Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups: Mid-Week Fantasy Baseball Adds for Week 22

August 26, 2026

Dan analyzes six must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, mid-week adds for Week 22 of the 2026 MLB season. Grab these players ASAP off the waiver wire.

Hello, RotoBallers. It is good to be back for another mid-week edition of Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups. Special thanks to Frank Ammirante for filling in for me last week. I am happy to bring you my favorite adds to help you through the end of Week 22 of the fantasy baseball season.

Among the hitters this week are a couple of up-and-coming outfielders and a former prospect who is finding his footing after a recent team change. On the pitching side, we have a closer who is having a bounceback of his own in an unlikely place, a starter who is seeing new success after a two-year stint in Japan, and a rookie bulk reliever whose command will help keep your ratios in check down the home stretch.

With a little over a month left in the MLB season, it is as important as ever to stay attuned to your league’s waiver wire. Capitalizing on a hot streak or favorable matchups now could make the difference in the final standings. You can find more waiver wire advice in RotoBaller’s MLB hub, but for now, here are my Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 22 of the fantasy baseball season.

2026 Fantasy Baseball: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees
27% Rostered

Fantasy baseball managers have been waiting for Spencer Jones’ arrival in the big leagues since going viral during spring training in 2024 after crushing a 470-foot home run. Jones started 2026 in Triple-A, but has been called up multiple times to help fill out a Yankees outfield hit hard by injuries. Jones went 4-for-24 in his initial stint, but has steadily improved over the season.

Since he was last brought up on July 26, Jones has an .809 OPS and 15 RBI in 26 games. In the Yankees’ last ten games, he has hit .306 with two home runs, three doubles, eight runs scored, and three stolen bases. With a doubleheader scheduled for New York’s upcoming series against Boston, Jones might get an extra game to build on his recent success.

Even though the Red Sox are projected to start three lefties in the upcoming series, I am optimistic that Jones will stay in the lineup. Against southpaws in the minors and majors, Jones has a solid triple-slash of .270/.350/.460. Considering how atrocious his natural platoon-mate, Heliot Ramos, has been since joining the Yankees at the trade deadline (6-for-53 with one RBI in 16 games), it would be foolish for the Yankees to bench Jones.

Jones is well known for his high strikeout rates. Even during his recent hot streak, he is still getting rung up at a 34.2% clip. The good times are destined to end, and the drop-off could be sudden. However, with Jones’ five-category production, I’m happy to make a short-term investment in him. Interested managers need to be mindful of how the Yankees manage his playing time if he stops producing.

Anthony Kay, SP, Chicago White Sox
23% Rostered

After taking a couple of years off to play in Japan’s NPB, Anthony Kay’s second stint in MLB is going better than his first go-around. From 2019 to 2023, Kay pitched mostly as a reliever for the Blue Jays, then the Cubs, and finally the Mets, and had four wins, a 5.59 ERA, and 1.61 WHIP to show for it. Now with the White Sox in 2026, Kay is unspectacular but is having an easier go. In 25 starts, the lefty has nine wins and a 4.09 ERA.

Even though Kay’s peripherals are themselves uninspiring, his quiet consistency makes him worthy of a look in fantasy. On August 25, Kay was hit around and ended up allowing eight baserunners and four earned runs. However, it was the first time since June 17 that he was tagged for more than three earned runs. In the 11 starts between, he owned a 3.16 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and earned three wins.

Kay won’t be of any use to close out Week 22 of fantasy baseball, but I am looking forward to his two-start week coming up. First, he will face an Astros team that has the lowest team xwOBA, fifth-lowest team batting average, and fourth-highest strikeout rate in MLB over the last two weeks. Then, he will get the Twins, against whom Kay struck out five, allowed one run, and earned a win in six full innings on May 25.

There is not a lot to like about Kay, but his modus operandi these last few weeks has been to do just enough to keep himself eligible for a win. Since he has two chances to do so next week, all the better.

Jordan Romano, RP, Colorado Rockies
13% Rostered

Hear me out. Yes, Jordan Romano has been a shadow of his former self over the last two-plus seasons. Yes, he again flamed out in spectacular fashion once already this year when he was pitching for the Angels. And yes, the home field for his current team is a notoriously poor pitchers’ park. But what about all those sweet, sweet saves he is due with the ninth inning to himself in Colorado?

Romano’s first appearance with the Rockies came on July 4, and he got his first save with the team the next day. He has earned eight more since, more than Cade Smith, Andres Munoz, or Jhoan Duran in the same amount of time. Romano has blown one chance in the meantime and, improbably, has an ERA of 2.45 as a member of the Rockies’ bullpen.

Do I expect Romano to continue to keep pace with the closers mentioned above? No. Do I expect him to continue keeping things (relatively) clean for the rest of the season? Also no. But in rotisserie leagues where I am trying to close a narrow gap in saves, I’ll take them however I can.

Fantasy Baseball Deep League Targets: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Brett Bateman, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
2% Rostered

Brett Bateman was drafted by the Cubs in 2023 and rose through their system as a contact hitter with plus speed and defense. A piece of the deal that brought Kevin Gausman to Chicago, Bateman was hitting .312 with 20 stolen bases and 59 runs in 82 games for Triple-A Iowa at the time of the deal. The Blue Jays did not let him linger in the minors for long, and promoted him to the big-league roster on August 7.

Bateman had a double, drew two walks, and scored a run in his debut that same day. The 24-year-old hit ninth in Toronto’s lineup in that game, but has been in the first or second spot in each of his starts since then. Fifteen games into his MLB career, Bateman is hitting .328 with seven runs, five RBI, and one steal.

Bateman had a reputation as an elite defender in college and the minor leagues. His work in the outfield will help to keep him in the lineup. There is not much power in his bat, but he demonstrated excellent plate discipline in the Cubs’ farm system. As a minor leaguer, Bateman’s O-Swing% and SwStr% were consistently low, and he had a career 15.9% walk rate.

Hitting at the top of Toronto’s lineup and featuring 92nd percentile sprint speed, he should be a good source for runs, stolen bases, and batting average in deep fantasy leagues.

Connor Norby, 1B/2B/3B, Colorado Rockies
1% Rostered

Connor Norby was a second-round pick by the Orioles in the 2021 draft and for a while looked like he would be part of the youth movement in Baltimore that featured Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and Jordan Westburg. Instead, Norby was traded to Miami in 2024, where he struggled to fulfill his potential and stay healthy. Norby was demoted to Triple-A this past June and eventually dealt to the Rockies at the trade deadline.

Colorado promoted Norby on August 10, and in his short time with the club, it looks like he has turned his season around. Funny what a change of scenery can do with the scenery changes to Coors Field. In 13 games with the Rockies, Norby is slashing .305/.386/.543 with six runs scored and three RBI. Kyle Karros’ (concussion) recent injuries have thinned the infield depth and are providing the opportunity for Norby to remain an everyday player.

The Rockies are on the road in Atlanta this weekend, but fantasy managers can look forward to Norby getting to play at home in back-to-back series next week. A full week on the road ensues, but in Week 24, the Rockies have a full, seven-game week at home. Norby comes with the bonus of being eligible at three infield positions.

Will Dion, SP/RP, Washington Nationals
1% Rostered

Will Dion came to the Nationals as part of the trade that sent Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians. Dion has not allowed a run in his five appearances with his new team and has been very effective in long relief following an opener. In his three piggyback appearances, Dion has struck out 12 and allowed just three walks and two hits in 10.1 innings of work.

Despite having a four-seamer that averages just 91.2 MPH, Dion has still been managing to find the success that his hard-throwing colleagues enjoy. Dion’s fastball and changeup both rank near the top of the leaderboard in induced vertical break, baiting opposing batters into swinging and coming up empty. Dion’s 28.0% whiff rate is well above league average.

Dion also has impressive control. The 26-year-old rookie has a 5.6% walk rate and has been effective at drawing weak contact, as evidenced by his 5.0% barrel rate and 32.5% hard-hit rate. His excellent 24.6% K-BB% is a good sign that Dion’s success will continue.

Given his role, it will be hard to predict when he pitches next, but it does allow him to chase a win once or twice a week. That, combined with his low ratios and high strikeout rate, makes him an important pick-up in my deeper leagues.

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

• Mason Montgomery, PIT
• Cal Quantrill, TEX
• Martin Perez, ATL
• Kodai Senga, NYM
• Ben Joyce, LAA
• Henry Bolte, ATH
• Dean Kremer, MIN
• Tristan Peters, CHW
• Paul Goldschmidt, NYY
• Jose Fernandez, ARI

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