Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Add Mayo to the Mix

We’re only days into the 2026 MLB season, but it’s never too early to start combing through the fantasy baseball waiver wire. Indeed, a large part of being a successful fantasy manager entails constantly looking for ways to improve our squads. One way to do that is by being active on the waiver wire. Whether you’re in the market for breakout players, injury replacements, streamers or stashes, the fantasy baseball waiver wire is your one-stop shop throughout the season.

Each week, this write-up will identify players on the waiver wire who can bolster your rosters. Given it’s early in the season (and a short Week 1), we’re primarily looking to fill holes from our recent drafts and to scour for impact players who should be rostered more widely. For our purposes, the players listed below are rostered in fewer than 70% of Fantrax leagues. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some fantasy baseball waiver wire targets for Week 1.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

Coby Mayo (1B — BAL)

Coby Mayo enters the season as the Orioles’ third baseman with Jordan Westburg sidelined with an oblique injury. On the surface, Mayo may not seem appealing, given his underwhelming 2025 (.687 OPS in 294 PA). But his hot September and strong spring make him an intriguing option at the hot corner.

In his final 84 plate appearances last year, Mayo slashed .301/.393/.548 with a 165 wRC+. He also popped five of his 11 home runs in that stretch, tacked on two steals, and barreled the ball at a 14.3% clip. Mayo’s hot hitting carried over this spring, where he went 14-for-37 at the plate with a 1.026 OPS. Mayo also collected three doubles, two homers, and one steal in that stretch. His tendency to strike out isn’t ideal, but Mayo’s plus bat speed and ability to pull balls in the air should play well at Oriole Park.

Cole Young (2B — SEA)

Many fantasy managers took a shot on top prospect Colt Emerson this draft season, but it was Cole Young who earned the second base job for the Mariners. Over 19 games this spring, Young flashed both pop and speed. He slashed .281/.349/.667 with six homers and three steals. He also smashed the ball, posting a 14% barrel rate and 95.8 mph average exit velocity. It’s a small sample size, but Young’s recent power is hard to ignore.

Young was less impressive in his 2025 major league debut, hitting .211 with a .607 OPS across 257 plate appearances. But it wasn’t all bad. Young wasn’t overmatched at the plate, walking at a 10.9% rate and striking out at an 18.3% clip. He also held an above-average 23.3% Pull AIR%. While there will likely be growing pains with Young, strong plate skills and pull-side power are a solid foundation to build on.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (OF — ARI)

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is a nice injury stash if you have the roster space. Barring a setback, he’s expected to return from a torn ACL in mid-April and offers a solid blend of power and speed. Prior to his injury, Gurriel popped 19 dingers and stole 10 bases across 129 games last season. He also struck out at a cool 13.9% clip, with both the strikeout rate and double-digit steals being career-best marks.

Gurriel bats in the heart of a productive lineup and should pick up where he left off. If you’re not in the market for an injury stash right now, Gurriel should at least be on watchlists in 15-teamers. Indeed, 20-homer bats with speed and plus batting averages won’t last long on the waiver wire. Take advantage if you can.

Jake McCarthy (OF — COL)

Jake McCarthy is far from the most exciting player on this list. But he’s penciled in as the Rockies’ leadoff hitter, has 20+ steals in the tank, and is widely available.

McCarthy is coming off a down season, but otherwise has a solid track record on the basepaths. Prior to 2025, he swiped at least 23 bags for three consecutive seasons while sporting 98th percentile sprint speed and a .273 batting average in that span. McCarthy didn’t slow down this offseason. The Rockies were one of the more aggressive teams on the basepaths this spring, and McCarthy racked up six steals on eight attempts in the process. If you need to make up ground on the steals front, McCarthy is a nice waiver wire addition this week.

Brandon Sproat (SP — MIL)

Brandon Sproat’s stock is rising now that he’s a part of the Brewers’ rotation. He came over as part of the Freddy Peralta trade and should be a solid addition to fantasy staffs. Sproat typically hasn’t been a big strikeout arm — although he did post a 10.38 K/9 across 13 frames this spring. Rather, inducing weak contact and groundballs has been his forte.

Sproat has limited big-league experience. In four starts with the Mets last season, he posted a 3.84 xFIP and 1.21 WHIP across 20.2 innings. Most impressively, Sproat sported an elite 3.4% barrel rate and generated groundballs at a 48.3% clip. While his major-league sample is small, soft contact and groundballs were Sproat’s calling card throughout the minors. That skillset, combined with a strong defense at his back, should bode well for Sproat in 2026. And if his uptick in strikeouts sticks, consider that a bonus.

Carmen Mlodzinski (SP — PIT)

Primarily a bullpen arm last season, Carmen Mlodzinski earned a rotation spot in 2026 and warrants attention in deeper leagues. He’s not a lights-out pitcher, but Mlodzinski held his own last year. Across 34 games (12 starts), he maintained a respectable 8.09 K/9 and 3.60 xFIP while inducing grounders at 47.5% clip. Mlodzinski also did a solid job of limiting hard contact, with his 6% barrel rate ranked in the 83rd percentile.

Encouragingly, Mlodzinski built off those numbers this spring. He ditched his slider and upped his splitter, sinker, and curve, fueling a 56.8% groundball rate across 12.1 innings. Additionally, Mlodzinski’s strikeouts jumped to a 10.22 K/9 mark. Mlodzinski has a tough road assignment against the Mets on Sunday, but he pitches in a pitcher’s park, and is worth considering in case his pitch mix changes stick.

Didier Fuentes (SP — ATL)

Didier Fuentes is starting the year in the bullpen, but it won’t be surprising if he’s part of the rotation sooner rather than later. Fuentes is coming off a hot spring where he posted a minuscule 0.66 ERA and 0.22 WHIP across 13.2 frames. And while that’s not sustainable, he also piled up a team-leading 18 punchouts to one walk in that span.

Fuentes has minimal experience at the majors (13 IP). But the Braves could turn to him in short order, as their starting five is shaky. In the meantime, Fuentes should provide some smooth ratios. He’s a nice upside arm in 15-teamers.

Paul Sewald (RP — ARI)

Paul Sewald is a no-brainer pickup this week if you’re in the market for saves. The veteran has seemingly earned the closing job for the Diamondbacks after having a solid spring (8 IP, 5:1 K:BB, 12.7% SwStr%). Plus, he’s a familiar face to the organization, previously recording a combined 29 saves for the Snakes back in 2023 and 2024.

Injuries have limited Sewald to a total of 59.1 innings since 2024, but he still collected 18 saves in that time with a 4.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 19.1% K-BB. As long as he’s healthy, Sewald should keep padding his steals totals — his 83 saves since 2021 rank 18th-most among relievers. Given his experience and familiarity with the organization, Sewald looks to be in the driver’s seat for the ninth inning, at least until A.J. Puk returns later this summer.