Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 23 (Hitters and Pitchers)

September 2, 2026

Updated fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 23 of the 2026 MLB season. These are free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

Amazingly, the 2026 MLB season has a month left, as next week we enter September. There is still time to make a final push to lock up those fantasy baseball championships. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice with our fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 23 (August 31 - September 6) of the 2026 MLB season. 

On Friday, Twins top outfield prospect Walker Jenkins made his MLB debut. He's now gone 2-for-6 with a double, an RBI, and a walk over two big league games. For injury notes, Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. exited Saturday's game against Boston with a knee injury. According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Lombard's knee injury is a "day-to-day" situation. Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo was removed from the eighth inning of Saturday's contest vs. the Athletics with a right hand injury.

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 Walker Jenkins, Angel Genao, Griffin Conine, Cole Carrigg, Henry Bolte, George Klassen, Kodai Senga, Seaver King, 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 Walker Jenkins, Jacob Lopez, Seaver King, Tristan Peters, and Kade Anderson. We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar:

Walker Jenkins, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins top outfield prospect Walker Jenkins made his major-league debut in the team's 7-4 loss on Friday night to the division-rival Chicago White Sox at Target Field and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. The Twins are hoping that Jenkins, the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball, can give them the spark they need to sneak into a wild-card spot in the American League with veteran outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) potentially going back on the injured list for a third time this year.

The 21-year-old former fifth overall pick in 2023 will play regularly for the Twins down the stretch, even if Buxton can return, and his power/speed upside from the left side of the plate could be a difference-maker for fantasy managers chasing a championship. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder hit .308/.407/.532 with a .940 OPS, 12 home runs, 28 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 51 runs scored in his 69 games played at Triple-A St. Paul before getting the call to the Show on Friday. The 21-year-old hit out of the nine-hole in his MLB debut, but he could quickly move up Minnesota's order if he continues to produce as he did on the farm. Jenkins is only rostered right now in 19% of Yahoo leagues, so he is widely available.

Jacob Lopez, Athletics

Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez has been extremely sharp on the mound over the last month or so. Since July 10, Lopez has a 2.18 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 54:16 K:BB ratio across nine starts. During that span, Lopez has allowed two earned runs or fewer in every start. Lopez was strong during his last outing by allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits, three walks, and a HBP, while striking out six over five innings against the Orioles.

During that span, Lopez's ERA (6.83) and WHIP (1.79) have dropped significantly to a 4.82 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. The 28-year-old is only rostered in 35% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues and is a name to consider adding while he continues to pitch well.

Seaver King, Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals infield prospect Seaver King is putting together an excellent month of August at Triple-A Rochester with a .356 batting average, eight homers and 16 RBI. King's red-hot hitting month could force the hand of the Nationals, and he could be a priority pickup in fantasy leagues down the stretch this season. King is the No. 4 prospect in the Nationals system, and the 23-year-old has a 50-grade hit tool with a 70-grade run tool.

King brings a stolen base threat to the table and has combined for 14 stolen bases among the two minor league levels he has played at this season. He can bring that threat to the major leagues and give fantasy managers that extra category help with stolen bases being a possibility at the big leagues. King could be a difference maker late in the fantasy season.

Tristan Peters, Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters is somehow rostered in only 31% of Yahoo leagues, despite homering in each of his last five games. During his five-game homer span, Peters has gone 10-for-18 (.556) with five home runs, two doubles, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base. The Canadian outfielder is now slashing .282/.346/.475 on the season with an .821 OPS, 12 home runs, 52 RBI, 53 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his 358 at-bats in his first year with the Pale Hose and his first full season in the majors.

He debuted in 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays but played in just four games. Even if Peters regresses in the final month of the season (he is sporting a .255 expected batting average and .315 xwOBA), the left-handed slugger should no longer be ignored while he's white-hot at the plate for Chicago. Peters has hit .349 (22-for-63) with a 1.169 OPS, six homers, six doubles, 14 RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 23 games in August, but he's hitting .159 (7-for-44) with only one of his 12 homers on the year against southpaws.

Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners called up their top pitching prospect last weekend in left-hander Kade Anderson, and he nearly recorded a quality start in his major-league debut against the Chicago Cubs, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings pitched last Saturday. The 22-year-old southpaw, who is ranked as Seattle's top overall prospect at MLB Pipeline, threw four shutout innings last Saturday before allowing two solo home runs in the sixth frame.

MLB Pipeline also has Anderson ranked as the top left-handed pitching prospect in all of baseball after the former third overall pick from LSU went 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 135:13 K:BB in 93 1/3 innings across 18 starts at Double-A Arkansas this year before getting the call to the Show. Anderson, who is already rostered in nearly 60% of Yahoo leagues, can absolutely be a difference-maker for fantasy pitching staffs in the final month of the regular season in September, and he will have a plus second matchup as a member of the M's this weekend in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Scoop him up now if you need starting pitching help.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Closer/Reliever Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Week 23 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:

• Joey Pollizze's waiver wire pickups (Premium)
• The Cut List: Time to let go? Who to consider dropping
• Hitter Streamer- Fantasy Baseball Hitter Pickups
• Eric Cross' Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23
• FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23
• Starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23
• 7 Must-Add waiver wire pickups for Week 23

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 Walker Jenkins, Kade Anderson, Kaelen Culpepper, Angel Genao, Ty France, Mickey Moniak, Andrew Painter, Jackson Jobe, Christian Scott, Spencer Jones, Grifiin Conine, Mason Montgomery, Zach Thornton, Spencer Jones, Henry Bolte, Ben Joyce, Dominic Canzone, Cam Smith, Rafael Flores Jr., Zac Veen, Elvis Alvarado, Clayton Beeter, and Seaver King. 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: Walker Jenkins, Kade Anderson, Kaelen Culpepper, Angel Genao, Ty France, Mickey Moniak, Andrew Painter, Jackson Jobe, Christian Scott, Spencer Jones, Grifiin Conine, Mason Montgomery, Zach Thornton, Spencer Jones, Henry Bolte, Ben Joyce, Dominic Canzone, Cam Smith, Rafael Flores Jr., Zac Veen, Elvis Alvarado, Clayton Beeter, and Seaver King.