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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 4 of 2025 (April 21 - April 27). These are his top free agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 4 of the 2025 season (April 21 - April 27). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues. For deeper leagues, we try to find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Each week, we will try to help you find undervalued pitchers who can help your team that week and during the rest of the season. This week, we have some younger pitchers who are getting a crack at rotation spots, like Hayden Wesneski, Matthew Liberatore, and Ben Brown. As usual, we blend in some boring veterans like Mitch Keller and Luis Severino.
Depending on your team's needs, you may find a handy pitcher in these recommendations. Keep in mind that we are not suggesting that these guys mentioned here are going to replace lost aces, but maybe you can "Frankenstein" your rotation a bit while you wait for reinforcements. Let's dive in.
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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates (42% rostered)
Sometimes, when writing this article, I have to go with my gut, especially when the statistical trends and underlying metrics don't add up to a clear recommendation. Keller is one of those guys right now, and His track record shows us that he is a usable pitcher in most formats, even if he struggles from time to time. He has a spot and a proven track record of being a decent starter. Please take a look at him this week; he makes his next start against Cleveland.
Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros (40% rostered)
The Houston Astros acquired Wesneski in the Kyle Tucker trade, and he is showing why he has been highly touted throughout his career. In his start last weekend against the Los Angeles Angels, Wesneski struck out 10 batters and earned his first win of the season. On Saturday, he went five strong innings with four strikeouts in a game in which he did not qualify for a win. Oddly, he surrendered three solo home runs in that game and worked around them. The week before, he went seven IP and struck out five. Get on Wesneski this weekend before your league mates get wise. See how Wesneski has altered his pitch mix below.
Luis Severino, Athletics (36% rostered)
The time has passed when Severino was supposed to be an ace, but he is still a serviceable arm for your rotation. The one issue here is the occasional lack of strikeouts. Yet Severino went eight strong IP against Milwaukee in his last start, getting the win despite only having one strikeout. He is healthy and can give you mostly worry-free innings. Check him out this weekend for the back of your rotation.
David Peterson, New York Mets (35% rostered)
Peterson seems to always fly under the radar in most leagues, but he is a solid starter who can help you in the proper format. On Friday night, the lefty pitched into the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, nabbing nine strikeouts while scattering seven hits and three runs. On the season, Peterson has a win, a 3.27 ERA, a 57 percent groundball percentage, and 26 strikeouts in 22 IP. If you need back-of-the-rotation help, check out Peterson.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Erick Fedde, St. Louis Cardinals (21% rostered)
Fedde is one of those pitchers who always seem to outpitch his peripherals. He has gone six IP in three of his four starts, including his last one, in which he struck out a season-high five hitters. He has walked more hitters than usual, but he should be able to rectify that with more work. Fedde will never make you forget your ace starters, but he can be helpful in the right mix.
Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds (18% rostered)
Abbott has two wins in two starts for the Reds, and he's looked good in the process. In his first start, he went five IP and whiffed five batters. In his second start, he fanned 11 hitters in Baltimore. I know the underlying metrics suggest that Abbott may not be that good, but he faces the Rockies next (in Colorado), and he will look to keep the good starts rolling then. Check out his Statcast from his small two-start sample size below.
Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals (12% rostered)
Liberatore has two consecutive starts with seven strikeouts, including a six-inning win in his last start. On Saturday, he pitched into the seventh inning and struck out six more batters, even though the Cardinals ended up losing the game. Check out his chase percentage growth this year. Can he maintain it? Hard to say, but he might be worth rostering in deeper leagues. Liberatore has a prospect pedigree and could have a rotation spot for the foreseeable future.
Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs (12% rostered)
Brown is a player many fantasy pundits have been high on for a while, but an unclear role in Chicago keeps him on the waiver wire. However, last weekend, he beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out five batters in six scoreless IP. This weekend, Brown only went four IP due to a high pitch count with four walks, but he also garnered six strikeouts. An issue that has plagued Brown is walks, and this season, he has nine free passes in 17 IP. If he can keep the walk rate in check, the season-ending injury to Justin Steele may afford Brown an extended opportunity. He's worth a flyer in most leagues.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
- Luis L. Ortiz, Cleveland Guardians (rostered in 17 percent of leagues)
- Shane Smith, Chicago White Sox (rostered in 15 percent of leagues)
- Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels (rostered in nine percent of leagues)
- Chad Patrick, Milwaukee Brewers (rostered in eight percent of leagues)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun above everything. Enjoy it!
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