Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 21

August 19, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 21 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Angel Genao, Zac Veen, Kaelen Culpepper, Kade Anderson, and Walker Jenkins.

August continues to fly by, with only a few weeks left until the calendar flips to September. While some managers have focused on fantasy football, there is still plenty of baseball to be played. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more updated waiver wire advice with ourmid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 21—August 17 through August  23— in leagues that allow daily moves. Our waiver wire list has been updated to include the top 100 hitters and pitchers to pick up in free agency.

This week, the Astros called up right-hander Ethan Pecko from Triple-A Sugar Land, and he will make his MLB debut on Wednesday versus the Angels. We also saw the Giants call up left-hander Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, who will also make his MLB debut on Wednesday. On the injury note, the Dodgers placed closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list with neck inflammation, while Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom will undergo season-ending hip surgery.

Stay on top of our weekly waiver wire rankings and turn on MLB news alerts in our free mobile app to stay ahead of the curve. Once you're done here, check out our fantasy baseball prospects articles for the latest names to stash and pick up.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups List

Since many fantasy baseball leagues have daily waiver-wire moves or multiple waiver-wire runs per week for adding players, this early-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the middle of the week before we reach Sunday. This article will guide you through our weekly ranking of the relevant waiver-wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league (depending on the league size).

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size:

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top waiver wire names include Walker Jenkins, Angel Genao, Kade Anderson, Kaelen Culepper, Zac Veen, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Walker Jenkins, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins continues to show off the toolset that made him a fifth-overall draft pick in 2023, hitting .378 with six multi-hit efforts, a 1.107 OPS, three home runs, and three steals in 11 games in August.

The Twins' top-ranked prospect missed time with an injured shoulder earlier this season, but in the 66 games he's played, the left-handed hitter owns a .289/.388/.477 slash line with seven home runs, 13 steals, and nearly as many walks (36) as strikeouts (43) at Triple-A St. Paul.

The 6-foot-3 slugger is expected to make his major league debut over the final month of the season, and with a strong combination of hit, power, patience, and speed, the 21-year-old should be considered one of the top offensive stashes left in the minor leagues for redraft leagues because of his potential to be a multi-category contributor.

Angel Genao, Cleveland Guardians

Across 38 plate appearances since making his MLB debut on August 5, Cleveland Guardians infielder Angel Genao is hitting .294/.368/.412 with one home run, three RBI, seven runs scored, and one stolen base. The 22-year-old has spent time at every infield position other than first base, which should allow him to stick in the everyday lineup.

Genao also demonstrated intriguing five-category potential this year in the minor leagues, hitting .300 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases across 419 plate appearances split between Double and Triple-A. Genao hits the ball on the ground a ton, which may ultimately limit his power upside in the big leagues.

Still, his combination of speed and contact ability allows him to profile as a batting average asset. In leagues where he's available on the waiver wire, Genao should be a priority target for fantasy managers.

Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson's dream season continued in his latest start this past Friday, allowing zero earned runs for the fourth consecutive contest and the 13th time in 18 total starts. The performance lowered his season-long ERA to a miserly 1.08, with a 0.64 WHIP, and an elite 36.6 percent K-BB%.

All of those statistics, along with his 135 strikeouts and 13.67 K/9, are all the best in the minors among pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched. The former third-overall draft pick is positioned to debut in the majors in the coming weeks, with Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto confirming that the lefty will be a starter, not a reliever, whenever the team decides the time is right to call him up.

At this point, it looks like he'll make the leap to the majors straight from Double-A, and it could be soon, with Bryce Miller struggling mightily over his last six starts (6.12 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 7.6 K-BB%). Anderson should be considered the top pitcher to stash in all redraft leagues for the stretch run.

Kaelen Culpepper, Minnesota Twins

Across 33 plate appearances since making his MLB debut on August 7, Minnesota Twins shortstop Kaelen Culpepper is hitting .250/.333/.393 with one home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. The 23-year-old is widely considered one of the top prospects in the Twins' farm system and was having a big year at Triple-A before his promotion, slashing .271/.367/.478 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 63 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases.

While Culpepper has logged an inflated 33.3% strikeout rate in his very limited sample size of big-league plate appearances, he posted a strong 18.7% strikeout rate in the minors this season. Culpepper has logged near-everyday playing time at shortstop for Minnesota since being called up. As long as he stays in the lineup, Culpepper profiles as an above-average power/speed threat with five-category upside for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

Zac Veen, Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies outfielder Zac Veen struggled after making his MLB debut in 2025, hitting .118 with a 37.8% strikeout rate across a small sample size of 37 plate appearances. However, Veen had a monster year after returning to Triple-A this season, hitting .327/.402/.635 with 24 home runs, 87 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases across 445 plate appearances. The 24-year-old's minor league production led to a big-league promotion on August 12, and he's gotten off to a hot start with two home runs in his first 15 trips to the plate. The lefty-swinging Veen has been deployed in a big-side platoon role with Colorado so far, which limits his playing time and fantasy upside. Veen has also struggled with swing-and-miss at different points throughout his pro career, so he may log an elevated strikeout rate. Still, Veen offers an intriguing blend of power and speed for fantasy managers on the waiver wire, and his hitter-friendly home park at Coors Field should help cover some of his weaknesses at the plate.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

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Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

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Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Relief Pitcher/Closer Waiver Wire Rankings

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Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup?

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players, including Joshua Baez, George Lombard Jr., Angel Genao, Kade Anderson, Kaelen Culpepper, Zac Veen, Hogan Harris, Kodai Senga, Jackson Jobe, Brandon Pfaadt, Kyle Leahy, Walker Jenkins, Ben Joyce, Clay Holmes, Cam Smith, Ryan Jeffers, Jeff McNeil, Brandyn Garcia, Steven Cruz, Jordan Romano, Cal Quantrill, and Justin Martinez. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Joshua Baez, George Lombard Jr., Angel Genao, Kade Anderson, Kaelen Culpepper, Zac Veen, Hogan Harris, Kodai Senga, Jackson Jobe, Brandon Pfaadt, Kyle Leahy, Walker Jenkins, Ben Joyce, Clay Holmes, Cam Smith, Ryan Jeffers, Jeff McNeil, Brandyn Garcia, Steven Cruz, Jordan Romano, Cal Quantrill, and Justin Martinez.: