Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 16 (Hitters and Pitchers)

July 12, 2026

Updated fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 16 of the 2026 MLB season. These are free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

The first week of the 2026 MLB season will be in the books. MLB All-Star break is next week, and we kick off the second half of the year on Thursday night with the Phillies vs. Mets. There is still plenty of baseball to be played and enough to make a run in the standings. Today, we are back with more waiver wire advice, featuring our fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 16 (July 13 - July 19) of the 2026 MLB season, ranking the top 100 hitters and pitchers to prioritize off waivers.

Over the weekend, we saw the Diamondbacks recall outfield prospect Ryan Waldschmidt. The 2026 MLB Draft was held on Saturday, during which the Chicago White Sox selected shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick. Also, there were more key injuries recently as the Athletics placed first baseman Nick Kurtz on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb capsule sprain, while Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison landed on the IL with left forearm tightness.

As always, we are here to help you prioritize which player to add using our waiver wire rankings article. This edition features players such as and more, who are listed in our initial waiver wire rankings. Read more to see where these players rank in our waiver wire rankings for the week ahead.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Rankings

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size:

The roster percentage is from Yahoo! leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top names include Luis Lara, Kirby Yates, Andrew Kittredge, Kyle Karros, and Tristan Peters. We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar:

Luis Lara, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara has reached base in each of his first three major-league games since being recalled on July 7, adding his first extra-base hit on Saturday against Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old earned the promotion after batting .321/.432/.470 with nine home runs, 42 RBI, 67 runs, and 24 stolen bases in 78 games at Triple-A Nashville. He walked 54 times while striking out only 48, an encouraging sign that the average and on-base skills can travel.

The crowded outfield is the catch. Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell are all competing for starts, but Lara has already appeared at all three outfield spots, and Blake Perkins was optioned when he arrived. RotoBaller's latest waiver rankings put Lara at 10% rostered and recommend him in 10-team leagues. The speed and average should arrive first, while the nine Triple-A homers leave room for more than a two-category profile.

Kirby Yates, Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Friday to earn the save against the Minnesota Twins. The 39-year-old surrendered a one-out double to Trevor Larnach before retiring the final two batters of the game. The save was Yates' third of the season, and he has provided a stable presence in an otherwise unsettled Angels bullpen.

On the year, he owns a 3.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP while posting a 32.6% strikeout rate and an 8.1% walk rate across 21 innings. Fantasy managers are encouraged to add Yates in all formats, as he is currently the Angels' most trusted option at the back end of the bullpen.

Andrew Kittredge, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge secured his third save of the season on Friday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals. It was also his second consecutive save this week, after earning another on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs.

With other options in the organization faltering, Kittredge has stepped in and slammed the door shut twice this week, offering some much-needed stability at the back end of the Baltimore bullpen. The Orioles have lost Ryan Helsley to an elbow injury, and while he awaits a second opinion, they are looking for someone to step up and claim the team's closer role.

With back-to-back scoreless save conversions, they may have found their answer, making Kittredge a must-add in all fantasy formats.

Tristan Peters, Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters accomplished history during Friday's contest against the Athletics. Peters became the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He started off the fun with a double in the third inning. Peters singled in the fifth inning, which left the two most difficult tasks still on the board.

He hit a triple and a home run in the same inning as the White Sox piled up seven runs in the seventh inning during Friday's 14-1 blowout. Peters became the third player to hit for the cycle, joining Bryce Harper and Pete Crow-Armstrong. He also becomes the first White Sox player to do it since Jose Abreu in 2017.

Kyle Karros, Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros has been hitting well of late, slashing .343/.425/.714 with three home runs, seven runs scored, eight RBI, and three stolen bases over his last nine games, and has raised his average up to .266 on the season with nine home runs, 34 RBI, 47 runs scored, three stolen bases, and a .809 OPS.

The 23-year-old infielder was a former fifth-round pick, and after 156 plate appearances in 2025, he is getting a chance at a full starter workload in 2026 with 310 plate appearances on the season. The underlying data supports his solid campaign, with a .256 xBA, .341 xwOBA, and .408 xSLG. He also demonstrates solid plate discipline, with his 12.9 percent walk rate (88th percentile), 21.3 percent strikeout rate (52nd percentile), and 24.5 percent chase rate (81st percentile).

With the current state of the third base position, with Jose Ramirez (hand), Matt Chapman (abdominal), and players like Austin Riley significantly underperforming, Karros should be someone fantasy managers should take a look at on the waiver wire. He plays half his games at Coors Field, is hitting near the top of the Rockies lineup, and is not highly rostered in most formats.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitcher Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Closer/Reliever Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Week 16 Waiver Wire Roundup for Fantasy Baseball

In addition to these waiver wire rankings, we have also put together an assortment of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles. You can see the full roundup below to help prepare you for waiver wire runs:

• Nick Mariano's waiver wire pickups (Premium)
• Staff roundtable: waiver wire picks for Week 16
• FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 16
• Starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 16
• Hitter streamers, starts, and waiver wire pickups for Week 16
• The Cut List - Players to consider dropping for Week 16

Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup?

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players like Caleb Durbin, Tristan Peters, Andrew Kittredge, Luis Lara, Gage Jump, Cole Carrigg, Josh Bell, Grant Taylor, Travis Bazzana, Heriberto Hernandez, Alex Lange, Mason Montgomery, Henry Bolte, Garrett Mitchell, Kade Anderson, and Bailey Ober. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Caleb Durbin, Tristan Peters, Andrew Kittredge, Luis Lara, Gage Jump, Cole Carrigg, Josh Bell, Grant Taylor, Travis Bazzana, Heriberto Hernandez, Alex Lange, Mason Montgomery, Henry Bolte, Garrett Mitchell, Kade Anderson, and Bailey Ober: