Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups: Mid-Week Fantasy Baseball Adds for Week 17

July 22, 2026

Dan analyzes six must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, mid-week adds for Week 17 of the 2026 MLB season. Grab these players ASAP off the waiver wire.

Hello again, RotoBallers. It is time for a new mid-week edition of Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups to close Week 17 of the fantasy baseball season on a strong note. Hopefully this group will give you some help in the week ahead, also.

The batters in this week’s group will cover you no matter what position you might need help filling out. One player, just on his own, is eligible at every position but catcher! Among the pitchers are a pair of young starters on the Mets and a rising star in the Angels’ bullpen.

As July winds down, the race for a fantasy baseball championship begins to heat up. The moves made now could have a ripple effect that gives you the bump you need to win. Get started by reading my favorite Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17 below.

2026 Fantasy Baseball: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers
39% Rostered

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (calf) is quietly finding his way back to fantasy relevance. After bursting on the scene in 2023 with a strong rookie campaign that featured 23 home runs, 70 RBI, and 73 runs scored, the expectation was set for Jung to be the next young star at the hot corner. Injuries cut his sophomore season short at 46 games and affected his production in 2025.

Jung seems to have found his footing again, and a new approach at the plate places him fourth in the American League in batting average. Through his career to this point, Jung had been pretty liberal in his swing decisions. Before 2026, Jung’s career O-swing% was 34.4%, contributing to a 13.0% SwStr% and 27.9% strikeout rate. Improved discipline has reduced his chase rate to 28.8% and raised his overall contact rate to 82.8% (compared to 74.4% for his career).

Consequently, his associated SwStr% and strikeout rate are at career lows (8.0% and 18.0%, respectively). Jung also seems to have improved his timing at the plate by slowing his bat down. In years past, he was especially susceptible to swinging early on breaking and offspeed pitches. In 2026, he is centered and making contact on time on those pitches more frequently, and his xBA has improved by 40 to 50 points as a result.

Jung’s counting stats are lagging, but he can help a team improve their overall batting average. His home run potential is slightly diminished as a result, but he should bring in steady run and RBI production hitting in the top half of the lineup. Jung finishes Week 17 with a series against the Mariners that will extend into next week, followed by sets against the Rays and Astros, giving him a full seven-day schedule in Week 18.

Jung left Tuesday's game due to calf tightness. Early reports are that it was a precautionary move, and Jung himself said in postgame comments that he feels like he expects to be ready for the Rangers' series finale against the White Sox on Wednesday.

Willi Castro, 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, Colorado Rockies
29% Rostered

If your team is dealing with injuries at multiple positions, Willi Castro is here to help. The 29-year-old utility man is eligible at every position save catcher, making him a one-man insurance policy to fill the gaps in your roster when you wake up and see new “DTD” designations.

After a solid June when he hit .292 with four home runs, 14 runs, and 14 RBI, Castro had a bit of a cooling-off period at the start of July. He has started the second half on the right foot, though. In five games since the All-Star break, Castro is 6-for-20 with two home runs, two doubles, and six RBI.

Even though Colorado’s homestand is winding down, there is reason to put trust in Castro heading into the Rockies’ weekend set in Milwaukee. For one, Castro has found American Family Field an inviting venue (8-for-22 in seven career games). For two, as someone whose splits favor matchups against lefties, Castro will benefit from seeing two in Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser.

Castro does not have a lot of long-term appeal for me, but I will be picking him up to take advantage of his roster flexibility while he is heating up. His prospects in Week 18 are limited because of a weird, two-game series in San Diego. Even if Castro doesn’t fit your roster at this time, keep tabs on him. Down the calendar in August and early September are two separate, full weeks where the Rockies will play at home.

Christian Scott, SP, New York Mets
26% Rostered

The first starter from the Mets we will be discussing is a young(ish) arm but a familiar face. Christian Scott made his MLB debut in 2024 to wide acclaim after putting up big strikeout numbers in the Mets’ farm system. Scott made nine starts in two different stints with his parent club before a sprained UCL and subsequent Tommy John surgery ended his season and prevented him from participating in 2025.

Scott started 2026 in the minors but was brought back up for his first major league start in nearly 21 months on April 23. Things did not go well (but could have been much worse!). Scott walked five, hit one batter, and committed a balk before being pulled after facing 10 batters (but also allowed zero hits and just one run!). Scott was sent back to Triple-A the next day only to be recalled shortly thereafter and has been in the Mets’ rotation since.

In 2026, Scott is shaping up to be a post-hype sleeper type. In 13 starts, he has three wins, a 2.87 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts in 59.2 IP. If we drop that wonky first start, his WHIP improves to 1.17, and his season-long walk rate drops almost two full points to 8.6%. Scott is at long last living up to the reputation earned in his minor league career, and is mowing through batters with a 28.5% strikeout rate.

If you are in a league that allows same-day transactions, it might not be too late for you to grab Scott for his Wednesday start against the Brewers. Otherwise, he is worth grabbing in anticipation of Week 18, which could end up being a two-start week. Scott’s next projected start should come early next week against the Braves, followed by a potential start against the Marlins next weekend.

New York Mets' starting pitcher Christian Scott threw his 2nd straight scoreless outing on Thursday against the Phillies. Scott had a 15.2% swinging-strike rate and a 29% ball rate on Thursday.

🆙Scott's velocity was up 1 mph or more via the sweeper (+1 mph), cutter (+1.8 mph),… pic.twitter.com/2nT9PjxS7V

— Corbin (@corbin_young21) July 17, 2026

Zac Thornton, SP, New York Mets
23% Rostered

The second Mets starter is a fresher face indeed. Zac Thornton made his MLB debut in an inauspicious spot start on May 20 against the Nationals. In that appearance, the 24-year-old southpaw gave up four hits, two walks, and four earned runs before being lifted in the fifth inning. Thornton turned in a much better effort in his second spot start in June, when he struck out seven and was charged with just one earned run in six innings of work.

Thornton showed further improvement in his next time out, in the Mets’ last game before the All-Star break. Against a red-hot Red Sox lineup, Thornton pitched seven shutout innings, struck out five, and allowed just four baserunners. The rookie built on his burgeoning reputation on Tuesday night. Facing the Brewers, he pitched another six innings without allowing a run and at one point retired 13 straight on his way to his first career win.

Even with his poor initial outing, Thornton has a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in his first four career starts. He does not have the same strikeout potential as Christian Scott, but his efficiency is allowing him to get deeper into games, which will allow him to collect some wins as long as he keeps this up. Like Scott, Thornton may be in line for two starts next week, first against Atlanta and then against Miami.

Fantasy Baseball Deep League Targets: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Trevor Larnach, OF, Minnesota Twins
7% Rostered

Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach is not spoken of widely in fantasy circles, but he has been raking for the last month and a half. Since June 1, the 29-year-old has hit .331 with a .922 OPS, and tacked on four home runs, 18 RBI, and 20 runs scored. His success at the dish has pushed him into a regular leadoff role.

Like Josh Jung above, Larnach has slowed his swing down this season, but he has also shortened his swing length. He is still making similar swing decisions as in the past, but the adjustments to his swing have led to more frequent contact, especially on pitches outside of the zone, improving his ability to generate hits.

Also like Jung, Larnach is best used by a team in need of help in batting average. He should also be a solid contributor to the runs category, given his position at the top of Minnesota’s lineup. With a final game in the Twins’ series against the Guardians to play on Thursday, Larnach gets an extra day of production before a weekend set against the Athletics.

Samy Natera Jr., RP, Los Angeles Angels
0% Rostered

Samy Natera Jr. was added to the Angels' major league roster on June 5 and has looked impressive. Since then, he has made 15 appearances, collecting one win, one save, three holds, and 26 strikeouts with a 2.60 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 17.1 IP. The 26-year-old’s 37.7% strikeout rate and 26.1% K-BB% are the best in the Angels’ bullpen, and the rookie is slowly but surely climbing the ranks of the depth chart.

Natera has given up a run in just two of his appearances thus far. After the last time it happened, a four-run implosion on July 4, Natera has been on a tear. In his five appearances since, he has not allowed another run and has collected 11 strikeouts to just two hits and a walk.

Given the shaky performances of his fellow relievers, it might not be long before he pitches his way into the Angels’ closer committee. In the meantime, he is functioning as an ideal piece of a FrankenAce staff. If you play in a league that includes holds, scoop Natera up now before he attracts any more attention.

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

• Alec Bohm, PHI
• Walbert Urena, LAA
• Roki Sasaki, LAD
• Brandon Young, BAL
• Jung Hoo Lee, SFG
• Jacob Webb, CHC
• Spencer Horwitz, PIT
• Ty France, SDP
• Colt Keith, DET

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