Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 26 (Hitters and Pitchers)

September 20, 2026

Updated fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 26 of the 2026 MLB season. These are free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

The 2026 MLB season comes to an end next week. Let's hoist the hardware together and secure those fantasy baseball championships. At RotoBaller HQ, we write up our final waiver wire rankings article of the season with our fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 26 (September 21 - September 27) of the 2026 MLB season. The waiver wire rankings below prioritize which hitters and pitchers to add off the waiver wire based on the roster percentage of Yahoo! Fantasy leagues. Thank you for following along with us all season! 

This week, we did not see any top prospects promoted to the big leagues. As always, there are injuries to monitor. Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right calf strain. Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker was removed from Saturday's game against the Giants after fouling a pitch off his lower right leg. Rangers right-hander Cal Quantrill was removed from Saturday's game with right lat 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 Josue De Paula, Thomas Saggese, Ty France, Kodai Senga, Ryan Johnson, Garrett Mitchell, Coby Mayo, Connor Prielipp, Jonah Cox, 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

Top names to add include Jeff McNeil, Josue De Paula, Jared Jones, Thomas Saggese, and Dominic Canzone. We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar:

Jeff McNeil, Athletics

Across 495 plate appearances in 2026, Athletics second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil is hitting .265/.312/.365 with eight home runs, 54 RBI, 49 runs scored, and eight stolen bases. The 34-year-old does not profile as a power source, as he's logged a tiny 1.8% barrel rate this year. However, McNeil has struck out in just 11.3% of his plate appearances. The veteran lefty has been a high-end source of batting average in the second half of the season, hitting .333 across 190 plate appearances since the All-Star break.

He's also moved into a prominent spot in the banged-up A's lineup, batting second in each of his last 11 games played. Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, McNeil profiles as an under-the-radar source of batting average and run production for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

Josue De Paula, Los Angeles Dodgers

Across 19 plate appearances since making his MLB debut on September 11, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder/designated hitter Josue De Paula is hitting .250 with one home run, seven RBI, six runs scored, and one stolen base. While the 21-year-old has just two hits in his first five big-league games, he's drawn five walks while striking out just twice. De Paula was having an absolutely ridiculous season at Double-A Tulsa before getting called up, slashing .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs, 104 RBI, 106 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases across 588 plate appearances.

With Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) currently on the injured list, De Paula appears to be in line for everyday playing time in Los Angeles. Heading into the final few weeks of the 2026 season, De Paula's massive five-category upside makes him a must-add player in leagues where he remains available on the waiver wire.

Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates

Across 90 2/3 innings (19 starts) in 2026, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones has recorded a 4-6 record with a 4.17 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 119 strikeouts. After missing the first two-plus months of the 2026 season while working his way back from an elbow injury, Jones allowed 16 earned runs across his first 25 innings pitched following his return. However, the 25-year-old has been lights out lately. Across 18 innings (three starts) in September, Jones has pitched to a 1.50 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and two wins.

Across 55 2/3 innings since the All-Star break, Jones has posted an excellent 29.7% strikeout rate while keeping his walk rate to a manageable 8.5%. When the hard-throwing righty is healthy and has full command of his arsenal, Jones carries high-end fantasy upside. In any league where he remains on the waiver wire, Jones should be a priority target for fantasy managers ahead of his final appearances of the 2026 season.

Thomas Saggese, St. Louis Cardinals

Across 149 plate appearances in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals utility man Thomas Saggese is hitting .267/.315/.407 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old's strikeout rate remains slightly elevated at 24.8%, but it's still an improvement on the 28.1% mark he posted in 2025. Saggese also brings solid underlying contact metrics, as he's logged a 9.9% barrel rate and 43.6% hard-hit rate.

With Cardinals middle infielders Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt both missing time at the start of September, Saggese has been playing an everyday role in St. Louis at either second base or shortstop in recent weeks. Wetherholt returned to the Cardinals on Wednesday, which could affect Saggese's playing-time outlook. Still, Saggese's ability to play both the outfield and third base should allow him to stay in his team's lineup on a near-everyday basis. With his balanced profile and multi-positional eligibility, Saggese profiles as a useful deep-league waiver wire addition.

Dominic Canzone, Seattle Mariners

Across 492 plate appearances in 2026, Seattle Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone is hitting .259/.331/.482 with 22 home runs, 70 RBI, 57 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The lefty slugger opened the year as a big-side platoon bat, but he's held his own against left-handed pitching this season with an .833 OPS. As a result, Canzone has worked his way into everyday playing time in the heart of the Mariners lineup.

The 29-year-old's underlying contact metrics support his production, with a 12.1% barrel rate and a 44.8% hard-hit rate. He's also limited his swing-and-miss, logging a manageable 21.5% strikeout rate. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Canzone profiles as a steady source of power and run production for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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 26 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 26
• FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 26
• Starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 26
• 7 Must-Add waiver wire pickups for Week 26

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 Josue De Paula, Thomas Saggese, Ty France, Kodai Senga, Ryan Johnson, Garrett Mitchell, Coby Mayo, Connor Prielipp, Jonah Cox, A.J. Ewing, Max Clark, Cole Carrigg, Quinn Mathews, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Canzone, Jared Jones, Victor Mesa Jr., Jackson Jobe, Rico Garcia, Jake Bennett, Hayden Wesneski, Andrew Painter, Kade Anderson, Grant Taylor, Anthony Volpe, Leo Bernal, and Cam Smith. 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: Josue De Paula, Thomas Saggese, Ty France, Kodai Senga, Ryan Johnson, Garrett Mitchell, Coby Mayo, Connor Prielipp, Jonah Cox, A.J. Ewing, Max Clark, Cole Carrigg, Quinn Mathews, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Canzone, Jared Jones, Victor Mesa Jr., Jackson Jobe, Rico Garcia, Jake Bennett, Hayden Wesneski, Andrew Painter, Kade Anderson, Grant Taylor, Anthony Volpe, Leo Bernal, and Cam Smith.