Five Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 1

Happy Opening Day! Another long, bitter winter is behind us. It’s finally time to get in the game.

Assuming you’ve been a regular around these parts, you undoubtedly had a terrific draft. As valuable as the foundation from a strong draft can be, we all know that leagues are won and lost during the season. No successful roster makes it to the end of the year without undergoing significant changes. How you respond to injuries, slumps, role changes, and trades will determine whether you’re a champ or a chump.

Fortunately, RotoBaller has you covered. Every single day from now until the end of the season, we’ll be bringing you the same expert analysis that you’ve come to expect. Today, we’ll cover some of the best outfield options widely available on your waiver wire. With the exception of the first player on this list, you can grab all of these guys for free in over 90 percent of leagues.

 

Angel Pagan, Giants

ESPN: 7 percent owned; Yahoo: 12 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 12% Owned

With Hunter Pence sidelined for the first month of the season, Pagan will reportedly bat third against RHP and fifth against southpaws. He’s not exactly your prototypical middle of the order hitter, but Pagan does have gap power that could help him drive in runs. He’ll have Buster Posey behind him, which should boost his runs scored. And no matter where he hits in the lineup, he offers a solid average and OBP. It remains to be seen how much he’ll run in his new spot, but with three 30 SB seasons in his career, Pagan’s obviously got wheels. Owners who invested in injury stashes could do a lot worse than Pagan as a short-term replacement. He’s been quite productive when healthy.

 

Juan Lagares, Mets 

ESPN: 4 percent owned; Yahoo: 8 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 8% Owned

The newly minted multimillionaire is primarily known for his glove, but was actually a league-average bat last season. Coming off an excellent spring, his name is penciled in atop the Mets order. He doesn’t have the ideal profile of a leadoff man with a career 4.6% walk rate, but Lagares makes enough contact to parlay his speed into a high BABIP. He’s also entering his age-26 season, so continued improvement at the plate isn’t an unreasonable expectation. Lagares doesn’t have much pop, but looks like a positive contributor in the other three categories in standard leagues.

 

Michael Taylor, Nationals

ESPN: 1 percent owned; Yahoo: 8 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 44% Owned

Taylor will be the everyday center fielder while Denard Span recovers from abdominal surgery. The rookie posted a .313/.396/.539 line with 22 homers and 34 steals at Double-A last season. He also struck out nearly 30 percent of the time and has only 55 at-bats above that level, so expectations ought to be tempered a bit. Still, Taylor offers an intriguing mix of speed and pop that’s difficult to find on the wire. Span is reportedly progressing well in his rehab, but the other starting outfielders in D.C. – Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper – aren’t exactly Cal Ripken, Jr. He should have plenty of opportunities to make an impact, especially if he hits the ground running to start the year.

 

Travis Snider, Orioles

ESPN: 1 percent owned; Yahoo: 4 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 5% Owned

A former first-round pick, Snider made it to the majors at the tender age of 20. Once there, however, he battled injuries and a severe platoon split, ultimately punching his ticket out of Toronto. His first go-round with the Pirates yielded a horrendous .215/.281/.333 line. Snider looked dangerously close to washing out of the league. Last season, though, he stayed healthy and turned in the best season of his career. The peripherals all support this improvement: fewer whiffs, more walks, and a surge in batted ball distance. Now he’s in Baltimore and assured a starting job. Also working in his favor: Camden Yards is one of the best parks for left-handed hitters, whereas PNC Park was among the worst. If Snider can avoid the injury bug, he’s got legitimate 25 HR upside.

 

David Peralta, Diamondbacks

ESPN: 1 percent owned; Yahoo: 2 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 55% Owned

Peralta, a converted pitcher, was a pleasant surprise for both Arizona and fantasy owners down the stretch in 2014, as he compiled a tidy .286/.320/.450 line with eight homers and six steals. The Diamondbacks outfield is also looking a lot less crowded with Yasmany Tomas ticketed for the minors and Cody Ross released. Peralta appears to have a firm grasp on the starting job in left and is nominally able to man the other two outfield positions as well. There’s some sneaky 15/15 potential here if he can build off of last season and a solid showing in spring training.