7 Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 26 Fantasy Baseball (2026)

September 19, 2026

Kevin breaks down his must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 26 of the 2026 MLB season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.

Happy Saturday, RotoBallers! I'm back with another edition of our 7 Must-Adds ahead of Week 26 of the fantasy baseball season. If you're reading this, then you're looking for an edge in your championship. You've got your guys that you trust, but you need another complementary piece or two that are really going to round things out nicely.

I'll look to bring you some of the best fantasy producers over the last two weeks that aren't fake-outs. We're looking for just one week of high production, but we can't be sold on someone who's overachieving too much. So let's find us some championship winners. Be sure to follow RotoBaller MLB on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @_Kevlar23_. As always, the names in the piece are available in over 70% of all Yahoo leagues.

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

2026 Fantasy Baseball Week 26 Waiver Wire Adds

Victor Mesa Jr., OF, Tampa Bay Rays

26% rostered

Mesa has been insanely productive over the last couple of weeks. He's hitting for a 236 wRC+ over the last 14 days, which isn't exactly a fake-out when you're posting a .440 xwOBA.

Victor Mesa Jr. among American League outfielders in the 2nd half (min. 100 PA):

166 wRC+ (1st)
.405 wOBA (1st)
.609 SLG (1st)
.309 ISO (1st)
.957 OPS (1st)
.355 xwOBA (5th)
.300 AVG (7th)

His 1.6 fWAR is the 5th-highest mark. pic.twitter.com/JViAuhP7c3

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) September 15, 2026

He's posting a .452 OBP, which is leading to him getting more opportunities to be driven in. He's scored ten runs in these two weeks, helping to drive that fantasy value even further.

He and the Rays will finish up the season with a seven-game road trip. While that road trip has tough tests with the Yankees and Phillies, the seven games (including a doubleheader on Tuesday) give him some additional value.

Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

16% rostered

Mitchell is a fantastic hitter to get behind when he's on a hot streak. He's been just that over the last two weeks, posting a 208 wRC+. His .479 wOBA is paired with a .469 xwOBA, so it's clear to see he's not much of a beneficiary of luck here.

While he's not a team leader in runs or RBI in this span, he's going to continue to produce. His 68.0% hard-hit rate and his 16.0% barrel rate just scream productive results. They're going to keep coming.

The Phillies and Cardinals are on the docket for Mitchell to finish the season. While some of the matchups may appear tough, the bat's too hot to ignore and should prevail this final week.

Richie Palacios, 2B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays

5% rostered

Let's head back to Tampa Bay. If you miss out on Palacios, there's still a Rays option there for you. Palacios has flown a bit more under the radar, especially at this 5% rostered number, but he's been fairly productive too. He's hit for a 256 wRC+ over the last 14 days to go along with four homers.

Now when we're factoring in luck, there may be some here. After all, you don't post a .539 wOBA and expect the xwOBA to be near that. So his .394 xwOBA in this span would point to an element of luck, but a .394 xwOBA still means you're hitting the ball very well.

The main thing to watch out for Palacios is that he's a platoon matchup, but you're getting him against righties. So that worry is a bit nullified. The Yankees and Phillies are on deck in the final week for Palacios.

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

8% rostered

I've got to get my Rockies in where they fit in. And luckily for me, Norby fits the bill perfectly as the complementary piece you may need. Over the last 14 days, he's hitting for a 174 wRC+. That's driven by a .361 average while posting up a .397 xwOBA.

WATCH: Connor Norby just hit his seventh homer of the season, a solo shot for the Rockies.
📹 MLB#PIRATESINTHEPROS🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/KSS4LKlZNd

— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) September 10, 2026

Norby had previously been looked at as a platoon matchup, but the Rockies are getting him more chances for right-on-right at-bats. That's going to alleviate some worries that you may have if you're worried about Norby only being in the lineup to face lefties.

The Rockies end their season against the DBacks and White Sox. They're not the most formidable opponents on the mound, so Norby could be a really solid addition if you're in a deep league and in need of infield help.

Ryan Johnson, SP, Los Angeles Angels

23% rostered

Sometimes you just have to admit when you're wrong. I'd been out on Johnson for quite some time and was fading him in my home run props articles. That was until the stats he'd been accumulating got better and better. And now he's looking like a really strong arm to back.

Over the last 30 days, he's thrown to a 1.80 ERA. He's had at least five strikeouts in each of his last three starts. That's been a stat that was holding him back previously, but if that's getting added to his arsenal, then he'll become even more fantasy relevant.

Ryan Johnson, Wicked 84mph Sweeper. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/X0qqrbykuN

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 16, 2026

He only gets one start next week, but it's slated to be against the Mariners. In his last start against Seattle, he went six innings deep with seven strikeouts. And he'll get them off a Coors Hangover as well, making the matchup look very intriguing.

Zebby Matthews, SP, Minnesota Twins

20% rostered

Sometimes late in the season, you're not in search of the sexiest names. You're in search of the ones that are going to come through for you. I've left Matthews off this list the last couple of weeks, but he's got enough good starts behind him now that I think he could be of value in the final week.

In his last start against the Yankees, he went six innings deep and struck out eight. It was a real solid bounceback start after two bad starts, so it's looking like he's got those bad ones out of the way.

He'll get one last start this season against San Francisco. There's one batter in the Giants' lineup I think could do damage (more on him later), but beyond him, there isn't much to be scared of.

Rico Garcia, RP, Baltimore Orioles

23% rostered

Sometimes it's all about opportunity. For Garcia, he's been the Orioles' go-to guy in the ninth as of late, taking away the closer role from Andrew Kittredge. Garcia has now notched three saves in his last four appearances.

Over the last 30 days, he has just a 0.77 ERA. He's earned the role and now gets a chance to make an impact in championship week.

Baltimore gets the Blue Jays and Yankees to finish the season. If both Toronto and New York have their playoff fates decided when they face Baltimore, it should make it a bit easier for Garcia to notch saves against them.

Honorable Mentions

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

30% rostered

Sitting here at 30% rostered, he's barely on the edge here. I've pushed for him in past weeks, and he's still crushing. Over the last 14 days, he's hit for a 175 wRC+. With Devers now on the IL, Eldridge will be the main RBI guy.

That's going to help drive some fantasy value. But I just see the lefty's bat as such a valuable tool in the fantasy playoffs. He'll see the Twins and Dodgers to finish out the season.

Josh Bell, 1B, Minnesota Twins

29% rostered

I'm a bit surprised to see that Bell's only at 29% rostered here, hence why he's making this list. He's a well-known commodity, so people may not be looking to him for a late-season surge. But I think more positive results are coming his way.

That's because his .311 wOBA is paired with a .385 xwOBA. Positive regression is something I'm always on the lookout for. And while we would be looking at it for just one week, I think Bell makes for a compelling addition if you're in need of help at first base.

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

• Hector Rodriguez, CIN
• Henry Bolte, ATH
• Heriberto Hernandez, MIA
• Tommy Edman, LAD
• Cole Carrigg, COL
• Andrew Painter, PHI
• Andrew Alvarez, WSH
• Mickey Gasper, BOS
• Griffin Conine, MIA
• Spencer Jones, NYY

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