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Andy looks at four sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 14 (2025) on hot streaks, and sees if they can sustain their success.
As we enter the start of July, our rotisserie standings are starting to take shape. With many top pitchers hitting the injured list during the first half, fantasy managers may find themselves at the bottom in many pitching categories.
In this piece, we will analyze five starting pitchers who are available in more than half of all Yahoo! leagues and determine if their recent success is worth trusting.
Who should fantasy managers be targeting this week? Let's dive in!
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Jacob Lopez, Athletics
25% Rostered
From April 29 through June 3, Jacob Lopez was one of the worst starting pitchers in the sport. During this stretch (four outings), Lopez logged 15 2/3 innings to the tune of a high 9.19 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP. He tallied 21 strikeouts over this stretch but served up six long balls and seven free passes.
However, over his last four outings (June 8 - June 25), the left-hander has completely flipped the script, posting a near-perfect 0.39 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. Over these four dominant outings, Lopez has struck out 29 batters (21 innings) and has not allowed a home run.
How did Lopez become an entirely different pitcher?
The primary change Lopez has enacted is the increased usage of his slider and changeup. During his rough May, Lopez threw his slider 26.9% of the time and his changeup 3.0% of the time. However, in June, Lopez threw these pitches 32.2% and 17.0% of the time, respectively (his second and third-most-used pitches, behind only his four-seamer).
This slight modification has brought in fantastic results. In June, his slider has posted a high 41.6% whiff rate with a stellar 1.73 xwOBA. His changeup has been just as dominant, generating whiffs at a 41.9% rate and posting a .174 xwOBA. In addition, his in-zone swing and miss rate have increased substantially for all of his pitches over the past month.
Adding these pitches has also benefited his primary four-seamer. In June, this pitch held a much-improved .297 xwOBA with a 35.65% whiff rate, in relation to the .590 xwOBA it posted in May.
However, he took a slight step back on Monday evening as he allowed four runs (three earned) across 3 1/3 innings of work.
While the 27-year-old's track record is not long, seeing him take such a significant step forward in a short time is very promising. Lopez currently carries an above-average xERA and xBA, which are strong indicators that he should continue to find success.
Given his impressive month, he is worth adding in all standard formats.
Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers
15% Rostered
Kumar Rocker was once viewed as a top prospect when drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the New York Mets. However, the right-hander did not agree to a contract with the club due to medical reasons and opted to return to the draft pool for the following season. In 2022, Rocker was selected third overall by the Texas Rangers.
However, the right-hander would eventually undergo Tommy John surgery in 2023, which further delayed his professional debut.
Rocker would reach the majors in 2024 but only log 11 2/3 innings, including the final months of the season. During this brief stint, he held a 3.86 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP. The 25-year-old would break camp with the rotation but continued to face these struggles. Through his first four starts, he allowed 18 runs and 30 hits in just 20 innings of work.
After dealing with a right shoulder impingement and a brief stint with Triple-A Round Rock, Rocker returned to the majors on June 4. Once again, Rocker did not perform well, allowing six hits and five runs through 3 1/3 innings of work against the high-flying Rays.
However, over his last three outings, Rocker has begun to turn the corner. During these 16 1/3 innings, Rocker has posted a solid 2.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, with a 16:5 K:BB. Could the former top prospect finally be breaking out?
In June, Rocker has leaned heavily on his cutter. He has deployed this pitch at a high rate of 38.3%, compared to the minimal usage of 0.3% in April. This pitch has been quite successful, posting a .283 xwOBA with a 36.7% whiff rate. However, his sinker and four-seamer have continued to struggle, which has limited his upside.
These pitches have generated a high xwOBA of .356 in June and .420 in April, respectively, and have held similar rates of .455 and .391 xwOBA in April.
While his cutter appears to be developing into a strong primary pitch, Rocker will need to fine-tune the rest of his arsenal to be fantasy-relevant. For now, he is best left as a streaming option in deeper leagues.
Mike Soroka, Washington Nationals
30% Rostered
The 27-year-old was once viewed as a rising star in the Atlanta system. However, after dealing with numerous injuries, Soroka was eventually moved to the White Sox and later the Nationals, where he currently resides.
Last season in Chicago, Soroka logged 79 2/3 innings to the tune of a disappointing 4.74 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. He tallied 84 punchouts but struggled to command his pitches, allowing walks at a high 12.7% rate.
However, Soroka has begun to tap into his former prospect pedigree and is settling in quite nicely in the nation's capital. Since June 1, the right-hander has posted a strong 3.49 ERA with a dominant 0.89 WHIP. During this stretch, he has struck out 36 hitters (in 28 1/3 innings) and allowed only nine walks.
Over his first 31 innings of the campaign, Soroka posted a rough 5.81 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. How did the former 28th overall pick flip the script?
Much of his success should be credited to his changeup. Even though this is his fourth-most-used pitch, he has begun to deploy it more in June, and it has been critical in helping him generate outs. In June, this pitch averaged 85.6 mph, a two-mph jump from May's 83.6 mark. This slight increase in velocity has also led to a rise in whiff totals, with a high of 19.0% in June, compared to a low of 7.7% in May.
His slurve has remained his top strikeout pitch, boasting an increased 49.7% whiff rate in June compared to the much lower 28.3% whiff rate it held in May. In addition, his four-seamer has also bumped its whiff rate by nearly 10 points (29.7% - 20.7%) over the past month and increased its put-away rate by 10 points.
Sitting in the 81st and 85th percentiles in xERA and xBA, respectively, suggests a breakthrough campaign could be on the way. His elite command and high strikeout upside make him a strong candidate to roster in all standard formats.
Eric Lauer, Toronto Blue Jays
25% Rostered
After posting a 6.56 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP across 46 2/3 innings during the 2023 season with the Brewers and spending the 2024 season in the minor leagues, Eric Lauer was not on my fantasy radar entering the season. However, he appears to have found a home in Toronto and is performing exceptionally well.
Through 45 innings with the Blue Jays (12 appearances, six starts), the left-hander has posted an impressive 12.60 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP. He has struck out 45 batters and shown the command of his pitches, allowing walks at a 7.7% rate (59th percentile).
While he bounced between the rotation and a long relief role, over his last four outings, Lauer has been deployed as a starter and has found a role as the No. 5 option with Bowden Francis (shoulder) on the 15-day IL.
Over these four starts, Lauer has posted a 3.32 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP across 19 innings. Has tallied 21 strikeouts and allowed only five free passes. While he has found more success in a long relief role, Lauer has still shown the ability to possess fantasy value pitching out of the rotation.
In June, his primary pitch, his four-seamer, has been very successful, posting a .286 xwOBA with a 22.0% whiff rate. Among the four pitches thrown at last 10% of the time in June (four-seamer, cutter, curveball, and slider), only one of these pitches (the cutter) holds an xwOBA over .250.
While the 30-year-old has struggled to keep the ball out of the air (low 31.7% ground-ball rate), he has limited hard contact with an elite 6.7% barrel rate, which should help him continue to find success.
Quinn Priester, Milwaukee Brewers
45% Rostered
The final pitcher we will look at this week is Quinn Priester of the Milwaukee Brewers. Following a theme in this piece, Priester was also a former first-round pick who struggled during the early part of his career. The Pirates selected Priester with the 18th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Cary-Grove HS.
Priester made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2023 and struggled, posting a high 7.74 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. Then in 2024, Priester continued to stumble, posting a 5.04 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP through 44 2/3 innings with the Pirates. He was eventually shifted to Boston, where he made just one appearance.
Earlier in March, the Red Sox traded Priester to the Brewers in exchange for outfielder Yophery Rodriguez. With the Brewers, Priester has begun to turn the corner on his disappointing start.
Since May 7 (through June 28), Priester has posted an impressive 2.30 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Across these 54 2/3 innings, Priester has struck out 44 batters and allowed only 12 walks.
Should fantasy managers trust his breakout?
While he should still hold value as a depth SP, his metrics suggest he should see some regression. In June, his primary pitch, his sinker, has generated a high .374 xwOBA. His second-most used pitch, his slider, posted a strong .155 wOBA, but holds a .242 xwOBA under the hood.
Overall, Priester sits below the average marks with a 3.69 xERA and a .255 xBA. While he should still be rostered in all standard leagues, especially coming off his masterful 11-strikeout game against the Rockies, managers should start him with caution, especially in tougher matchups, as suggested by his underlying metrics.
He is due for some regression, but can remain a reliable back-end starter in standard leagues.
Quinn Priester's last 10 starts:
54.2 IP
2.32 ERA
1.01 WHIP
44 K | 12 BBCareer-high 7 innings and 11 strikeouts today. Brewers got an absolute STEAL! pic.twitter.com/ZkbriOiNK6
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 28, 2025
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