Across 68 innings (12 starts) so far this season, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers has recorded a 2-5 record with a 4.63 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts. While Detmers' inflated ERA is tough to swallow for fantasy managers, a look under the hood at his numbers suggests the 26-year-old may be on the verge of a breakout. Detmers currently owns excellent strikeout (28.5%) and K-BB (20.8%) rates, which are reflected in his 2.96 FIP. The left-hander has been victimized by a brutal 60.9% strand rate, well below his career mark of 69.2%. Detmers is already providing value in the WHIP and strikeout categories for fantasy managers. If his ERA falls in line with his underlying metrics over the course of a larger sample size of innings, Detmers could wind up as one of the waiver-wire steals of the summer for fantasy managers.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) "might be (on track) for an August or September return," per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Schwellenbach has yet to pitch in 2026 after undergoing elbow surgery in mid-February. However, he received clearance to begin throwing in mid-May, leading to optimism that the hard-throwing right-hander could be progressing towards a rehab assignment. This latest report from Bowman seems to indicate that although Schwellenbach is making progress, he remains a long way away from returning to Atlanta's rotation. Before having his 2025 season ended by an elbow fracture, Schwellenbach recorded a 7-4 record with a 3.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts across 110 2/3 innings (17 starts). The 26-year-old remains a high-upside fantasy starter when healthy, but fantasy managers may want to wait until later this summer to consider stashing him off the waiver wire.

Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Brody Hopkins was effective in his first relief outing of the year on Sunday. After starting each of his first 60 minor league appearances, Hopkins worked out of the bullpen this past weekend, giving the Durham Bulls five innings of relief work. He threw five scoreless and hitless innings, allowing one walk while striking out nine batters. So far this year, he owns a 3.56 ERA, 10.31 K/9, and 0.56 HR/9 over 11 outings. The bad news is that his FIP is significantly higher at 4.98, and his walk rate has ballooned to an outrageous 8.06 BB/9 clip. Hopkins isn't ready for the majors yet, but if he can cut down on walks, then his FIP will naturally come down, and his strikeout rate will allow him to be successful. When that happens, he'll be a candidate to make his MLB debut as a piece of the Rays' rotation. In turn, that would put him on the fantasy baseball radar. For now, he's a solid speculative stash in deep redraft leagues.

Across 201 plate appearances so far in 2026, Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young is hitting .232/.290/.378 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. While the 26-year-old is still a below-average offensive contributor by measure of wRC+ (89), he's made some notable changes at the plate this season. Young's max exit velocity is up from 107 mph to 110.1 mph, and his average launch angle has moved from 3.9 degrees to 10.8 degrees. As a result, Young's seven home runs this season are more than he had over the first 1,006 plate appearances of his career (five). He may also get to more speed over the course of a full season, as he swiped 33 bags across 150 games in 2024. At the very worst, Young's elite defense in center field should keep him in an improving Washington lineup on an everyday basis and allow him to rack up counting stats. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers could be wise to target Young on the waiver wire.