Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 9

May 28, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 9 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Travis Bazzana, Gage Jump, Christian Scott, Josh Jung, Aaron Ashby, and Hunter Greene.

We are already in the middle of Week 9, and May will officially be in the books in a few days. At RotoBaller HQ, we list the top free agent acquisitions in fantasy baseball with our mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 9— May 25 through May 31 to help navigate you through the waiver wire in leagues that allow daily moves. We rank the top 100 hitters and pitchers to add off the waiver wire. Find out where key players such as Travis Bazzana, Ryan Waldschmidt, Gage Jump, JJ Bleday, Christian Scott, and Henry Bolte are listed below in our updated waiver wire rankings for Week 9. 

There are key performances, prospect promotions, and injuries to watch for this week. Guardians top prospect Travis Bazzana continues to rake, hitting .378 (14-for-37) with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs over his last 10 games. The Athletics promoted left-hander Gage Jump from Triple-A Las Vegas to start Tuesday's game against the Mariners. Jump allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out five batters across five innings in his MLB debut. Injuries continue to mount, as we have recently seen Logan Henderson, Noah Schultz, and Corey Seager placed on the injured list. 

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 Josh Jung, Gage Jump, Hunter Greene, Christian Scott, Aaron Ashby, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers really missed third baseman Josh Jung (shoulder) when they were no-hit by three different pitchers in Monday's loss at Globe Life Field to the Houston Astros. Jung will re-enter the starting lineup for Tuesday's contest against Astros right-hander Jason Alexander after missing the last two games with a left-shoulder injury that he suffered on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. He is back at third base and will hit cleanup on Tuesday.

Fantasy managers will want to get the 28-year-old right-handed slugger back in their lineups in all traditional formats, as the former eighth overall pick out of Texas Tech in 2019 has been one of the most consistent hitters in baseball this year.

He enters Tuesday's tilt against the Astros with a .302/.357/.462 slash line, .818 OPS, five home runs, 21 RBI, 22 runs, and a steal in 182 at-bats. Jung has only faced Alexander twice in his career, but he has a home run and two RBI against him. He ended up going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run in Tuesday's 10-7 win over the Astros.

Hunter Greene, SP, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) threw his first bullpen session on Tuesday, and it went well, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Greene, who is currently on the 60-day injured list, is on the mend from surgery he had in mid-March during spring training to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

It's a positive step, but the hard-throwing right-hander will likely need at least a handful of bullpen sessions before the Reds clear him to face live hitters. Eventually, he'll also require a minor-league rehab assignment. In a best-case scenario, Greene is probably around a month away from returning to Cincy's starting rotation to make his 2026 season debut.

Despite the lengthy absence, the 26-year-old former second overall pick in 2017 is a strong stash candidate in fantasy baseball leagues for his ace upside when he's healthy. He is currently rostered in only 62% of Yahoo leagues, and fantasy managers may want to consider picking him up sooner rather than later. Greene could be a difference-maker in the second half of 2026.

Gage Jump, SP, Athletics

Athletics pitching prospect Gage Jump has been called up from Triple-A Las Vegas and will start on Tuesday at home against the Mariners. The start will be his major league debut after making nine starts for the Aviators this season. The Athletics' third-ranked prospect's season-long numbers don't look all that impressive (4.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP), but he's looked terrific in his last two outings, allowing no runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out 15 over 11 innings pitched.

The southpaw has struck out at least six batters in five straight contests and six of nine overall, leading to a superb 33.1 percent strikeout rate. The 23-year-old also owns a high 11.8 percent walk rate, but with his strikeout potential, the left-hander is a must-add in most leagues, especially against the Mariners, who have the lowest team batting average against lefties and the fourth-lowest wRC+ against them so far this season.

Christian Scott, SP, New York Mets

New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott tossed 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball during his latest start against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. Along the way, he allowed four hits and two walks while striking out five batters. Scott is 0-3 through 15 career starts, but it's not for a lack of quality outings. He owns a 4.09 career ERA, including a 3.20 ERA and a 3.47 FIP this season.

Across six starts (25.1 innings) in 2026, he has also amassed 10.66 K/9, 4.97 BB/9, 0.36 HR/9, and a 28.6% ground ball rate. Given how well he has pitched this year, Scott has emerged as a priority target on the waiver wire in fantasy baseball. He ranks #81 among starters in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings, and he is available in more than 90% of leagues.

Aaron Ashby, RP, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby has zero saves and zero holds in 33 innings pitched so far in 2026 in 24 appearances (one start), but he's rostered in 38% of Yahoo leagues. He's made up for that with a league-high eight wins, a 2.18 ERA (2.25 FIP), and a 1.30 WHIP with a career-best 33.6% strikeout rate in 33 innings pitched for the Brew Crew.

The 28-year-old southpaw originally came up in the Brewers' system as a starting pitcher, but frequent injuries have turned him into a full-time reliever. The role has suited him well because of his high-end velocity and swing-and-miss secondary offerings.

Fantasy managers cannot rely on Ashby to continue vulturing wins, though, and he's also sporting a career-high 12.1% walk rate. However, his strikeout upside in a high-leverage, multi-inning role makes him attractive in deeper leagues. He was also quite good in 2025, sporting a 2.16 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, a career-high three saves, and a 76:24 K:BB in 66 2/3 innings.

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 Travis Bazzana, Ryan Waldschmidt, Gage Jump, Josh Jung, Christian Scott, Aaron Ashby, Jhostynxon Garcia, Ben Brown, Jacob Latz, Jackson Holliday, Colt Emerson, JJ Bleday, River Ryan, Matt McLain, Jonah Tong, Kirby Yates, and Curtis Mead. 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 Travis Bazzana, Ryan Waldschmidt, Gage Jump, Josh Jung, Christian Scott, Aaron Ashby, Jhostynxon Garcia, Ben Brown, Jacob Latz, Jackson Holliday, Colt Emerson, JJ Bleday, River Ryan, Matt McLain, Jonah Tong, Kirby Yates, and Curtis Mead:

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