RotoBaller Staff Roundtable - Waiver Wire Pickups: Fantasy Baseball Week 18

July 25, 2026

RotoBaller staff's fantasy baseball Week 18 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire hitter, pitcher, and closer targets from Mike, Eric, Joey, and Marty.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to another staff roundtable ahead of Week 18 of the fantasy season. As always, we will spotlight our top waiver wire targets from members of our fantasy baseball staff, including Eric Cross, Joey Pollizze, Mike Carter, and Marty Tallman.

This week, we will look at several emerging hitters, including a corner infielder in Colorado and two emerging saves targets, including a sneaky stash target in the Bay Area.

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

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado is having a strong bounce-back campaign at the plate. Arenado is batting .250 with 14 home runs, 19 doubles, 48 RBI, and three stolen bases across 97 games this year. His offensive numbers have been even better in July, as the veteran is slashing .283/.368/.600 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 17 games this month.

Nolan Arenado is the 297th member of the 2,000-hit club. pic.twitter.com/OeJNNucCKi

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 21, 2026

Fantasy managers should ride this hot streak from Arenado until the wheels fall off. Most of his metrics are up from last year, including his barrel rate (7.5%), launch angle sweet-spot rate (36.9%), and pull air rate (26.7%). If you are in need of some third base help, the eight-time All-Star is a cheap pickup off waivers this weekend.

- Joey Pollizze

Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Garrett Mitchell has one of the most interesting and peculiar profiles in baseball. He stands out in so many areas, headlined by his quality of contact metrics, chase and walk rates, and his elite speed. But on the other hand, Mitchell's contact and strikeout rates are among the worst marks in baseball. But there's a bright side here.

Garrett Mitchell is on a HEATER

440 FT for the lead ❕ https://t.co/4gfXfszM6F pic.twitter.com/a3W1F6t4IA

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 17, 2026

Since the beginning of June, Mitchell's contact and strikeout rates haven't been terrible. In his 43 games since June 1, Mitchell has slashed .326/.378/.549 with 13 doubles, five home runs, 20 RBI, and 24 runs scored. But more importantly, Mitchell has trimmed the strikeout rate to 27.6% with an 82% zone contact rate and 67% overall contact rate.

If Mitchell can maintain this recent level of strikeout and contact rates, he could really provide some decent fantasy value over the final two months of the season.

- Eric Cross

Tommy Edman, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

There are a handful of players every year who always seem to wiggle their way into my waiver wire articles at some point during the season. Tommy Edman is one of those players. While his time on the field has been wildly sporadic over the last few years, Edman has still shown he can be a fantasy-viable player in between the IL stints.

In 100 plate appearances this season after making his debut on June 17, that has once again been the case with Edman slashing .360/.439/.535 with nine extra-base hits, two home runs, two steals, 17 RBI, and 16 runs scored.

While Edman might not be the same player he used to be, there's still plenty to like under the hood. Edman makes plenty of contact and keeps the strikeout rate in check, currently sporting an 87.5% zone contact rate, 78.1% overall contact, and an 18% strikeout rate. Edman is also hitting the ball a bit harder this season with a career-best 42.9% hard-hit rate, 90.5 mph AVG EV, and 8.6% hard-hit rate.

Edman can do a little of everything, is in a great lineup, and can be plugged in at several positions in your fantasy lineup.

- Eric Cross

Victor Mesa Jr., OF, Tampa Bay Rays

As someone who covers prospects as well, I never thought Victor Mesa Jr. would be in one of my waiver wire articles, but he's earned it with his performance of late. In 52 plate appearances this month, Mesa is slashing .261/.327/.609 with five home runs and three stolen bases. All five of those home runs have come in his last 12 games, and he homered in three straight games from July 18 to July 20.

This once hyped prospect might have never ascended to elite prospect ranks as some people expected, but there's still some solid tools here that make him somewhat intriguing for fantasy purposes.

In his 123 plate appearances with the Rays this season, Mesa has recorded an 11.3% barrel rate, 38.8% hard-hit rate, and around average contact metrics. He's also an above-average runner who is walking 11.4% of the time with a contact rate above 74% against all three pitch types.

The Rays always seem to mix and match their lineups based on matchups, but Mesa has been playing close to every day for them lately, starting all but one game since the All-Star break. In deeper leagues, there's certainly some appeal here.

- Eric Cross

Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers has been a solid fantasy option since returning from injury two weeks ago. Jeffers spent a little under two months recovering from a left hamate bone fracture. He was eventually activated from the injured list on July 10 and is slashing .231/.310/.538 with two home runs, two doubles, and six RBI over his last seven games.

Ryan Jeffers gets the @Twins started with a blast! pic.twitter.com/rb72qUzLJj

— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2026

Jeffers has wasted no time making an impact in his return. He has a hit in six of those seven games and a home run in two of his last five contests. The Twins catcher was also a consistent fantasy option before his injury in mid-May. The 29-year-old had a .295 batting average with seven home runs and 26 RBI in his first 37 games.

- Joey Pollizze

Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

At the risk of sounding redundant, Joshua Baez is still the No. 1 hitting prospect to stash in redraft leagues. While he has cooled off a bit recently, he's still slashing .241/.315/.555 with 29 home runs and 15 stolen bases across 391 plate appearances.

The strikeout rate is still higher than you'd like to see, but when he makes contact, it's a sight to behold. The underlying metrics are just as impressive.

Baez is barreling the ball 19.4% of the time, and his 114.1 mph max exit velocity would rank among the 35 hardest-hit balls in the majors this season. So when should we expect his promotion?

Mid-August feels like the latest, but there's a good chance it happens even sooner. FanGraphs currently gives the Cardinals just a 19.8% chance of making the playoffs, which puts them in position to be sellers at the trade deadline.

There aren't many obvious position players to move, but veteran outfielder Lars Nootbaar continues to pop up in trade rumors. Nolan Gorman is another name that could be dealt.

Even if Baez isn't promoted by the Aug. 3 trade deadline, he should be up just a few weeks later as long as he stays healthy.

He's worth stashing in all 15-team leagues right now, and once he's called up, he'll be close to a must-roster player in every fantasy format.

- Marty Tallman

Ty France, 1B, San Diego Padres

With the recent home run barrage by Esmerlyn Valdez, it appears that the home run surge for Ty France has flown under the radar. France has smacked six home runs in his last nine games and 10 in his last 26 games, dating back to June 19. For the season, France is now up to 16 longballs in 261 plate appearances with a .275/.331/.547 slash line.

Ty France brings the @Padres back within a run in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/Qm8r6U3NLl

— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2026

Are we seeing a late-career surge from France with the Padres? It certainly seems like we are. We haven't seen France even flirt with 20 home runs since his 20-homer season back in 2022, but he's only four dingers away with more than two months of the season still to be played. Given his current quality of contact metrics, I feel pretty good about him reaching that plateau this season.

Through his first 176 batted balls this season, France has posted a career-best 12.6% barrel rate, 92.4 mph AVG EV, and 50% hard-hit rate. Not only are all three of those metrics career-best marks, but they're head and shoulders above France's previous career highs.

It also helps that France's pull rate and pull-air rate have both jumped around 8% from last season. If you need a corner infielder, I'd give France a long look if he's available in your league(s).

- Eric Cross

Kyle Karros, 3B, Colorado Rockies

I'm not one to double-dip with a player in my waiver wire articles often, but Kyle Karros remains rostered in far too few leagues, currently sitting at a 20% roster rate in Yahoo leagues. In his 33 games since June 12, Karros is slashing a stellar .320/.421/.602 with 15 extra-base hits, six home runs, and nearly as many walks (15) as strikeouts (22).

Yet, his contributions continue to fly under the radar. This isn't even a home/road thing, as we've seen with other Rockies hitters, as Karros has more home runs on the road (five) than at home (four).

Many of Karros' metrics under the hood have been solid as well. He's currently rocking an 8.5% barrel rate, 89.7 mph AVG EV, and 43.3% hard-hit rate with an 87.8% zone and 75.3% overall contact rate. Karros is also better than league-average in the walk, strikeout, and chase rate departments. The one area we can nitpick is his metrics against breaking balls and offspeed pitches, but Karros absolutely mashes fastballs.

Yes, the profile isn't loud or flashy, but Karros has been hitting well for over a month now and is a worthwhile target if you need a corner infielder right now.

- Eric Cross

Joey Ortiz, 3B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz is another player on this list who fantasy managers should ride with until the wheels fall off. Ortiz is batting .338 with four home runs, four doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and three stolen bases over his last 23 games. He has raised his batting average by 41 points during this stretch and is emerging as a reliable fantasy option.

Ortiz won't be hitting this well forever, but he's a good short-term pickup. He has provided a little bit of everything in the last few weeks and just recently went 3-for-3 with one double, one triple, two RBI, and one stolen base in Wednesday's series finale against the Mets. His hot streak makes him a sneaky pickup in most 15+ team leagues and some 12+ team leagues.

- Joey Pollizze

Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Zac Thornton, SP, New York Mets

New York Mets starting pitcher Zac Thornton is the best pitcher waiver wire pickup of the week. Thornton has thrown the ball well in each of his last two starts in the big leagues. He threw seven shutout innings with five strikeouts against the Red Sox on July 12 and threw six scoreless innings with two strikeouts against the Brewers in his most recent outing on July 21.

Given the way Thornton has thrown the ball lately, he should be added in most 12+ team leagues at this point in the year. He has a solid Pitching Run Value, strong Fastball Run Value, a 31.5% chase rate, and a 6.9% walk rate across 23 1/3 innings pitched.  His spot in the rotation seems to be secured as well, especially since Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes could be moved at the trade deadline.

- Joey Pollizze

Keider Montero, SP/RP, Detroit Tigers

There aren't many arms I'm super excited about this week, but Keider Montero is a sneaky target this week. In 106 innings this season, Montero has posted a solid 3.14 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, while only walking 5.3% of the batters he's faced. But at the same time, Montero once again has a below-average strikeout rate at 18.6%, which is nearly identical to his strikeout rate in 2024 and 2025.

Detroit Tigers' pitcher Keider Montero rejoined the starting rotation after throwing in relief in 5 previous games. Montero pitched well (5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO, 1 HR) across 81 pitches against the Cubs, supported by a 17.3% swinging-strike rate and a 33% ball rate.… pic.twitter.com/5M3X2F2IV6

— Corbin (@corbin_young21) July 23, 2026

With that said, Montero has been striking out batters at a higher clip over his last three outings, combining for 18 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. He's been going to his slider more this month and has been generating more whiffs with his changeup, which certainly helps. If Montero can just be a league-average strikeout-rate arm moving forward while maintaining decent ratios, he could push borderline top-50 SP value over the remainder of the season.

There's a chance he moves back into a bulk reliever role later in the season if everyone comes back healthy in Detroit's rotation, but we're a ways off from that happening.

- Eric Cross

Robert Gasser, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Robert Gasser has pitched much better than his season numbers. His expected ERA (3.86) is 105 points lower than his actual ERA (4.91), and his recent numbers should give fantasy managers some optimism about him moving forward. The southpaw has allowed three runs or fewer in five of his last six starts.

Outside of a seven-run clunker against the Pirates before the All-Star break, Gasser has been sharp on the mound recently. He just threw five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts against the Marlins. The Brewers left-hander should also have a spot in this rotation moving forward, with Brandon Woodruff out for the season and Kyle Harrison currently on the IL.

- Joey Pollizze

Quinn Mathews, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

Quinn Mathews is a 6-foot-5 left-hander who has piled up 418 strikeouts across 327 1/3 minor league innings. This season at Triple-A, he owns a 29% strikeout rate, a 4.27 xERA, and a 1.16 WHIP.

Quinn Mathews is through five hitless innings with just one walk. His scoreless streak is up to 17.1 innings. pic.twitter.com/QHFrx2HG3n

— Kareem Haq (@KareemSSN) July 19, 2026

Mathews' arsenal is built around a fastball that sits around 95 mph and touches 98. The pitch plays even better than the radar gun suggests thanks to his extension and deceptive arm slot. His best offering, however, is his changeup.

It features excellent arm-speed deception, generating plenty of whiffs and weak ground balls while giving him a reliable weapon against right-handed hitters. Scouts consistently grade it as a plus pitch.

His slider has also taken a step forward since turning pro. Thrown in the mid-80s, it has become an effective weapon against left-handed hitters.

He rounds out his mix with a curveball that he often uses early in counts to steal strikes, and he has recently added a two-seam fastball to generate more ground balls and give hitters another fastball shape to account for.

The biggest question surrounding Mathews is his command. His 14.1% walk rate this season is an improvement over last year's 17.5% mark at Triple-A, but it's still well above where it needs to be.

Major league hitters are less likely to chase pitches out of the zone, making it easy to envision shorter outings if the walks continue.

There is reason for optimism, though. Tampa Bay Rays starter Joe Boyle dealt with similar command issues in the minors before making meaningful improvements in the majors.

While the two pitchers aren't direct comparisons, it shows that command can improve with major league coaching and experience. As things stand, there isn't an obvious opening in the Cardinals' rotation, but that could change quickly.

FanGraphs currently gives St. Louis just a 24% chance of reaching the postseason, and the club entered the season focused on getting younger and reducing payroll.

If the Cardinals continue to slide in the standings, veteran starter Dustin May remains a logical trade candidate, with reports already linking him to the rumor mill.

If that happens, Mathews could find himself in the rotation shortly after the trade deadline.

His strikeout upside makes him an excellent stash in 15-team leagues, and once he's promoted, he should be on the radar in all 12-team formats.

-Marty Tallman

Jordan Romano, RP, Colorado Rockies

I expect people to roll their eyes when they read this, but Romano has done the job when called upon in Colorado. Look, I know we can't ignore how bad he was in April. But any guy who has a chance to get saves on any roster is someone we need to take a look at seriously, especially in deep leagues.

I recognize this is an infinitesimal sample size, but he's been fine since landing on the Rockies' roster. Romano got the last save chance here on Tuesday, and he converted it. In nine innings for the Rockies, he has three saves and a better 3.72 ERA with a 26.3% K%. Watch this one carefully.

- Mike Carter

Erik Miller, RP, San Francisco Giants

Given the current struggles of current closer Caleb Kilian, Miller is in the mix for saves for San Francisco. Miller has pitched well when available all season, with two wins, two saves, a 32% K%, and a decent 3.07 ERA.

Check out Miller's Statcast page below. He is everything you would like to see in a closer, except that he is left-handed. Kilian took another loss on Monday night, and Sam Hentges and Keaton Winn blew the game on Tuesday and Wednesday. Why not give Miller a chance?

- Mike Carter

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