Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups: Mid-Week Fantasy Baseball Adds for Week 20

August 12, 2026

Dan analyzes six must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, mid-week adds for Week 20 of the 2026 MLB season. Grab these players ASAP off the waiver wire.

Howdy, RotoBallers, and welcome to the latest installment of the mid-week Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for fantasy baseball. At this point of the season, we are past the trade deadline in most fantasy leagues. That means finding fresh talent on the wire to give your team a boost is more important than ever.

This week, we have a surprising source of power on the Padres, a flexible infielder that can help raise your batting average, and a rookie outfielder who is finally coming into his own. On the pitching side, there are a pair of Diamondbacks hurlers (one starter, one reliever), and a potential source of saves from the Mets with Devin Williams (shoulder) on the shelf.

Hopefully this list primes you for success this weekend and in the weeks ahead. If you need more help, ping me in the RotoBaller Discord or tag me on Bluesky (@danifestmestiny.bsky.social) or X (@danifestmestiny). Don’t forget about the host of resources in RotoBaller’s MLB hub, too. For now, get started with my Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20 of fantasy baseball.

2026 Fantasy Baseball: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Ty France, 1B, San Diego Padres
38% Rostered

After a couple of seasons of poor production, Ty France is making a strong case to be added to fantasy teams for their stretch runs. With just under two months left in the regular season, France is having his best year since 2023 and is pushing for career bests in home runs and batting average.

France was utilized all over the Padres lineup throughout 2026, but has been the everyday cleanup hitter going back to July 19, and for good reason. Since the 32-year-old vet was moved to the four-hole, he has hit five home runs, collected 17 RBI, and hit a cool .333. On the season, he is up to 17 home runs, 51 RBI, 41 runs, and a .291 batting average.

There has been no great change to France’s plate discipline metrics, but his average bat speed is higher than ever (72.1 MPH), as is his fast swing rate. That might explain why he has reached new highs in average exit velocity (92.3 MPH, putting him in the 91st percentile), barrel rate (11.1%), and hard-hit rate (48.9%).

Locked into the heart of the Padres’ order while they contend for a Wild Card spot, France should continue chipping in RBI and a solid batting average for fantasy teams. His new, hard-hitting approach should add a handful of home runs by season’s end, also.

Brandon Pfaadt, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
35% Rostered

Since he came into the league in 2023, I found very little appeal in Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt. Elevated ratios and low strikeout potential turned me off from even seeking him out as a streaming option. Pfaadt’s performance earlier this season only reaffirmed my feelings. After giving up 11 unearned runs in his first three starts (16.2 IP), he was moved to the bullpen. When he didn’t improve there, he was demoted to the minors.

Recently, though, he has performed so consistently well that even I can’t help but take notice. Since being brought back up on June 30, Pfaadt has been outstanding. He is 6-0 with a 1.32 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in his last eight starts, during which time he has not allowed more than two runs in a game. In his most recent outing, Pfaadt blanked the Dodgers over seven innings while allowing just two hits and two walks.

Pfaadt will again be challenged in his next starts. First, with a matchup against the Braves this weekend and next week with the hot-hitting Red Sox. I’m willing to trust Pfaadt based on what he has shown us over the last six weeks. If he can keep it going, I will be looking forward to a potential two-start week against the Cubs and Giants in the last week of August.

Brandyn Garcia, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks
18% Rostered

Paul Sewald had the sixth most saves (22) in MLB at the All-Star break, but by the end of July his tenure as Arizona’s closer came to an end. The Diamondbacks are in the hunt for a Wild Card spot and opted to move Sewald down the depth chart after a recent rocky patch. The team ultimately designated him for assignment on August 10.

Sewald’s departure leaves a vacuum at the top of the D-Backs’ bullpen. Enter Brandyn Garcia, a hard-throwing lefty who was part of the return for Josh Naylor when Arizona dealt him to Seattle last summer. Garcia started the season in Triple-A and was brought up in May. Since then, he has earned 13 holds and has 36 strikeouts to 7 walks in 33.0 IP.

Garcia boasts an exceptional 23.4% K-BB%, one of the best metrics for evaluating relievers and predicting their success. The 26-year-old was the first beneficiary of Sewald’s dismissal, handling the Diamondbacks’ next two save opportunities and converting them successfully. He now has three saves on the season, a 2.18 ERA, and 0.82 WHIP.

Garcia is just one of two southpaws in Arizona’s bullpen, so he might flex into high-leverage roles before a save opportunity comes his way. Fantasy managers should also keep an eye on Kevin Ginkel (who recorded the team’s most recent save, on Sunday) and Juan Morillo.

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

Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
10% Rostered

Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith has seen big swings in production in 2026. Keith started the year hot, and by May 2 he had a .337 batting average and 15 runs scored (though a disappointing six RBI and zero home runs). Unfortunately, the 24-year-old hit a prolonged slump in May and June, and by the All-Star break, his batting average had dropped almost 100 points to .245.

Keith has been killing it at the plate since the play resumed, however. Since July 17, he has a triple-slash of .373/.433/.525. Surprisingly, Keith’s counting stats over the same span (zero home runs, nine RBI, seven runs) have again been lagging. Perhaps because he is out of sync with the hitters around him, and perhaps because two teammates who should be setting the table for him (Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene) have been struggling to stay above .200 during Keith’s heater.

I’m willing to get behind Keith during his hot streak. At the very least, he will help buoy my team batting average as the season draws down. If his teammates like Kevin McGonigle, Dillon Dingler, and Spencer Torkelson can stay hot as well, Keith’s run and RBI production should tick upward, too.

Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
8% Rostered

Justin Crawford was one of my favorite players to grab late in drafts this season. I saw a speedster with a bead on an everyday role in a potent lineup, and I thought he was going to offer outsized help in runs, steals, and batting average. The rookie paid off almost right away. In the first two weeks of the season, he had only one stolen base, but he provided seven runs and a .341 batting average.

Unfortunately, a long, slow decline ensued. By the end of April, he was hitting .267 and had added just one more run and one more steal. By the end of May, his batting average was .234. Crawford’s struggles continued into June, but a strong finish turned the tide, and his batting average for the month was .307, pulling his season-long mark to .256.

Crawford’s success has continued. Since June 25, he has hit .325 and added seven stolen bases to his resume. More recently, he has gotten even hotter. In the last two weeks alone, Crawford is hitting .351, has scored eight runs, and stolen three bases.

He may be stuck at the bottom of the lineup, but if the Phillies give him the green light, then he has the wheels to get himself into scoring position with ease. He should have ample opportunity to continue juicing his stats in the days ahead. Philadelphia faces the Minnesota Twins this weekend, who have allowed the third-most steals and rank as the worst team in the league in caught stealing attempts.

Daniel Duarte, RP, New York Mets
2% Rostered

With Devin Williams (shoulder) on the injured list for the next couple of weeks, the Mets will need someone to step up to work the ninth inning. Kodai Senga was the first member of their pen to be tabbed for a save opportunity on August 10, which he successfully converted. Senga’s shaky control has created a lot of problems this season, though, so I hesitate before rushing to add him for the potential of a few saves in the interim.

Instead, I’m staking a claim on Daniel Duarte. Duarte’s sample of work is much smaller, but so far he has been lights out. In 12 appearances (17.1 IP), he has 13 strikeouts to five walks, a 1.04 ERA, and a 0.75 WHIP. He also snagged an extra-innings save just last week, even with Williams still on the active roster and available to pitch on three days' rest.

As of now, Williams’ injury is not expected to keep him out of action for much longer than the minimum 15 days. In the absence of an official announcement of a replacement, I am rolling with the pitcher who has proven to be more effective this season. For those in holds leagues, Duarte should be added regardless, as he should see more opportunities there following the Mets’ bullpen purge at the trade deadline.

Daniel Duarte secured his first career win 👏 pic.twitter.com/D8vF2IxgyU

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 11, 2026

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

• Andre Pallante, STL
• Zack Gelof, ATH
• Jackson Jobe, DET
• Andrew Vaughn, MIL
• Brent Headrick, NYY
• Angel Genao, CLE
• Joc Pederson, TEX
• Andrew Kittredge, BAL
• Osleivis Basabe, SFG

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