Who is the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitcher to Target: Gunnar Hoglund, Tony Gonsolin or Someone Else?

After looking at some fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters, and some weekly projections for some possible other waiver wire hitters, let's now dive into some waiver wire pitchers.

We won't cover any streamers from the daily article.

Check out the top fantasy baseball waiver wire options everyday on FantasySP. 

Should You Add Lance McCullers Jr.?

McCullers is the top waiver wire pitcher pickup on Monday morning. He's up 6.74% and sits at 43.41% overall.

He made his long-anticipated return to the big leagues over the weekend. McCullers worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out a pair of White Sox. He tossed 87 pitches.

It wasn't the most efficient of outings for McCullers, but it was a positive to get him back on the hill to knock off some rust. He had not pitched in a big league game since 2022.

McCullers has appeared in 131 games and now made 128 starts over eight years. He is 49-32 with a 3.46 earned run average over 722 1/3 innings. McCullers averages 10 strikeouts and 3.7 walks per nine innings.

There's plenty of fantasy value in those numbers, and in time, McCullers could become a good fantasy option every turn through the rotation. You might just have to limit your expectations early on as he gets settled back in.

I'd be fine adding and stashing him in deeper leagues. You don't need to start him if you aren't comfortable doing so yet, but the long-term value of him is enough to at least take a gamble on him. He could become a standard league asset with just a couple good outings.

His next two outings could come against the Reds and Rangers, which would be pretty favorable matchups for McCullers. He's at least a deep-league streaming option in those. I'd be more confident streaming him in standard leagues after he knocked some rust off over the weekend too.

Should You Add JP Sears?

Sears is up to 69.34% owned after a 3.81% increase today.

Sears is 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA across seven starts and 40 innings this season. He's allowed 13 runs on 34 hits and six walks, while striking out 32 batters.

Sears has a career 4.24 ERA, so a little regression is likely coming in that stat. He averages 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings in his career, so his current 7.2 mark probably won't change too much. He's over a walk lower than his career average, so that could rise, which would hurt his WHIP and likely ERA too.

Sears has covered at least five innings in all but one start, and has tossed six or more frames on four occasions. He hasn't allowed more than three runs in any start.

Sears has only walked batters in four starts, with only two multi-walk starts. He has two strikeouts in three outings, with five or more Ks in the other four games.

Sears has been a sneaky good fantasy asset so far in 2025. He has fantasy limitations, and is likely to regress as the season rolls along, so I actually think he's owned in too many leagues right now.

I view him as a deep-league keeper in most setups, but he's owned in more leagues than that right now. His next starts are likely to come against the Yankees and Giants, which are not favorable opponents.

I'd only want to start Sears in deeper leagues for both of those outings. He could deliver average fantasy outings, but I wouldn't be all that confident in him.

Should You Add Tony Gonsolin?

Gonsolin is up 3.32% and sits at 49.64% overall.

He returned to the big leagues for the first time since 2023 and had a solid first outing. Gonsolin allowed three runs on six hits and no walks over six innings, while also striking out nine Marlins.

He has a career 3.21 ERA and a 35-11 record across 381 2/3 big league innings. He averages 8.4 strikeouts and 3.1 walks across nine innings.

Gonsolin won't face the Marlins every start, but he's lined up to face Miami in his next start as well. He's a great deep-league option for that start, and a lot of standard league owners will be happy to start him as well.

He is likely to face a tougher Diamondbacks' lineup in his start after that. Gonsolin is a better deep-league option in that one, but depending on how he does in start No. 2, he could also be utilized in standard leagues for start No. 3 then. 

I'd add Gonsolin in a deeper redraft league if he was still available. He could be started most turns through the rotation the rest of the season, and he's got enough upside to stash at the very least.

Gonsolin is likely not going to be rostered in all standard league redraft leagues for long stretches, but he's at least a streaming option in most starts. He's one to keep tabs on all season.

Should You Add Brady Singer?

Singer is up 3.17% and is rostered in 85.32% of leagues overall now.

He's made six starts for Cincinnati this season, going 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA. Singer has allowed 15 runs (12 earned) on 24 hits and 12 walks over 33 1/3 innings, while striking out 36 batters.

Singer has a career 4.23 ERA, but posted a 3.71 ERA across 32 starts with Kansas City last season. His strikeout per nine innings mark is up 1.2 over his career mark, so a little regression could come there. 

His walks per nine innings are up 0.4, so improvement there could offset fewer strikeouts. Singer's WHIP is at 1.08, down considerably from his career 1.32 mark, so more hits could come in time as well.

Singer is still pitching well enough right now to own in most fantasy leagues. He's a must-own in deeper redraft leagues, and should be held in a lot of standard leagues too. 

He's a streaming option on Monday against the Braves. That's not as good of a matchup as it would have been a couple weeks ago, but based on his season-long numbers, I'd be fine giving Singer a start in any league type tonight. 

Should You Add Gunnar Hoglund?

Hoglund made his MLB debut last week and turned in a great outing. It's helped his own percentage move up to 32% already, and it should grow a bit before his next big league outing.

Hoglund had a favorable matchup against the Marlins, and delivered six strong innings. He allowed a run on six hits and no walks, while striking out seven. The run Hoglund allowed came on a solo homer. He only needed 81 pitches to get through six frames.

Hoglund's next start is likely to come against the Mariners, which is another pretty favorable matchup. I'd be fine starting Hoglund in deeper leagues for that start, and could also justify starting him in some standard leagues in a pinch.

He's got a much tougher test against the Dodgers likely after that, and I'd only want to consider him in deeper leagues for that outing. If Hoglund excels against the Mariners and Dodgers, expect his own percentage to skyrocket.

All fantasy owners need to keep an eye on Hoglund, and add him when it makes most sense. I'd at least take a chance on the youngster in deeper leagues for the time being.