jr. is scorching hot at the dish, crushing 13 homers over his last 24 starts. During that span, the Nationals’ second baseman has totaled a ridiculous 28 RBIs, good for tops in baseball. He is now up to 55 on the year.

The six-foot-one, 216-pound, 26-year-old is completely locked in at the plate right now and deserves to be starting in all leagues. He’s a must-start in daily leagues when facing RHP.

Runs

Jake McCarthy (OF – COL): 26%

Jake McCarthy is set for seven games at home this week against the Marlins and Giants. Both of those clubs pitch better at home, and a trip to Colorado could result in some high-scoring affairs. McCarthy is likely to lead off for most of those games, where he’s a strong candidate to score a hefty amount of runs.

McCarthy has been a nice surprise for the Rockies this season, hitting over .300 with a .344 on-base percentage. He does slightly better at home, as most Colorado players do, and could be in for a big week with seven games at home. The former D-back has also swiped 13 bags this year, so he could very well snag you a couple of steals as well. McCarthy’s a solid start for those in deeper leagues this week in pursuit of runs, batting average, and stolen bases.

Stolen Bases

Henry Bolte (OF – ATH): 15%

Henry Bolte doesn’t do a ton in terms of fantasy production, but he is active on the basepaths and won’t hurt you in any major category. The Athletics’ speedy young outfielder is up to 10 swipes on the season in just 41 games. He’s been leading off for the club and is hitting .305 on the year. Bolte’s even clubbed a couple of home runs.

He’s not for everyone, but for those in desperate need of steals, he makes for a nice addition in deeper leagues.

ERA

Kris Bubic (SP – KC): 47%

Kris Bubic is likely still two weeks away from returning, but he is someone to consider adding now in deeper leagues. After posting an ERA below 2.68 in his prior two seasons, Bubic could be a steal in the second half.

A crafty lefty who knows how to keep the ball in the yard (0.53 HR/9 last four years) and how to limit free passes, Bubic has shown the ability to regularly put up zeros. His slider/changeup mix was nearly unhittable last year, while his fastball kept hitters off balance. After a rough outing against the ChiSox, where Bubic got hurt, his ERA on the season ballooned to 4.11, but expect that number to drop significantly in the second half.

WHIP

Trevor Rogers (SP – BAL): 59%

Trevor Rogers turned his season around after an absolutely dismal run. With May’s rough patch behind him, Rogers has posted an elite 2.70 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP. Rogers has been even more impressive lately, holding the Dodgers to just two baserunners over seven shutout innings and the Nationals’ top-scoring offense to one run with five baserunners over 6.1 innings.

Rogers was one of the best pitchers in baseball after he returned from the injured list (IL) last year, producing an absurd 1.81 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 18 games. The Orioles’ top lefty came into the season as a top 30 SP target, and he’s now making good on that projection.

Strikeouts

Ryan Weathers (SP – NYY): 57%

Ryan Weathers is set up for a two-start week, beginning with a matchup against the Tigers, who he just held to one run over six innings. He struck out six in that outing, upping his total to 95 over 86.2 innings on the season. Weathers has 14 Ks over his last two outings to go along with a 1.46 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He’s been a middle-of-the-road starter for most of the year, but with a two-start week on tap, you could do a whole lot worse when searching for strikeouts.

Wins

Connelly Early (SP – BOS): 55%

Connelly Early is set to face the Nationals and White Sox in his next two outings. While both teams have vastly improved since last season, the pair still presents a nice duo for potential victories.

The 24-year-old southpaw has already won seven games this season and could easily reach nine by the All-Star break. Early has been fairly solid this season with a 3.59 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. He also strikes out better than a batter per inning.

Early is coming off back-to-back strong performances against the Yankees and Mariners. He’s a nice target for wins in the coming days.

Saves

Clayton Beeter (RP – WAS): 11%

Clayton Beeter’s been a bit of a wild man in Washington, walking 16.5% of the batters he’s faced. Other than that, however, his numbers have been outstanding.

Opposing hitters are batting just .169 against the righty this season after registering a .151 average against him last year. His 60% ground ball rate ranks in the upper echelon of relievers, and he strikes out a fine 25.7% of batters.

The Nationals don’t win a ton of games, and their bullpen is one of the worst in the league, but when they do have a lead in the ninth, Beeter is their best option. He’s got six saves on the year and is a decent third closer in fantasy leagues for those in search of saves.

Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.

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