Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 4

April 22, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 4 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Payton Tolle, Robert Suarez, Max Muncy, Jake Bauers, and Alex Vesia.

April continues to fly by as we are almost a month into the 2026 MLB season. Staying on top of the waiver wire is essential, and below are our mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 4 — April 20 through April 26 — to help fantasy managers in daily leagues. This list covers the top 100 hitters and pitchers to add off the waiver wire. Below you will find where key free agents such as Will Warren, Alex Vesia, Jorge Soler, Bryan Baker, Louis Varland, Noah Schultz, Payton Tolle, Robert Suarez, Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Kumar Rocker, and Ben Brown are listed in this article.  

There are key performances, prospect promotions, and injuries to watch for this week. Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz will be out until at least the All-Star break as he will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. Alex Vesia is likely to handle ninth-inning duties for the Dodgers while Diaz is on the injured list. More relief pitcher injuries to be aware of with both Cubs closer Daniel Palencia and Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, both landing on the injured list. One of the hottest pickups on the waiver wire last week, Mick Abel, was placed on the injured list with a right elbow injury. 

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 Payton Tolle, Robert Suarez, Jake Bauers, Max Muncy, Alex Vesia, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox

There is a "pretty good likelihood" that Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle joins the big-league roster this week, according to Katie Morrison-O'Day of MassLive.com. As of now, Tolle isn't scheduled to pitch at Triple-A Worcester. Tolle will most likely be recalled from the minors to make his 2026 debut for Boston this weekend against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles.

Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) was officially placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday after getting hurt in his start against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, and Tolle is expected to take his place in the starting rotation in the majors. Gray's next turn in the rotation was scheduled to come on Sunday in Baltimore.

Tolle, a second-rounder in 2024 out of TCU, struggled in his big-league debut last year, posting a 6.06 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and 19:8 K:BB in 16 1/3 innings across seven outings (three starts). The hard-throwing left-hander is one of the more intriguing young pitching prospects in the game, and he's worth a waiver-wire pickup now in mixed leagues. Tolle is currently rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues.

Robert Suarez, RP, Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Robert Suarez is expected to take on closer duties following the injury to primary closer Raisel Iglesias. On Tuesday morning, the Braves shifted Iglesias to the 15-day injured list with right-shoulder inflammation, opening up the ninth inning for Suarez. Suarez joined the Braves in free agency but was the top closer in San Diego for each of the past two seasons.

In 2024, Suarez tallied 36 saves while holding a 2.77 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. In the following campaign, Suarez tallied a career-best 40 saves for the Padres while carrying a similar 2.97 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP. This season, Suarez has operated in a set-up role in the bullpen, tallying four holds while posting a near-perfect 0.93 ERA, pitching primarily in the eighth inning.

While southpaw Dylan Lee should see occasional save opportunities against left-handed lineups, Suarez projects to see the bulk of the opportunities for the foreseeable future, making him a priority waiver wire candidate in all standard formats.

Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy's power game hasn't gone away early in the 2026 campaign, and fantasy managers should be plucking him off the waiver wire due to his hot start. Muncy had another two-homer performance while going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and a walk in the team's 12-3 blowout win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday night in the series finale.

Catcher Dalton Rushing also went deep twice for the Blue in this contest. Muncy has eight home runs on the year, but somehow he only has nine RBI to show for it. The 35-year-old left-handed slugger still swings and misses plenty, and he won't be an asset for your fantasy team's batting average, but he deserves to be rostered in more than the 43% that he's currently rostered in Yahoo leagues due to his power bat and on-base skills in an elite Dodgers lineup. RBI opportunities will continue to be plentiful for Muncy as long as he stays healthy.

Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers has shown off his power early in the 2026 season, hitting .236/.304/.472 with five home runs, 13 RBI, 13 runs scored, and three stolen bases across his first 79 plate appearances. Bauers is currently posting a double-digit barrel rate for the fourth consecutive season and owns a career best 51.9% hard-hit rate.

The 30-year-old is also making considerably more contact so far this season, as he's cut his strikeout rate from 27.1% in 2025 to 20.3% in 2026. With Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (hand) and designated hitter Christian Yelich (groin) both currently on the injured list, the lefty-swinging Bauers is getting a chance to hit in a prime spot in the Milwaukee lineup against all right-handed starting pitchers. For fantasy managers in need of power, Bauers could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

Alex Vesia, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Relief Pitcher/Closer Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

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?

Roto Points

Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...

Who To Pickup?

Reset

Choose From The Top Ranked Players

Overall

C

1B

2B

3B

SS

OF

SP

RP

Popular Searches

Overall

C

1B

2B

3B

SS

OF

SP

RP

2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players such as Will Warren, Alex Vesia, Jorge Soler, Max Muncy, Jake Bauers, Bryan Baker, Louis Varland, Noah Schultz, Tanner Scott, Payton Tolle, Robert Suarez, Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Spencer Arrighetti, Francisco Alvarez, Kumar Rocker, and Ben Brown. 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 Will Warren, Alex Vesia, Jorge Soler, Max Muncy, Jake Bauers, Bryan Baker, Louis Varland, Noah Schultz, Tanner Scott, Payton Tolle, Robert Suarez, Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Spencer Arrighetti, Francisco Alvarez, Kumar Rocker, and Ben Brown..:

More Fantasy Baseball Advice