The air is starting to get a bit crisper (well, in the north at least). The real-life and fantasy trade deadlines have come and gone. September is almost upon us. The marathon of the 2023 MLB season has become a sprint to the finish, and right now is winning time for those of you lucky enough to still be in contention in your fantasy baseball leagues. With precious few weeks to shore up holes and make up ground in the standings, smart adds become even more important: Hit on an under-the-radar free agent, and fantasy hardware awaits; miss, and you’ll spend the winter wondering what if.
Luckily, our weekly waiver wire recommendations are here to help, with position-by-position looks are players you should consider snagging off the waiver wire. Next up: starting pitcher.
Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 24 starting pitcher targets
Jordan Wicks, SP, Chicago Cubs
Roster percentage: 10.1%
Wicks wasn’t quite as sharp in his second MLB start as he was in his scintillating debut (nine Ks in five innings against the Pirates), but the lefty still managed to allow just one run while picking up the win in a tough place to pitch in Cincinnati. He’s likely locked into a rotation spot for the rest of the year — the Cubs are loath to give Drew Smyly another shot, and options are limited after that with Marcus Stroman out — and he’s shown the stuff that made him the team’s No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline.
Ryan Pepiot, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Roster percentage: 4.7%
The Dodgers still haven’t officially given Pepiot the fifth starter role, but after five shutout innings in a win over the Diamondbacks last time out — his third straight outing of one or fewer earned runs since returning from an oblique injury that cost him the first few months of the season — it seems pretty close to a done deal. The righty has always had very good stuff, particularly his wicked changeup, but he’s shown improved ability to control it during his second stint in the Majors, with 14 Ks to just two walks so far this year. He’s outpitched Emmet Sheehan and the other candidates for the role, and he put up a 3.47 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts) last year. With the Dodgers’ fearsome lineup backing him, he could be a sneaky source of wins.
John Means, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Roster percentage: 3.1%
Means hasn’t pitched for Baltimore since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of last year, but after another successful rehab start Thursday (five scoreless innings, one hit, six Ks), the lefty appears set to return just in time for the O’s playoff push. Means posted a 3.62 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 146.2 innings in 2021 and was off to a similarly strong start in 2021 prior to going down; he’s among the more underrated starters in the game, he’s fairly stretched out after cracking the 70-pitch mark last time out and he’ll get plenty of run support from this Orioles lineup. (Plus, Camden Yards is a great place to pitch.)
Michael King, SP/RP, New York Yankees
Roster percentage: 5.0%
King has operated exclusively out of the bullpen in his New York career, but he’s been so good in the opener role lately that the team seems to be considering just stretching him into a starter down the stretch. The righty built up his pitch count to 61 in his most recent outing, four scoreless innings with five Ks against the Tigers, and he could plausibly be able to go five innings next time out — if the team lets him. Given how few compelling options the Yankees have for the No. 5 spot in their rotation, they probably should, making King a sneaky add over the season’s final weeks. He has a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP so far this year, with 87 Ks in just 73 innings.
