RotoBaller Staff Roundtable - Waiver Wire Pickups: Fantasy Baseball Week 11

June 6, 2026

RotoBaller staff's fantasy baseball Week 11 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire hitter, pitcher, and closer targets from Andy, Eric, Frank, and Keith.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to another Staff roundtable ahead of Week 11 of the fantasy season. Below, you will see some of our top wiaver wire picks for the week, including suggestions from Eric Cross, Andy Smith, Frank Ammirante, and Keith Hernandez.

This week, we will look at several recently promoted prospects who are enjoying a hot start to their MLB careers and share a few options for those looking to bolster their save total.

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

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets

How in the world is Carson Benge only rostered in one-third of Yahoo leagues? The rookie outfielder started the season slowly, but hit .306 with a .375 OBP in 120 May plate appearances, and already has two home runs and one stolen base so far in June. Overall, Benge is now up to a .252/.317/.381 slash line with 31 runs, six home runs, and 10 steals in 230 plate appearances, putting him on pace to exceed 80 runs, 15 home runs, and 25 steals.

First career multi-homer game for Benge 💪 pic.twitter.com/EsOHLpWY17

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 3, 2026

There's plenty to like under the hood as well. Benge is above-average in both contact and quality of contact, currently running a 10% barrel rate, 90.2 mph AVG EV, 45% hard-hit rate, 87% zone contact rate, and a 78.6% overall contact rate. He's also an above-average defender with an 84th percentile sprint speed. The profile backs up Benge's full-season pace I mentioned above, and he absolutely should be rostered in more leagues than he currently is.

- Eric Cross

Joc Pederson, UTL, Texas Rangers

I did a deeper dive on Joc Pederson in my five bargain hitters piece earlier this week, but his current production has put him firmly in the "must-add" status.

During the 2025 season, Pederson was a major disappointment in fantasy, posting a rough .181/.285/.328 slash line with a modest .613 OPS. During this campaign (96 games), the slugger went deep just nine times with a low 28.4% LA Sweet-Spot%. Given his lack of lackluster showing, Pederson was not even guaranteed an everyday spot in the Texas lineup heading into 2026.

While his sluggish play lingered into April, he has carried a .225/.341/.324 line over his first 29 contests, the slugger has begun to rekindle his 2024 form, which has put him back on the fantasy radar. Over his last 29 games, the 34-year-old has held a .274/.382/.583 slash line with six doubles, six home runs, and an elite 18:15 K:BB.

While this may seem like an outlier given his play for nearly an entire calendar year, Pederson has taken major strides this season, which suggests he can maintain this pace.

Currently, the slugger boasts a .352 xwOBA with a strong 91.6 mph average exit velocity, 47.1% hard-hit rate, and a 35.3% LA Sweet-Spot%, all of which are above the average marks. Even while raising his power metrics, Pederson has drawn walks at a 14.4% rate (91st percentile) and struck out at a low 20.7% rate, both of which are improvements from his 2025 marks.

The other note to monitor on his profile is his high-end 22.7% Pull AIR%, which has allowed him to tap into his raw power despite playing in a pitcher-friendly home park.

The recent bump to the leadoff spot is going to keep his counting stats high for standard leagues, and his elite walk rate keeps his floor high in points leagues. Those needing power should target Pederson with confidence.

HOME RUN — Joc Pederson (#Rangers) (HR #8 this season)
Off: Lucas Erceg (#Royals)
Inning: Bot 9
Score: Kansas City Royals 6, Texas Rangers 5
108.0 mph EV | 367 ft | 19.0° LA
Pederson’s 8th homer this season, 108 mph off Erceg, puts us on board. pic.twitter.com/mbDu09G6Hg

— Daniel Mael (@DanielMael) May 31, 2026

- Andy Smith

Edwin Arroyo, SS, Cincinnati Reds

The major prospect call-up of the week was Cincinnati Reds infielder Edwin Arroyo. In the corresponding move, the Reds placed superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz on the 10-day IL, which not only opened a spot on the roster for Arroyo but also a clear path to at-bats. Since his debut this week, Arroyo has appeared in three games (two starts) and has seen time at both the keystone and shortstop.

In this limited taste, Arroyo has gone 1-for-8 with six strikeouts and one run. While he has yet to contribute much, managers should not wait to pick him up this weekend.

Earlier in the season at Triple-A, Arroyo was showcasing five-category appeal, posting a .323/.383/.562 line with nine doubles, 11 home runs, and nine stolen bases over a 53-game stint. Even though his long-term security on the MLB roster is not overly clear, if Arroyo can make the most of his first stint, the Reds will have a hard time sending him down.

Arroyo is one of the few prospects who can immediately contribute across all standard categories, which makes him a priority target.

Edwin Arroyo INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN 🏎️

The @Reds’ No. 3 prospect races around the bases for his 11th homer of the year for the Triple-A @LouisvilleBats: pic.twitter.com/sOW5wR1E95

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 30, 2026

- Andy Smith

Jung Hoo Lee, OF, San Francisco Giants

After a four-hit game on Thursday, Jung Hoo Lee is now on a 12-game hitting streak, dating back to May 13. And in his last seven games, Lee has five multi-hit games with three games of at least four hits. This hot streak has pushed Lee's season slash line up to .322/.356/.447 with 28 runs, three home runs, and 21 RBI in 55 games.

Jung Hoo Lee sets a new career high with a 12-game hit streak 👏

It's the longest active hit streak in @MLB pic.twitter.com/5WwkLol3uu

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 4, 2026

You know what you're getting with Lee. Nobody is ever going to mistake him for a masher or a burner, but the guy makes plenty of contact and scores a decent amount of runs. Lee has had a zone contact rate above 91% and an overall contact rate above 86% in each of his three major league seasons so far, including a 93.8% zone and 86.1% overall contact rate this season. If you need an outfielder or a boost in the batting average department, Lee can help with both.

- Eric Cross

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

In case you missed it, a top prospect is performing well in the majors and is available in nearly 90% of Yahoo leagues. In his first 81 plate appearances with the Giants, Bryce Eldridge has slashed .286/.370/.471 with two home runs, 10 walks, and 11 runs scored. Both of his home runs were tanks, with one finding its way into McCovey Cove.

Bryce Eldridge's metrics with the #SFGiants have been solid so far.

58.7% HH
13% BRL
93.7 mph AVG EV
86.4% Zone Contact
76.1% Contact
11.1% BB
25% K
.300 xBA
.560 xSLGpic.twitter.com/zOgiLDiGGS

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 3, 2026

But under the hood, the metrics might even be more impressive than the surface stats for Eldridge. As expected, Eldridge is impacting the ball at elite levels with an 11.5% barrel rate, 92.9 mph AVG EV, and 55.8% hard-hit rate. He's also running an impressive 86.6% zone contact rate, 77.8% overall contact rate, and a 12.3% walk rate while keeping the strikeout rate in check at 23.5%. And the best part is that the Giants have been giving him more playing time lately.

Eldridge will likely still be on the bench against a tough southpaw, as he was against Kyle Harrison on Tuesday, but he thankfully started against a lefty on both Monday and Wednesday. The power upside, solid underlying metrics, and more consistent playing time combine to make Eldridge an attractive waiver wire target this week.

- Eric Cross

Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Baez has been featured often in this column, which highlights how much I like him as a prospect. Remember, this is a hitter who put up 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases in 499 plate appearances across all minor league levels last season.

The biggest question mark is his ability to make contact, as he has a 30.8% strikeout rate so far this year. However, we saw Baez maintain a 20.6% strikeout rate in Double-A last season, so it's likely only a matter of time before he figures it out at Triple-A.

Joshua Báez, the @Cardinals' No. 3 prospect, crushes his 6th homer in the past 7 games and 17th of the season for the @memphisredbirds!

110.8 mph | 429 feet pic.twitter.com/zMbtsX5Ao0

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 3, 2026

Baez has been absolutely mashing of late, bringing his season-long slash line to .271/.350/.595 with 17 home runs and 11 stolen bases in only 237 plate appearances. This is the kind of fantasy-friendly profile that you want to bet on. There's just so much power and speed upside here.

When you look at the Cardinals' roster, you see that both left field (Bryan Torres) and center field (Victor Scott II) are pretty wide open. Even when Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church come back, you have to think that they'll want to see what they have in Baez.

That's what makes this dynamic outfielder the top hitting prospect stash right now.

- Frank Ammirante

Nick Gonzales, 2B/3B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

Not every waiver wire move has to be a possible league-winner. Some moves are simply to fill an open spot due to injury or to provide depth at certain positions. Adding Nick Gonzales falls under that umbrella. And in this case, Gonzales being eligible at three different positions is a great depth piece to have on your fantasy squads.

Obviously, we're not adding Gonzales solely because he has a few different positional abbreviations next to his name. As is the case with Lee above, Gonzales isn't going to provide much of a power or speed impact as he has just two home runs and three steals on the season, but he's also hitting .313 with a .309 xBA and is on pace for around 90 runs scored.

Getting a high average and more than 80 runs from a guy eligible at three different infield positions is a sneaky-good value play for your fantasy teams.

- Eric Cross

Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Gage Jump, SP, Athletics

The other recently promoted prospect was Gage Jump of the Athletic. While Jump did not have as much prospect pedigree as Arroyo, he is coming off the best outing of his young career and should see his roster share rise this weekend.

In his season debut, the southpaw stumbled, tossing five innings of nine hits of four-run ball with a 5:1 K:BB. However, on Monday evening, Jump looked far more comfortable, shutting down the slumping Cubs.

In this outing, the southpaw logged seven innings of one-run ball with only three hits and a similar 5:1 K:BB. Even though Jump does not have much experience in the upper minors, he has flashed elite strikeout upside, which makes him a worthy pick-up.

Jump began the 2026 season at Triple-A (his first taste of the level) and struck out an eye-catching 56 hitters over 38 innings while carrying a modest 4.47 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. During this stint, the 23-year-old served up a high 20 free passes.

While his command has been an issue during his MiLB career, his strikeout upside and clear path to remain in the rotation make him worth pursuing in all leagues.

Gage Jump, Vicious 87mph Sweeper. 😤

1st MLB K pic.twitter.com/LnvKq6NBqK

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 27, 2026

- Andy Smith

Christian Scott, SP, New York Mets

With how well he's pitched this season, it's rather surprising to see Christian Scott available in so many fantasy leagues. After missing the entire 2025 season due to injury, Scott has enjoyed a resurgent season in the Mets' rotation, posting a 2.97 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in his first seven starts.

Christian Scott's 5th and 6th Ks...and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/gOrnUSa1GD

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 7, 2026

Yes, that WHIP is a little high, but there are several positives in Scott's profile. Scott has done a phenomenal job at limiting hard contact this season with a 3.9% barrel rate and 31.6% hard-hit rate allowed. He also has a 28.1% strikeout rate, although his whiff rate is pretty middle of the road, and Scott only has one offering (that he actually uses regularly) that has a whiff rate above 30%.

He's likely going to regress a bit, but Scott is still a fantasy-viable starting pitcher moving forward who is worth a look in non-shallow leagues.

- Eric Cross

River Ryan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Ryan has not only shown elite upside at the Triple-A level but also has a clear path to the majors, given Los Angeles' numerous injuries to their MLB pitching staff.

Ryan battled some injuries early in the season at Triple-A but has since returned to action and is looking as sharp as ever. Since returning from the 7-day injured list on May 15, the right-hander has made four starts and been near-perfect (in three of them), logging 15 innings to the tune of a 0.60 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP. During this stretch, Ryan has posted a 19:1 K:BB while allowing just two runs (one earned).

More importantly, on May 28, Ryan logged a season-high six innings for Oklahoma City with eight punchouts and no walks. While the other names below him on our list have yet to reach the majors, Ryan comes with an advantage, as he has already had a stint with the Dodgers.

Ryan took the mound again on Thursday evening and hit a bit of a bump in the road, allowing four runs over six innings. However, seeing that he continued to increase his workload is a very positive sign for his outlook.

During the 2024 campaign, the No. 79-ranked prospect on MLB.com made four starts for the MLB club (20 1/3 innings) and posted a 1.33 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. While he only struck out 18 hitters in this stint, given that he is showcasing far more strikeout upside this season, fantasy managers should not be overly concerned.

Ryan would likely have been given a longer stint in the majors in 2025, but unfortunately, he missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2024.

Currently, the Dodgers are without two of their frontline starters, Blake Snell (who is on the 60-day IL) and Tyler Glasnow. While Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski have looked very comfortable in the rotation, Ryan stands as the clear "next man up" and would provide this pitching staff with some much-needed depth.

While veteran Eric Lauer was given the short-term role in the rotation, he has not enjoyed much sustained success, and given Ryan's recent production, he would provide this pitching staff with far more upside. He is a top stash target in all standard leagues ahead of Week 11.

River Ryan was 🔥🔥🔥 tonight!

6.0 IP | 4 H | 1 R | 0 ER | 0 BB | 8 K

Set a new career high in innings while matching his best in strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/41vXerJeiq

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 29, 2026

- Andy Smith

Ben Brown, SP, Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs right-hander Ben Brown has been excellent as both a reliever and starter so far in 2026 for the Cubbies, but he should be attracting more interest off the waiver wire from fantasy managers now that he's stretched out and pitching well. The 26-year-old is currently 2-2 with a 1.92 ERA (2.23 FIP) and 0.93 WHIP with 53 strikeouts and 15 walks in 51 2/3 innings pitched across 17 appearances (five starts).

He even has one save for good measure as a reliever. Since moving to a starting role on the North side in Chicago, Brown has become even more attractive in fantasy, allowing only five earned runs on 15 hits while walking seven and fanning 29 over 26 innings of work. Most recently, he went a season-high seven innings and gave up just one earned run with a walk and six K's for his second win of the season against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals on May 30.

Brown has had quality starts in each of his last two times out and continues to gain steam in what is shaping up as a breakout campaign. The best part is that he's available in just over 40% of Yahoo leagues, too. Grab him and start him this weekend against the San Francisco Giants.

- Keith Hernandez

Troy Melton, SP, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers' right-hander had a delayed start to the season due to an elbow injury. However, despite missing the first month of this season, the second-year pitcher has been near-perfect since returning to the bump.

Over his first three outings in the campaign, Melton has logged 20 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.74 ERA and a stellar 0.87 WHIP. During this three-start stretch, Melton has struck out just nine hitters but has limited base runners, walking only six batters. While it is unlikely for Melton to maintain this pace, his hot start has made him a worthy pick-up.

So far, Melton has posted a modest 4.45 xERA but has limited hard contact, posting a weak 4.7% barrel rate. The right-hander leans heavily on his four-seamer (42.0% usage) and his slider (26.0%), and while both have overperformed their underlying marks, they should still remain stable.

His slider (his No. 2 pitch) has generated a strong .211 SLG on the surface but holds a similar .302 xSLG under the hood. A pitch to monitor in his repertoire is his cutter, which is currently his No. 3 option.

So far, this fastball has generated an elite .239 xwOBA. While his four-seamer has carried a rough .381 xwOBA, his slider and cutter have helped offset this damage.

While some regression is expected, Melton is keeping runners off the basepaths (7.6% walk rate), which should help maintain this trajectory. His pitch-to-contact profile found success over his limited stint in his debut season in 2025 (45 2/3 IP with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP), and he should enjoy similar results in 2026.

He is not a top option for strikeouts, but should be a useful ratio stabilizer in all standard 12-team leagues.

- Andy Smith

Walbert Urena, SP, Los Angeles Angels

Another young starting pitcher to know ahead of Week 11 is Walbert Urena of the Angels. Urena made his MLB debut earlier this season and has been quite effective in his limited stint. Through his first 50 1/3 innings with the Angels, Urena has posted a 2.68 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. During this stretch, Urena has shown far more strikeout upside than Melton, totaling 48.

Urena relies on a primary three-pitch mix of his changeup, sinker, and four-seamer, which accounts for 85.8% of his usage. His No. 1 option, his changeup, has generated an elite .223 wOBA and could maintain this pace, given the underlying .214 xwOBA. This pitch has also been a driving force for his strikeout totals, posting an eye-catching 36.9% whiff rate.

While his sinker has struggled holding a .436 wOBA (.383 xwOBA), his four-seamer has carried a .253 wOBA with a strong 23.6% whiff rate.

Overall, the 22-year-old holds a 73rd percentile 3.29 xERA and an elite .204 xBA, which places him in the 85th percentile among qualified pitchers. Urena has developed a reliable pitch mix and should continue to see his strikeout totals rise as his 28.6% whiff rate puts him in the 74th percentile among pitchers.

Walbert Urena (@Angels) dials it up to 99 mph for his 1st Major League strikeout 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nNaOkES74H

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 26, 2026

- Andy Smith

Yoendrys Gomez, RP, Minnesota Twins

If you're looking for some saves, Yoendrys Gomez is a fine target. The 26-year-old right-hander has picked up three saves since May 10, and has a 0.59 ERA over his last 16 appearances. So don't let the surface 3.82 ERA and 1.30 WHIP fool you, as most of the damage there came in the first few weeks of the season.

With the Minnesota bullpen in flux this season, Gomez has been the most reliable arm and the arm called upon the most frequently for save situations. With that said, Gomez is only striking out batters at an underwhelming (for a reliever) 23.1% clip, and is far from a lock to remain in the role for the remainder of the season. But if you need some saves in the short term, there's a decent chance Gomez is still available in your league.

- Eric Cross

Alex Lange, RP, Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals' bullpen is worth closely monitoring for those managers needing saves. With Carlos Estevez on the injured list, Lucas Erceg slid into the closer job and enjoyed early success in this role. However, Erceg has recently begun to see his success come to an end, opening the door for Alex Lange and Daniel Lynch IV to carve out their own opportunities.

In his last six outings, Erceg served up 11 runs (10 earned) while tallying just one save with four blown saves.

On Wednesday, the changing of the guard began as the Royals turned to Alex Lange. In his first save opportunity, Lange tossed one frame with one hit, one walk, and tallied two strikeouts. Although he ran into some trouble, Lange secured the victory and earned his first save. On Thursday, Lange's role became even clearer as the Royals turned to him for his second save in as many days.

Facing the Twins, Lange once again allowed two baserunners (one hit and one walk) but escaped the jam to lock down the save.

While fantasy managers should continue to monitor Lynch's usage as he has enjoyed far more success this season (1.78 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 25 1/3 innings) in comparison to Lange's overall 4.18 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, the Royals seem to view Lynch as a setup option while Lange is in the lead to take the closer role.

Estevez could return to this role later in the season, but given his early-season struggles, Lange could remain a reliable source of saves if he maintains this trajectory.

- Andy Smith

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