We’re up to the second full week of the 2026 MLB and fantasy baseball seasons, although it could be Week 3 for those who had a short one for the opening weekend of the year. Nonetheless, the start of a new week means new opportunities and new potential waiver wire targets. Here’s our list of pitchers to look into for Week 2.
Best Week 2 pitchers to target
- SP Emerson Hancock (Mariners)
- SP Andrew Painter (Phillies)
- RP Jordan Romano (Angels)
- RP Gregory Soto (Pirates)
- SP Michael Wacha (Royals)
We’ll start with the likely two-start starters for this upcoming week: Michael Wacha and Andrew Painter.
Wacha’s first start of the 2026 season was sublime. The right-hander struck out seven and didn’t allow a run against the Braves in his only start that came on March 28. A lot of chase, and a lot of swing-and-miss from one of baseball’s craftiest pitchers.
The Royals’ right-hander is expected to face the Guardians (road) and White Sox (home) this week.
Andrew Painter will get the Giants on April 6. Painter’s MLB debut was a very good one, as the right-hander struck out eight against the Nationals in Philadelphia. That outing didn’t feature a ton of swing-and-miss. However, hitters had a hard time reading him, which led to a lot of called strikes.
One starter aside from the two-start pitchers to consider is Emerson Hancock. Hancock, the former first-round pick, has been excellent in his first two starts of the year, as he struck out 14 over 12, only allowed one run, and had one of the 15 best wOBA (.196) in the Majors among starting pitchers with five or more innings this season.
This has been a different version of Hancock, one who significantly increased the usage of his four-seamer, sweeper, and cutter over his first two outings.
So, what should be made of that? Well, the shift is logical. Hancock comes at hitters from a crossfire delivery and lower arm slot, making what is a low-to-mid-90s fastball play look a little bit more effective.
Getting lower-arm-slot pitchers to use the four-seamer more has become a trend in recent years. Just look at Trevor Rogers, who excelled last season (and this year, so far), thanks in part to being more willing to use it and attack up in the zone.
For those looking for relievers, Gregory Soto has been involved in the ninth-inning scenario in Pittsburgh alongside Dennis Santana. Jordan Romano, meanwhile, already notched three saves and hasn’t allowed an earned run yet for the Angels.
Overview of Week 1
Looking back at our picks from Week 1, it was a mixed bag,
Both Paul Sewald and Riley O’Brien were solid additions for those who picked either — or both — up.
Sewald has two earned runs on his ledger over four innings. However, seven strikeouts and, more importantly, three saves on the young season for the Diamondbacks. O’Brien struck out four over 4.1 IP, didn’t allow a run, and netted himself a win and a save for the Cardinals.
The hard-throwing Cardinals reliever has been the team’s best-performing reliever in the early part of the season — even though O’Brien didn’t receive every save opportunity.
As for the starters, Connelly Early pitched well in his two starts despite some walks. Max Meyer was done in by a bad first inning against the Rockies in his first 2026 start. And as for Brandon Sproat, he did not get off to a good start.
Sproat, a pitcher who excelled at inducing weak contact in the Minors, gave up four home runs over his first two starts of the 2026 campaign.
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