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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23 of 2025 (September 2- September 8). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23 of the 2025 season (September 2- September 8). 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.
The calendar ticks into September on this Labor Day weekend, and we need to prepare ourselves for the all-out sprint to the finish line in many competitive leagues. With the dearth of reliable pitching options, we seek to provide you with some alternatives here.
Let's see what is on the waiver wire this week. Many of the players here this week are young guys getting robust chances. Be proactive and add 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!
Luis Gil, New York Yankees (50% rostered)
Gil is starting to look like his old self, five starts into a delayed start to his 2025 season. He has built up to five innings in each of his last four starts, earning wins in two of them. A start against the Chicago White Sox awaits him this weekend.
The strikeouts are down somewhat from last season, as he has 22 strikeouts in 24 innings as compared to 171 strikeouts in 151 innings last season. But, he could help you with a lower ERA and also wins, pitching for one of the premier teams in baseball.
Jonah Tong, New York Mets (45% rostered)
Tong is a highly touted prospect in the Mets' system, known for his impressive strikeout numbers. Tong made his debut on Friday night and was electric: five innings, a win, and six strikeouts in a rout of the Miami Marlins.
Tong should be a solid addition to the rotation, but we must also keep in mind that the Mets will be using a six-man rotation moving forward, perhaps for the rest of the season. Play him for the possible insane strikeout value.
Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers (38% rostered)
Leiter has quietly put together a decent season. He is 9-7 with a 3.77 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts in 121 innings. That is a decent body of work while toiling in relative obscurity for a mediocre Texas Rangers squad.
Look below, but pay special attention to the post-All-Star line. Those are usable stats on any fantasy roster, yet Leiter is free right now in the vast majority of Yahoo leagues. If you need mid-rotation help, take a look at Leiter.
Emmet Sheehan, Los Angeles Dodgers (31% rostered)
I am still big on Sheehan as we wind toward the season's final month. Sheehan has three wins in four August starts, with 28 strikeouts in 23 innings. He has been a reliable starter for the Dodgers, and he can be a reliable starter for you as well.
See his Statcast below. You can see a slight uptick in his velocity over the last couple of starts, which is a good sign that he is feeling strong as the season wears on. Sheehan is a good pitcher working for one of the best teams in baseball. Roster him.
Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles (30% rostered)
How was that for a season debut last week? Bradish was the de facto staff ace in Baltimore in 2023 before his lengthy IL stint with Tommy John surgery. In his first start, Bradish went six full innings and earned 10 strikeouts.
The Orioles will be careful with Bradish, as they have nothing to play for in 2025. But a healthy Bradish in 2026 is a huge boost to a rotation in dire need of help. Bradish can help the right roster build right now as well.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Payton Tolle, Boston Red Sox (28% rostered)
Tolle is getting a shot in Boston; how long he is here is up for debate. But the team is desperately in need of a fifth starter, and he will get a chance to fill the role. Tolle had a nice debut on Friday night, pitching into the sixth inning and notching eight strikeouts.
Based on that performance, it would seem likely that Tolle would get a second start next week for the Red Sox. That start would line up against a poor-hitting Cleveland Guardians team. Tolle is a target with upside this week.
Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates (24% rostered)
It was known that Ashcraft would get a chance at some point to start games, and he is definitely making the most of the chance. He is getting stronger each time out. He has gone five innings in his last two starts, getting a win and averaging a strikeout per inning.
There is much to like in his Statcast page below. It's rare for a young pitcher to limit hard contact the way Ashcraft is right now. While the strikeout rate is average, the limiting of barrels and the high groundball percentage offset that. Take a look at Ashcraft!
Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (19% rostered)
Go figure: Cleveland develops another good starting pitcher. In two starts, the young lefty has pitched into the seventh inning both times, earning a win and notching 12 strikeouts over that time. Messick will get a tough matchup with the Boston Red Sox this weekend.
Messick had five wins and a 3.47 ERA with 119 strikeouts in 98 minor league innings. He seems ike a good bet to stick with the team unless they decide to stifle his innings with very little chance to make the playoffs this season.
Luis Morales, Athletics (15% rostered)
Morales has been under the radar, but let's pull back the curtain and look at him. He has been outstanding in his last few starts. Morales has won two of three starts since being inserted into the Athletics' rotation, with 18 strikeouts in 18 innings.
He looks like he will get an extended audition for the Athletics, given the results that he has been registering. Morales has a four-pitch repertoire that keeps both right-handed and left-handed batters off balance. Roster him before your league gets wise to him.
Ian Seymour, Tampa Bay Rays (10% rostered)
Seymour was terrific in his first start for Tampa last week, going five complete innings to earn his first major league win, giving up no runs while getting eight strikeouts. The lefty has a 3.18 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts in 28 big league innings this year.
With the Rays essentially out of the playoff race for the 2025 season, Seymour could be vying for a rotation spot on the 2026 squad. If he continues to get results like this, he will be an integral part of next year's team.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
- Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs (13% rostered)
- Shane Smith, Chicago White Sox (13% rostered)
- Martin Perez, Chicago White Sox (7% rostered)
- Johan Oviedo, Pittsburgh Pirates (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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