We’ve reached Week 13 of the 2025 fantasy baseball season, which will also mark the halfway point of the year. With close to three months in the books, here’s a look at five pitchers to target on the waiver wire in Week 13.
Best Week 13 pitchers to target
- SP Ryan Bergert (Padres)
- SP Chase Burns (Reds)
- SP Kumar Rocker (Rangers)
- SP Max Scherzer (Blue Jays)
- SP Will Warren (Yankees)
Let’s start with the layups (no pun intended, as we wind down the NBA season on June 22).
Chase Burns will start on June 24 for his MLB debut. It’s not a great matchup, as he’ll face the Yankees’ offense. However, Burns is a legit power pitcher.
As I noted when Burns was promoted, the stuff is plus. The Reds’ prospect can overwhelm hitters with a triple-digit fastball with giddy-up and a plus-plus slider that could rank among the league’s best immediately.
With all the tough injury luck the Reds have had with their rotation this season, Burns could be a bright spot heading into the All-Star break.
Next up is Max Scherzer, who will make his return from the injured list this week against the Guardians. We’ll see how Scherzer holds up but with slim options available in most leagues, Scherzer has relatively good upside.
Moving on to the rest of the pack, Will Warren had an off start against the Orioles on June 22. The good news is Warren rebounded to notch six strikeouts over 6.1 IP. In total, Warren has 96 strikeouts over 75.1 IP.
With the injuries the Yankees have suffered this season, Will Warren’s emergence was needed. And to his credit, Warren’s stuff has been up to task. The right-hander gets considerable movement on both his sweeper and changeup, his two key secondary pitches to set up a deceptive four-seamer.
Kumar Rocker makes it back on the list for the second straight week. Rocker struck out four over 5.1 IP and overall, has been holding his own in his return from the Minors. He’s on tap to face the Mariners this week.
Lastly, Ryan Bergert is an off-the-beat option for both NL-only leagues, as well as mixed ones, as well.
Bergert, a 25-year-old rookie, worked as a reliever for the Padres in April & May. However, thanks to injuries, the Padres needed Bergert to work in the rotation this month. It’s been a good fit, as Bergert posted a 2.25 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 20 innings.
The right-hander doesn’t possess explosive stuff. And despite a gaudy strikeout number (129 over 103.1 IP in 2022) in the Minors while in A-ball, the K (or backwards K) isn’t what he’s known for.
However, Bergert is in a good position. He’s gone at least five innings in three of his four June starts, gets good life on the fastball, and is in a good position in San Diego to get wins.
Overview of Week 12
Clayton Kershaw picked up his third win of 2025 against the Nationals on June 20, continuing a strong trend of good work. Over the last two weeks, Kershaw posted a 1.59 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 17 frames.
Mitchell Parker, meanwhile, lived up to what was a strong matchup on paper. Parker struck out eight over six frames against the Rockies but couldn’t get a win. Kumar Rocker, as noted earlier, also pitched well.
Let’s not talk about Colin Rea, though.
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