Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Nick Mariano's Picks After The Draft

March 27, 2026

Nick's pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups. His top free agent starting pitcher pickups and closer/reliever pickups rostered in under 40% of leagues.

Welcome RotoBallers to our first pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups article of the season! You can see our hitter fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups as well.

With Opening Day behind us, our radars turn from finding draft values to unearthing waiver gems. Experienced fantasy baseball players know how quickly the pitching landscape can change, as even the most stacked Opening Day can be in shambles by the second week. There are also those of you who may have plenty of starters, but need to find more options to snag saves.

No matter your roster's outlook, we'll dive into Yahoo! fantasy leagues and see who is widely available to lend us an arm. The cutoff for this exercise will be around 40% rostered for today's purposes. And don't forget to follow our legendary SP Start/Sit guide throughout the year! Now, whether you're scrambling to replace Hunter Greene (elbow) and Spencer Strider (oblique) or simply want to pad your depth with high upside, let's toe the rubber. Remember that there is a time and place for "steady volume," though early waiver moves should be pursuing guys who move the needle. Respect your league's format to set the parameters for what that looks like!

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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Adds

Braxton Ashcraft (PIT, SP/RP, 39% rostered) - Ashcraft gets overshadowed by Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler, but deserves plenty of shine. Now 26, he lost much of 2019-24 to shoulder, knee, and elbow injuries, robbing him of his development window. However, he’s a force when healthy, assuming he can find the strike zone.

Last year, he had an ugly 44% first-strike rate at Triple-A, which let hitters tee off with an advantage. This went up to 57.5% in 69 2/3 IP in the bigs, which helped him to a 2.71 ERA (2.78 FIP, 3.61 SIERA) and 71 Ks. He had a hot spring as well, allowing three runs with a 16:1 K:BB over 13 1/3 IP.

Connelly Early (BOS, SP, 33%) - The Red Sox kept Early with the team after camp and is slated to start on Sunday. We saw him pitch like a buzzsaw in September 2025, striking out 29 in only 19 1/3 IP, and he has put on some weight to help push to the next level.

This is a high-ceiling fantasy profile. And if he winds up being given starting innings and it’s Oviedo who is the long reliever, then we’re even closer to his potential being realized. We'll see how they proceed as everyone gets up to speed:

It appears Red Sox plan to carry both Connelly Early and Johan Oviedo on the Opening Day roster. A twist at the end of camp designed to provide length with Ranger Suárez and Brayan Bello both a little behind due to WBC.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 23, 2026

Cody Ponce (TOR, SP) - The 2025 KBO MVP caught fire last season, cranking his velocity up to the mid-90s en route to a 17-1 record with 252 Ks and a 1.89 ERA/0.94 WHIP over 180 2/3 IP. That 30.3% K-BB% is dreamy, considering most would beg for a 30% K rate flat.

The 6-foot-6 righty has a deep arsenal at his fingertips and has only allowed one run over 13 2/3 IP this spring. He got five whiffs on 11 swings against the changeup in his latest turn against the Yanks, which is the key moving forward. Toronto’s run support should buy quite a few wins.

Andrew Painter (PHI, SP, 27%) - Painter’s elite prospect status has been taking on water from major arm injuries, but he encouraged us with upper-90s zip by mid-March. He must pitch well enough to hold onto the rotation slot when Zack Wheeler (elbow) returns, though most assume that’ll be Taijuan Walker.

Ryan Weathers (NYY, SP, 24%) - We saw his arm give out under the weight of pushing triple digits early in 2025. Now, we’ve seen him get bullied this spring, yet post a 17:3 K:BB in 12 1/3 IP between the .513 BABIP and 37.5% HR/FB rate. I believe the whiffs more than those gaudy figures.

Logan Henderson (MIL, SP, 23%) - He’s starting the season in the minors as he catches up following a brief spring delay, but do not forget the 33 Ks and 1.78 ERA/0.99 WHIP in 25 1/3 IP last year. Milwaukee has an unproven and delicate rotation, so opportunity may arise quickly.

Joey Cantillo (CLE, SP/RP, 23%) -  Can this Guardian overcome a lesser fastball thanks to his potent secondaries? Though one’s division doesn’t have as significant an impact as it used to, the AL Central is still a generally friendly spot for arms.

Grant Holmes (ATL, SP, 21%) - The Braves’ rotation appears cursed, but Holmes looks healthy after last year’s elbow fears arose. He’s another spring hero, striking out 16 over 12 ⅓ IP of scoreless ball. We love seeing the 17.3% swinging-strike rate, but don’t get attached to any .130 BABIPs.

Parker Messick (CLE, SP, 16%) - Cleveland surprised us by demoting Logan Allen and keeping Messick around to open in the rotation. The 25-year-old emphasized throwing strikes last year upon being promoted, leading to a meager 3.6% walk rate. He got hit by a .359 BABIP, with things like a .319 AVG against on the changeup versus a .204 xBA. Expect more.

Cade Cavalli (WAS, SP, 13%) - Like Painter, Cavalli is another waylaid top prospect who can push 100 mph. The offseason saw him add a turbo slurve and make other refinements, as he finally had a chance to improve in between campaigns, rather than simply rehab. In his first start, Cavalli was limited to just 75 pitches (3 2/3 innings) but managed to strike out five hitters facing a tough Chicago Cubs lineup.

Mick Abel (MIN, SP, 11%) - He twisted Minnesota’s arm with a 23:2 K:BB over 18 IP this spring, forcing his way into the rotation over Zebby Matthews. Can he find more consistency in 2026? In 10 games last year, he had two gems (6 IP, 0 ER, 9 K), three fine efforts, and five absolute clunkers.

Kyle Harrison (MIL, SP/RP, 10%) - The southpaw learned a kick-change to go with the overwhelming fastball, leading to 15 Ks in 9 2/3 IP this spring. We’ll see if that provided enough of a learning curve for him, as he also served up four homers with 12 runs (eight earned). He has a blister, though he’s still slated to pitch on March 30.

Kyle Harrison on filling the zone with fastballs, honing his new changeup and that fine line in Spring Training between getting the work in and not wanting to get hit. pic.twitter.com/pKTUpSWqRu

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) March 13, 2026

Matthew Liberatore (STL, SP, 9%) - The sizeable southpaw faded during his first season as a full-fledged starter, so Year 2 could bring a conditioning bump that fends that off. The bullpen work helped influence his getting ahead of batters, and he’s also working on a splitter. The spring 19:2 K:BB in 15 IP this spring is one of the best we’d seen. His teammate, Kyle Leahy (1%), is also worth a dart throw in deep waters.

In his season debut on Thursday against the Rays, Liberatore allowed one run over five innings with seven hits and two punchouts.

Didier Fuentes (ATL, SP, 8%) - You’re seeing if the Braves relent on turning Fuentes loose as their starting options drop like flies. The current plan, which may be Plan F or G by now, is to let the youngster work long relief during this troubling time and then stretch him out in the minors.

If Reynaldo Lopez’s velocity woes prove harmful, another injury strikes, Bryce Elder is ineffective, etc., then the hand may be forced. Fuentes has 18 Ks in 13 2/3 IP of nearly perfect action this spring.

A few 5% and under guys:

-Brandon Sproat (MIL, SP, 5%) - Can Brewer pitching magic take the exciting prospect's deep arsenal to the next level?
-Dustin May (STL, SP, 4%) - Must prove that the early velocity bump is here to stay, and that he'll generate whiffs.
-Joe Boyle (TB, SP/RP, 2%) - Ryan Pepiot's hip injury cracks the door open for some early Boyle Ks. If he's shaky, perhaps they re-think Ian Seymour the next time a vacancy opens.
-Randy Vasquez (SD, SP, 1%) - Additional life on his fastball could bear fruit for deep-leaguers.
-Kumar Rocker (TEX, SP, 1%) - Tremendous raw upside that needs to prove refined command before we get roped in.
-German Marquez (SD, SP, 0%) -We saw tons of curveball whiffs in his final spring showing, can that hold and allow him to thrive away from altitude?

Relief Pitcher Waiver Wire Adds

Jordan Romano (1%) / Drew Pomeranz (3%) - This blurb originally had Kirby Yates in it, but he is now on the 15-day IL due to left knee inflammation. They're downplaying it for now, saying it is a precaution to make sure he's 100%, but injuries can stack up quickly.

Romano has only allowed two baserunners over six innings this spring, but it’ll take more than that and a new splitter to rebuild trust. He'll now have his chance, as the bar for Angels saves is low. Pomeranz can soak up save chances that fall to a left-hander. On Thursday, Romano was called to earn the first save and took care of business over a scoreless frame, suggesting he is the slight favorite for the time being.

Paul Sewald (ARI, RP, 17%) - With both A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez recovering from their elbow injuries, Arizona turned to an old friend to stabilize the bullpen. He regained a bit of velocity at Driveline Baseball and now greatly benefits from Kevin Ginkel’s horrid spring.

Ryne Stanek (5%) - St. Louis needs this group to put in serious work, as the rotation is not filled with horses who will consistently go six innings. On Thursday, the Cardinals turned to Ryne Stanek to lock down the ninth inning. While he earned the save, he walked three batters while doing so. He projects to be the early favorite for saves but could quickly lose opportunities to Riley O'Brien and JoJo Romero, who worked the eighth and seventh innings on Opening Day.

Clayton Beeter (WAS, RP, 10%) - Can Beeter’s control steady itself over an entire season? Lots of last year’s 17.3% walk rate was rooted in early issues with the Yankees. Following a trade to Washington, he threw more sliders and posted an absurd 45% K rate in September. That’s what we’re after.

Garrett Cleavinger (TB, RP, 20%) - This writer is trying to load up on Griffin Jax, but it would be silly to overlook these two. Cleavinger could earn double-digit saves as Tampa Bay’s premier lefty after a 2.50 SIERA (2.35 ERA) and whopping 33.7% K rate last year.

While Cleavinger struggled in his season debut on Thursday, allowing two hits and two runs, the upside he flashed last season should keep him in contention to earn high-leverage opportunities throughout the season.

Lucas Erceg (KC, RP, 7%) - The concerns over Carlos Estevez’s velocity and overall form are not going anywhere. His final spring tune-up saw him average below 90 mph again, which means Erceg (and Matt Strahm) need to be on standby.

It's one thing to see that in the first spring appearance. It's another thing entirely to have endured the downward velocity trend throughout the spring and still be here.

Taylor Rogers (MIN, RP, 3%) / Cole Sands (2%) - Minnesota let Liam Hendriks go, which helps narrow things down. Rogers saved 30 games for the Twins back in 2019 and had a 31-save showing in 2022, so he has the experience. Sands is the right-handed side of the equation.

Chris Martin (TEX, RP, 2%) - Skip Schumaker said the Rangers are going with an open mind for the ninth, with Martin and Robert Garcia (31%) as the most likely candidates. Others like Cole Winn or Carter Baumler could assert themselves as well. Garcia has plenty of helium, but Martin is vastly overlooked.

Hogan Harris (ATH, RP, 2%) - Sacramento is not a fun place to roster pitchers. However, Harris is who I’d want against his fellow committee-mates (Justin Sterner, Mark Leiter Jr.). The southpaw has added velocity this spring (11:4 K:BB), and though he isn’t suddenly Sean Doolittle, it is enough to raise my eyebrows.

Gregory Soto (PIT, RP, 1%) - A hot Monday news item saw skipper Don Kelly note that Dennis Santana won’t pitch exclusively in the ninth. The only other reported name that Kelly specifically noted in the blurb was how “Soto has closed,” so here we are.

Don’t expect much, especially if Isaac Mattson outpitches them all come June 1, but grabbing closer platoon-mates can appeal to deep formats.

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