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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 8 of 2025 (May 19 - May 25). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 8 of the 2025 season (May 19 - May 25). 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.
This week, pitchers, we have some young pitchers being recalled who could impact not only their big league rosters but also your fantasy rosters. We look at guys like Zebby Matthews and Logan Henderson, who could be up for an extended run at the major league level. Some useful veterans like Tyler Anderson and Zack Littell could also take a spot on your team. These guys could replace dead weight on your roster or inject some much-needed life into your sagging rotation.
As we always state here in this weekly column space, the bottom part of your roster should be in some state of churn. Let's dive in and see what we might be able to find this week. There are always bargains to be had for the savvy buyer.
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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Clarke Schmidt, New York Yankees (49% rostered)
Fitting in right at the 50% hard line, doesn't it feel like many people have forgotten about Schmidt? Injured to start the year, he was an afterthought in many leagues, and then a rough two starts in April made people balk. But in two May starts, Schmidt has a win, a 3.75 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts in 12 innings.
He is limiting hard contact and will be a mainstay in the Yankees rotation as long as he is healthy. This is a situation where you can discount the 4.73 ERA as it is inflated by a terrible April. Schmidt is worth a roll of the dice and is only rostered in half of Yahoo leagues. Buy low now.
Tomoyuki Sugano, Baltimore Orioles (40% rostered)
Sugano has become an intriguing option for fantasy players to consider on their roster. If you are looking for strikeouts, he is not the guy. He has only 29 in 52 innings pitched this season. If you're looking for someone who gets wins and control ratios, Sugano might be your guy.
He has four wins in nine starts and has a 3.08 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. As you can see below, he does it by using a six-pitch mix that keeps hitters off-balance and chasing his pitches. Remember that his xERA is a run-and-a-half higher than it is now, so some regression could be coming. But enjoy the ride.
Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels (37% rostered)
Anderson is another pitcher who is usually on the waiver wire due to his perceived flaws. That perception is that he doesn't strike enough batters out. He has 39 in 45 innings this year, but in his last three games, he has had five, seven, and five. That's not bad. Add in a 2.58 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, and you have a useful pitcher who is excellent at limiting hard contact despite mediocre velocity. Andersion could be a great filler for the back end of your rotation.
Grant Holmes, Atlanta Braves (35% rostered)
Holmes has gotten an extended shot with the Braves, and he's worth rostering in deeper leagues. He has only two wins in eight starts, but has a usable 4.14 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 45 innings. In three May starts, Holmes has 18 strikeouts against only four walks in 17 innings, compared to 21 strikeouts and 13 walks in four April starts.
Fewer walks invariably lead to less damage, and when Holmes is locating his breaking stuff, he is good. If you are looking for a pitcher you can use who won't kill your carefully polished ratios, Holmes could be a good addition.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Zebby Matthews, Minnesota Twins (24% rostered)
Matthews is being recalled for his first start of the 2025 season this weekend, and it looks like he might have some traction here as the team sent veteran Simeon Woods Richardson down after middling results. Matthews is known for being a control specialist with low walk rates; he had a 6.2% rate in nine major league starts last year. He paired that with a 24.3% K% as well.
Matthews is mostly a four-seam fastball and slider guy, but he also mixes in a cutter. With an expected runway, Matthews could be worth grabbing in most deep leagues.
Logan Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers (22% rostered)
I like Henderson, and I think you will, too. The Brewers called him up for a spot start in late April, and he pitched six strong innings, surrendering only a solo home run scattered among three hits while punching out nine hitters. Recalled to start on Wednesday this past week, Henderson followed that up with a strong five innings, striking out seven while only giving up two runs.
With injuries in their rotation to Jose Quintana, Nestor Cortes, and Brandon Woodruff, Henderson should get some time in the rotation in Milwaukee. I would strongly consider him in any 12-team league.
Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays (13% rostered)
I love to talk and write about players like Littell. Why? He's constantly underrated and undervalued. There are examples of guys who always seem to outperform their peripheral metrics. Littell is one of those. He, too, had a rough April, getting only one win against four losses with an unsightly 5.79 ERA and 1.36 WHIP.
But since the calendar turned to May, two wins in three starts, and a 3.10 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP. The drawbacks here are the low strikeout numbers (21.5% this season) and propensity to give up home runs. But he limits damage with his 4.7% walk percentage, and proves to be usable more often than not.
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals (8% rostered)
Cameron was just recalled to make a start for the injured Seth Lugo, and from the sounds of it, he might have an extended look in the Kansas City rotation. Cameron is a left-hander who has already made one start at the end of April. He pitched into the seventh inning that time, giving up only one hit and surrendering five walks while nabbing three strikeouts.
That walk rate could be a problem. Walks have not been an issue in the minor leagues, so perhaps it was a case of nerves for Cameron. I feel he is worth an addition in deeper leagues.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
- Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins (rostered in 11% of leagues)
- Mick Abel, Philadelphia Phillies (rostered in 9% of leagues)
- Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals (rostered in 8% of leagues)
- Tobias Myers, Milwaukee Brewers (rostered in 5% of leagues)
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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