We've got some starting pitchers worth getting excited about on the wire
By Chris Towers Apr 26, 2026 at 6:32 pm ET • 16 min read 
I don't know if the plan is for the Red Sox to keep Payton Tolle around for good. Based on the fact that they just fired their entire coaching staff three weeks into the season, I'm not sure I understand what the plan for the Red Sox is at all right now.
But even so, I feel confident saying this much: Tolle is the most exciting player to emerge on the waiver wire this season.
It's not like he came out of nowhere, of course. Tolle was someone who was at least in draft conversations this spring when he was competing for a rotation spot, and he's been one of the best pitching prospects in baseball over the past year or so, a credit to the Red Sox pitching development. But the decision to add Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to the team this offseason put Tolle on the outside looking in for the rotation battle, and it took a hamstring injury to Gray for Tolle to even get the opportunity. Gray is already playing catch and might be able to pitch as soon as he is eligible to return from the IL on May 6, at which point we're right back where we started with Tolle.
And yet, I still think he's going to stick around. The Red Sox didn't fire their entire MLB coaching staff because they are thrilled with the way the team is playing right now. The front office wants to win and win now, and if Tolle gives them to best chance to do so, they're going to keep him around. I don't know exactly what that looks like – a six-man rotation might work, or maybe Brayan Bello's struggles earn him a demotion of some sort – but I'm going to bet on Tolle making himself irreplaceable. Because he might already be Boston's second-best pitcher.
Think that's an overreaction? Maybe so, but we're talking about one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, fueled by an already elite fastball, and he has seemingly taken big steps forward with the rest of his arsenal. In his first start earlier this week – when he struck out 11 Yankees in six innings – he was throwing his curveball consistently for both strikes and whiffs, something we didn't really see from him last season. And he's introduced a sinker and continued to work on his cutter, giving him a fastball-heavy arsenal that kind of looks like Cameron Schlittler's but from the left side.
Tolle might not be quite that good. But if you told me he was sticking around for the rest of the season, I might already rank him as a top-40 starting pitcher, and it wouldn't take much success to move up from there. The playing time concerns are enough to keep him from actually ranking there – well, that and the fact that he is, as of now, only RP eligible in CBS Fantasy leagues.
But Tolle should absolutely be rostered in every league, and even if the Red Sox do send him down when Gray is ready, I'm going to want to hang on to him. Life finds a way when it comes to pitchers, and Tolle has legitimate difference-making upside.
Before we move on to the other waiver-wire targets for this week, a special shoutout to Kyle Harrison, who looks like he might just be putting it all together. He pitched Sunday against the Pirates and absolutely dominated them, striking out 12 over six one-hit innings with just a single walk issued.
Harrison registered a whopping 23 swinging strikes, 13 on his four-seamer, eight on the slurve, and two more on the changeup. This specific version of the changeup is one thing that is relatively new to Harrison's arsenal, though that's not the only change from the guy who has been underwhelming in the past. He's added a couple of inches of induced vertical break to his four-seamer while maintaining the same mid-90s velocity from the left side, which has helped the pitch play better than ever – especially when paired with that changeup with more drop.
It's still a pretty limited arsenal, and Sunday is the first time we've really seen Harrison miss bats with the slurve. But we have seen some strikeout upside from him before this, so hopefully the iffy starts the past few times out become more the exception than the rule. The upside is there, and while I would prioritize Tolle ahead of Harrison, I'm interested in adding him in pretty much any league where he's available after this one.
Week 6 Waiver Targets
Catcher
Dalton Rushing, Dodgers (52%)
I still don't see where the path to one-catcher league relevance comes from. In fact, my concern here is that Rushing may not even be viable in two-catcher leagues once his hot bat cools down. But, well, there it is … life finds a way. Rushing looks like an impact bat right now who is blocked at three different spots in the lineup. But the optimist could say, "Rushing has a path to everyday opportunities at three different spots currently occupied by guys in their 30s." We'll have to have some conversations about dropping Rushing once he cools down if the opportunities don't arise, but right now, might as well see if this goes anywhere.
Deep league option: Sean Murphy, Braves (6%) – It's going to be interesting to see what the Braves do when Murphy is healthy. Drake Baldwin hasn't taken a day off yet this season, but he also hasn't been serving as the designated hitter much. I would suspect Murphy's return will push Baldwin to DH duty a bit more often whenever Murphy is behind the plate, but Murphy could also see plenty of time at DH himself. He figures to return from the IL sometime this week and could definitely factor into the two-catcher league landscape.
First Base
Spencer Torkelson, Tigers (67%)
Torkelson is a tough player to ride through the cold stretches, because he just really doesn't do much when he isn't hitting homers. He's not as extreme as someone like Jake Burger, because Torkelson does at least get on base even when he isn't hot. But he's an inherently low average player who doesn't steal bases, so there's only so much value that high walk rate has for Fantasy. The good news is the underlying numbers still suggest he should be a good power hitter, and his performance is reflecting that, as he ended a 23-game homerless stretch to open the season by homering in five straight as of Sunday. That's one way to make up for lost time, and it's a reminder that Torkelson is, at the very least, a very good corner infield option.
Deep league option: Casey Schmitt, Giants (13%) – You're unlikely to have much interest in using Schmitt as your regular first baseman, but if you've got a roster spot to play with, it's always nice to have a guy available who can fill in at multiple spots, and Schmitt has eligible everywhere in the infield except catcher and shortstop. His hot start to the season is backed up by better than expected quality of contact metrics that suggest there might be something worthwhile here, too, so it's not just a positional eligibility play.
Second Base
Angel Martinez, Guardians (54%)
I'm pretty skeptical about Martinez, who had a similarly hot start to last season before being rendered largely irrelevant for Fantasy once that ended. But he continues to do some interesting things, most notably with his 27% pulled-air rate. That's how you maximize iffy raw power, but I'll also note that Martinez seems to have taken a bit of a step forward there, too – he has already hit four batted balls harder than last year's max exit velocity of 107.4 mph. His minor-league track record mostly suggests this is a fluke, but there are enough interesting skills on display to be worth taking at least a little bit seriously.
Deep league option: Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers (23%) – Kim might be playing his way into a bigger role as the Dodgers continue to search for answers in the middle infield. He's primarily playing shortstop right now while Mookie Betts is out, but with his bat getting hot (multiple hits in three straight games this week), he might be playing his way into the second base role when Betts is healthy. There isn't much juice in his bat, but he's making more contact than he did last season and showing some stolen base upside, too. With his glove, that might be enough.
Third Base
Jung has been mostly left for dead for Fantasy in recent years, but we're seeing signs of life this season. His average exit velocity is higher than it has been since 2023, while his hard-hit rate is the highest of his career. He's doing this while also cutting his strikeout rate to a career-best 17.7%, which all makes it even more interesting. There have been some tradeoffs to this approach, of course, with his groundball rate ticking up and his pulled-air rate trending down. Jung might not be able to get back to being a 25-30 homer guy with this approach, but if it comes with a higher batting average and still some 20-homer potential, it's still enough to make him an interesting option at third base.
Deep league option: Ronny Mauricio, Mets (9%) – It sounds like Mauricio is going to get some extended run here with Francisco Lindor likely on the IL for at least a month. Mauricio has never shown much in the majors, but he is a career .305/.360/.537 hitter with 32 homers and 33 games in 140 games at Triple-A, so let's see if he can take advantage of what might be his last best opportunity.
Shortstop
Andres Gimenez, Blue Jays (63%)
Okay, so here's the problem: The structure of this column is such that I force myself to make an add recommendation for every position. And shortstop is a position where at least a few of you do have a legitimate need for in the wake of Francisco Lindor's injury. The problem is that the shortstop position just isn't a great one when you need to replace a true difference maker on the waiver wire. Gimenez is decent enough at what he does, which is play everyday and occasionally steal bases, but I don't find his current .287 batting average at all sustainable – his .237 xBA suggests he is largely the same underwhelming guy he's been. But if you want to play the hot hand for a while, Gimenez is here. But if I was hoping to replace Lindor, I would probably be trying to buy low on someone like Konnor Griffin or Dansby Swanson via trade before looking to the waiver wire.
(I'll also note here that Jose Fernandez continues to show some interesting skills for the Diamondbacks while playing multiple spots. I think he might have a more dynamic skill set than Gimenez if it all clicks, he's just a lower-floor option, too.)
Deep league option: Franklin Arias, Red Sox (12%) – This one feels like a long shot, and there are certainly other shortstop prospects who might have a clearer path to the majors. But given the shakeup in Boston and the apparent urgency to win, I do wonder if Arias might not be playing his way into some conversations. The Red Sox typically like to let their top prospects prove it at Triple-A, and Arias has only played 25 games at Double-A so far, so again, it's probably a long shot. But he's also hitting .420/.492/.920 through his first 15 games this season while striking out just five times and generally looks overqualified for Double-A as a 20-year-old. And if you're overqualified for Double-A, it probably means you're ready for Triple-A. And if you're ready for Triple-A … well, let's just say the Red Sox's weakest spots right now are shortstop, second base, and third base, so maybe the timeline is starting to accelerate here.
Outfield
Carson Benge, Mets (58%)
It's still mostly just a bet on pedigree and talent, because Benge hasn't been great in the early going. But he hasn't been overmatched despite the poor results so far, either. His strikeout rate is just a tick above average and his 91.0 mph average exit velocity shows there's some juice in the bat. He needs to optimize his launch and spray angles, and that should come with time, but the baseline here looks solid, especially with the six steals in 25 games. He'll be better than this moving forward for sure.
Evan Carter, Rangers (48%)
The really high-end outcomes we were hoping for earlier in his career are probably gone as Carter has been largely relegated to a true platoon role. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have any utility. Carter is hitting righties well and running effectively, with five steals on the season. You probably need more from him with the bat than he's provided so far, but if he can get closer to a .250 average, that could make him a viable starter in five-outfielder leagues, especially when the schedule is righty heavy.
Brandon Marsh, Phillies (31%)
Marsh doesn't steal as many bases, but the case here for him is similar to the one for Carter. He hits righties well enough to matter for Fantasy, especially when the schedule is righty heavy. And the next nine projected starters against the Phillies are righties, so now is the time to use him.
Everson Pereira, White Sox (6%)
Pereira is showing signs of life in the majors for the first time, but it's not like he's gotten a ton of opportunities before this – his appearance Sunday was just the 66th of his career, despite making his MLB debut back in 2023. He's remained a productive player in the minors (.271/.362/.522 with 40 homers in 154 career Triple-A games), so if you play in a deeper five-outfielder league, why not see if there's something to his hot start?
Nathan Church, Cardinals (6%)
This is another one where it's just like, "Why not see if there's something here." Church's minor-league track record isn't as impressive as Pereira's, even, but he has hit .335/.400/.521 at Triple-A and is showing a bit of pop and speed in the majors. The one thing we know is that he'll keep getting chances with the Cardinals, and maybe there could be double-digit homer, double-digit steals upside here.
Starting Pitcher
Spencer Arrighetti, Astros (73%)
I would put Arrighetti below both Tolle and Harrison on my personal priority list, but I do nonetheless think Arrighetti deserves to be rostered pretty much everywhere at this point. He stumbled against a lefty-heavy Guardians lineup earlier this week, but bounced back nicely against the Yankees Sunday, striking out eight and allowing just one walk and one earned run in seven innings. His curveball remains a strong swing and miss weapon, and Arrighetti now has 21 strikeouts in his first 18 innings. He'll need to manage better than a walk every other inning to remain successful, but he showed Sunday he's capable of it. With his strikeout upside, I'm prioritizing Arrighetti where I can.
Chase Dollander, Rockies (36%)
Here's where I'm at on Dollander: I think it's pretty unlikely we're going to reach the point where he's a must-start pitcher across the board. The number of pitchers who have ever managed that at Coors Field can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare. That being said, I do think I'm open to rostering him ahead of the likes of Shane Baz or Taj Bradley. I think there's similar volatility involved with all three, but Dollander's might at least be a bit more predictable – based on what he's shown so far, he might just be a very good pitcher away from Coors Field. I'll take that over the headache of trying to figure out when Bradley or Baz might be useful.
Jr Ritchie, Braves (36%)
I've been skeptical about how much of a priority we need to make for Ritchie, but maybe I was off base. Even with Spencer Strider likely to return to the rotation sometime this week, the Braves have already announced Ritchie will make his second start Wednesday against the Tigers. Will they go with a six-man rotation moving forward? I imagine how Ritchie and Reynaldo Lopez fair in their next outing will have much to say about the plans here, but that also means Ritchie might be holding his short-term destiny in his own hands. If he pitches anywhere near as well as he did in his debut last week, when he struck out seven over seven two-run innings, he should have a chance to stick around. That's enough to get risk of most of my skepticism about adding him, even if I would prioritize him being Tolle, Harrison, and Arrighetti.
Bryce Miller, Mariners (56%)
Miller probably has a few more minor-league rehab starts to make after he went just 47 pitches in his second outing this weekend. Which is fine by the Mariners, because he basically started his spring training a few weeks ago – and because Emerson Hancock's emergence has made the need for a fifth starter less of an issue right now. But it will become one at some point, and Miller should be ready to step in in the next few weeks. And Miller's velocity has looked excellent on his rehab assignment, as he was sitting at 97.1 mph in his first outing while throwing his full arsenal. I don't expect Miller to be as good as he was in 2024, but I do think there's still must-start upside here if he's past last year's elbow issues.
Foster Griffin, Nationals (41%)
That was one of the better two-start weeks you're going to get out of a streamer, as he allowed three earned runs in 12 innings while getting a win this week. I don't think Griffin is likely to sustain a sub-3.00 ERA moving forward, but the upcoming schedule features winnable matchups against the Brewers, Marlins, and Reds, so if you want to stick with a hot-hand play here,
Connor Prielipp, Twins (15%)
If you're looking for reasons to be excited about Prielipp, I would suggest checking out this video from Nick Pollack, who broke down the young lefty's MLB debut earlier this week. There will be some control problems along the way – and probably a fair share of frustratingly short outings, given his minor-league track record – the stuff looks like it'll play, so this is very much a "let's see if we catch some lightning in a bottle" situations.
Relief Pitcher
Louie Varland, Blue Jays (48%) – The Blue Jays declined to name a closer after Jeff Hoffman's demotion, but when the first opportunity for a save came up, it was Varland who got the call Saturday. It wasn't pretty, as he allowed a run on four baserunners, but the fact that the Blue Jays went right back to him for the save Sunday with both Tyler Rogers and Hoffman available seems like a good sign of their intentions. I still think in the long run they'd prefer to have Hoffman close and Varland available for a more flexible role, but it might also be hard to remove him from the ninth inning if he's succeeding, and he at least seems to have the role right now. Varland may just run away with it.
Gus Varland, Nationals (4%) – It's a family affair! Gus is the elder, and probably lesser of the two, but with Clayton Beeter on the IL with a forearm injury, Varland looks like he could have a chance to pitch in that role for the Nationals. Sunday he pitched the eighth inning, but it was a tie game facing the top of the order, so I wouldn't read too much into that. For now, I would at least expect Gus Varland to get the next save chance for the Nationals when it comes up.
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