Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups by Category (2026)

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and with all the chaos of players on the move, it’s often the ones staying put that fly under the radar. Let’s see how this week’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups by category column was impacted by the trade deadline.

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.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups by Category

Without further delay, here are this week’s top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups by category. All players listed are rostered in fewer than 45% of Yahoo leagues.

Batting Average

Jackson Holliday (2B, SS – BAL): 29%

The Orioles struggled against Philadelphia this past weekend, but prior to that, Jackson Holliday was on fire. Hitting .450 over the past week and .362 over the last 30 days, Baltimore’s second baseman has been a regular in the hits column.

Holliday hasn’t hit a home run in over a month, but focusing more on solid contact rather than swinging for the fences has paid dividends. He’s shown flashes in the past why he was once considered the top prospect in all of baseball, and he’s once again showing off his brilliance at the plate. Add Holliday now for his hitter-friendly schedule coming up.

Runs

Cole Young (2B – SEA): 18%

Cole Young is hitting .448 over the last week and .301 over the last month. He’s collected 28 hits over the last 25 games, along with five homers and 15 runs scored.

The Mariners’ first-round pick back in 2022 recently moved up to the leadoff spot, where he is thriving. The 23-year-old lefty hitter is an excellent option at second base or middle infield if your league requires it and should continue to score plenty of runs.

RBI

Spencer Horwitz (1B – PIT): 11%

Spencer Horwitz is back after his lengthy stint on the injured list (IL). He was immediately plugged back into the fifth hole, batting behind Pittsburgh’s elite on-base stars. With Bryan Reynolds (.382 on-base percentage) and Esmerlyn Valdez (.366 on-base percentage) hitting in front of him, Horwitz should see plenty of RBI opportunities in the coming days.

Horwitz’s triple slash line reads .276/.381/.448, and with Ryan O’Hearn going down with a quad injury, Horwitz will likely be counted on as an everyday run producer. He’s a nice early find off the waiver wire list.

Home Runs

Spencer Jones (OF – NYY): 19%

I still prefer Joc Pederson for home runs, especially now that he qualifies at first base in many leagues, but if you are still wary, Spencer Jones could be the next best thing. The monstrous Jones crushed three homers over the past five days and is looking every bit the part of a Yankee slugger.

The strikeouts will always be a part of his game, but if you can stomach the mediocre batting average, Jones is someone who can quickly add to your home run total.

Stolen Bases

Jake Mangum (OF – PIT): 12%

Jake Mangum is consistently hitting leadoff for the Pirates, where he acts as a catalyst for their revamped lineup. Not only does he score runs (40) and hit for a solid average (.303), but the switch-hitting outfielder has now swiped 20 bags.

With a sprint speed in the top 6% of the league and a keen ability to get on base, it’s no wonder Mangum averages a steal every 15 plate appearances. He’s a nice addition in deeper leagues if you need help finding stolen bases.

ERA

Walbert Urena (SP – LAA): 43%

The secret is out on the hard-throwing Walbert Urena. After outdueling Jacob Misiorowski in his latest outing, Urena’s ERA dropped to a low 2.54 on the year. He’s only given up five earned runs over his last five outings.

Even though I’ve mentioned him before, I can’t resist naming him again after such a dominant performance. The Angels’ ace-de-facto is still available in over 50% of leagues and should be scooped up immediately.

WHIP

Tyler Mahle (SP – ATL): 6%

Tyler Mahle hasn’t been great this season, but he has shown some improvement since his return from the IL on June 24th. Since that outing, the veteran starter has allowed 45 base runners via a hit or walk over 38 innings of work. Those numbers translate to a solid 1.18 WHIP over seven starts.

Mahle has also been solid in the strikeouts department, coming off a nine-strikeout performance against the Padres. Now a part of the Braves organization, Mahle could improve even more, as the Braves seem to have a knack for getting the most out of these veteran types.

The 6-foot-3 righty is a sneaky add in deeper leagues.

Strikeouts

Brandyn Garcia (RP – ARI): 17%

This one may seem a bit out of left field because 36 strikeouts is hardly going to move the needle. But with innings limits a key component in many fantasy leagues, getting the most bang for your buck is usually a winning strategy. And that’s where Brandyn Garcia comes in.

Not only is Garcia closing games for Arizona these days, but he’s regularly averaging more than a strikeout per inning. He’s also putting up a ton of zeros, leading to an ERA close to 2.00 and a WHIP of 0.80. Garcia is the only lefty in the Diamondbacks’ pen, so he may not stick as closer in the long term, but his ratios and 32% strikeout rate should play nicely.

Wins

Dustin May (SP – MIL): 24%

The Cardinals are good, but the Brewers are better. In a late inter-division swap, Dustin May joins a Brewers club that just knows how to win. Despite registering a 2.92 ERA over the last month, May has zero wins to show for it. With just five wins on the season, May isn’t someone you think of when searching for victories.

But now a part of the Milwaukee pitching staff, the lanky flamethrower should have a much easier path at earning wins. Not only will May have more run support, but also a solid bullpen to back him up. May’s worth a look in most leagues.

Saves

Erik Miller (RP – SFG): 8%

Caleb Kilian was the Giants’ saves leader, but with him shipped out of town, Erik Miller should have little competition left for saves. The Giants don’t win a ton of games, but when Miller throws strikes, the 28-year-old lefty is nasty.

Miller has struck out 32% of batters he’s faced, helping lead to a healthy 2.76 ERA. He’s got six saves on the season, and despite walking far too many batters, Miller does just about everything else well. He’s a decent add 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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Austin Lowell

@AustinLowellMLB

Fantasy baseball is life! I run a site that focuses solely on fantasy baseball. We cover all things such as rankings, projections, updates, strategies, one on one advice, etc. I played baseball growing up, never made it to pro ball, but always had a knack for spotting talent and was always pretty successful betting on games. I am constantly keeping tabs on all things baseball, looking for anything to gain that competitive edge.