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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 20 of 2025 (August 11 - August 17). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 20 of the 2025 season (August 11 - August 17). 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.
Can you believe we are 20 weeks into the fantasy season now? You should have a good idea if you are in the race for a championship. If you are, you need to stay active with your roster churn and make sure you are adding waiver wire finds to strengthen your roster.
Let's see what is on the waiver wire this week. There are options available for any league. You need to be proactive and add players before your league wakes up to them. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.
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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals (46% rostered)
I love Wacha because no one ever seems to want to roster him. And then you look at what he does, and you see his usefulness to a fantasy squad as a back-end rotation help. The veteran has gone five straight starts with at least five innings, nabbing two wins in his last two.
Wacha is never going to wow you with eye-popping stats, but did you realize he has posted three consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, an ERA of 3.35 or less, and a WHIP of 1.19 or less? I didn't, either. The results come out in the wash.
Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs (39% rostered)
Horton has been untouchable in his last four starts. Three wins, no earned runs, covering 22 innings, with 16 strikeouts added in. The youngster seems to be coming into his own in the middle of a contested NL Central race, and the Cubs desperately need him.
Look at the data below, paying special attention to July and his post-All-Star break numbers. He will not wow you with big strikeout numbers, but he keeps the ball on the ground, and if he continues to limit walks, he could be taking the next step.
Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros (38% rostered)
I know he got lit up like a pinball machine in his first start back from the IL, but I am all in on Arrighetti. There was bound to be some rust, and he gave up five runs in a little more than three innings against the Marlins. Egads.
He has made only three starts this season, but had a tremendous second half in 2024. His current ERA is 7.43, but xERA says it should be 3.77, and his xFIP is 4.54. Better days are coming for Arrighetti. Roster him now before your league gets wise.
Logan Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers (34% rostered)
Henderson was a big part of this article, but he just hit the IL with a right elbow flexor strain. We will pivot to another. But Henderson is a name to file.
Nick Martinez, Cincinnati Reds (31% rostered)
Martinez had been moved to the bullpen, but a finger injury to lefty Nick Lodolo moves him back into the rotation. He won't be on any restrictions, as he just threw 103 pitches in a solid start on July 30 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Martinez will not strike many batters out, as he has only 93 in 129 innings in 2025. His 4.66 ERA hides an xERA of 4.09 and a FIP of 4.19. The point is, Martinez is a usable commodity, especially when you play the right matchups with your rotation.
Luis Severino, Athletics (31% rostered)
I mentioned him last weekend and got some pushback. But at this point, the stats do not lie. In his last five appearances, he has four wins covering 27 innings with a tidy 2.92 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. To add, Severino also has 30 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Could you use him on your team? Many could. Severino made a subtle change since the All-Star break, and you can see it below; he has gone back to using his fastball more and adding some trust in the sweeper again. He is usable again in most leagues.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Slade Cecconi, Cleveland Guardians (28% rostered)
Cecconi may be an odd choice because the peripherals do not fully support his results. Yet, he keeps getting them; in 12 of his 14 starts this season, he has given up three runs or fewer. On the season, Cecconi has five wins, a 3.72 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts in 82 innings.
Cecconi is an important reminder that players do outperform their peripherals sometimes. Use him until he proves otherwise. With improved health, he is a main cog in the Guardians rotation.
Emmet Sheehan, Los Angeles Dodgers (25% rostered)
I will admit that I truly like Sheehan, and can understand if you think I am wrong on him. But he has a rotation spot on one of the best teams in baseball, and looks to be keeping it until Roki Sasaki returns, which still seems several weeks off. Take advantage of that.
Sheehan gave up two unearned runs over five innings in his first start back in the rotation. He has three wins in five starts this season, with a 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Continue to use, especially in matchups that you can exploit.
Sheehan is getting more swings and misses with his slider, as seen below. I am high on him moving forward this season.
Jacob Lopez, Athletics (28% rostered)
He is not going to be on the waiver wire much longer, even after coming out struggling in the second half. Lopez has put up zeroes in his last three starts, capped off by a 10-strikeout gem on Thursday night against Washington.
The data below is red in all the right spots: average exit velocity, strikeout percentage, and hard-hit percentage. On the season, Lopez has five wins, a 3.59 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and an impressive 94 strikeouts in 77 innings. This is your last chance to roster him cheaply this year.
Justin Verlander, San Francisco Giants (25% rostered)
Verlander was forgotten about most of the season, posting only one win against eight losses and a 4.29 ERA and a bloated 1.45 WHIP. However, if we look under the hood, which we should do with starting pitchers, maybe we can find something useful.
And that is this with Verlander: over the last two weeks, he has posted a 0.90 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Most teams could use that help right now, and Verlander has looked good over his last three starts. He gets Washington on Sunday and the Rays next Friday.
Shane Smith, Chicago White Sox (9% rostered)
Smith missed some time in July in what might have been a planned break for the surprise rookie right-hander. He looked like he needed a breather with a whopping 9.75 ERA in July. However, he has looked better in his two post-All-Star break starts.
Smith went five strong innings against the vaunted Mariners lineup, striking out a career-high eight batters while surrendering only two runs. He only has three wins, but his 4.22 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, paired with his 93 strikeouts in 96 innings, are usable stats.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
- Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (9% rostered)
- Carson Whisenhunt, San Francisco Giants (6% rostered)
- Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals (5% rostered)
- Carlos Carrasco, Atlanta Braves (4% rostered)
- Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves (2% rostered)
Keep grinding and do not give up on your season. I know many are getting ready for fantasy football to be upon us next month. Keep your lineups active each week, please!
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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