Fantasy Baseball: Week 2 Waiver Wire Watch (Starting Pitchers)

The waiver wire is starting to heat up with impact arms inching closer to MLB returns. Whether you’re stashing for upside or streaming for short-term help, these pitchers could provide sneaky value as they ramp up for meaningful innings.

Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds

The Reds should have Abbott back in the starting rotation next week after he worked his pitch count up to 85 pitches in his first minor league start, which resulted in two runs, eight baserunners, and four strikeouts over 5.2 innings. His arm was also trending forward in his two March appearances (2.57 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, and five strikeouts over seven innings).

The #Reds today sent LHP Andrew Abbott to Triple-A Louisville on a rehab assignment. pic.twitter.com/CBM4DXoAjr
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 1, 2025

His average fastball this spring (91.7) is below his previous three seasons (about 92.8 mph). Abbott added a cutter this year at the expense of his curveball. In 2024, he went 9-6 over his first 18 starts, posting a 3.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts over 103.0 innings. On the downside, his walk rate (3.4) remains a liability. Abbott had a high strikeout rate (13.0) in the minors, but he showed weakness in this area in 2024 (7.4).

Fantasy Outlook: Abbott has a soft-tossing pitching profile while coming off a left shoulder strain. To reach playing value in shallow formats, he must control the damage in home runs, regain some velocity on his fastball, and throw more strikes. He’s rostered in some deep formats, but Abbott may need a game or two to hit his stride.

Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have yet to allow Woodruff in a game, but he worked his way up to 51 pitches over three innings in a simulated game on Tuesday. His next trip to the mound should be at AAA next week, with the goal of reaching around 70 pitches. If all goes well, the Brewers should give him another minor league outing before recalling him to Milwaukee.

His last reported fastball in a game was 2023 (95.8 mph). Woodruff has a proven major league resume (46-26 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.045 WHIP, and 788 strikeouts over 680.1 innings), so the fantasy market must track his progress before he reaches the majors.

Lance McCullers, Houston Astros

McCullers is another veteran pitcher working his way back to the majors. The Astros have him scheduled to make a rehab start at AA on Saturday, following his two innings of work (two runs, three baserunners, and three strikeouts) at AAA on Sunday. He threw 35 pitches in his last outing, putting McCullers three more outings away from returning to the majors.

🔥Lance McCullers, Jr. strikes out the side in his first inning of work in AAA. pic.twitter.com/pzihspNE0Y
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) March 30, 2025

His last pitch in a major league game came in the 2022 World Series, where he allowed seven runs and seven baserunners, striking out five over 4.1 innings. McCullers average fastball (93.2 mph) this spring is more than one mph lower than his last season with Houston. He’s been throwing a high-volume changeup this year while ditching his sinker and reducing the usage of his slider.

Over seven seasons with the Astros, McCullers has a 49-32 record with a 3.48 ERA, 1.251 WHIP, and 800 strikeouts over 718.2 innings. Houston will win games, giving him helpful fantasy value. The key to his value in WHIP is better command.

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