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Joey looks at three sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 15 (2026) on hot streaks, and sees if they can sustain their success.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of our Sneaky Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Column for Week 15 of the fantasy baseball season. The All-Star break is just a few days away, but that does not mean we fantasy managers take any breaks. Starting pitchers continue to emerge and could provide high-end value over the stretch run.
As always, we will look at four of the hottest starting pitchers in fantasy and determine whether managers should target them ahead of the upcoming week.
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Keider Montero, SP/RP, Detroit Tigers
15% Rostered (Yahoo)
The 26-year-old is in his third MLB season and has yet to enjoy much sustained success in the big leagues. In his debut season back in 2024, Montero logged 98 1/3 innings to the tune of a 4.76 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. He struck out only 77 hitters. Then, in 2025, Montero posted a similar 4.37 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 90 2/3 innings.
However, in Year 3, the right-hander has begun to turn the corner in an impressive fashion and is on pace to have the best season of his young career by a wide margin. Through 92 2/3 innings (just six shy of a career high), Montero has logged a strong 3.21 ERA with a dominant 0.97 WHIP. While his low 16.2% K% lowers his ceiling, he is emerging as a top waiver-wire target to improve his ratios.
Even though his overall statistics make him a worthy fantasy target, his recent play has pushed him onto this list. Over his last 26 2/3 innings (six appearances), Montero has posted a near-perfect 1.35 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP.
During this stretch, Montero has bounced between a starting role and a long-relief role but has remained just as effective. Overall, through his 18 games, he has "started" 15 of them, with two of his relief outings coming in each of his last two appearances.
Can the right-hander carry this recent success into the second half?
When looking at his pitch usage over the first half, Montero has not made any drastic changes since his recent surge. However, when looking below, managers can see that he has begun to lower his slider usage and slightly trade that for his knuckle curve.
While his knuckle curve has not been the most effective this season, it was quite productive in June. Last month, this pitch generated a .301 xwOBA (lowest in a single month) while generating a 19.4% whiff rate.
However, the pitch to note in his profile is his sinker, which he leaned on more in June and July than in the opening two months. On the season, this pitch has generated a strong .287 xwOBA, which is lower than the .311 xwOBA the fastball has posted. While it has only generated whiffs at a 9.5% rate, it has done well to limit weak contact.
On the surface, both his four-seamer and sinker hold a batting average against below .200 (.196, .198), but should take a step back, as shown in the .230 xBA and .247 xBA, respectively.
While managers should not expect this dominant run to continue, his above-average 3.56 xERA suggests he should remain a stable asset for ratios. His elite 5.5% walk rate should also keep his walk rate low. Even though his weak 16.7% whiff rate puts a hit on his overall upside, Montero is a worthy addition for those who need a ratio stabilizer, whether he operates as a starter or continues to bounce between long relief.
Kyle Leahy, St. Louis Cardinals
10% Rostered (Yahoo)
The re-emergence of Dustin May and Andre Pallante has taken most of the headlines in St. Louis, but Kyle Leahy has quietly been just as dominant. Since serving up three runs on June 17, Leahy has logged 16 1/3 innings (three starts), to the tune of a 0.55 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. During this stretch, the right-hander has struck out 14 hitters while walking only seven.
Prior to this, Leahy held a 3.98 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP from May 4 through June 17 (40 2/3 innings).
While Montero made a handful of minor tweaks to his pitch mix, Leahy has made a noticeable one that could be the driving force behind this potential breakout. As shown in the visual below, the right-hander has continued to dramatically lower the usage of his four-seamer over the course of the first half and instead leaned more on his slider and sinker, with his slider being far more prevalent.
Over the course of the season, his four-seamer has been a weak spot, which suggests why he has opted to steer away from it. Entering Monday, June 5, Leahy's four-seamer has generated a hefty .431 xwOBA with a high .625 xSLG.
However, when turning to his slider, managers can begin to spot improvements. While this pitch generated a whippy xwOBA over the first two months, it has been far more effective since June 1. In June, it posted a .310 xwOBA and currently holds a .367 xwOBA in July, a stark decline from the .427 xwOBA it posted back in May.
Additionally, when looking at his sinker, managers can also spot a driver of his recent success. As shown below, this pitch allowed loud contact early in the season, but has continued to improve as the campaign has progressed, and currently holds a low .069 xwOBA following his first outing in July.
While his cumulative 5.55 xERA does not instill much confidence, his profile suggests he is taking the right steps to enjoy a strong second half. However, given his limited track record, his profile is far more volatile than Montero's and those of other names on this list. For now, he is worth adding in deeper 12+ team leagues, but those in shallower formats should view him as a streamer with risk.
Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves
15% Rostered (Yahoo)
Reynaldo Lopez opened the 2026 season in the Atlanta rotation but was eventually shifted to the bullpen throughout most of May and June. However, with the Braves dealing with several injuries, Lopez has been brought back into the rotation and has not disappointed.
Over his last two starts (June 26, July 1), Lopez has logged eight innings with a 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a sharp 7:1 K:BB. Overall, since the start of May (even though much of this time was spent as a long reliever), Lopez has performed well, posting a 3.21 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 24:11 K:BB.
On the season, the 32-year-old has posted a solid 3.31 ERA but carried a hefty 1.30 WHIP over 51 2/3 innings. He has struck out 21.0% of the hitters he has faced and walked a hefty 10.0% of the batters he has faced, which has raised his WHIP.
However, seeing Lopez walk just 1.4 hitters per nine over his last 13 innings (two starts) has put him firmly back on the fantasy radar, as that was the weak point of his profile.
When looking at his recent pitch usage (shown in the visual below), managers will not spot many glaring differences as we noted with Leahy. However, his four-seamer usage has gradually declined (albeit not much), which has allowed his curveball to see its usage slightly uptick.
When looking at the proportion of each individual pitch in his repertoire, his four-seamer has generated the highest xwOBA, so turning away from it can allow his other pitches (which have been more effective) to do some of the heavy lifting.
On the season, the four-seamer has generated a .365 xwOBA (.356 wOBA) while the slider has generated a slightly lower .333 xwOBA. However, the most impressive pitch in his pitch mix (which is the one he has begun to turn to more often) is his curveball.
Through the first half, the curveball has boasted an elite .167 xwOBA with an even sharper .127 wOBA on the surface. This pitch has also generated a 27.3% whiff rate, which is right in line with the slider's 32.7%.
Overall, the 32-year-old has generated a low 6.1% barrel rate and 35.6% hard-hit rate, both of which place him above the average marks. However, this is a pitcher who posted an elite 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WIHP with the Braves back in 2024.
While he is unlikely to return to that form, an SP4/SP5 outcome is very likely. With a spot back in the rotation, those needing a high-floor SP should feel confident picking up Lopez ahead of the Midsummer Classic.
Shane Drohan, Milwaukee Brewers
15% Rostered (Yahoo)
Let's round this out with potentially the most exciting name on the column. The Brewers have had a group of breakout pitchers this year, with Kyle Harrison taking the cake. Additionally, the oft-injured Logan Henderson has shown high-end upside, and former top-ranked prospect Brandon Sproat is starting to find his footing.
However, in this column, we will spotlight a more under-the-radar Brewer in Shane Drohan. Drohan made his MLB debut this season and has posted a solid 3.12 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP over his first 57 2/3 innings of work. While he has only "started" seven of them, Drohan has held his own in different situations and has even earned a save.
However, since June 1, Drohan has operated exclusively out of the starting rotation, which has further increased his fantasy value. Over these 30 1/3 innings, Drohan has posted a 3.56 ERA, 1.35 WHIP with a 31:10 K:BB. While these are not overly impressive marks, the right-hander has posted a 1.80 ERA over his last three starts (15 innings) since allowing four runs on June 13.
While his sample as a full-time starter is not overly large, Drohan has made enough changes to his pitch mix that are worth taking a deeper dive into. As per the visual below, the Florida State product has leaned far more on his four-seamer and instead dropped his sinker while slightly tweaking his secondaries.
Seeing the rookie lean on his four-seamer is quite notable, as that has been one of the most impressive pitches in his debut campaign. Per Baseball Savant, this pitch has generated a stellar .229 xwOBA with an eye-catching 32.4% whiff rate. His sinker, on the other hand, has generated a much-higher .341 xwOBA.
When looking at his secondary pitches, his slider is worth monitoring, as he has begun to lean on it slightly more as the season has progressed. So far, this pitch has posted a dominant 38.8% whiff rate with a strong .223 xwOBA.
Overall, Drohan holds a 3.33 xERA (75th percentile) and a .230 xBA (66th percentile). Led by his emerging four-seamer and slider, Drohan has posted a high 28.4% whiff rate and 33.3% chase rate, which suggests there is room for his 24.5% K% to continue to grow over the second half.
When looking for upside on this list, Drohan should be viewed as the primary target. With Brandon Woodruff set to move to the 15-day injured list and potentially face an extended absence, Drohan should remain in the team's starting rotation for the foreseeable future.
The 27-year-old southpaw should not only deliver strong ratios (7.5% BB%), but also has the profile to post above-average strikeout totals.
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