Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8 Fantasy Baseball (2026)

May 16, 2026

Andy breaks down his must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 8 of the 2026 MLB season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.

With another week of MLB action behind us, it's time to spotlight seven more must-add players ahead of Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season. With many underperforming star players and high-end assets being shifted to the injured list, managers likely need to fill several roster spots. Fortunately, we will highlight seven hitters and pitchers who can contribute across all five standard categories.

This week, we will look at a potential must-add closer who could hold high-end value for the remainder of the season and two recently promoted prospects, including one from the Mets who has wasted little time making an impact in the big leagues.

So, let's look at the best waiver wire targets this weekend.

2026 Fantasy Baseball Week 8 Waiver Wire Adds

Andrew Vaughn, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers

The first hitter we will spotlight was a waiver-wire wonder during the 2025 campaign and could carry similar upside again in 2026.

After joining the Brewers near the halfway point of the 2025 campaign, Vaughn saw production take a massive turn for the better. With Milwaukee, the former third overall pick posted a .308/.375/.493 line with 14 doubles, nine home runs, and 46 RBI over a short 64-game stint.

However, his 2026 campaign got off to a lower start as he hit the injured list early in the season due to a hand injury. Since returning, Vaughn has quickly begun to show signs of his 2025 self, making him a priority target on the waiver wire this week ahead of a potential full return to form. Over the last six games post-injury, Vaughn has tallied five RBI, hit his first home run, and hit for a .300 AVG.

Last summer, Vaughn carried a strong .276 xBA under the hood with a high-end 47.3% hard-hit rate and .479 xSLG. While the Brewers could keep Vaughn in a somewhat limited role, sharing time at first base and as DH with Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich, if he can quickly regain his footing, they will have a hard time keeping him out of the starting nine.

If you need RBI, Vaughn should be a priority target as he could bring in 50+ runners over the remainder of the campaign.

Andrew Vaughn goes yard in the 1st for the @Brewers!

(MLB x @BudweiserUSA) pic.twitter.com/CrWqTvNDd7

— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2026

Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics

The next two hitters we will spotlight are two of the top call-ups from the previous week. Starting things off will be the recently promoted outfielder for the Athletics, Henry Bolte. Ahead of his MLB promotion, Bolte was nearly the best hitter in the entire minor leagues. At Triple-A, Bolte was on a historic pace, which led to his much-earlier-than-anticipated promotion.

With the Las Vegas Aviators, Bolte was flashing elite high-end five-category upside, which makes him a top stash option in all 12-team formats. Through 37 games with Las Vegas, Bolte posted a dominant .348/.418/.658 line with an eye-catching 1.078 OPS.

He went deep 12 times while swiping 17 bags. This is even more impressive as during his first stint at Triple-A (34 games last summer), Bolte hit only two home runs and swiped 13 bags with a much lower .873 OPS.

Seeing Bolte quickly adjust to this high-quality level of pitching and tap into more of his raw power makes him an intriguing pickup ahead of Week 8. While Bolte has not immediately been given a full-time role with the Athletics, he has started each of the past two games and has gone 3-for-7 with an RBI and a walk.

For now, he figures to share time in center field with Lawrence Butler, but given that the 25-year-old has carried a weak .175 AVG over the first two months of play, Bolte may claim the larger share of opportunities sooner rather than later.

A.J. Ewing, SS/OF, New York Mets

The other prospect has already begun to make headlines at the MLB level. A.J. Ewing has proved to be a much-needed spark to a struggling Mets team and appears to have already earned a full-time role in their starting nine.

Over his first three MLB games, Ewing has gotten the starting nod in center field and looked quite comfortable, going 3-for-9 with a triple, a home run, a single, and a 3:4 K:BB.

The 21-year-old has wasted little time beginning to showcase his five-category potential, which makes him a priority target this weekend on the waiver wire.

With Luis Robert Jr. not progressing as well as the team has hoped and Jorge Polanco and Francisco Lindor all on the shelf as well, Ewing should continue to see everyday at-bats, especially if he continues this current reactor.

Earlier in the campaign, like Bolte, Ewing was among the most productive hitters in the upper minors. He opened the campaign at the Double-A level, but needed only 18 more games to show he was ready to make his Triple-A debut. During this short stint, Ewing held a .349/.481/.571 line with two home runs and 12 stolen bases.

Then during his first 12 games at Triple-A, Ewing maintained this level of play, posting a similar .326/.392/.435 line with three doubles and four stolen bases.

Even though the Springboro HS product has little experience against high-level pitching, Ewing has not looked overmatched. While he may face some eventual growing pains, for now, he is looking like a near-lineup lock in all standard formats, given his five-category potential.

A.J. Ewing launches his first career home run! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/8hRcuVsIs4

— MLB (@MLB) May 14, 2026

Logan Henderson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitcher Logan Henderson showed flashes of upside in his first taste of MLB action last season but ultimately fell short in the competition to earn a starting role during spring training. However, with Brandon Woodruff currently on the 15-day injured list, the Brewers opted to promote the budding right-hander, which pushes him back on the fantasy radar.

Last summer, Henderson made five starts for the Brewers and was very effective, logging 25 1/3 innings to the tune of a 1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. During this stint, Henderson racked up 33 punchouts while carrying a strong 8.1% BB%. After a brief spot-start on April 4, where Henderson stumbled, allowing two runs and three hits over two frames, he has begun to rekindle his 2025 form.

Over his last two starts for the Brewers, the right-hander has logged 11 frames to the tune of a 3.27 ERA. During this two-game stretch, the No. 99-ranked prospect in baseball has struck out 13 hitters while showing elite command, allowing just one free pass.

While his overall 4.15 ERA on the surface may not jump off the page, Henderson's underlying marks suggest he has gotten quite unlucky in the early going. Per Baseball Savant, Henderson has generated a much lower 2.75 xERA with a dominant .209 xBA, both of which place him well above the average marks. His current 32.7% K% would place him among the elite pitchers in the game.

Even if Woodruff returns in the near future, Henderson appears to be in the position to hold his post in the rotation, given Brandon Sproat's uneven start. Henderson is a priority starting pitcher to target, as he could not only remain in the majors for the remainder of these seasons but also carry near-elite strikeout potential on a per-start basis.

Jared Jones, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

The other starting pitcher to target is a priority "injury stash." Jones has not picked up a win in an MLB game since the 2024 campaign, his debut season. Jones underwent elbow surgery last March but remains on track to return to the Steel City in the coming weeks.

During his 2024 debut season, the right-hander has been very effective, posting a 4.14 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 121 2/3 innings. He struck out 132 hitters while carrying impressive metrics under the hood. Jones generated a 3.97 xERA while drawing whiffs at a 30.2% rate, which places him in the 84th percentile among qualified pitchers. His 26.2% K% placed him in the 73rd percentile, while his walk rate (7.7%) was also above average.

Jones began his rehab stint with Low-A on April 29 and has continued to show similar upside while increasing his workload. With Low-A, he made one start (three innings) and allowed a single baserunner while striking out five. He then moved up to Double-A, where he made one start (three innings) and allowed just one run while posting a 2:1 K:BB.

On May 12, Jones moved his rehab to Triple-A Indianapolis and continued to look sharp, logging four shutout frames with just three hits and four punchouts. The 24-year-old may only need one more rehab outing before being cleared to rejoin the Pirates. Once active, Jones should average more than a strikeout per inning while producing above-average ratios.

Jared Jones picks up his first strikeout of the night on an absolutely filthy curveball.

He’s touched 99 so far here in the first inning as well. pic.twitter.com/EENzGeeZS3

— Jay Staph (@jmstaph24) May 12, 2026

Rico Garcia, RP, Baltimore Orioles

The first relief pitcher we will spotlight is Rico Garcia of the Baltimore Orioles. Garcia was already a high-end option in saves + holds leagues given his role as the primary setup man, but has since seen his value surge in standard leagues. With Ryan Helsley now on the injured list, Garcia has taken over the primary ninth-inning role in Baltimore and has looked just as dominant.

Since Helsley's last outing (April 28), Garcia has gone 2-for-2 on both of his save opportunities and added two holds during this stretch. Across these 5 2/3 innings, the right-hander has not allowed a run or a hit while posting a 7:3 K:BB. Overall, Garcia has logged 19 frames with a 0.47 ERA and a 0.42 WHIP.

His 34.4% K% places him in the 96th percentile, and his 98th and 99th percentile xERA and xBA suggest that his incredible ratios are quite sustainable. While he has walked batters at a rather high 10.9% rate, he has limited hard contact and generated a high total of whiffs to avoid any damage.

Even when Helsley returns, Garcia is showing immense upside as a ratio stabilizer and should remain rostered in all 12-team leagues. For the time being, Garcia has top-5 upside among true "closers" as he should see nearly all of the save opportunities while posting near-perfect ratios.

Rico Garcia a High-End, Short-Term Option for Saves https://t.co/SqZMEK6rWq

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) May 8, 2026

Jack Perkins, RP, Athletics

The final player we will post is our second relief pitcher. While Jack Perkins is coming off a shaky outing on Thursday, the right-hander appears to have settled in as the primary loser for the Athletics, which makes him worth adding in all 12-team formats.

Across 17 innings pitched, Perkins has posted a modest 4.76 ERA but has also had high-end strikeout upside, which has put him into the ninth-inning role for the Athletics. He has struck out 22 batters (30.6% K%) while showing high-end command, walking only 6.9% of the batters he has faced.

Before Thursday's blown save, Perkins carried a dominant 2.19 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP over his previous 12 1/3 frames. During this stretch, the 26-year-old struck out 15 hitters, while earning three saves and one hold. Given that the Athletics have yet to find another reliable option in the late innings, Perkins will be given a longer leash to work out any struggles in the high-leverage situations.

His elite strikeout potential also significantly raises his floor and ceiling for fantasy. Perkins has 15+ save upside and could push for a 20-save season if the Athletics were to turn to him consistently. Managers should not be overly concerned with his recent slump. His 3.13 xERA suggests far better days are ahead, making him a top waiver wire option.

Other Waiver Wire Targets

• Louis Varland, TOR
• Josh Jung, TEX
• Travis Bazzana, CLE
• Gregory Soto, PIT
• JJ Bleday, CIN
• Jacob Latz, TEX
• Casey Schmitt, SF
• Carson Benge, NYM
• Caleb Kilian, SF
• Ben Brown, CHC
• Zebby Matthews, MIN

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