Who is the Better Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitcher Pickup: Hayden Birdsong, Will Warren or Someone Else?

Wednesday is here, which means our third round of fantasy baseball waiver wire stories for the week.

We'll check out pitchers first today, as there's some early start times for games, and some streaming options could be in the mix. We won't cover anyone who appeared in waiver stories on Monday or Tuesday, or who were in Wednesday's streaming article.

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

Should You Add Hayden Birdsong?

Birdsong delivered a good start on Tuesday, so he's still on the rise Wednesday morning. He's up 5.99% and is now rostered in 41.15% of leagues overall.

Against Kansas City last night, Birdsong earned the win after tossing 5 1/3 innings. He allowed an unearned run on five hits and no walks, while striking out five batters.

That was Birdsong's first start of the season, although he previously made 11 relief appearances. He's now 2-0 with a 1.91 earned run average across 28 1/3 innings. Birdsong has allowed 11 runs (just six earned) on 25 hits and 10 walks, while striking out 29 batters.

The big question now is if Birdsong will remain in the rotation. The positive first start probably means he'll get at least one more start, and that's likely to come against the Tigers early next week. Birdsong replaced the struggling Jordan Hicks in the rotation.

Birdsong started 16 games in 2024, going 5-6 with a 4.75 ERA. He had 88 punchouts over 72 innings and finished with a 1.39 WHIP.

His season-long numbers are going to regress if he sticks in the rotation. Birdsong is a 23-year-old, so improving on last year's numbers is definitely possible, and hopefully likely.

It was good to see Birdsong cover five innings in his first start. It took him 80 pitches to do so. He hadn't worked more than three innings or thrown more than 65 pitches in an outing yet this season. In time, he could ramp back up and get closer to 100 pitches, which would allow him to work an additional inning or two.

His strikeout work last season was appealing, and if he can improve his ERA, Birdsong can be a legit fantasy option in a lot of fantasy leagues. For now, he's only worth adding and holding in deeper redraft leagues. If he keeps pitching well though, he might be rosterable in standard leagues eventually.

He's a streaming option in standard leagues for now. The Tigers are a bit tougher matchup than the Royals, so he's not the best streamer if that's his next start. Birdsong might face the Marlins after that though, and he'd be deployable in all leagues for that matchup.

We'll keep an eye on Birdsong, but be ready to pounce in case the second-year MLB pitcher takes off.

Should You Add Will Warren?

Warren also started on Tuesday, so he's in a similar boat to Birdsong. Warren is rostered in 39.65% of leagues after a 5.9% increase today.

Warren earned a win against the Rangers after striking out 10 batters over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed five hits and one walk.

Warren has now made 10 starts on the season. He's 3-2 with a 4.05 ERA across 46 2/3 innings. Warren has allowed 23 runs (21 earned) on 42 hits and 18 walks, while punching out 60 batters.

This is Warren's first chance at a full-time starting role, and he's doing his best to hang on to it. His ERA is just average, but his strikeout work is good. He's been trending up of late, which is another reason why he's on the rise today.

After allowing five runs in his first start this month, Warren has surrendered just three runs over 18 innings in three starts since. He has 26 strikeouts over that span, along with a 2-0 record.

He's taken on some weaker-hitting teams in that span, but that shows he can be trusted in all leagues for those starts. He's worth an add in a lot of deeper redraft leagues right now, and could eventually make his way into standard leagues. 

Warren's next start is likely to come in Colorado. It's a favorable matchup, but the location of the start isn't optimal. Based on what we've seen from Warren, he's worth a deep-league start in that contest, and can be utilized in standard leagues if you have a need for pitching.

He might face the Dodgers after that - there's not many pitchers I'd be too confident in when it comes to starting against LA, and Warren isn't in that mix. He should probably be avoided for that matchup in all leagues, if possible.

Use FantasySP's improved AI Waiver Advice inside the Fantasy Assistant to see which waiver wire targets might fit your team best.

Should You Add Taijuan Walker?

Walker is a streaming option on Wednesday. He's up 1.97% today and is now rostered in 11.47% of leagues.

Across six starts and eight appearances overall, he's 1-3 with a 2.62 ERA this season. Walker has covered 34 1/3 innings, allowing 16 runs (10 earned) on 29 hits and 14 walks, while striking out 31 batters.

In his starts, Walker is 1-3 with a 2.54 ERA over 28 1/3 innings. He's struck out 22 batters in those outings.

Walker will pitch in Colorado on Wednesday. He made his season debut against the Rockies this season, striking out four over six scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and one walk.

Walker is worth a streaming spot in deeper leagues seeing those results and his season-long numbers. After coming out of the pen in his last two outings, that's enough to hold me back from starting him today in standard leagues.

He faces a tougher Atlanta offense in his next possible turn through the rotation, and depending on how Walker looks today, another round of deep-league starts for that appearance would make sense.

Should You Add Brandon Walter?

Walter made his season debut on Tuesday against the Rays. He looked good, but is still rostered in just 1% of leagues synced here at FantasySP.

He tossed five innings against the Rays, allowing three hits and a walk, but no runs. Walter struck out five and needed 80 pitches to get through his outing.

It was his first MLB appearance since 2023. He made nine relief appearances for Boston that season, and finished with a 6.26 ERA over 23 innings.

In five starts and nine appearances at Triple-A this season, the 28-year-old had a 2-1 record and 2.27 ERA. He struck out 34 batters over 35 2/3 innings.

If Walter sticks in the rotation, his next start could be a favorable one against the Mariners later this week. After how he looked in his season debut, Walter would be a deep-league streaming option for that game. 

I don't think Walter would ever become more than a deep-league option, but you just never know.

Should You Add Cade Horton?

Horton is another streaming option for Wednesday. He's up 2.29% and is rostered in 31.47% of leagues now.

He's now pitched in two big league games this season - one start and one bulk relief appearance. Horton is 2-0, but sits with a 6.00 ERA over nine innings. 

Horton allowed three runs on four hits and no walks over four frames against the Mets in the relief appearance. In a five-inning start against the White Sox, Horton allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks. Horton struck out five Mets and just two White Sox.

Horton will start against the Marlins on Wednesday, which is another favorable matchup. After his average results against the White Sox though, Horton isn't the most appealing streamer today.

The matchup is good enough to try streaming Horton in some deeper leagues, but he's by no means a must-start pitcher in those leagues. We'll need to see him work deeper in games, limit runs better or record more strikeouts before he's a more confident deep-league option, or standard league option.