7 Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11 Fantasy Baseball (2026)

June 6, 2026

Andy breaks down his must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 11 of the 2026 MLB season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.

Hello RotoBallers! Welcome back to another edition of our 7 Must-Adds ahead of Week 11 of the fantasy baseball season. As we approach the halfway point of the season, it is more important than ever to pay close attention to the waiver wire, as there are many potential breakout candidates who are still widely available and could provide you with the spark you need to win your league.

This week, we will spotlight a recently promoted prospect in Cincinnati, a surging power bat in Texas, and several young starting pitchers who have begun to find success in the majors, including one from the Los Angeles Angels.

So, let's look at the best waiver wire targets this weekend.

2026 Fantasy Baseball Week 11 Waiver Wire Adds

Joc Pederson, UTL, Texas Rangers

10% rostered

The first hitter we will spotlight has quietly put together a dominant showing this past month. I did a deeper dive on Joc Pederson in my five bargain hitters piece earlier this week, but his current production has put him firmly in the "must-add" status.

During the 2025 season, Pederson was a major disappointment in fantasy, posting a rough .181/.285/.328 slash line with a modest .613 OPS. During this campaign (96 games), the slugger went deep just nine times with a low 28.4% LA Sweet-Spot%. Given his lack of lackluster showing, Pederson was not even guaranteed an everyday spot in the Texas lineup heading into 2026.

While his sluggish play lingered into April, he has carried a .225/.341/.324 line over his first 29 contests, the slugger has begun to rekindle his 2024 form, which has put him back on the fantasy radar. Over his last 29 games, the 34-year-old has held a .274/.382/.583 slash line with six doubles, six home runs, and an elite 18:15 K:BB.

While this may seem like an outlier given his play for nearly an entire calendar year, Pederson has taken major strides this season, which suggests he can maintain this pace.

Currently, the slugger boasts a .352 xwOBA with a strong 91.6 mph average exit velocity, 47.1% hard-hit rate, and a 35.3% LA Sweet-Spot%, all of which are above the average marks. Even while raising his power metrics, Pederson has drawn walks at a 14.4% rate (91st percentile) and struck out at a low 20.7% rate, both of which are improvements from his 2025 marks.

The other note to monitor on his profile is his high-end 22.7% Pull AIR%, which has allowed him to tap into his raw power despite playing in a pitcher-friendly home park.

The recent bump to the leadoff spot is going to keep his counting stats high for standard leagues, and his elite walk rate keeps his floor high in points leagues. Those needing power should target Pederson with confidence.

HOME RUN — Joc Pederson (#Rangers) (HR #8 this season)
Off: Lucas Erceg (#Royals)
Inning: Bot 9
Score: Kansas City Royals 6, Texas Rangers 5
108.0 mph EV | 367 ft | 19.0° LA
Pederson’s 8th homer this season, 108 mph off Erceg, puts us on board. pic.twitter.com/mbDu09G6Hg

— Daniel Mael (@DanielMael) May 31, 2026

Edwin Arroyo, SS, Cincinnati Reds

20% rostered

The major prospect call-up of the week was Cincinnati Reds infielder Edwin Arroyo. In the corresponding move, the Reds placed superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz on the 10-day IL, which not only opened a spot on the roster for Arroyo but also a clear path to at-bats. Since his debut this week, Arroyo has appeared in three games (two starts) and has seen time at both the keystone and shortstop.

In this limited taste, Arroyo has gone 1-for-8 with six strikeouts and one run. While he has yet to contribute much, managers should not wait to pick him up this weekend.

Earlier in the season at Triple-A, Arroyo was showcasing five-category appeal, posting a .323/.383/.562 line with nine doubles, 11 home runs, and nine stolen bases over a 53-game stint. Even though his long-term security on the MLB roster is not overly clear, if Arroyo can make the most of his first stint, the Reds will have a hard time sending him down.

Arroyo is one of the few prospects who can immediately contribute across all standard categories, which makes him a priority target.

Edwin Arroyo INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN 🏎️

The @Reds’ No. 3 prospect races around the bases for his 11th homer of the year for the Triple-A @LouisvilleBats: pic.twitter.com/sOW5wR1E95

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 30, 2026

Gage Jump, SP, Athletics

15% rostered

The other recently promoted prospect was Gage Jump of the Athletic. While Jump did not have as much prospect pedigree as Arroyo, he is coming off the best outing of his young career and should see his roster share rise this weekend.

In his season debut, the southpaw stumbled, tossing five innings of nine hits of four-run ball with a 5:1 K:BB. However, on Monday evening, Jump looked far more comfortable, shutting down the slumping Cubs.

In this outing, the southpaw logged seven innings of one-run ball with only three hits and a similar 5:1 K:BB. Even though Jump does not have much experience in the upper minors, he has flashed elite strikeout upside, which makes him a worthy pick-up.

Jump began the 2026 season at Triple-A (his first taste of the level) and struck out an eye-catching 56 hitters over 38 innings while carrying a modest 4.47 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. During this stint, the 23-year-old served up a high 20 free passes.

While his command has been an issue during his MiLB career, his strikeout upside and clear path to remain in the rotation make him worth pursuing in all leagues.

Gage Jump, Vicious 87mph Sweeper. 😤

1st MLB K pic.twitter.com/LnvKq6NBqK

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 27, 2026

Troy Melton, SP, Detroit Tigers

25% rostered

The Tigers' right-hander had a delayed start to the season due to an elbow injury. However, despite missing the first month of this season, the second-year pitcher has been near-perfect since returning to the bump.

Over his first three outings in the campaign, Melton has logged 20 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.74 ERA and a stellar 0.87 WHIP. During this three-start stretch, Melton has struck out just nine hitters but has limited base runners, walking only six batters. While it is unlikely for Melton to maintain this pace, his hot start has made him a worthy pick-up.

So far, Melton has posted a modest 4.45 xERA but has limited hard contact, posting a weak 4.7% barrel rate. The right-hander leans heavily on his four-seamer (42.0% usage) and his slider (26.0%), and while both have overperformed their underlying marks, they should still remain stable.

His slider (his No. 2 pitch) has generated a strong .211 SLG on the surface but holds a similar .302 xSLG under the hood. A pitch to monitor in his repertoire is his cutter, which is currently his No. 3 option.

So far, this fastball has generated an elite .239 xwOBA. While his four-seamer has carried a rough .381 xwOBA, his slider and cutter have helped offset this damage.

While some regression is expected, Melton is keeping runners off the basepaths (7.6% walk rate), which should help maintain this trajectory. His pitch-to-contact profile found success over his limited stint in his debut season in 2025 (45 2/3 IP with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP), and he should enjoy similar results in 2026.

He is not a top option for strikeouts, but should be a useful ratio stabilizer in all standard 12-team leagues.

Walbert Urena, SP, Los Angeles Angels

30% rostered

Another young starting pitcher to know ahead of Week 11 is Walbert Urena of the Angels. Urena made his MLB debut earlier this season and has been quite effective in his limited stint. Through his first 50 1/3 innings with the Angels, Urena has posted a 2.68 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. During this stretch, Urena has shown far more strikeout upside than Melton, totaling 48.

Urena relies on a primary three-pitch mix of his changeup, sinker, and four-seamer, which accounts for 85.8% of his usage. His No. 1 option, his changeup, has generated an elite .223 wOBA and could maintain this pace, given the underlying .214 xwOBA. This pitch has also been a driving force for his strikeout totals, posting an eye-catching 36.9% whiff rate.

While his sinker has struggled holding a .436 wOBA (.383 xwOBA), his four-seamer has carried a .253 wOBA with a strong 23.6% whiff rate.

Overall, the 22-year-old holds a 73rd percentile 3.29 xERA and an elite .204 xBA, which places him in the 85th percentile among qualified pitchers. Urena has developed a reliable pitch mix and should continue to see his strikeout totals rise as his 28.6% whiff rate puts him in the 74th percentile among pitchers.

Walbert Urena (@Angels) dials it up to 99 mph for his 1st Major League strikeout 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nNaOkES74H

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 26, 2026

Alex Lange, RP, Kansas City Royals

1% rostered

The Kansas City Royals' bullpen is worth closely monitoring for those managers needing saves. With Carlos Estevez on the injured list, Lucas Erceg slid into the closer job and enjoyed early success in this role. However, Erceg has recently begun to see his success come to an end, opening the door for Alex Lange and Daniel Lynch IV to carve out their own opportunities.

In his last six outings, Erceg served up 11 runs (10 earned) while tallying just one save with four blown saves.

On Wednesday, the changing of the guard began as the Royals turned to Alex Lange. In his first save opportunity, Lange tossed one frame with one hit, one walk, and tallied two strikeouts. Although he ran into some trouble, Lange secured the victory and earned his first save. On Thursday, Lange's role became even clearer as the Royals turned to him for his second save in as many days.

Facing the Twins, Lange once again allowed two baserunners (one hit and one walk) but escaped the jam to lock down the save.

While fantasy managers should continue to monitor Lynch's usage as he has enjoyed far more success this season (1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 25 1/3 innings) in comparison to Lange's overall 4.18 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, the Royals seem to view Lynch as a setup option while Lange is in the lead to take the closer role.

Estevez could return to this role later in the season, but given his early-season struggles, Lange could remain a reliable source of saves if he maintains this trajectory.

Yoendrys Gomez, RP, Minnesota Twins

10% rostered

The other emerging closer to consider picking up is Yoendrys Gomez of the Minnesota Twins. While the Twins opted to deploy a bullpen-by-committee early in the season, Gomez has since emerged as the preferred option in the final inning.

Since May 10 (his last 12 2/3 innings of work), Gomez has posted a near-perfect 0.71 ERA with a 0.87 WIHP. During this impressive stretch, the Twins have turned to Gomez for three saves (and he has converted on all of them) and added five holds. Additionally, Gomez has racked up an impressive 18 punchouts during this stretch and has walked five hitters.

Earlier in the season, Gomez posted a much higher 6.00 ERA with a 1.61 WHIP over his first 18 frames of the campaign.

While the 26-year-old does not boast the most impressive metrics under the hood, he has enjoyed more success recently, compared to other potential high-leverage options in the bullpen.

Per Baseball Savant, managers should expect some regression to begin to kick in as he currently holds a 5.09 xERA, but much of that mark is inflated by his early-season production. When looking at his advanced marks in May, Gomez has seen his xwOBAs for his four-seamer, sweeper, and sinker all drop (relative to April), which is worth noting, especially for relief pitchers, given their small sample sizes.

Managers falling behind in saves and looking to find a reliable option to stay afloat should look to pick up Gomez this weekend. He may not have the most stable path to saves, pitching on a rebuilding Twins team, but when they are in a save situation, Gomez is emerging as the preferred option.

Other Waiver Wire Targets

• Colt Emerson, SEA
• Ryan Waldschmidt, ARI
• Jacob Latz, TEX
• Curtis Mead, WAS
• Spencer Horwitz, PIT
• Christian Scott, NYM
• Zack Gelof, ATH
• Rico Garcia, BAL
• Anthony Volpe, NYY

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