7 Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17 Fantasy Baseball (2026)

July 18, 2026

Andy breaks down his must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 17 of the 2026 MLB season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.

Hello RotoBallers! Welcome back to another edition of our 7 Must-Adds ahead of Week 17 of the fantasy baseball season. The All-Star break is behind us, which means it's time to get back to business.

This week, we spotlight seven players who are available in more than 75% of all Yahoo leagues and explain why managers should prioritize them on the waiver wire. Be sure to follow RotoBaller MLB on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @A_Smith_FS, for any questions.

Additionally, be sure to use discount code SMITH for 50% off any Premium Packages and gain access to our Team Sync platform with customized lineup tools, projections, and more based on your league settings. Let's dive in!

2026 Fantasy Baseball Week 17 Waiver Wire Adds

Josh Bell, 1B, Minnesota Twins

25% rostered

The first player we will spotlight is a target for those in shallower leagues. Bell, a 33-year-old veteran, may not be the most exciting name to target, but he has delivered a reliable season so far and has promising metrics, suggesting he could remain a strong contributor down the stretch.

So far, the corner infielder has posted a .248/.307/.429 slash line with 13 home runs and one stolen base. The switch-hitter has tallied an impressive 60 RBI and crossed home plate 48 times (over 94 contests).

Since June 1, Bell has been seeing a hot bat, posting a sharp .291/.349/.567 line with a stellar .919 OPS. However, it appears managers still do not trust this veteran bat, given his low roster rate.

Through the first half, Bell has generated a .253 xBA, .331 xwOBA, and a high .455 xSLG, all of which are still above his surface-value metrics, suggesting this positive regression should continue over the final months of the summer. Bell has also posted an above-average 10.6% barrel rate and a 43.6% hard-hit rate, which place him in the 66th and 62nd percentiles.

Those needing a stable batting average contributor who has the ability to be an above-average contributor in RBI and home runs should look to pick up Bell this weekend.

Tommy White, 3B, Athletics

1% rostered

The other corner infielder we'll shine the light on is a recently promoted prospect. Ahead of Friday's action, the Athletics called up third-base prospect Tommy White to the big leagues. White is currently viewed as the No. 8 prospect in the system on MLB.com and joined the Athletics with the 40th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

While it may seem the Athletics' infield is crowded, he has a clear path to at-bats in the short term with Nick Kurtz and Zack Gelof both on the shelf, making him a worthy target on the waiver wire.

This season, White opened the campaign with Double-A Midland, where he needed just 21 games to earn the call to the top club. With Double-A, White posted a .301/.372/.398 line with five doubles and a long ball. Since moving up to the Triple-A level, White has taken his production up by a significant level.

Across 55 contests in Las Vegas, White has carried a .303/.345/.489 slash line with 12 doubles, nine home runs and a stolen base.

While those in shallower 10-team leagues should wait until his role becomes clear, those in deeper 12+ team leagues looking for upside should consider taking a flier on him as a path to fantasy relevance (at least in the short term) is quite clear.

Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

20% rostered

Mitchell has been featured in this column before, and this may be the last week to add him to your fantasy team. Entering the All-Star break, the former top prospect carried an elite .392/.436/.667 slash line with six doubles and two home runs over his last 14 games.

However, a closer look at his underlying metrics suggests the former first-round pick could run in a true breakout over the back end of the summer. According to Statcast, Mitchell has generated an elite .357 xwOBA, .263 xBA, and a sharp .468 xSLG.

In terms of hard-hit metrics, Mitchell has generated a net 14.7% barrel rate (89th percentile), 51.2% hard-hit rate (91st percentile), and an eye-catching 77.3 mph average bat speed, which puts him in the 97th percentile among qualified hitters.

While he has faced some struggles against offspeed pitchers in July, Mitchell's production against fastballs and breaking balls has remained steady over the first half and suggests he is on the right trajectory coming out of the break.

The lone knock on his bat is his lower Pull AIR%, which does hinder his home run upside. However, given his high-end bat speed and barrel rate, the young outfielder should continue to tap into his home run production, even if his swing has yet to be fully optimized.

Lastly, the other factor in Mitchell's profile that makes him a worthy waiver-wire target is his upside as a speedster. Mitchell has already swiped six bags in 86 games, but managers should expect this total to surge down the stretch. The 27-year-old ranks in the 98th percentile in sprint speed and should have more opportunities to use it with his improving batting average.

Not many outfielders on the waiver wire possess true five-category upside.

Heriberto Hernandez, OF, Miami Marlins

5% rostered

The final hitter we'll spotlight is an outfielder for those in deeper 12+ team leagues. Since June 1 (his last 32 contests), Hernandez has been one of the game's premier power hitters.

During his noted stretch, Hernandez has posted a .269/.342/.657 line with nine doubles and an impressive 11 long balls. Prior to this surge, Hernandez posted a much lower .200/.287/.284 line with only two long balls (over his first 35 contests of the season).

While the 26-year-old does not have the most extensive history in the majors, Hernandez's underlying metrics are quite impressive and suggest he could be a valuable asset in five-outfield leagues.

The young hitter has generated an elite .364 xwOBA, .259 xBA, and a 90th-percentile .509 xSLG. Additionally, he has posted an 89th-percentile hard-hit rate and a 77th-percentile barrel rate. However, the most important factor to note is that Hernandez has generated an elite 22.5% Pull AIR%, which has allowed him to raise his home run total given how hard (and effectively) he has impacted the ball.

Playing time appeared to be an issue, but Hernandez has since become an everyday option in this starting nine. Those needing a No. 4/No. 5 outfielder with power should not aim to target Hernandez. He is an emerging slugger in one of the game's hottest lineups.

Brandon Sproat, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

20% rostered

The starting pitcher we will spotlight this week is a former top prospect. Sproat was shipped to the Brewers in the trade that sent Freddy Peralta to New York City. While Peralta has failed to live up to his end of the deal, Sproat has begun to show steady progress.

Through his first 63 2/3 innings this season, Sproat has posted a hefty 5.94 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. However, since June 23 (his last four outings), Sproat has looked far more like his prospect self, posting a tidy 2.45 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, with a 24:7 K:BB. through 18 1/3 innings.

Since the last month of play, Sproat has been making some tweaks to his pitch mix, which has driven his recent resurgence. As shown below, Sproat has increased his fastball usage and opted to drop his sinker and cutter. This has also allowed him to chip in more changeups and sweepers as secondaries.

His four-seamer has generated a .339 xwOBA, which is not overly impressive, but it is much lower than the .395 xwOBA his cutter has generated. Additionally, his sweeper has posted a hefty 39.7% whiff rate and a .251 xwOBA and has been his most reliable secondary option. If he can continue to mix that into his usage, Sproat's strikeout numbers could continue to climb.

While the 25-year-old will still endure some growing pains, the raw talent is worth rostering. Sproat has a path to produce solid strikeout totals with improving ratios down the stretch.

Grant Taylor, RP, Chicago White Sox

20% rostered

Is the changing of the guard finally happening? After producing very well in a setup role and a fire-arm role, Taylor has finally earned the call in save situations. Over his last three appearances, Taylor has earned two saves while not allowing a run and posting a 3:3 K:BB.

On the season, Taylor has logged 48 1/3 innings of work to the tune of a 2.79 ERA and a1.10 WHIP. He has struck out an eye-catching 67 hitters but has walked 8.6% of the hitters he has faced, which puts him just below the average marks of qualified pitchers.

However, under the hood, Taylor's metrics put him among the best pitchers in the game. The hard-throwing right-hander sits with a 98th percentile xERA and a 97th percentile xBA. He has posted a strong 34.8% chase rate and 30.7% whiff rate, which is supported by his elite 33.8% K%.

With the White Sox set to compete for a playoff spot, Taylor can be a legitimate contributor for saves down this stretch. Seranthony Dominguez, the team's primary closer to start the season, has posted a 4.41 ERA on the season with a 5.63 ERA over his last 16 frames, which has pushed Sean Newcomb into the potential committee.

However, Taylor's raw upside is far more dominant than Newcomb's, which should keep him in the lead.

Mason Montgomery, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

5% rostered

To round out this week's column, we will also showcase another potential option for saves. Ahead of the All-Star break, Mason Montgomery established himself as a potential stash candidate for long-term saves, but it appears he has already made a case for taking over the ninth inning in the Steel City.

In their final contest ahead of the break, Montgomery earned his first save of the season while tossing a scoreless frame with a 2:1 K:BB against the Brewers. While the Pirates could look to acquire another high-leverage arm after the deadline, Montgomery has put himself in the lead among the current closer candidates.

Dennis Santana has posted a rough 7.31 ERA over his last 16 frames since June 1, and Gregory Soto, their primary southpaw option in the late innings, has posted an even worse 8.36 ERA since June 1 (his last 12 1/3 innings). Even though Soto and Santana have combined for 14 saves (with Soto earning 12 of them), Montgomery is solidifying himself as the trusted option.

Under the hood, the Texas Tech product has posted a sharp 3.21 xERA (81st percentile) with a modest 98th-percentile strikeout rate. His .207 xBA allowed puts him in the 85th percentile among pitchers, and his 52.3% ground-ball rate puts him in the 89th percentile.

Even if the Pirates were to acquire a high-leverage arm to bolster his chances of clinching a playoff spot, Montgomery should remain the "1A" in this ninth-inning committee for the remainder of the season.

Mason Montgomery picks up the strikeout right as the Nationals' crowd finishes singing the National Anthem 🇺🇸

86.9 MPH curve, 2775 RPM, -8 IVB, 44 inVB, 1 inHB pic.twitter.com/pJDMieXivS

— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) July 4, 2026

Other Waiver Wire Targets

• Gage Jump, ATH
• Jake Burger, TEX
• Tyler Wells, BAL
• Jacob Webb, CHC
• Curtis Mead, WSH
• Tristan Peters, CHW
• Christian Scott, NYM
• Henry Bolte, ATH
• Tommy Edman, LAD
• Ryan Jeffers, MIN
• Kirby Yates, LAA

More Fantasy Baseball Advice