Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups - RotoBaller Staff Fantasy Baseball Roundtable

March 29, 2026

RotoBaller staff's fantasy baseball Week 1 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire hitter, pitcher, and closer targets from Eric, Joey, Dan, and Andy.

With the first week of the MLB season in the books, it's time to look to the waiver wire. In this piece, we will spotlight the top hitters, pitchers, and closers to pick up as suggested by our RotoBaller MLB staff.

This week, we saw a top prospect emerge as a potential league-winner in Queens, while a new ninth-inning option has emerged in Los Angeles.

Who should we look to pick up this week? Let's dive in!

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets

All offseason, I was clamoring for people to target Carson Benge in drafts this season. The talent and production in 2025 were there, but it all came down to whether or not he was going to make the team out of camp. Well, he did, and Benge rewarded anyone who drafted him with a home run, a steal, two walks, and two runs scored in his major league debut.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW KID!!!@Carsonbenge3 | #LGM pic.twitter.com/TtPJHhQcn0

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 26, 2026

Benge has all the tools to be one of the top rookies for fantasy baseball this season. In 519 plate appearances between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A last season, Benge racked up 25 doubles, 15 home runs, 22 steals, and a .281/.385/.472 slash line.

Benge made contact at an 81% clip last season while walking at a 13.1% clip and keeping the strikeout rate below 20% at a solid 17.7% mark. Add in above-average power and speed, and you have a well-rounded offensive outfielder who should be rostered in more than one-third of Yahoo leagues.

- Eric Cross

Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick should remain an all-around fantasy player in 2026. After seeing his home run numbers jump substantially from 2024 to 2025, Frelick has the tools to contribute solid numbers in multiple categories. Last year, he hit .288 with 12 home runs, 76 runs scored, 63 RBI, and 19 stolen bases across 142 games.

Frelick has continued those numbers into the start of the 2026 season. He went 1-for-3 with two runs scored, one home run, and two RBI on Opening Day against the White Sox. He should be a great source of batting average, steals, and runs scored this year while contributing double-digit home runs. He's worth spending 5-10% of your FAAB on.

- Joey Pollizze

Jordan Westburg, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles

Last season was a rough one for Jordan Westburg (elbow). An early slump made him seem like one of the worst investments in fantasy baseball. Two separate IL stints and a smattering of minor injuries limited the Orioles’ standout to just 85 games. Once his bat warmed up, he looked much closer to the hitter he was in 2024 when he turned in a .264-18-63-57-6 line in 107 games. Stretched out to a full season, Westburg would have flirted with 30 home runs in 2025.

In 2026, the injury bug bit again before the season could get started. Westburg suffered an oblique strain during the offseason, which was expected to delay his participation in spring training. Once camp opened, however, it was discovered that the oblique was not the only thing bothering Westburg, and an MRI revealed a partially torn UCL in his right elbow.

Westburg received a PRP injection on February 20 and is hoping to avoid surgery. Not much is known about the 27-year-old’s timeline for recovery beyond the expectation that his IL stay will last into May. The vagueness of his condition is frustrating, but he is a key component to Baltimore’s lineup and has the potential to be a solid contributor in multiple categories.

When asked if Jordan Westburg will be ready May 1, Mike Elias said no. He expects the IL stint to go into May at least.

“Things are going fine so far, but we still have a lot of time ahead of us.”

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) March 21, 2026

- Dan Stephens

Dominic Canzone, OF, Seattle Mariners

Well, Dominic Canzone is picking up right where he left off last season. After slashing .300/.358/.481 with 11 home runs in 269 plate appearances last season, Canzone started the 2026 season in style with a two-homer game on Opening Day.

SEA - Dominic Canzone Solo HR (2)
🔥 2nd HR of the game

📏 444 ft | 💨 109.3 mph | 📐 26°
⚾️ 93.2 mph four-seam fastball (CLE - RHP Shawn Armstrong)
🏟️ Out in 30/30 MLB parks

CLE (5) @ SEA (4)
🔻 7th#TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/nWakUoufYC

— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) March 27, 2026

While he didn't qualify for many metric leaderboards, Canzone's underlying metrics were impressive in many areas. That was especially true in the quality of contact department, where he finished with a 92.3 mph AVG EV, 49.7% hard-hit rate, and a 14.4% barrel rate, along with a .533 xSLG and .456 xwOBACON.

Canzone also improved his strikeout rate from 28.2% to 21.9%, his zone-contact rate from 75.9% to 82.7%, and his overall contact rate from 65.6% to 73.6%.

Canzone should start regularly in Seattle's outfield this season and has the upside to flirt with a 30-homer season. For someone who is only 8% rostered on Yahoo, that's phenomenal value.

- Eric Cross

Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Matthew Liberatore, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

Another arm I came away impressed by this spring was Matthew Liberatore. When fantasy baseball draft season began, Liberatore was someone quite low in my rankings whom I wasn't recommending outside of deep leagues. Now, he's someone I believe is a viable target in 12-team mixed leagues if you need a pitcher. And with how many notable arms are already on the IL, I'm sure many of you could use an arm or two.

Liberatore got the nod for the Cardinals on Opening Day and tossed five innings of one-run ball with two strikeouts. This comes after a highly impressive spring training, where he finished with a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and a 19/2 K/BB ratio in 15 innings.

The real X-Factor here with Liberatore is how many strikeouts he will provide. In 2025, Liberatore's 18.8% strikeout rate and 122 strikeouts in 151.2 innings didn't stand out in the slightest, but he showed that he can miss bats consistently with both his slider and curveball. So there's some hope that the strikeout rate can tick up this season.

- Eric Cross

Mick Abel, SP, Minnesota Twins 

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel should be on fantasy radars this early in the season. Even though Abel won't officially make his season debut until Monday, his strong spring should be why fantasy managers at least take a chance on him heading into Week 2. He finished with a 2.05 ERA and 27 strikeouts across six Spring Training appearances.

Mick Abel strikes out the side!! pic.twitter.com/7Zbt76jqCb

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 18, 2025

He has also shown that potential in the big leagues before. In his first career start last year with the Philadelphia Philies, he threw six shutout innings with nine strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a two-start week upcoming for Abel, he's worth grabbing in some 12-plus team leagues. The Twins pitcher had an impressive 32.9% strikeout rate and a 36.4% chase rate this spring.

- Joey Pollizee

Edwin Uceta, RP, Tampa Bay Rays

When Edwin Uceta (shoulder) reported to spring training, he notified the team of discomfort in his shoulder. Team doctors diagnosed him with a minor impingement, though they were unconcerned about the extent of the injury and treated him with a cortisone injection and rest. The injury forced Uceta to opt out of participating in the World Baseball Classic, but by mid-March, he was back to throwing bullpen sessions.

Edwin Uceta should be a target to stash for all those teams that forwent reaching for closers during their drafts. With Pete Fairbanks having departed for Miami via free agency, the closer role in Tampa is up for grabs. The job won’t be Uceta’s outright, but he will be in the mix for saves along with Griffin Jax and Garrett Cleavinger.

Uceta will be a valuable addition even without a guaranteed spot in the ninth inning. He should be a reliable source for holds for leagues that use that statistic in their scoring. Uceta’s 33.3% strikeout rate (and a 26.0 K-BB%!) in his two years since joining the Rays and frequent use out of the pen make him a solid strikeout contributor without putting ratios at risk. Uceta will need just a couple more weeks to build up after missing most of spring training.

- Dan Stephens

Cody Ponce, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

New Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce has had a couple of interesting years. He last pitched in the Major Leagues back in 2021 and spent the last four years playing overseas in Japan. In his last full season in Japan, Ponce finished with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts across 180 2/3 innings pitched. Those numbers helped him win the equivalent of the KBO's Cy Young award.

Therefore, Ponce is worth grabbing before his first start of the year. He had a 0.66 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his 13 2/3 innings of work this spring and has the potential to be a consistent fantasy option in 2026. The right-hander is also set to make two starts next week, giving fantasy managers even more incentive to pick him up.

- Joey Pollizee

Logan Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers

Even with Quinn Priester (wrist) having a delayed start to the regular season, Logan Henderson was unable to crack the Opening Day roster, making him a prime stash candidate. Instead, the Brewers turned to newly-acquired right-hander Brandon Sproat to take the final spot in the Opening Day rotation.

Even though Henderson's stock may have dropped slightly in the short-term, he will be a strong fantasy asset once he runs to Milwaukee. Unlike many pitchers on this list, Henderson has already made his MLB debut and was quite effective in the big leagues.

The former 116th overall pick made five starts with the Brewers last summer and posted an elite 1.78 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP across 25 1/3 innings. During this brief taste, Henderson struck out 33 hitters (33.1% K%) while holding an above average 8.1% BB%. He generated a low 32.3% hard-hit rate with a 32.6% chase% and a 27.6% whiff rate, suggesting his strikeout totals could be sustainable over a longer period.

Logan Henderson’s first major league strikeout 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bcMTIlyw5N

— Milb Central (@milb_central) April 20, 2025

At Triple-A last season, Henderson logged 77 2/3 innings with a 3.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and an 87:24 K:BB. This was a nice improvement over the 4.56 ERA he posted over his first taste of Triple-A (23 2/3 innings) back in 2024.

In addition to Priester's injury, Henderson could be given an early look in 2026 as Brandon Woodruff has dealt with several injuries and was even slow-played during camp. Additionally, neither Kyle Harrison nor Sproat has the longest track record of success in the big leagues and could open a path for Henderson if either struggles.

The right-hander is a top stash option in all 12-team leagues ahead of Week 2.

- Andy Smith

Jordan Romano, RP, Los Angeles Angels

I'm sure some of you reading this either botched approaching saves in your drafts, or at least came away feeling like you could use a bit more. Well, if you're looking for a short-term option to open the season, Jordan Romano is a decent target while Kirby Yates (knee) and Robert Stephenson (elbow) are out of action.

Stephenson will be out for a couple of months, but Yates might be back in a few weeks, depending on how his knee inflammation progresses.

Romano is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons, but he got the save on Opening Day and is the arm with the most closing experience in this bullpen. Is Romano going to be a guy you roster the entire season? Probably not. But can he pick up a handful of saves for you until Yates returns? Sure.

- Eric Cross

Ryne Stanek, RP, St. Louis Cardinals 

The closer job for the St. Louis Cardinals was up for grabs entering the 2026 campaign. No one really knew who would earn that closer role. Well, veteran pitcher Ryne Stanek got the first save opportunity of the season on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. Stanek threw one scoreless inning with three walks and one strikeout to earn the save.

If you are in need of some saves, Stanek is a potential add in some leagues. He seems to be the early favorite to earn saves out of St. Louis' bullpen. However, this closer situation could change at any time. So, be wary of that before spending a lot of FAAB on the veteran right-hander. Both Riley O'Brien and JoJo Romero could see save opportunities as well.

- Joey Pollizze

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