Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 17 (Hitters and Pitchers)

July 21, 2026

Updated fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 17 of the 2026 MLB season. These are free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

Hey RotoBallers! The 2026 MLB season continues to fly by, and we are already onto Week 17. At RotoBaller HQ, we return with more fantasy baseball waiver wire advice. We rank the top 100 hitters and pitchers to prioritize off the waiver wire in all league sizes with our fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 17 (July 20 - July 26) of the 2026 MLB season. 

Over the weekend, no major prospects were called up, but there are some injuries to note. Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. Marlins infielder Otto Lopez will get his finger tested after taking a ground ball off his ring finger in Saturday's game against the Brewers. Lopez is day-to-day for now. Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is also day-to-day after being removed from Saturday's contest vs. the Orioles with a leg injury.

As always, we are here to help you prioritize which player to add using our waiver wire rankings article. Below you will see where key free agents such as Curtis Mead, Garrett Mitchell, Kade Anderson, Joshua Baez, Bailey Ober, and Luke Weaver are ranked. 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 Joshua Baez, Tyler Wells, Christian Scott, Jasson Dominguez, and Erik Miller. We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar:

Joshua Baez, St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez turned in another show-stopping performance at Triple-A Memphis as his MLB debut approaches. On Friday evening, the young outfielder went 1-for-4 with a 473-foot grand slam against Iowa.

While Baez has been very impressive at Triple-A this season, he has hit a somewhat cold slump at the plate. Over his last 15 contests (including Friday's game), Baez has posted a low .121/.200/.310 line with just three long balls and a stolen base.

However, prior to this skid, the 23-year-old held a much-higher .275/.345/.634 line with 14 doubles, 26 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Even though there is not a clear spot for him in the St. Louis outfield, his high-end five-category potential makes him a priority stash across all formats ahead of Week 17.

Tyler Wells, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells picked up his third save of the season on Friday, allowing one hit and one walk while collecting a strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning of his team's 3-2 win over the Houston Astros. The 31-year-old appears to be grabbing hold of the full-time closer role in Baltimore, as he's earned three saves while allowing just one earned run across eight innings (seven games) in July.

Wells' overall numbers for the year are strong as well, as he's pitched to a 2.96 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 47 strikeouts across 45 2/3 innings. He's struck out 25.8% of the batters he's faced while logging a stellar 6.0% walk rate. Fantasy managers in need of saves should consider Wells a priority waiver wire target.

Christian Scott, New York Mets

New York Mets right-hander Christian Scott was already on RotoBaller's waiver watch list going into the All-Star break, and he should now be a priority pickup after picking up his third win of the season on Thursday night in the victory over the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Scott threw 5 2/3 shutout innings with three hits allowed, no walks, and seven strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 2.87.

The 27-year-old still has not gone six innings in any of his 13 starts for the Mets this year, but fantasy managers need to remember this is his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The former fifth-rounder in 2021 out of the University of Florida has looked great so far in his second big-league season otherwise, though, and even though his walk rate is a tad high at 10.3%, it's been nice to see his strikeout rate jump to 28.5%, up from 19.8% in his rookie season in 2024.

Fantasy managers may want to avoid Scott in his next scheduled outing against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, but if he impresses in that matchup, he'll be the hottest pitcher on the waiver wire. Scott is currently rostered in only 22% of Yahoo leagues.

Jasson Dominguez, New York Yankees

Across 140 plate appearances in 2026, New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez is hitting .235/.273/.409 with five home runs, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored, and six stolen bases. With Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge (ribs) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) both currently on the injured list and facing uncertain return timelines, Dominguez has emerged as an everyday player in New York.

The 23-year-old's overall stat line may not leap off the page, but he showed signs of improvement leading into the All-Star break. Across 44 plate appearances in July, Dominguez is hitting .262 with two home runs, two stolen bases, and a 13.6% strikeout rate.

A former top prospect, Dominguez has consistently flashed five-category upside throughout his time in the Yankees' minor-league system. With an extended runway of playing time at the big-league level, Dominguez profiles as a second-half breakout candidate to target on the waiver wire.

Erik Miller, San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants left-hander Erik Miller worked 1 1/3 innings on Sunday, struck out two, allowed one hit, walked none, and allowed no runs against the Rockies, picking up his second win of the season. Miller also has an impressive 10 holds for the year, along with two saves in three opportunities and a 3.18 ERA, with 40 punchouts in 28 1/3 innings (33 appearances).

His WHIP remains incredibly high for a reliever (1.45), and his control at times falters tremendously (16.5 percent walk rate), but his stuff and velocity are good enough to keep his high WHIP afloat. He generates a ton of strikeouts and whiffs (31.4 percent and 34.4 percent, respectively), and allows a .190 xBA. Caleb Kilian appears to be the preferred choice to close out games for the Giants, as he has eight saves in 11 opportunities.

However, he has blown two saves in the past six outings and has a 4.74 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. It's a long shot that Miller becomes the preferred closer, as he is also utilized as a left-handed specialist; however, if Kilian continues to falter, it could keep the door open for Miller. If you are in saves-and-holds leagues, Miller will continue to provide solid value in deeper 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 17 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 17
• FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 17
• Starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 17
• 7 Must-Add waiver wire pickups for Week 17
• RotoBaller Staff Picks: Top waiver wire targets for Week 17

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 A.J. Ewing, Curtis Mead, Mickey Moniak, Shane Drohan, Gage Jump, Kyle Karros, Grant Taylor, Jake Burger, Garrett Mitchell, Tyler Wells, Jacob Webb, Erik Miller, Jasson Dominguez, Christian Scott, Joshua Baez, Tristan Peters, Mason Montgomery, Tommy White, Bailey Ober, Zach Thornton, and Luke Weaver. 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 A.J. Ewing, Curtis Mead, Mickey Moniak, Shane Drohan, Gage Jump, Kyle Karros, Grant Taylor, Jake Burger, Garrett Mitchell, Tyler Wells, Jacob Webb, Erik Miller, Jasson Dominguez, Christian Scott, Joshua Baez, Tristan Peters, Mason Montgomery, Tommy White, Bailey Ober, Zach Thornton, and Luke Weaver: