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Andy looks at five sneaky fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for starting pitchers in Week 8 (2025) on hot streaks, and sees if they can sustain their success.
Even though we are in the second month of the regular season, fantasy managers have seen several high-end pitchers hit the injured list. During the first seven weeks of the season, Logan Gilbert (elbow), Blake Snell (shoulder), Tyler Glasnow (shoulder), and Cole Ragans (groin) are just a few of the high-upside pitchers on the shelf.
As a result, fantasy managers have needed to dig deeper on the waiver to find viable replacements. In this piece, we will look at five sneaky starting pitchers who could be worthy of a roster spot. Rostership percentages will be taken from Yahoo! leagues.
Who should fantasy managers be targeting this week? Let's dive in!
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Will Warren, New York Yankees
22% Rostered
With Gerrit Cole (elbow) sidelined for the season, Will Warren broke camp with the MLB roster and earned a spot in the starting rotation. Through his first 24 innings of work this season (six starts), the young right-hander held a modest 5.63 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP. During this stretch, he tallied just 26 punchouts and served up a high 12 free passes.
However, since May 1, Warren has begun to turn the corner. Over his last three outings (17 innings), Warren has posted a strong 3.19 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. During this stretch, he has seen his strikeout upside increase as he has struck out 24 batters and has only served up five free passes.
Then on May 20, Warren continued his impressive stretch by tossing five 2/3 shutout innings against the Rangers. Warren struck out a season-best 10 batters in this outing and allowed just one walk.
Will Warren was dominant today as he struck out 10 over 5.2 scoreless innings. His Arsenal graded out tremendously with his fastball and sweeper being nearly untouchable.
While his 4.05 ERA doesn’t look great, his 2.86 FIP paints the picture of a future stud! pic.twitter.com/3bESVT4iRF
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) May 21, 2025
One driving force behind Warren's strong month is his higher deployment of his sinker. During April, Warren threw his sinker 16.4% of the time (fourth-most used). However, this pitch has become his third-most-used pitch in May and holds a higher 19.6% usage rate. During May, this pitch has generated an impressive 37.5% put-away rate.
He has primarily only thrown this pitch when facing right-handed batters, as he has only deployed it three times against lefties. Instead, he uses his fastball against southpaws and less against right-handers.
Warren has lowered his walk rate drastically by adding another strong put-away pitch to his arsenal.
Given his increasing strikeout upside and better command, Warren is a viable back-end starter in all standard formats. He should continue to be in line to pick up wins, pitching on a strong Yankee team. If Warren is available in your league, put him at the top of your waiver claim this weekend.
Ryan Weathers, Miami Marlins
25% Rostered
The 25-year-old was a popular sleeper pick during spring training, but his early-season hype was quickly cut short after he suffered a forearm injury. However, the left-hander was activated before his season debut against the high-powered Chicago Cubs on May 14.
In this outing, Weathers looked sharp as he contained the Cubs to just one run across five innings. He allowed just two hits and one free pass. He struck out five. His lone blemish was allowing a solo shot to Seiya Suzuki.
Weathers showed promise last season, but also missed time due to an injury (left index finger strain). During the first half of the season, before the injury, Weathers was on track to enjoy a breakout campaign. Over his first 71 innings, Weathers held a 3.55 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP.
He was especially dominant last May, posting a stellar 1.91 ERA with a 0.73 WHIP across 27 innings. During that month, his sweeper generated whiffs at an elite 60.0% rate.
During his season debut, his slider showcased similar potential, generating whiffs at a 25.0% rate (thrown 23.7% of the time). In addition, in this start, his fastball ticked up to 97.3 mph, a slight increase compared to the 95.9 mph it sat at during the 2024 campaign.
Then, in his second start of the season (facing the Cubs again), Weathers continued to impress, holding Chicago to just one run and five hits across five innings of work. He struck out four. Once again, his lone mistake came on another solo shot, this time to Kyle Tucker.
Weathers could be poised to break out in 2025 with an elite put-away slider and an increasing fastball.
Ryan Weathers, 98mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/HzPd8rpVI5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 20, 2025
Gunnar Hoglund, Athletics
17% Rostered
Gunnar Hoglund made his MLB debut on May 2 against the Miami Marlins. In this outing, the No. 14-ranked prospect in the Athletics system tossed six innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven, allowed six hits, and had no walks. In his second start, Hoglund continued to impress, tossing five 1/3 innings of two-run ball against the Seattle Mariners.
However, the young right-hander took a bit of a step back in his third start against the high-powered Dodgers. The Dodgers handed him his first loss. In this outing, he allowed a season-high seven hits with four home runs and a 5:3 K:BB. Then on May 20, Hoglund struggled as he allowed six hits and five runs to the Los Angeles Angels, picking up his second-straight loss.
With right-hander J.T. Ginn (quadriceps) returning to the 15-day IL, Hoglund should remain in the starting rotation for at least the next two weeks, and potentially longer.
Currently, Hoglund boasts a 4.96 xERA and a .284 xBA, which are both well below the average marks of qualified pitchers (19th and 13th percentiles, respectively). In addition, his primary pitch, his four-seamer, has generated a high .517 xSLG and a .360 xwOBA, which are both much higher than the .407 SLG and .280 wOBA they currently carry.
While Hoglund has shown strong control with a 5.8% walk rate, the rest of his profile screams regression. He is a strong target in 12+ team formats, but shallow league managers should only view him as a streamer in favorable matchups.
He has already begun to see some of that regression over his last two outings.
Hayden Birdsong, San Francisco Giants
22% Rostered
After missing out on a rotation bid in spring training, the Eastern Illinois product returned to a starting role on Tuesday evening against the Kansas City Royals. In this start, Birdsong silenced Kansas City as he allowed just one run (unearned) across five innings of five-hit ball. He struck out four and did not allow a walk.
Earlier this season, Birdsong was sharp in a long relief role, tossing 23 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.31 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He struck out 25 batters and generated whiffs at an impressive 31.6% rate (86th percentile). However, he struggled with his command, allowing walks at a hefty 9.9% rate (32nd percentile).
Last summer, Birdsong made his MLB debut and logged 72 innings with a 4.75 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP, pitching entirely in the rotation. Like his time in long relief this season, the right-hander flashed high upside but lacked consistency. In 2024, Birdsong tallied at least eight punchouts in three of his 16 starts and allowed three or more walks in 10.
A look under the hood suggests he will likely see similar results in 2025. Through the opening month of the season, his fastball has generated a .410 wOBA, which is nearly identical to the .412 xwOBA it generated in 2024. In addition, his primary swing-and-miss pitch, his slider, has generated a 31.5% whiff rate and a 32.7% whiff rate in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
While Birdsong will occasionally showcase his strikeout upside, his unstable command makes him hard to trust as a lock-in starting pitcher.
Colin Rea, Chicago Cubs
40% Rostered
The final pitcher we will analyze is a veteran, Colin Rea of the Chicago Cubs. After spending several seasons in Milwaukee under Craig Counsell, this past winter, Rea inked a contract to join the Cubs, where his former manager currently resides.
With the Cubs having a deep rotation to begin the season, the 34-year-old opened the season in a long relief role. During his first three outings out of the bullpen, Rea logged five 1/3 shutout innings with a stellar 0.94 WHIP.
Then on April 13, Rea joined the starting rotation and has held the No. 5 spot since. Throughout the early part of the campaign, the Cubs have seen several starters hit the injured list, including Justin Steele (elbow) undergoing season-ending surgery and Shota Imanaga (hamstring) hitting the 15-day IL, which has paved the way for Rea to earn this role.
Over his first seven starts of the season, Rea has posted a strong 2.72 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. He has shown a firm command, serving up just 11 free passes, but has only struck out 30 batters. Unfortunately for Rea, his command is his only positive from a fantasy standpoint.
His low 21.1% whiff rate and 19.0% strikeout rate do not provide him much value, as he is only a ratio stabilizer. However, his current metrics suggest he could be in store for some significant regression.
The 34-year-old has generated a 4.14 xERA and a .270 xBA, both below the average marks of qualified hitters. His 4.14 xERA is nearly two points higher than his 2.38 ERA. He has also generated groundballs at a low 37.6% rate, which is not a good recipe for a pitcher who cannot strike out batters.
Rea relies heavily on his four-seamer (52% usage). Through the first two months, this pitch has generated an underwhelming .473 xSLG and a .336 xwOBA, which are both much higher than the .400 SLG and .309 wOBA they currently hold. His second-most used pitch, his cutter (10.1% usage), is also due for significant regression given the high .432 xSLG it has generated, compared to the .364 SLG it holds.
Like Hoglund, Rea should remain in the rotation but only be deployed in favorable matchups. A potent lineup should not have trouble attacking his fastball and cutter.
Colin Rea, Nasty 94mph Front Door Two Seamer. 😨 pic.twitter.com/TpFdHvYrMm
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 18, 2025
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