Working the Waiver Wire: May 20

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  • By Anthony Kates

    Last Updated on May 20, 2026 3:29 am by Anthony Kates | Published: May 20, 2026

    I feel like I let you guys down because, for the first time this season, I do not have a closer or quasi-closer recommendation for our Wednesday article.

    What I do have is a very hot-hitting middle infielder, a rookie outfielder finding a groove and two starting pitchers who can help fantasy managers replace some recently injured stars (think Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Clay Holmes, Kris Bubic, etc.).

    Lots of players have hit the IL the past few days, including many fantasy stars, so staying on top of the hottest, readily-available players in your leagues will help you make the right decisions to help you win your weeks and win your leagues.

    *Note that all listed roster %’s are from Yahoo, at the time of the writing of this article. Almost all of our waiver wire recommendations are widely available across all major platforms, however.*

    Bryson Stott – 2B/SS – PHI – 45%

    By the end of April, Stott was available in more than 70% of fantasy leagues. He had hit zero home runs, scored just five runs, driven in five and stolen fives bases with a .207 batting average. He had a .534 OPS and struggled to produce against every pitch that wasn’t a cutter.

    Flip the calendar to May, though, and his rostered percentage has already jumped more than 15% and his numbers look much better.

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    His numbers are much improved across the board and his 18 RBI are tied with JJ Bleday for the most in the month of May so far. Interestingly, he has hit five home runs, even though his hard hit rate is lower, but with his improved barrel and contact rates. The Phillies offense is firing on all cylinders this month (four players are ranked among the top-30 most productive hitters in May) and Stott is a big part that it has been.

    Stott was a Top-10 second baseman in two of the past three seasons and is a perfect replacement for the recently injured Jose Altuve or Trevor Story (thanks to his dual eligibility).

    Carson Benge – OF – NYM – 25%

    It has been a tale of two months to kick off Benge’s rookie season. Through the end of April, he had just nine runs scored, two home runs, six RBI, six stolen bases and a .189 batting average, with a .525 OPS. That came with a 7.2% walk rate and a 23.7% strike out rate and a very poor .231 BABIP. Those April showers have brought upon fantasy managers (and Mets fans) May flowers, though, as he has scored 16 runs, hit one home run, driven in 11 batters, stolen two bases and hit for a .369 batting average through 17 May games so far. He has a .915 OPS, a 7.6% walk rate and a 14.1% strikeout rate. His barrel rate and hard hit rate are up, he’s making more contact in and out out of the zone and is swinging and missing at fewer pitches. In April, he struggled against virtually every type of pitch, whereas in May he has found success against every type of pitch.

    Benge was thought of as a five-tool player throughout his minor league player days, someone who has all the tools and talent to be a star, but no one elite sticking point. He has an above average hit tool, 20 to 30 homer power, speed to steal nearly 30 bases and above-average defense. He bats leadoff for a Mets team that had the worst offense in baseball through the end of April but has been the 14th best in May and should get to keep his spot in the lineup as long as he keeps on producing and until Francisco Lindor is healthy and back in the lineup.

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    Zebby Matthews – SP – MIN – 28%

    The big league version of Matthews has been much different than the minor league version of Matthews the past two seasons, but the pitcher we’ve seen in two starts so far looks far closer to the guy we saw in the minor league than the one who made 25 starts in 2024 and 2025.

    Matthews has made two starts this year, against the Marlins and Astros, striking out 11 batters over 13 innings, with just one walk, one home run and two earned runs allowed. He has generated a 21.2% whiff rate and a 9.8% swinging strike rate, with a 33.3% hard hit rate, 30% chase rate and an 88.5 MPH average exit velocity. He has the same strike rate as he did last year, but is throwing fewer pitches in the zone, because he is getting hitters to chase more pitches out of it. He has amazing command and control and regularly posted walk rates in the minor leagues under 5%, so if he can maintain an elite walk rate, with a strikeout per inning and keep the ball in the ballpark, then he can be more than a back-of-the-rotation type.

    Walbert Urena – SP – LAA – 11%

    You know, I can’t think of any other start on the Angels roster that uses their sinker-changeup combo more than 50% of the time like Urena does (hint: I can and you should, see: Soriano, Jose).

    The Angels gave Urena the call this year after he spent just 14 innings in Triple-A and he has pitched fairly well, walks aside. He has made six starts and thrown 31.2 innings in those starts, with 28 strikeouts, 16 walks, two home runs allowed and 10 earned runs, with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He is a heavy ground ball pitcher, with a 52.6% ground ball rate and just an 16.8% line drive rate, which has helped limit home runs, along with his fantastic 85.9 MPH average exit velocity, 5.9% barrel rate and 29.4% hard hit rate. He should have some room for improvement in the strikeout department, with a 32.6% chase rate and an 11.1% swinging strike rate, though a 26.6% whiff rate shows it may not improvement by much.

    He throws his changeup more than any other pitch and the numbers show why: a 27.6% strikeout rate, 33% whiff rate, .135 batting average and just a 16.7% hard hit rate. He is tied with Nick Martinez for the second best changeup this season (in run value), though he has made three fewer starts. He throws his sinker second most often, but that has been his worst performing pitch, but batters have teed off on it, with the lowest whiff and strikeout rate, highest batting average and slugging percentage and highest average exit velocity.

    He pitches like the 2024/2025 version of Jose Soriano, heavy ground balls, lots of ground balls and less than a strikeout per inning, but can be an overall effective fantasy starter.

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    May 20, 2026, 3:19 am