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Andy looks at four sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 18 (2025) on hot streaks, and sees if they can sustain their success.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! With another week of fantasy baseball in the books, it is time to take another deep dive and determine which sneaky starting pitchers could be worth a spot on our roster.
This week, we will take a look at two pitchers from Texas and an intriguing southpaw from the Athletics who could find himself on the trade block in the next week.
Who should fantasy managers be targeting this week? Let's dive in!
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Patrick Corbin, Texas Rangers
20% Rostered
After a rough few seasons in Washington, D.C., the veteran left-hander has enjoyed a late career resurgence in Texas. Through 104 2/3 innings with the Rangers this season, Corbin has held a 3.78 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP. However, the southpaw has been quite impressive in July and could be worth adding in all standard leagues.
Through his first four starts of the month, Corbin has posted an elite 2.01 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. Through these 22 1/3 innings of work, Corbin has struck out 22 hitters while allowing just five walks. Is this production legit?
The primary change Corbin has enacted this month is increasing the usage of his slider. Through the first half of the campaign, his sinker was typically deployed as his No. 1 pitch. However, in July, his slider's usage rate increased to 35.6%, while his sinker's rate dropped to 25.3%. This move was beneficial to the veteran.
In July, his slider generated a strong .222 wOBA, but could be due for some slight regression, evident in the .289 xwOBA. It has also posted an impresive 38.5% whiff rate with a minuscule .160 BA.
In addition, by relying on his slider more often, he has been able to find more success with his sinker. In July, this pitch posted a much lower .339 xwOBA when compared to the hefty .396 xwOBA it held in June. The sinker's BA also dropped over 100 points (.304 BA in June, .200 BA in July).
However, Corbin could face some regression due to his cutter, which has continued to be ineffective, posting a .342 xwOBA in July (No. 3 pitch, 25.3% usage rate).
Overall, Corbin should be in store for some regression, but given that he has begun to rely more on his slider, he is in a good position to counteract it. While he is not a must-start option going forward, he should be rostered in all standard leagues and started comfortably in favorable matchups.
The Texas Rangers starters this season have been phenomenal.
Patrick Corbin is one of them.
pic.twitter.com/42UtcU7U7Q— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) July 24, 2025
JP Sears, Athletics
15% Rostered
JP Sears was on track to enjoy a rather successful month, but took a significant step back on July 18 when he allowed six hits and seven runs (six earned) to the Cleveland Guardians. However, the left-hander was able to bounce back on the 23rd as he logged five innings of one-run ball facing the Texas Rangers.
Overall, since July 1, Sears has logged 20 innings to the tune of a 4.50 ERA and a strong 1.00 WHIP. He has struck out 24 hitters during this stretch and has allowed just four free passes. Removing that one blow-up start, Sears would have a 2.25 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP.
Should fantasy managers trust the 29-year-0ld left-hander going forward?
In comparison to June (when he had a higher 4.91 ERA), Sears opted to deploy his four-seamer more often in July, which has brought him much better results. This month, Sears has thrown his four-seamer 43.4% of the time. In June, he deployed it just 33.9% of the time.
In July, this pitch generated a strong .270 xwOBA, suggesting that positive regression could occur in the coming weeks, as evident in the .316 wOBA it yielded. His other two pitches (sweeper, 22.1% and his slider, 15.0%) have generated a .279 xwOBA and a .236 xwOBA, respectively, this month. In fact, his sweeper posted a hefty .500 SLG but carried a .267 xSLG under the hood.
The 29-year-old is a top candidate to target if looking to bolster your WHIP ratio (given his elite walk rate). In addition, seeing that two of his top three pitches are due for some significant positive regression, he could be poised to enjoy a strong second half. If the Athletics look to move him to a contender, he could even find more success, pitching away from the batter's box of Sutter Health Park.
Despite having a modest showing on Monday evening, where he allowed two earned runs and five hits in just 4 1/3 innings, his metrics suggest he is due to bounce back in the second half.
JP Sears, Dirty 81mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/JOF2yliKrD
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 24, 2025
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles
40% Rostered
Dean Kremer has had mixed results in July. In two of his starts, the right-hander looked like a reliable starting pitcher, posting a stellar 0.64 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP across 14 innings of work. However, over his other two outings, Kremer allowed 10 runs in just 10 1/3 innings of work.
Over his last three starts in June, Kremer also flashed solid upside, holding a 1.02 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP through 17 2/3 innings of work.
Which version of Kremer should fantasy managers expect going forward?
Like the two names above him, Kremer has tweaked his arsenal this month, which has helped him find mostly positive results. In July, Kremer deployed his four-seam fastball as his top pitch, with a 27.7% usage rate. In June, his split-finger was his top pitch (27.7% usage rate) while his four-seamer was regarded as a close second, holding a 25.1% usage rate.
His four-seamer was effective this month, holding a .310 xwOBA with a .189 xBA. In addition, Kremer has also opted to mix in sinker nearly as much as his four-seamer (24.7% usage rate), which is a seven-point jump in relation to its usage in June. On the surface, this pitch has posted a modest .312 wOBA, but under the hood, the .273 xWOBA suggests better days are ahead.
By relying on two types of fastballs, his go-to whiff pitch, his split-finger, has been much more effective. In July, this pitch boasted a 46.9% whiff rate, the highest mark in a single month this season. It also generated a remarkable .154 xwOBA, which is also the highest of any month this season, when he deployed more than 17% of the time.
While those two blow-up starts tainted his surface-level stats, Kremer appears to be taking the necessary steps to enjoy a productive second half. Expect higher strikeout totals the rest of the way as his two fastballs are playing quite well off his split-finger.
Dean Kremer throws 7 shutout innings and the @Orioles win their third straight game. pic.twitter.com/5pWOQK52Oc
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers
25% Rostered
Rounding out this week's list will be Jack Leiter of the Texas Rangers. Leiter enjoyed a strong start to open the second half of the season, tossing six innings of two-run ball with seven punchouts en route to picking up the victory over the Athletics. However, he did serve up a relatively high four walks in this game.
Since the start of the month, Leiter has held a 4.20 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP. While he has flashed solid strikeout upside, tallying 18 in 15 innings of work, he has struggled with command, allowing 10 walks over this stretch.
Can fantasy managers trust the former top prospect going forward?
Leiter has leaned on his four-seamer in July (35.6% usage rate) while he mixes in three other pitchers (changeup, slider, and sinker), all of which have been deployed at least 16% of the time but not more than 25%.
His four-seamer has been modest at best, posting a .366 wOBA with a .374 xwOBA under the hood. However, it has generated whiffs at a 23.4% rate, which should keep his strikeout numbers relatively solid. His best pitch has been his changeup, boasting a .156 xwOBA with a stellar 40.9% whiff rate. Unfortunately, his other secondary options, his slider and sinker, carry a hefty .379 xwOBA and .486 xwOBA, respectively, which will limit his upside.
Overall, Leiter sits in the 13th percentile in xERA and 29th percentile in xBA. While his strikeout production should remain stable during the second half, his lack of command and reliable fastball have limited his upside.
Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should only consider deploying Leiter in favorable settings. He could be in store for a significant step back when facing a more formidable lineup.
Even though he enjoyed another strong outing on Sunday, facing the Atlanta Braves, his metrics suggest he is due for some regression.
Jack Leiter after a nine-pitch battle with Gavin Lux ended in a strikeout pic.twitter.com/Qctmj4AHfu
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) April 2, 2025
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