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Nicho's H2H points fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for pitchers in Week 6 (2025) -- May 5 - May 11. Free-agent pitchers to add in points leagues.
What's up, RotoBallers! Welcome to Week 6 of our weekly column for starting pitchers to target that are owned in less than 50 percent of leagues (according to Yahoo). Thus far, we've been hitting at a solid rate; however, if you missed any of the previous weeks' action, you can always check out our in-season MLB streamers and look for the earlier weeks' pitcher pickups. In addition, these articles are more than just pitchers, so continue to check out our in-season content for league-winning recommendations!
As we know, starting pitchers provide a very high-risk, high-reward investment on a week-to-week basis in points leagues. This column strives to make strong recommendations for the upcoming week and provide long-term value to your team to help you succeed throughout the season.
Keep following @RotoBallerMLB and me, @NichoRoessler, on X to stay updated with the latest content. Best of luck this week, and let's keep swinging for the fences!
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Clarke Schmidt, SP, New York Yankees
47% Rostered
The New York Yankees right-hander started the season on the injured list with rotator cuff tendinitis but has fully recovered from the injury and has made three starts to date. He owns a poor stat line thus far, with a 5.52 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, a 5.52 FIP, and a 13.8 walk%, but that can be expected when you miss most of spring training. Now is the time to buy low.
The Yankees were forced to fast-track him back into the rotation with the injuries they've accumulated early in the season, with Gerrit Cole (elbow), Luis Gil (lat), and Marcus Stroman (knee). Schmidt is coming off one of his better outings against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 27, where he allowed one run and had six strikeouts in five innings pitched. His next start is scheduled for May 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays, but in Week 6, he gets the Athletics.
Although his stat line is poor, I want to focus on his advanced stats and production over the last two years. He currently has a 3.53 xERA and a 4.65 SIERA, showing signs of progression in that department. In 2024, he had a 2.85 ERA in 85 1/3 IP and a career 8.3% walk rate. I would expect him to get better control in the zone and limit the free passes as he gets into the season's groove.
Clarke Schmidt, Nasty 85mph Knuckle Curve. 😨 pic.twitter.com/NgubTYbRJ2
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 17, 2025
What is most encouraging is that despite his struggles, he owns a .204 xBA, a 32.7% whiff rate, and a solid 23.1% strikeout rate. The key to his success in the coming weeks is his control, and based on his career walk rate being better than it has been so far in 2025, I recommend adding him to your team now before your league mates do.
He is also backed by one of the most potent offenses in MLB, so he should have plenty of opportunities for run support in his starts.
Recommendation: I like him as a long-term play. To add him to your team, plan to spend 15-20% of your FAAB or a waiver wire bid.
Jose Quintana, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
46% Rostered
It seems like this left-hander has been around forever, hasn't he? I will not say that the 36-year-old's stuff and velocity are elite, but he has now provided the Milwaukee Brewers with four consecutive quality starts, which can't be overlooked. Over 23 2/3 IP in 2025, he owns an impressive 1.14 ERA and a 3.36 FIP.
I am mostly buying in because, per Baseball Savant, he generates a healthy 47.1% ground ball rate and pitches in one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in MLB, American Family Field. In 2025, he has been throwing his sinker (48.7%) and changeup (23.4%) more than he did in 2024 (30.5% and 19.3%, respectively), and it is generating weaker contact and more ground balls, allowing him to get out of situations when he has runners on base and needs to make a pitch.
He is a veteran pitcher who knows how to get batters out in crunch time. Although he won't rack up the strikeouts, throw with high velocity, or generate a ton of whiffs, he is a true pitcher who knows the art of pitching and what it takes to find success on a week-to-week basis.
If you are rostering him, I would advise selling high and shopping him around, but he should no longer be on your waiver wire, which is our focus here in this article.
José Quintana, Painted 89mph Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/ij1WM4mzeD
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 16, 2025
In Week 6, he gets a tough matchup on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays, simply because George M. Steinbrenner Field is their home field in 2025, but the Rays' splits so far in 2025 against left-handed pitchers (.187/.272/.277) are significantly worse than right-handed pitchers (.265/.324/.411).
Recommendation: I like riding his hot streak. Spend about 5-10% of your FAAB. However, do not use a top waiver wire bid.
Ranger Suarez, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
40% Rostered
Welcome back, red Power Ranger! Ranger Suarez has been sidelined since spring training due to a back issue and is expected to make his 2025 MLB debut on May 4. I'll be honest, when looking at Yahoo, I was surprised that he was only owned in 40% of leagues.
I realize that not all leagues are made equal and have different amounts of teams, settings, etc. However, seeing him rostered this low and not stashed on a team's IL spot shocked me.
Listen, there are no stats I can talk about regarding Suarez in 2025 production besides that he is dominating MiLB with a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 IP. Therefore, I can only showcase his output over the last few years. Since becoming a full-time starter for the Phillies in 2022, he has thrown 431 IP and owns a 3.76 ERA. In 2024, he ranked in the top half of most percentile rankings, which you can see below.
He generates an elite ground ball rate, misses barrels, and minimizes loud contact. Those are all positive things when you are backed by a potent offense that, in points leagues, you can get additional points for a win or quality start.
He works deep into his starts and has a six-pitch arsenal that he relies on to get batters out. He is led mainly by his sinker, which throws 31.4 percent of the time to help generate weak contact and a high percentage of ground balls. In Week 6, he lines up to pitch against the Cleveland Guardians, who are middle of the pack and could potentially be without their star player, Jose Ramirez (ankle).
Regardless, he is a season-long investment, and the Guardians rank in the bottom half in most statistical offensive categories.
Recommendation: Pick him up immediately and plan to spend 15-20% of your FAAB or a waiver wire bid on him.
Matthew Liberatore, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
32% Rostered
The former first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020, has not lived up to the hype thus far in his career. He's posted a 5.20 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP throughout his first three seasons in MLB, scattered over 182 1/3 IP. He also has had some control issues over those first few seasons, averaging a 9.4% cumulative walk rate.
So far through the 2025 season, Liberatore has flipped the script. He owns a 3.44 ERA, 2.32 FIP, 0.97 WHIP, and a 22.6% strikeout rate. Most importantly, he is in the 98th percentile in MLB regarding walks allowed (2.3% walk rate). Even more impressive is that his advanced stats show signs of progression, with a 2.92 xERA and a 3.17 SIERA.
Okay, that was a lot of stats thrown at you, but what is causing this improvement? He is leveraging his slider more than he has in the past, and thus far, he is seeing the benefits. Throughout his first three seasons, Liberatore mainly relied on his four-seamer as his primary pitch, and now, he is leading with his slider, which has generated strong results, such as a 37.5% whiff rate, and is holding opponents to a .237 BA and .289 SLG.
Matthew Liberatore, Nasty 88mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/AZ647DvNeN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 13, 2025
In Week 6, he gets the Pittsburgh Pirates, who rank in the bottom third of MLB with a team slash line of .224/.305/.339.
Recommendation: Pick him up immediately and plan to spend 15-20% of your FAAB or a waiver wire bid on him. I like him for the long haul, and he has a smash spot against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Week 6.
Honorable Mentions - Others To Prioritize
I understand that deeper leagues may not have the players listed above available, so check out the list below for pitchers to add to your watch list or stream this week based on their matchups (Tier 2).
Tier 1: Team Streamers
Pitchers Who Could Stick Around, But We Need To See More Consistency From
- Tony Gonsolin, LAD (Almost made the cut this week, but want to see another start, although he does get MIA next week)
- Brayan Bello, BOS
- Lucas Giolito, BOS (Almost made the cut this week, but want to see another start)
- Merrill Kelly, ARI
- Lance McCullers Jr., HOU (making season debut May 4)
- Logan Evans, SEA
- Gunnar Hoglund, ATH
- Jameson Taillon, CHC
- Matthew Boyd, CHC
- Tyler Anderson, LAA
- Luis Severino, ATH
- Michael Lorenzen, KC
- Chase Dollander, COL
Tier 2: Plus Matchup Only
One And Done
- Bryce Elder, ATL (faces Pirates)
- AJ Smith-Shawver (faces Pirates)
- Edward Cabrera, MIA (faces the White Sox)
- Landon Knack, LAD (facing MIA)
- Steven Matz, STL (faces Pirates)
- Miles Mikolas, STL (faces Pirates)
- Michael Wacha, KCR (faces White Sox)
Tier 3: Desperation Tier
You've Probably Made Some Bad Choices Already
- Chris Paddack, MIN
- Emerson Hancock, SEA
- Cal Quantrill, MIA
- Taijuan Walker, PHI
- Simeon Woods Richardson, MIN
- Zack Littell, TBR
- Patrick Corbin, TEX
Tier 4: The Stashbox
Pitchers With Eventual Return Dates Who Are Better To Be Early Than Late On. If you can stash on your IL, I would do so.
- Bubba Chandler, PIT
- Zebby Matthews, MIN
- Max Scherzer, TOR
- Sean Manaea, NYM
- Hayden Birdsong, SFG (reliever right now, but could be in line for a big starting spot in the Giants rotation with an injury or performance issues)
- Spencer Arrighetti, HOU
- Kutter Crawford, BOS
- Yu Darvish, SDP
- Max Scherzer, TOR
- Clayton Kershaw, LAD
- Cody Bradford, TEX
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