Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 25

September 16, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 25 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Victor Mesa Jr., Josue De Paula, Cal Quantrill, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Coby Mayo.

The 2026 MLB season continues to wind down as we are already in the middle of Week 25. With only a week and a half left, it's time to focus on which player to add for the fantasy baseball championship run. We are back with more waiver wire advice with our mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 25—September 14 through September 20—in leagues that allow daily moves. Below, we rank the top 100 waiver wire pickups and prioritize which hitters and pitchers to add for Week 25. 

This week, there were no major prospects called up, but things could change as the season winds down. Injury news to note includes Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams missing Tuesday's game with neck tightness. Twins infielder Kaelen Culpepper was removed from Tuesday's game against the Yankees with left hamstring tightness. Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks was placed on the 15-day injured list with right median nerve irritation, ending his season.

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 Victor Mesa Jr., EmManuel Rodriguez, Coby Mayo, Cal Quantrill, Josue De Paula, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Victor Mesa Jr., Tampa Bay Rays

Across 223 plate appearances in 2026, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. is hitting .257/.326/.510 with 13 home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. The 25-year-old has been scorching hot in September, hitting .450 with three home runs and three stolen bases across 44 trips to the plate. The lefty-swinging Mesa Jr. has seen most of his playing time this year against right-handed pitching, but he's begun to see everyday playing time in the midst of his current hot streak.

Mesa Jr.'s underlying metrics suggest that some slight regression might be coming, but he's still posted an 11.4% barrel rate while keeping his strikeout rate below 20%. With his ability to produce across all five categories, Mesa Jr. profiles as a priority waiver wire target going into the final stretch of the 2026 season.

Emmanuel Rodriguez, Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are calling up outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez to the major leagues on Saturday from Triple-A St. Paul, according to Milb Central. Considered the Twins' fifth overall prospect, Rodriguez earns the call to the big leagues this weekend after hitting .262/.414/.500 with a .914 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 36 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 49 games across 220 plate appearances with the Saints this year. He could have an opportunity to see some playing time in the final couple of weeks of the 2026 season in Minnesota, although he most likely will not see everyday playing time, even though Byron Buxton will miss the rest of the year because of season-ending hip surgery.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Rodriguez has played all three outfield positions in the minors and has impressive raw power from the left side of the plate. Rodriguez also has some nice plate discipline and should eventually get on base at a nice clip, but his swing-and-miss tendencies mean he probably will not help in the batting-average department. He is currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues and is unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact upon his big-league call-up. Rodriguez is hitting .333 (5-for-15) with a home run and four RBI in his first four big-league games.

Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles

Across 389 plate appearances in 2026, Baltimore Orioles third baseman/first baseman Coby Mayo is hitting .226/.291/.488 with 24 home runs, 63 RBI, 60 runs scored, and four stolen bases. With his 31.4% strikeout rate, Mayo profiles as a likely batting-average liability for fantasy managers. However, the 24-year-old has also demonstrated high-end power upside this season with a 13.0% barrel rate and a 48.5% hard-hit rate.

Mayo has also been on a hot streak in the second half of the year, hitting .274 with 12 home runs, 29 RBI, and 30 runs scored across 170 plate appearances since the All-Star break. For fantasy managers looking for power, Mayo should be a priority corner infield target on the waiver wire.

Josue De Paula, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up top outfield prospect Josue De Paula, sources told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. De Paula will join the team Friday for the start of a weekend series in Miami against the Marlins. Per MLB Pipeline, De Paula is ranked as the Dodgers' top prospect and the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball in 2026. The 21-year-old from Brooklyn will make his big-league debut down the stretch after hitting a strong .302/.400/.539 with a .939 OPS, 26 home runs, 101 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and 105 runs scored in 123 games and 583 plate appearances this year for Double-A Tulsa.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder who hits from the left side has the type of power/speed upside that could play immediately down the stretch in September, and De Paula could see regular at-bats if two-way superstar and primary designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) is placed on the injured list to heal up for the playoffs. He will most likely see time in L.A.'s outfield when he plays, moving Teoscar Hernandez to the DH role if Ohtani continues to miss time with nagging injuries. There isn't much time left in the fantasy baseball season, but De Paula is an intriguing name to add to a strong Dodgers offense. De Paula led off for the Dodgers on Tuesday as the team's designated hitter. Since being called up, De Paula is hitting .143 (2-for-19) with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored over his first five MLB games. Despite his recent struggles, he is worth adding in most leagues due to his upside in a potent Dodgers lineup.

Cal Quantrill, Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that right-hander Cal Quantrill (back) was having back tightness towards the end of his start on Sunday in the 7-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. The Rangers were going batter-to-batter and inning-to-inning with him for a bit, but the Rangers' concern level "seems low." For what it is worth, Quantrill says he is planning on taking his next turn in the starting rotation "no matter what." He still managed to get a quality start for his fantasy managers, allowing just two earned runs on five hits while walking none and striking out four in six innings of work to pick up his ninth win of the year.

We will consider him day-to-day for now, but fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on Quantrill's progress over the next couple of days. The matchup at home against Toronto for Quantrill's next start (if he makes it) is a solid one, with the Blue Jays ranking fourth-worst in OPS in 2026. On June 27, Quantrill took a no-decision in Toronto, throwing four shutout innings with a walk and five strikeouts.

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:

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players including: Josue De Paula, Cal Quantrill, Joshua Baez, Victor Mesa Jr., Coby Mayo, Henry Bolte, Max Clark, Ty France, Cole Carrigg, Grant Holmes, Cam Smith, Mickey Gasper, Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Painter, Rico Garcia, Tim Tawa, Grant Taylor, Nick Sogard, Leo Bernal, Caleb Durbin, and Hogan Harris. 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 Josue De Paula, Cal Quantrill, Joshua Baez, Victor Mesa Jr., Coby Mayo, Henry Bolte, Max Clark, Ty France, Cole Carrigg, Grant Holmes, Cam Smith, Mickey Gasper, Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Painter, Rico Garcia, Tim Tawa, Grant Taylor, Nick Sogard, Leo Bernal, Caleb Durbin, and Hogan Harris: