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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 22 of 2025 (August 25 - August 31). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 22 of the 2025 season (August 25- August 31). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues. For deeper leagues, we try to find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Week 22 finds fantasy players scrambling for every counting stat and available points in their leagues. This week, we examine a tantalizing mix of young talent, from guys getting chances on moribund teams to guys being inserted into the middle of a pennant race.
Let's see what is on the waiver wire this week. There are options available for any league. You need to be proactive and add players before your league wakes up to them. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.
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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Nolan McLean, New York Mets (39% rostered)
McLean will be rostered in most leagues by the end of this weekend, and if you have some FAAB left, you may want to invest in him. It has only been two starts, but both have been impressive: two wins, eight strikeouts in his debut, then seven in the next start.
He gets the Philadelphia Phillies next, which will be a significant test for the young rookie. If you need pitching help, McLean will cost a sizable chunk of your remaining budget. Do it.
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles (36% rostered)
People like to dunk on Kremer for all the things he is not, and do not embrace for what he is: a back-end of the rotation guy who can help your roster. Kremer has nine wins, a 3.97 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and 123 strikeouts in 147 innings. He is reliable.
Over the last month, Kremer has had a 3.66 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 32 innings. Kremer excels at limiting hard contact. As said before, he is reliable, and he is also consistent. Look at his Statcast below: he limits the hard hit percentage.
Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates (34% rostered)
Many fantasy players (me included) have had Chandler stashed on their benches for several weeks. He appeared in a piggyback role on Friday night and showed well. The rookie threw four innings in relief, striking out three while earning a save.
It sounds like the Pirates will use him in a bulk relief role for now, but will allow him to start some games down the stretch. The bulk relief role may limit his value right now, but grab him if you can and wait for the role to develop. It will.
Dustin May, Boston Red Sox (34% rostered)
May looks invigorated over his last three starts with the Boston Red Sox. He has gone at least five innings in three of his last four starts, and has had eight and five strikeouts in his last two games. May looks to have a rotation spot moving forward.
Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (33% rostered)
Javier looks like he is back doing what he does and healthy, throwing well in his first starts back from the IL. The Astros need a healthy Javier if they hope to have a deep playoff run. Look below. You can see that even in a small sample size, he continues to mix his pitches.
Of interest to me is that he is using the knuckle curve more this year, even though it is a limited sample size. Javier is definitely worth rostering at this point.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees (24% rostered)
Schlittler has been a highlight for the Yankees since his call-up. In seven starts, he has only one win, but he has posted a 3.22 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in 36 innings. He looks like he belongs in a playoff rotation right now.
Over his last four starts, Schlittler has gone at least five innings, and in August, he has a 2.08 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 21 innings. Look at his mix below; he attacks the top of the zone with a good fastball, and gets great break on his curveball.
Ryan Bergert, Kansas City Royals (24% rostered)
Bergert was acquired by the Royals at the trade deadline, and he has been great for them. In four August starts, he has a 2.82 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and has posted 22 strikeouts in 22 innings. Unfortunately, he has no wins to show for his efforts.
But the Royals seem committed to keeping Bergert in the rotation, and he will face the Chicago White Sox this coming week. Grab Bergert if you can this weekend.
Mick Abel, Minnesota Twins (14% rostered)
Abel is back in the major leagues and will look to make his mark and stick this time with his new team, the Minnesota Twins. Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Jhoan Duran trade, he made three excellent starts for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints.
There may be some uneven starts down the stretch, but I would rather take a chance with a prospect than hope for a decent outing from a retread.
Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates (12% rostered)
The Pirates seem to finally be giving Ashcraft a chance at starting games, something they said they would do earlier in the season. He will be on an innings limit in his starts, it seems, but look below at the Statcast data. It is the blood red color I have come to love.
He is limiting hard contact and getting groundball outs at a high clip, even though he doesn't get as many strikeouts as we would like as fantasy players. I like Ashcraft, but I worry about getting enough innings to impact my roster.
Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals (11% rostered)
I have had Cavalli stashed on a dynasty roster for a while, and am finally able to use him this season. He should get an extended runway in Washington. Cavalli is actually throwing harder than ever, averaging 97.3 miles per hour on his fastball.
He is actually throwing his curveball more than his four-seamer, while also mixing in his sinker and his changeup. In his four starts, he has posted a win, a 2.82 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts in 22 innings. Give him a chance to help you.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
- Mike Burrows, Pittsburgh Pirates (14% rostered)
- Cade Povich, Baltimore Orioles (7% rostered)
- Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox (6% rostered)
- Luis Morales, Athletics (4% rostered)
Keep grinding and do not give up on your season. I know many are getting ready for fantasy football to be upon us next month. Keep your lineups active each week, please!
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!
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