Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 12 (June 15 - June 21)

June 14, 2026

Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 12 of 2026 (June 15 - June 21). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.

Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 12 of the 2026 season (June 15 - June 21). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 40 percent (new parameter for us) of Yahoo leagues. For deeper leagues, we try to find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues.

The war of attrition continues across our pitching staffs. Injuries to key players hurt our chances of winning leagues. Ineffective pitching does the same. We have to be willing to make tough decisions and jettison arms for other guys; some listed here may be able to help your squads.

There is always help on the waiver wire. Are the guys mentioned here aces? Hardly, but that does not mean that they cannot help your team. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-40% on Yahoo

Christian Scott, New York Mets (34% rostered)

Scott has looked the part for the Mets this season, who have struggled in most aspects of the game. In six May starts, Scott threw 29 innings and notched 37 strikeouts, with a 2.79 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He should be rostered far more than he is at this time.

Take a look below. A 26.4% K% is above average, and he is limiting hard contact with what is essentially a three-pitch mix of fastballs, sweepers, and cutters. I feel certain that he will stick in the rotation as long as he is providing great results.

Scott did not have one of his best outings on Thursday, pitching into the fifth while coughing up three home runs. Still, that could drive interest in him down this weekend, making him a potential target for your team.

Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals (32% rostered)

May continues to be a good option for the Cardinals, and he might be able to help fill the back end of your rotation. May gets panned often, but that is because many fantasy players do not see how viable May is; he has four wins, a 4.21 ERA, a 1.125 WHIP, and 66 useful strikeouts in 72 innings.

Walbert Urena, Los Angeles Angels (31% rostered)

Touting Urena always comes with a caveat: his WHIP can be troubling to some fantasy players, which keeps his rostered percentage lower. The walks are hard to take; he surrendered five in his last start.  Yes, a 13.6% walk rate is excessive, but he also gives up very few hits. It's a bit of a high-wire act. But if you can tolerate and absorb the WHIP, everything else looks great. Take a look below.

Gage Jump, Athletics (35% rostered)

There is no way to quantify this in such a short piece, but Jump looks like a guy who knows how to pitch. Granted, you may want to sit him in games where the Athletics play in Las Vegas, but I have added Jump in a few places and like what I am seeing in three starts.

On Friday night, Jump went five innings against the Colorado Rockies, giving up three runs. He has gone at least five innings in all four starts. With Aaron Civale soon to return, will Jump stick in the rotation, or will it be Jack Perkins? I would bet on Jump to remain in the rotation.

Grant Holmes, Atlanta Braves (30% rostered)

Holmes continues to be one of the rotation pieces for the best team in baseball, yet he is rostered in only 30% of Yahoo leagues. This is surprising. He had a rough outing against the White Sox this week, but other than that, he's been good.

Holmes has surrendered three or fewer runs in 12 of his 13 starts, and posts a 4.05 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and a helpful 59 strikeouts in 66 innings. Holmes should quite simply be on more fantasy teams.

Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo

Stephen Kolek, Kansas City Royals (22% rostered)

Look, most pitchers on the waiver wire have their warts; that's why they are there. But that does not mean that a flawed pitcher cannot help you. Take a look at Kolek. Bottom line is, Kolek can help you: a 3.14 ERA and 1.07 WHIP to go with three wins.

Kolek is not a big strikeout pitcher, but he limits damage and gets the game to the bullpen with a lead most often. Many will miss on Kolek because he lacks eye-popping stuff or numbers, but you know he is a useful arm that can help your rotation in the right spots.

Zack Littell, Washington Nationals (21% rostered)

Yes, I know the expected results scare you away, but let's look at what Littell has actually done in Washington this season. Before his stinker on Friday night, Littell had wins in five straight starts, going at least five innings in each.

His rout at the hands of Seattle will make interest in Littell lower, but he could be of interest in deeper leagues as he is set to face the struggling Kansas City Royals next time.

Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals (16% rostered)

Pallante has been a staple on my rosters; he was not a guy I drafted, but a guy I picked up to stabilize my patchwork staffs. In 13 starts, he has seven wins, a 3.88 ERA, a usable 1.26 WHIP, and 56 strikeouts in 69 innings.

Pallante won't wow you with big stuff or strikeout numbers, but he gives some length in games, going at least five innings in 12 of 13 starts. You could do much worse than having Pallante on your roster at the back end of your rotation.

Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers (15% rostered)

I have been on the Rocker train a while, and it might be starting to pay off with regular work this season for him in Texas. He struggles with command, which leads to issues with his efficiency and can limit his innings in some starts.

But over the last month, Rocker has gone at least five innings in five starts, and while never a huge strikeout pitcher, he's posted a tidy 3.56 ERA and a somewhat elevated 1.34 WHIP, but he is a usable pitcher in deep leagues. He gets Minnesota next week.

Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles (14% rostered)

Young has been a godsend for an interesting Baltimore team this season. You can see for yourself below just how good Young has been in May and June. He has five wins in 10 starts, with a 3.04 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 56 innings.

In his last start, he shut down the Mariners, going seven strong innings and striking out five hitters. That also makes four straight quality starts for Young. He gets a rematch with the Mariners this coming week. Young should be a hot addition this weekend.

Trevor McDonald, San Francisco Giants (14% rostered)

He has made one bad start in his seven since being recalled, and he has a 4.15 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a nice 37 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched for San Francisco. We are going to press before his next start against the Chicago Cubs, but get McDonald on your radar.

Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options

Every week, we will give you four or five other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league. League context matters, obviously.

• Brady Singer, Cincinnati Reds (11% rostered)
• Hunter Dobbins, St. Louis Cardinals (11% rostered)
• Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs (8% rostered)
• Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays (6% rostered)
• Jake Bennett, Boston Red Sox (5% rostered)
• Tyler Phillips, Miami Marlins (3% rostered)

Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun above everything. Enjoy it!

More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice

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