Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 9 Fantasy Baseball (2026)

May 23, 2026

Andy breaks down his must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 9 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. As we have in weeks past, we will spotlight seven must-add players who are available in at least 50% of all Yahoo leagues.

This week, we will look at two budding pitchers from the Minnesota Twins and a potential new closer on the South Side.

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

2026 Fantasy Baseball Week 9 Waiver Wire Adds

Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets

Carson Benge saw his fantasy value skyrocket late in the spring after he was announced to have made the Opening Day roster. While he enjoyed an outstanding start to his MLB career, launching a home run in his debut, he hit a lengthy cold skid and was likely sent to the waiver wire in most leagues.

However, growing pains are inevitable for even some of the top prospects in the sport. Fortunately, the former first-round pick from the 2024 MLB Draft has begun to find his footing and is quickly reclaiming his previous fantasy value.

Since May 3 (his last 17 games), Benge has begun to showcase his prospect pedigree, posting a dominant .377/.427/.493 slash line with five doubles, one home run, two stolen bases, and an 11:5 K:BB. Over 116 games in the minor leagues last summer, Benge showed a strong five-category potential, hitting for a 281 AVG with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases.

It took him some time, but he has begun to find his footing against MLB pitching and make an impact in the box score. Managers should view him as a priority target in all formats as he has become the primary leadoff hitter against both right-handed and left-handed pitching.

Carson Benge brings home a HUGE insurance run! pic.twitter.com/Nja3ndGFH5

— Mets'd Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) May 9, 2026

Sam Antonacci, 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox

The second issue we will spotlight this week is very useful, as he has positional eligibility at several positions on the diamond. The White Sox promoted Antonacci much sooner than anticipated after a dominant start to the season in Triple-A. After spending the 2025 season with High-A and Double-A, Antonacci was given the green light to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A.

However, the utility man needed only 16 games with Charlotte to prove he was ready for the big leagues. Though this short 14-game stint, Antonacci posted a .313/.500/.479 line with a .979 OPS. He went deep twice and swiped five bags. Given that he only launched five home runs over the entire 2025 season, seeing him tap into his raw power in his quick stint at the top club is a great sign.

Since moving to the major leagues, Antonacci has not looked overmatched and has continued to improve as he has grown more accustomed to MLB pitching. Over his first 12 games, he endured some minor growing pains, posting a low .207 AVG with a .699 OPS. However, since this brief slump, Antonacci has quickly flipped the script, posting a .338/.416/.426 line with four doubles, four stolen bases, and an .842 OPS over his last 20 games.

Based on his underlying metrics, it appears his recent turnaround is quite sustainable.

Per Baseball Savant, Antonacci sits in the 96th percentile in xwOBA (.399) and 100th percentile in xBA (.338). While his 36.8% hard-hit is below the average marks, he has optimized his swing, with an elite 41.4% LA Sweet-Spot% and 32.9% chase rate. Additionally, in terms of contact, he is striking out at a low 12.1% rate and whiffing at pitches at a 15.7% rate.

While managers should not expect a 15+ HR campaign from Antonacci, he possesses elite contact skills and should remain an elite asset for batting average. He also sits in the 77th percentile in sprint speed and has already swiped four MLB bags. In terms of counting stats, the White Sox have recently bumped him to the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching, which should provide him with ample scoring opportunities, batting in front of budding sluggers Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery.

Colt Emerson, 3B/SS, Seattle Mariners

The third and final hitter we spotlight this week is a top-10 prospect who recently got the call. Following the injury to Brendan Donovan, Emerson was promoted to the MLB roster to serve as the primary third baseman. In his first four games in the big leagues, Emerson has been a bit quiet at the dish, going 2-for-11 with one home run and a 5:2 K:BB.

However, managers should not be overly concerned with the slow start and should look to pick him up if needing a boost in the infield.

At Triple-A this season, Emerson flashed high-end five-category potential. The former 22nd overall pick posted a .255/.347/.469 line with an .819 OPS. During this stint with Triple-A Tacoma, Emerson launched seven round-trippers while swinging an additional 10 bags.

During the 2025 season, Emerson went deep 16 times and added 14 stolen bases with a .285 AVG over 130 games, most of which were spent in the lower levels of the system. Even though he may endure some growing pains, his five-category skill set makes him a priority target in all standard formats.

COLT EMERSON'S FIRST MLB HIT IS A HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/NgPJHApZzO

— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2026

Zebby Matthews, SP, Minnesota Twins

The first Minnesota Twins starting pitcher we will spotlight in this piece is Zebby Matthews. The former top prospect has typically flashed elite upside in the minor leagues but has never achieved much success in the major leagues. Last season, the right-hander tossed 36 2/3 innings with Triple-A St. Paul and posted a near-perfect 1.72 ERA with a 47:9 K:BB.

However, this elite production did not carry over to the majors, as he posted a hefty 5.56 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP over 79 1/3 innings with the Twins. He managed to strike out 88 hitters, but his high ratios made him a very tough fantasy asset to trust on a weekly basis.

As a result, Matthews was sent back to St. Paul to open the 2026 season. However, unlike last season, the right-hander did not enjoy the same success with the top club in the minor leagues and eventually earned a return to the majors, with Taj Bradley and Mick Abel both on the injured list.

While his promotion did not generate much excitement, Matthews has quickly put himself back on the fantasy radar. In his season debut, Matthews logged seven shutout frames with a 5:1 K:BB against the Marlins. In his second outing, he proved this was not an outlier as he tossed six innings of two-run ball with a six-pitch unearned run and no walks.

The primary driving force behind his hot start has been a slight tweak to his pitch usage. After relying on his slider as his No. 2 option last summer, Mathews has instead turned to his curveball. Over two outings, he has deployed this pitch 16.4% of the time, a stark jump from the 5.8% it saw in 2025.

This pitch has been very effective in the limited sample, generating a 27.3% whiff rate with a .282 xwOBA. His primary pitch, his four-seamer, has taken a massive step forward due to this tweak, posting a .238 xwOBA, a massive drop from the .394 xwOBA it held a season ago. While his track record of success is limited, the right-hander's near-perfect command should keep his value high as he should turn in an elite WHIP, even if his ERA begins to gradually increase.

Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners

Bryce Miller began the campaign on the injured list due to a probable injury and was not guaranteed a role in the starting lineup, given the emergence of Emerson Hancock. However, Miller has looked the part and instead pushed veteran Luis Castillo to the "piggyback" role for the time being.

Over his first two starts of the season, Miller has logged 11 innings of work with a 1.64 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. After surrendering eight hits in his season debut, Miller had a much smoother outing in his second outing, logging 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball (no runs) with a strong 7:1 K:BB. Even though Miller had a down season in 2025, the 27-year-old was a borderline high-end SP2 and appears to have begun rounding into form for the 2026 season.

During the 2024 season, Miller logged 180 1/3 innings with a 2.94 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a dominant 171:45 K:BB. While the sample is small in 2026, he shows promising underlying metrics that suggest he could return to his 2024 form. Through the early going, he has generated a 1.99 xERA with a .208 xBA, suggesting he got quite unlucky in his eight-hit season debut.

Additionally, the velocity on his four-seamer is up nearly 3.0 MPH (94.8 - 97.1), which is an excellent sign for the long-term outlook. When looking for a ratio stabilizer, especially for WHIP, Miller should be viewed as a must-add.

Connor Prielipp, SP, Minnesota Twins

The last starting pitcher we will spotlight made his MLB debut earlier this season. Connor Prielipp entered the campaign as Minnesota's No. 5-ranked prospect but stayed just outside MLB.com's top-100 ranking, which did not put him on the radar of many managers ahead of his early-season promotion. Prielipp made his MLB debut on April 22 and has remained in the starting rotation since.

Over his first five MLB outings, Prielipp has logged 25 innings to the tune of a strong 2.88 ERA and a stellar 0.96 WHIP. Across this brief taste, the southpaw has struck out 29 hitters and posted a solid 8.8% walk rate, putting him just above the average marks.

Prielipp relies primarily on two pitches, his four-seamer and slider, which make up just under 70% of his current pitch usage. His slider, his primary pitch, has been very effective for the young lefty, posting a .262 xwOBA and a 32.1% whiff rate. While his four-seamer has not been impressive, his No. 3 pitch, his changeup, has helped limit the damage, generating a .059 xwOBA with a 20.0% whiff rate.

Overall, his advanced metrics support his potential breakout campaign. Per Baseball Savant, the 25-year-old has generated a 3.08 xERA with a stellar .85 xBA, which places him in the 92nd percentile among qualified pitchers.

Given his above-average strikeout upside and strong pitch-mix, Prielipp should be viewed as a top starting pitcher target in all formats ahead of Week 9.

Connor Prielipp in his second career @MLB start:

5 IP / 1 H / 2 R / 3 BB / 5 K

He had a strikeout on three different pitch types and struck out five different hitters 👀@Twins | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/OEHOrRwhZI

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) April 28, 2026

Grant Taylor, RP, Chicago White Sox

Let's end this week's column with our closer add of the week. While it appeared Seranthony Dominguez had the lead for the White Sox closer job, Grant Taylor, a primary setup man, has begun to earn save opportunities and has looked far more impressive in this role. While Dominguez appeared to be in the driver's seat, given that he enters Friday's contest with 10 saves to his name, he has been struggling recently.

Over his last two outings, he has allowed four runs and blown one save. As a result, this had opened the door for Taylor to see an opportunity in the ninth inning. Fortunately for the young flamethrower, he has not disappointed during this short stint.

Following Dominguez's two rough outings, Taylor got the save on May 19 by striking out the side. Over the last 14 innings (since April 23), Taylor has not allowed an earned run while posting an incredible 22:4 K:BB.

While a committee and pitching for the most White Sox team could limit his save volume, his strikeout upside is immense. He should also provide strong ratios along the way. If Dominguez were to struggle in his next outing as well, Taylor could not only operate in a committee but eventually take the lion's share of opportunities.

Other Waiver Wire Targets

• Travis Bazzana, CLE
• Gregory Soto, PIT
• A.J. Ewing, NYM
• Jared Jones, PIT
• Rico Garcia, BAL
• Henry Bolte, OF
• Jackson Holliday, BAL
• Zack Gelof, ATH
• River Ryan, LAD
• Andrew Vaughn, MIL

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