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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 26 of 2025 (September 22- September 28). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 26 of the 2025 season (September 22 - September 28). 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.
You may notice that I have packed some extra arms into this edition of the weekly starting pitcher waiver wire piece, and that is by design. Knowing that many of you are in the thick of the playoffs and trying to win, I want to give you more options. Good luck!
Let's see what is on the waiver wire this week. Several of the players here are young guys getting robust chances, with much potential. 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!
Emmet Sheehan, Los Angeles Dodgers (50% rostered)
It continues to boggle my mind that more players are not in on Sheehan. He continues to get results in every role the Dodgers use him in this season. He has won in three of his last five starts, while striking out at least six hitters in each of those.
Look at this Statcast image below. Great chase, whiff, and strikeout percentages with a great fastball velocity. Pick up Sheehan for his last start next week.
Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks (46% rostered)
Nelson is often on the waiver wire in many leagues, but there is a case for having him at the back end of your rotation. He does not strike out many hitters, but he usually gives quality innings and helps you control your ratios.
Nelson has seven wins, but a 3.34 ERA and tidy 1.07 WHIP can help you control your ratios. He will get the Los Angeles Dodgers next weekend, but they could be resting players and have a different-looking lineup.
Will Warren, New York Yankees (42% rostered)
Warren had a blow-up last week, but overall, he has been a solid performer for a Yankees team that has needed him all season. Warren has eight wins, a 4.35 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and 164 strikeouts in 157 innings. The WHIP is a little high, but he's been solid.
Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates (39% rostered)
I know people seemingly do not like to roster Keller, but he's been solid over the last month; only one win, but a 3.58 ERA, a sparkling 0.87 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 27 innings. Is he your top starter? No. Can he help nail down the back end of your rotation? Yes.
Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (40% rostered)
Messick has two wins in his last three starts, where he has pitched into the sixth inning. In his last start, he nabbed nine strikeouts. The late-season surge of the Cleveland Guardians has allowed Messick to have some runway in the rotation.
Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates (37% rostered)
Chandler has been very good in his last two starts, pitching 11 innings and striking out 13 hitters and earning a win, surrendering only one run. Chandler looks like a top-of-the-rotation starter, and he will get one more start next weekend against the Atlanta Braves.
Slade Cecconi, Cleveland Guardians (34% rostered)
Cecconi is not a sexy name on this list, but he has quietly pitched well all season for the Guardians. In his last five starts, he has gone at least six innings, and while he has only one win, he has a usable 4.06 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over those starts.
Connelly Early, Boston Red Sox (32% rostered)
Early looks like the real deal in Boston, and he could get a run through the playoffs as well. In two starts covering 10 innings, Early has 18 strikeouts and has surrendered only one earned run. He gets the Rays on Sunday and will follow that up next weekend in Detroit.
Tyler Wells, Baltimore Orioles (31% rostered)
Wells has looked good since his season-long return from the IL, and the Orioles are looking to build their rotation for 2026. Wells should play a significant role in it. Wells has a paltry 1.6% walk percentage in his first starts this year.
What impresses me is the chase percentage as seen below. You can see he is getting that chase on his secondary pitches more than his fastball. The early returns have been impressive.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Brandon Sproat, New York Mets (29% rostered)
Sproat did not have a great outing on Friday night, surrendering four runs in four innings while nabbing five strikeouts against the Washington Nationals. In his defense, there was some bad luck defensively for him.
Sproat will likely get one more start against the Chicago Cubs next week, as they may be resting some hitters since they have already clinched a playoff spot. Sproat has thrown 16 big league innings and has a 3.94 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts. Worth the risk next week.
Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays (29% rostered)
Yesavage has climbed all the way to the major leagues in 2025, and he was excellent in his first start for Toronto. He went five innings and struck out nine batters, but did not factor into the decision. Yesavage will start again against the Tampa Bay Rays.
I know it is only one start, but Yesavage looks like he is the real deal. See his Statcast from one start below.
Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians (27% rostered)
I really like what we have seen from Cantillo over the last few weeks. Over the last month, the lefty has two wins in three appearances, with a 0.95 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, and added 15 strikeouts in 19 innings. He is a big reason why the Guardians are making a late playoff push.
Jonah Tong, New York Mets (25% rostered)
I know Tong has been inconsistent in the early going, but I would still give him one last shot this week for the Mets. Frequently, I ask if I would rather have a retread pitcher or a young guy like Tong. Almost always, I will go for the youngster.
Below, you can see Tong's movement profile. He has been the victim of some bad luck. He should get one more start next week against the Chicago Cubs, who have already clinched a playoff berth. Could they use an alternative lineup?
Ian Seymour, Tampa Bay Rays (21% rostered)
Seymour continues to impress in a starting role in Tampa Bay. He went seven strong innings last week against the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, notching a win, three strikeouts, and giving up zero runs. Seymour is making a case for the 2026 rotation. He will make his final start of 2025 next week against the Baltimore Orioles.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
- Chad Patrick, Milwaukee Brewers (15% rostered)
- Logan Allen, Cleveland Guardians (12% rostered)
- Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs (9% rostered)
- Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins (9% rostered)
Finish strong, my friends. A quick thank you to all who have read my articles this season. You keep me motivated each week to find players who can help your teams. I appreciate the feedback, both the praise and the criticism.
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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