RotoBaller Staff Roundtable - Waiver Wire Pickups: Fantasy Baseball Week 16

July 11, 2026

RotoBaller staff's fantasy baseball Week 16 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire hitter, pitcher, and closer targets from Mike, Eric, Andy, and Marty.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to another staff roundtable ahead of Week 16 of the fantasy season. With the All-Star break just a day away, fantasy managers will have a great opportunity to assess their rosters ahead of the stretch run.

This week, we will continue to spotlight top waiver-wire suggestions from members of our fantasy baseball staff, including Eric Cross, Andy Smith, Mike Carter, and Marty Tallman.

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

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Cole Carrigg, OF, Colorado Rockies

Someone is going to need to provide me with an explanation of why Cole Carrigg is rostered in only 34% of Yahoo leagues. Are the other 66% of you sleeping on the job? Well, hopefully this article can help boost that roster rate a little bit.

In his first month with the Rockies, Carrigg has slashed .293/.370/.554 with four home runs, two steals, 21 RBI, and 23 runs scored. Yes, I thought he'd provide more steals so far given his 90th percentile sprint speed and the aggressiveness he's shown on the basepaths throughout his minor league career, but I'm sure the steals will tick up moving forward.

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE COLE CARRIGG NOW? pic.twitter.com/4ZHjCpi8Og

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 16, 2026

Outside of the speed department, Carrigg has posted a solid 82.6% zone contact rate, 73.7% overall contact rate, and an 11% walk rate, while keeping the strikeout rate in check at 20.2%.

Sure, his 39.4% chase rate is higher than I'd like to see, but Carrigg has the contact skills to make it work. While Carrigg's AVG EV and hard-hit rate are below league average, he's able to get the most of his power thanks to a 63.5% air rate, 47.3% pull rate, and 25.7% pull-air rate. Playing half of your games in Coors Field doesn't hurt either.

With his ability to provide decent numbers across the board, Carrigg is a player who should be rostered in many more leagues than he currently is. If he's still available in your league, I'd highly recommend you hustle your tuckus over to the waiver wire and slam that add button.

- Eric Cross

Curtis Mead, 1B/2B/3B, Washington Nationals

While James Wood, CJ Abrams, and recently Luis Garcia Jr. have stolen much of the headlines in Washington this season, infielder Curtis Mead is quietly putting together a career season and has been a reliable fantasy asset. Through his first 77 games of the season (which have just 13 of the career-high he set last summer), the infielder has posted a .240/.336/.480 line with a strong .816 OPS.

During this stretch, Mead has hit 13 doubles, launched 15 long balls and even chipped in five stolen bases. However, what has put him on the waiver-wire watch list is his recent surge. Over the last 24 contests, Mead has raised his SLG to .500 and hit six long balls, with an .813 OPS.

By looking more closely at his underlying metrics, managers can spot the path to a post-hype breakout. So far, the 25-year-old sits well above average in several hitting metrics, suggesting his recent production is sustainable over the back half of the season.

According to Statcast, Mead has generated a .361 xwOBA (83rd percentile) with a .263 xwBA, which sits 23 points above his fac-value .240 AVG. Additionally, Mead has posted a .468 xSLG (81st percentile) and a high 11.3% barrel rate, which suggests his power tool should remain stable.

However, the most impressive aspect of his game is his optimized swing. Mead has generated an elite 23.0% Pull AIR%, which is set to be a career-best mark by a wide margin. Paired with his above-average barrel rate and low whiff tendencies (17.1%), Mead has the profile to push for a 25+ HR season while holding a high-end batting average.

Those needing assistance in any of the three infield positions should not hesitate to pick up Mead ahead of the All-Star break. He should also continue to provide solid counting stats (14 RBI, 11 runs over his last 24 games), while batting in the heart of the Nationals lineup.

- Andy Smith

A.J. Ewing, OF, New York Mets

I'm surprised that a rookie who is on pace for 21 home runs and 27 stolen bases over a full season is still available in 70% of Yahoo leagues, but that's exactly the case here with A.J. Ewing. In his first 54 games with the New York Mets, Ewing has racked up eight doubles, seven home runs, and nine steals with a .277/.356/.446 slash line.

First career leadoff homer for Ewing! 😤 pic.twitter.com/rMaw14YK4L

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 8, 2026

Ewing has settled in as the Mets' regular leadoff hitter against right-handed pitchers, which is a great spot to be with Juan Soto, Bo Bichette, and Francisco Lindor hitting directly behind him.

Given Ewing's blend of contact, approach, and speed, his slotting at the top of the order already makes a lot of sense. On top of having a 95th percentile sprint speed, Ewing is currently running an 85.1% zone contact rate, 76.8% overall contact rate, 10.5% walk rate, and a 43.3% hard-hit rate.

Ewing can do a bit of everything, providing solid contributions in all five standard fantasy categories. If you play on Yahoo, he has second base eligibility there as well, which is a nice added bonus.

- Eric Cross

Luis Lara, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers shook up the prospect world by promoting No. 67-ranked prospect (per MLB.com), Luis Lara, to the big leagues. Lara was one of the prospects at the Triple-A level and was viewed as a primary starter target ahead of his promotion.

Earlier this season at Nashville, Lara looked quite comfortable, posting a .321/.432/.470 line with a stellar .902 OPS. He went deep nine times, added 10 doubles, and even swiped an impressive 24 bags. However, what makes his Triple-A play even more impressive was his surge in power.

Back in 2025, Lara hit just two home runs over 136 games at Double-A. Seeing him not only showcase high-power upside but also get his first taste of Triple-A pitching made him a worthy stash candidate.

Lara has wasted little time in his first taste of the majors, going 2-for-8 with two RBI and a 1:1 K:BB.

While playing time may not be guaranteed, given that he shares the field with Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Jackson Chourio, he should see enough at-bats to be valuable in 12+ team category leagues.

Those looking for an outfielder with high-end speed upside and the potential to chip in a few home runs should target Lara.

- Andy Smith

Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Although he has cooled off at the plate recently, his overall performance still warrants a promotion to the majors.

As of July 8th, Baez is slashing .259/.328/.597 with 28 home runs and 14 stolen bases, good for a 127 wRC+ across 351 Triple-A plate appearances.

Simply put, if I could stash only one hitting prospect right now, Baez would be my choice. The biggest thing standing in the way of his promotion is a crowded St. Louis outfield.

The Cardinals’ current corner outfielders, Jordan Walker (142 wRC+), Lars Nootbaar (117 wRC+), and Nelson Velazquez (146 wRC+), have all performed well this season, making it difficult for him to be called up.

However, the designated hitter spot has been less consistent. Bryan Torres has struggled recently, striking out in 40% of his last 15 plate appearances while posting a 71 wRC+.

While Velazquez brings a different skill set as a left-handed hitter and Baez bats from the right side, Baez has shown he can handle both left-handed and right-handed pitching. Here is a breakdown of his Triple-A splits so far this season.

On the field, the concern with Baez is obvious: the strikeouts. He is currently striking out close to 30% of the time while posting a 36.21% chase rate and a 74.88% zone-contact rate.

With that said, when Baez does make contact, the results are loud. He owns an absurd 20.6% barrel rate and a .529 expected slugging percentage (xSLG).

Overall, the 23-year-old has checked every box to earn a promotion to the majors. He should debut by early August, and once he does, his combination of power and speed will make him a must-add in all fantasy formats.

- Marty Tallman

Kyle Karros, 3B, Colorado Rockies

After not doing much at the plate in April and May, Kyle Karros found his footing in June, slashing .357/.444/.586 with 11 extra-base hits in 81 plate appearances.

He's carried that momentum over into July as well, smacking three home runs, two doubles, and a triple in his first 39 plate appearances, along with six walks and a .281/.410/.688 slash line. When you pop the hood on Karros' profile, there are a lot of solid metrics, a few great metrics, and only one notable red flag.

Karros has posted above-average quality of contact metrics with an 8.5% barrel rate, 89.7 mph AVG EV, and a 44.3% hard-hit rate, all of which he maximizes with an above-average air and pull rate. In fact, Karros' 41.3% Sweet Spot rate ranks in the 96th percentile. On top of that, Karros has been better than league average in zone contact rate (87.3%), overall contact rate (75.3%), chase rate (24.5%), walk rate (12.9%), and strikeout rate (21.3%).

However, the one area of concern I have with Karros is his 41.2% whiff rate on breaking balls and 40.6% whiff rate on offspeed pitches. He's been mashing fastballs, though, to the tune of a .307 AVG and .527 SLG.

- Eric Cross

Jake Mangum, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Jake Mangum has the need, the need for speed. If you're looking for a boost in the stolen base department, you found your guy. Mangum is one of 17 players to have at least 18 steals this season, and he's the only one of that group to also be hitting over .300.

But you have to know what to expect and not expect with Mangum. What you can expect is a good batting average, plenty of steals, and a decent amount of runs scored. What you shouldn't expect is any notable contribution in the power department.

Mangum is one of the worst power hitters in the league and ranks near the bottom of all quality of contact metrics. But outside of power, Mangum has an 82.5% zone contact rate, a 79.7% overall contact rate, and a 94th-percentile sprint speed.

I'm a bit worried that his ridiculous 47.9% chase rate is going to bite him in the rear end at some point, but Mangum is still worth targeting for his contributions in the AVG, R, and SB departments. That's pretty intriguing for someone available in over 90% of Yahoo leagues.

- Eric Cross

Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Christian Scott, SP, New York Mets

While the Mets have fallen well short of preseason expectations, the former top prospect has looked quite commendable on the mound since returning from injury.

The former Florida Gator made his MLB debut in 2024 but was sidelined after undergoing an internal brace procedure for all of 2025. Through 54 innings in 2026, Scott has posted a strong 3.17 ERA with a modest 1.30 WHIP. While his high 11.2% walk rate has inflated his WHIP, he has remained a solid source of strikeouts, as evidenced by his elite 27.9% K%.

Over the first 36 innings of the season, Scott posted a 2.50 ERA with a 41:18 K:BB. Following a brief three-game skid (13 innings) where he posted a 6.23 ERA, he has since rebounded and is coming off a five-inning shutout (three hits allowed) against the Royals on Wednesday evening.

When looking under the hood at his profile, Scott's strikeout upside remains the most intriguing aspect. His No. 2 pitch, his sweeper, has been borderline elite, generating a high 34.9% whiff rate with a low .257 xwOBA. His four-seamer has posted a solid 26.1% whiff rate but allowed a modest .363 xwOBA.

Managers should expect his ERA to take a step back, as evidenced by his 30th-percentile xERA, but his strikeout upside should remain evident. Those in need of strikeouts should view Scott as a primary target.

Christian Scott joins @martinonyc following his strong outing last night. Listen to the new Mets Clubhouse Pass, presented by @PCRichardandSon.

🍎👉 https://t.co/fVioNKia6a
🟢👉 https://t.co/HQpcDiO9u4 pic.twitter.com/uzBqQmEVvZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 9, 2026

- Andy Smith

Jared Jones, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

If you want Jared Jones on your fantasy team(s), I'd act quickly after his last outing. In his outing on Wednesday against a good Atlanta offense, Jones tossed six perfect innings with eight strikeouts.

This was Jones' longest outing of the season, and he's now combined to allow just two hits, one earned run, and two walks over his last two starts (10 innings) with 14 strikeouts. These weren't easy lineups to face either, with Jones' previous start coming against the Philadelphia Phillies.

18 up, 18 down

Jared Jones is perfect two times through the order 👀 pic.twitter.com/Grgeay2Kcp

— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2026

Jones was very fastball and slider heavy in his outing against the Braves, throwing his 4-seamer 71% of the time and his slider 27% of the time, while only mixing in one changeup.

This hasn't been the case all season, though, as Jones has gone to his changeup 15.6% of the time and his curveball 10.1% of the time overall. All four of Jones' offerings have a whiff rate north of 26%, with all three of his secondary offerings being above 34%. On top of that, Jones' 4-seamer is currently averaging 98.6 mph.

Remember all the hype with Jones back in 2024 before he got hurt? Well, after shaking off the rust, Jones is starting to look like that guy once again. You're not going to find this much upside sitting on your league's waiver wire very often.

- Eric Cross

Jackson Jobe, SP, Detroit Tigers

While you will need to keep him on your injured reserve for at least another month, he could be a difference-maker down the stretch.

Top-ranked prospect Jackson Jobe made his MLB debut in 2024 (logged only 4 innings), but he enjoyed his first "true" stint in the majors in 2025. He tossed 49 innings with a 4.22 ERA but was eventually shut down due to a flexor strain and underwent Tommy John surgery. The right-hander then missed nearly the entire 2025 season and the entire first half of 2026.

However, the former No. 3 overall pick began rehabbing in Low-A on July 7 and immediately turned heads. In this brief 1 1/3-inning outing, the right-hander touched 100.0 mph with his fastball and struck out one hitter. While the road ahead will be long, seeing him already reach his peak velocity is an excellent sign.

Back in 2024 (before he reached the majors), Jobe was flashing elite upside in the Detroit system. He logged 91 2/3 innings in the system (spent primarily at Double-A), posting a 2.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 96:45 K:BB. The prior season, Jobe struck out 84 hitters over 64 MilB frames while posting a 2.81 ERA.

While he is not a worthy pickup for those in shallower leagues for now, managers in deeper 12+ team leagues looking for a high-upside injured-reserve stash should look no further than the game's former top pitching prospect. If the Tigers were to sell some of their pitchers before the deadline, Jobe could face minimal competition for innings in mid-August.

Jackson Jobe is back! https://t.co/j6TOHPLOyd

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 9, 2026

-Andy Smith

Quinn Mathews, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

After a stellar debut season back in 2024, the southpaw from Stanford appeared to be the next budding ace in the minor leagues. However, following an injury-riddled 2025 season, the left-hander fell substantially in prospect rankings ahead of the 2026 season.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old saw his 2026 season start similarly to his 2025 season, posting a modest 5.55 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP over his first 35 2/3 innings. During this stretch, the former 122nd overall pick struck out 44 hitters but also served up a high 30 free passes.

However, since that cold start, Mathews has slowly been working his way back into form and looks far more like his 2024 self than his 2025 self. Since May 28 (his last 36 1/3 innings), the southpaw has posted a much-improved 2.23 ERA and a sharp 0.91 WHIP.

During this noted stretch, Mathews has maintained his strikeout upside, totaling 46 strikeouts. More importantly, he has improved his command. While he has still served up 4.0 BB/9 (16 total), it is a noteworthy improvement over the 7.6 BB/9 he posted at the start of the season.

Additionally, since the start of June, Mathews has continued to increase his workload, which is a great sign and suggests he could be fully approaching his MLB debut. Since June 1, Mathews has logged at least six innings of work in three outings (out of six) and has reached at least five innings in all but one.

Remember, this is a pitcher who began his professional career in 2024 at Low-A and finished the season at Triple-A Memphis. During this season, he logged a high 143 1/3 innings with a 202:49 K:BB and a 2.76 ERA.

The upside was never in question. Seeing him continue to build up his workload and improve his command is exactly what managers should be looking for. A promotion shortly after the All-Star break should be considered.

Quinn Mathews is your Triple-A pitcher of the month and Mason Molina is your Double-A pitcher of the month for the Cardinals' farm system. Check out the latest episode of Birds on the Farm for the full list!

Watch here: https://t.co/5PNyneVCVB pic.twitter.com/bJrss8t7Iv

— Birds on the Farm (@birdsonthefarm) July 8, 2026

- Andy Smith

Grant Taylor, RP, Chicago White Sox

The White Sox bullpen is truly confounding as we look at manager Will Venable's usage pattern. What seems clear is that the team is currently using their arm, Taylor, only once or twice a week. If the Sox are to stay in contention in a weak AL Central, they will need to improve the work of their bullpen.

Taylor earned a save last Saturday and then did not pitch again until Thursday. He has four wins, three saves, a 2.89 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 33.9% K%. Yet he is barely rostered in most leagues due to the uncertainty of his role. That role should expand in the second half of the season.

Check out Taylor's insane 97th-percentile strikeout percentage below.

- Mike Carter

Jacob Webb, RP, Chicago Cubs

With Daniel Palencia on the shelf once again, the Cubs have turned to Jacob Webb to lead a committee alongside Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar.

While Webb will not be the de facto closer during Palencia's absence, he should continue to see the bulk of their save opportunities. Since Palencia's last appearance (on June 15), Webb has logged nine innings with a 4.00 ERA, 11:5 K:BB, and has picked up two wins and converted three of his four save opportunities.

However, since blowing that lone save on June 20, Webb has logged 7 1/3 straight scoreless frames while going 2-for-2 on saves, earning those victories, and adding a hold.

Currently, the 32-year-old boasts an elite 27.5% K% rate, well supported by his underlying 32.3% whiff rate, which places him in the 92nd percentile among all qualified pitchers.

Even though his command could be shaky at times (8.8% BB%), managers needing saves should target Webb with confidence as he remains the primary ninth-inning option on one of the better teams in the National League.

- Andy Smith

Jordan Romano, RP, Colorado Rockies

The numbers are not pretty, but Romano is back in the closer conversation in Colorado. He has converted two chances over the last five days and has as good a shot as anyone on the Colorado committee to get the next one.

I know you are probably going to stop reading here, and I get it. The stat line below is a touch schizophrenic. But with no one else really fitting this closer profile in Colorado, why not Romano? Would you prefer Antonio Senzatela? Jimmy Herget? I think Romano gets run here.

- Mike Carter

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