RotoBaller Staff Roundtable - Waiver Wire Pickups: Fantasy Baseball Week 10

May 31, 2026

RotoBaller staff's fantasy baseball Week 10 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire hitter, pitcher, and closer targets from Andy, Andersen, Will, and Nicho.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to another Staff roundtable ahead of Week 10 of the fantasy season. Below, you will see some of our top wiaver wire picks for the week, including suggestions from Andy Smith, Nicho Roessler, Andersen Pickard, and Will Brady.

This week, we will look at several post-hype players that could be on a breakout trajectory, including a former high draft pick from Washington and a starting pitcher in Chicago.

Who should we look to pick up this week? Let's dive in!

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Colt Emerson, 3B/SS, Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners third baseman Colt Emerson made his MLB debut less than two weeks ago, and he has already emerged as a must-add player on the fantasy baseball waiver wire. Through 10 games, he is slashing .258/.361/.516 with one home run, one triple, three doubles, an 11% walk rate, a 22% strikeout rate, and 152 wRC+. He has reached base in four consecutive contests, and during that span, he's hitting 6-for-14 with four extra-base hits and a pair of walks.

He hasn't given us a ton of home run power yet, but the extra-base hits are quite impressive, and we're encouraged that he can sustain his .877 OPS going forward. There are still plenty of opportunities for him to get scooped up in fantasy baseball, as he's available in 82% of leagues at the moment. Managers should prioritize adding him from the waiver wire.

- Andersen Pickard

Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals former second-overall pick Dylan Crews was a post-hype sleeper heading into the 2026 season. The former LSU standout has shown five-category upside at times, but has never enjoyed it over a full season in the majors due to injuries. However, after a modest showing in camp, the Nationals opted to send Crews to the top club in their league to finish his development.

With Triple-A Rochester, Crews showed solid upside, posting a .258/.345/.432 slash line with 10 doubles, five home runs, and seven stolen bases over a 41-game stint. This strong play earned him an early ticket back to the major leagues.

Since rejoining the Nationals, who have been among the game's top scoring offense units these seasons, Crews has posted a .242/.265/.364 line with a .638 OPS. Over this short stint, the outfielder has hit one double, one home run, and swiped one base. During these eight games, Crews has reached base safely at least one time in each game and has held a 20.6% K%, a three-point drop from his 2025 K%.

When looking under the hood, Crews remains an elite source for speed, as he sits in the 95th percentile in sprint speed. Given that he has reached safely in each contest, fantasy managers should expect his stolen base total to continue to climb over the course of the summer.

In terms of hard-hit metrics, there is not much of a strong sample to go off of, but Crews continues to swing the bat hard, even while lowering his K% and whiff rate. So far, Crews has achieved a 73.6 mph average at speed, which remains well above the average. He has maintained this mark while posting a low 21.2% whiff rate, which is on pace to be the lowest of his career.

While his 7.7% barrel rate and 30.8% hard-hit rate do not jump off the page, Crews is showing far better fundamental skills that could allow him to enjoy more consistent success in the big leagues. His speed will continue to provide him with a high floor for fantasy, and his power should gradually start to show as he grows more accustomed to MLB pitching.

We could be looking at a 15/25 contributor, which makes him a priority target for category leagues.

- Andy Smith

Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles

After suffering a fractured hamate bone in February and then suffering multiple setbacks during his rehab, Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday missed almost 50 games to start the 2026 season. Since making his return from the injured list on May 19, Holliday has hit .217/.296/.348 with one home run, four RBI, four runs scored, and three stolen bases across 27 plate appearances. While the 22-year-old hasn't exactly lit up the stat sheet yet, he's working his way back from an extended absence and should be given some time to settle in.

It's also a good sign that Holliday is three-for-three on the bases after he was caught stealing 11 times in 28 attempts in 2025. Holliday may never fully live up to the hype he received as a prospect, but he still profiles as a useful compiler with the ability to provide average-or-better production across all five traditional rotisserie scoring categories. Particularly in deeper league formats, Holliday is worth targeting on the waiver wire.

- Will Brady

Ryan Waldschimdt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Despite his higher-prospect pedigree, the former Kentucky standout remains quite under-rostered in relation to his high ceiling.

Waldschmidt was in the mix to break camp with the MLB roster, but was instead optioned to Triple-A for a brief stint. However, the outfielder did not need to wait long to earn the call after a brief 34-game stint with Reno, where he slashed .289/.400/.477 with three home runs and six stolen bases.

Since moving up to the big leagues, Waldschmidt has had a near-everyday role in the outfield, appearing in 19 games and holding a .302/.362/.413 line with five doubles and five stolen bases. However, he has primarily been in the nine-hole, which has limited his upside for continuing stats.

Fortunately, he was recently rewarded for his production, as he has been batting sixth and fifth this past week.

While the sample size is small, Waldschmidt has the profile of a hitter managers should want to pick up. The 23-year-old has ranked in the 88th percentile for sprint speed and posted a strong .264 xBA. He has also made effective contact with the ball, as evidenced by his 57.1% LA Sweet-Spot%, and has shown a strong eye, chasing pitches at a low rate of 19.7%.

As he continues to climb in the batting order, Waldschmidt should see his counting stats increase. Like Crews, Waldschmidt has five-category potential, which makes him a priority target in all standard leagues.

- Andy Smith

Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Guardians' No. 1 prospect and MLB's 13th-ranked overall prospect, Travis Bazzana, is breaking out in a big way since his call-up to the big league club back on April 28. Over the past month, Bazzana has slashed .302/.407/.458 with three home runs, 12 runs scored, 11 RBI, and seven stolen bases. Additionally, he has been batting leadoff against right-handed pitchers of late with the slumping Steven Kwan, which only should improve what he is already showcasing.

He is displaying his upside by producing across all major fantasy categories. Bazzana, who is 23 years old and a former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Bazzana, if available on your waiver wire, should be picked up, as he is approaching must-start territory.

My goodness 😳

Travis Bazzana sends one to the second deck 😮 pic.twitter.com/8DSqCx5iDP

— MLB (@MLB) May 24, 2026

- Nicho Roessler

Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers

Across 211 plate appearances so far this season, Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung is hitting .307/.365/.474 with six home runs, 22 RBI, 24 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 28-year-old's biggest barrier to success to this point in his career has been health, as he's never played more than 131 games or logged more than 515 plate appearances in a season. However, Jung has managed to stay on the field in 2026 and has established himself as a fixture in the heart of the Rangers' lineup. Jung has also drastically altered his approach at the plate, cutting his strikeout rate from 25.2% in 2025 to 14.7% so far this year.

While Jung's improved contact rate makes his .307 batting average more believable, he's seemingly willingly sacrificing power. His current barrel rate of 6.2% is the worst mark of his career and may make it difficult for him to reach 20 homers, even if he stays healthy the rest of the way. Still, Jung has been an impact bat in 2026 and should continue to rack up counting stats as long as he stays on the field. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Jung profiles as a viable waiver wire target.

- Will Brady

JJ Bleday, OF, Cincinnati Reds

After a dominant power binge, the Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday has hit a cold streak, which has brought him nearly to the 40% roster-ship mark on Yahoo. However, savvy managers take advantage of his slump and view him as a top waiver wire target ahead of Week 10.

Prior to his last 10 games, where Bleday posted a .175/.244/.275 slash line ( with just one home run), Bleday was a borderline top-10 hitter in fantasy, holding a dominant .245/.465/.776 line with five doubles, six home runs, and one stolen base over his first 17 games of the campaign. Even though he has hit a bit of a skid at the dish, his underlying metrics suggest he should soon return to his early level of play.

Currently, the 28-year-old boasts a .403 xwOBA, .282 xBA, and a .534 xSLG, all of which are well above the average marks of qualified hitters. Additionally, Bleday is making loud contact with the baseball, generating a remarkable 47.4% hard-hit rate with a 13.0% barrel rate.

While striking the ball hard is important, hitting with an optimized swing can elevate a hitter's power projection to a new level. Fortunately, Bleday has begun to truly improve his swing, which will only boost his home run production in a hitter's paradise like Cincinnati. Per Baseball Savant, Bleday holds a 29.5% Pull AIR%, which is one of the highest in the sport.

Additionally, the outfielder continues to show a strong eye at the dish, drawing walks at a 14.7% rate and striking out at a low 18.1% rate. This is just a minor slump, and his underlying marks suggest he should quickly return to form.

JJ Bleday CRUSHES one out near the Shea Bridge 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/dkvdsHBMOi

— MLB (@MLB) May 25, 2026

- Andy Smith

Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper has continued to showcase high upside at Triple-A St. Paul and enters Week 10 as the primary hitting prospect to stash. Culpepper spent his 2025 season splitting time between High-A and Double-A, which earned him a ticket to the top cub to open the 2026 campaign. However, despite not taking a single Triple-A at-bat prior to the 2026 campaign, Culpepper has done more than hold his own, posting a .246/.349/.462 line with an .811 OPS over his first 48 contests.

During this stretch, Culpepper has tallied nine doubles, gone deep 11 times, and swiped 12 bags. Currently, the Twins have lacked much consistent production in parts of their infield, especially at the shortstop position. Given how comfortable Culpepper has looked at the top club, fantasy managers should expect the Twins to call his name in the immediate future. His five-category potential makes him a must-stash candidate in all formats.

- Andy Smith

Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox starter Payton Tolle has solidified himself as a key rotation piece for the team, and in doing so, he has also emerged as a high-priority waiver wire target for fantasy baseball managers. Tolle started the year in Triple-A, but he was called up in late April and has been terrific since then. Across seven big-league starts, he owns a 2.66 ERA, 2.19 xERA, 10.02 K/9, 2.40 BB/9, and 0.65 HR/9. His ground-ball rate is a modest 34%, but that's close to his career average in the minors, and we're not concerned about it because his HR/9 rate is low.

Strikeouts have always been one of Tolle's strengths, and he has put that on display lately. He has 16 strikeouts over his last 10.2 innings of work. He is also 1-0 over his last three starts, as well as 2-1 over his last five starts. With a high strikeout rate, low walk rate, low home run rate, and low ERA -- as well as an ability to pitch deep into games -- Tolle is a must-add name on the waiver wire. The lefty is available in 44% of leagues, and he ranks as the #46 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

- Andersen Pickard

Ben Brown, SP, Chicago Cubs

Brown began the season as a reliever but has since found a role in the starting rotation with Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera both on the shelf. Since May 8 (his last four games), Brown has been given the starting nod and done more than hold his own, posting a 1.89 ERA with a stellar 0.95 WHIP.

Over these 19 frames, the right-hander has struck out 23 hitters, walking only six. However, he has only gone five innings or deeper in each of his last two starts, which has kept him from being in a position to win many of them.

Despite his workload gradually increasing, managers should look to target Brown ahead of a potential breakout. The 26-year-old carries some very impressive underlying metrics, which suggest he could be on a post-hype breakout trajectory this season.

Per Baseball Savant, the right-hander has carried a 2.87 xERA and a .215 xBA, both of which place him in the 79th percentile or higher. Overall, Brown has generated an above-average 26.4% K% with a 29.3% whiff rate.

In terms of batted-ball metrics, the right-hander has generated an elite 53.4% ground-ball rate while limiting barrels to 6.0%. Given Chicago's injuries, Brown should time in the starting rotation for the foreseeable future and will continue to see his value soar as he builds up his workload.

- Andy Smith

River Ryan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan turned in another stellar effort at Triple-A Oklahoma City and is on the verge of joining the MLB roster. On Thursday evening, Ryan turned in his best showing of the campaign, tossing a season-high six frames with one run (unearned run) with only four hits, no walks, and a season-high eight punchouts.

Since returning from the 7-day injured list, Ryan has made three starts and logged 15 innings with a 0.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, and a 19:1 K:BB. With both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the injured list on the MLB roster, Ryan could provide some much-needed depth to this pitching staff. Given his current production and clear path to a role, Ryan should be viewed as the top pitching prospect to stash in all formats.

Ryan has been near the top of my prospect stash rankings for a few weeks now. Feel like the promotion could happen any day now... https://t.co/om2XIpIwhJ

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) May 29, 2026

- Andy Smith

Jared Jones, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

This may be your last chance to pick up Jared Jones. After opening the season on the injured list and missing the entire 2025 campaign, the young right-hander made his long-awaited season debut on Friday evening.

Jones has been on the shelf since undergoing an internal brace procedure in March of 2025. However, as he progressed in his recovery in the minor leagues this season, the right-hander flashed just as much upside as he did as a rookie.

Through 18 2/3 innings of rehab work between levels, Jones held a 2.89 ERA with a strong 1.02 WHIP. During this recovery stint, Jones struck out an impressive 24 hitters while showing elite command, walking only six batters.

In 2024, Jones logged 121 2/3 innings with a 4.14 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. However, he deserved better outcomes, as shown in his 3.97 xERA. Given his above-average strikeout potential (26.2% K% in 2024) and solid command, Jones is primed to emerge as an immediate fantasy contributor.

Even though Jones endured some growing pains in his debut, allowing five runs and seven hits to the Twins, his upside remains just as high.

- Andy Smith

Hunter Greene, SP, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) threw a bullpen on Tuesday, which was the first time throwing off the mound since he underwent elbow surgery in mid-March to remove bone chips from his right elbow. This was a positive first step in his eventual return to the mound, albeit still multiple weeks away, but an elite arm worth stashing on your IL spot if you have it available.

Greene possesses elite upside, so if your roster configuration can afford to grab him now, he provides league-winner upside down the stretch, especially for teams comfortably at the top of their standings that can afford to roster a high-upside player and one less bench spot. Entering the 2026 season, Greene was a consensus top-20 starting pitcher and is coming off back-to-back seasons with a sub-3 ERA and north of 27.7 percent strikeout rate. Greene, who is 26 years old, should be entering his prime, but has been repeatedly slowed by injuries throughout his career.

He is one of the most electric arms in the game when healthy. Once he returns, he will immediately be slotted at the top of the Reds' rotation to go along with young stars Chase Burns and Nick Lodolo.

- Nicho Roessler

Tanner Scott, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers

After logging 23 saves in 2025, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott began the 2026 season in a setup role. However, with Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz (elbow) currently on the 60-day injured list as he recovers from elbow surgery, Scott has re-emerged as a ninth-inning option for Los Angeles. The 31-year-old's overall production has been excellent as well, as he's pitched to a 1.19 ERA and 0.62 WHIP with 27 strikeouts and four saves across 22 2/3 innings.

Scott has seen some usage in the seventh and eighth innings even since Diaz hit the injured list, so fantasy managers should not expect a full-on closer workload. Still, Scott is a dominant reliever and the most likely option in the Dodgers bullpen to log saves for the time being, making him a priority waiver wire target across all league formats.

- Will Brady

Kyle Finnegan, RP, Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Kyle Finnegan should have a chance to be a good source of save opportunities in the short-term, with 38-year-old Kenley Jansen (groin) landing on the injured list on Thursday with a lower-body injury. Although Finnegan's 1.75 ERA looks good on the surface, his ERA estimators all support that he has been very lucky, as evidenced by his 4.38 xERA, 5.13 FIP, and 5.99 SIERA. The discrepancy between his underlying data and surface stats is too wide to assume that regression isn't coming.

He also owns a 1.56 WHIP, which is not good, and he is walking batters at a 17.6 percent clip with a 13.9 percent strikeout rate. All that to say, he does have a lot of closing experience with 113 career saves over seven MLB seasons, and all fantasy managers need from him is to lock down those saves in the ninth inning to get a point in that category. During a season where saves have been hard to come by, fantasy managers in formats where they are desperate for saves will want to take a look at Finnegan, only while Jansen is sidelined.

- Nicho Roessler

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