Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Fantasy Baseball - Week 6

April 30, 2023

Kevin Hickey's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for outfielders and Week 6 of the 2023 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these free-agent hitters.

This article will discuss fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 6 – May 1 through May 7. Whether your team is derailed by injuries or you’re simply ready to give up on your draft day darlings, navigating the waiver wire will be crucial to finding long-term success in fantasy baseball. 

As we move through the season, trends fluctuate, and we must learn to react in real time. When it comes to hot streaks, you have the act fast, or you may miss out. This set of outfield-eligible players may not all have the longest track records, or their success could be considered unsustainable. However, you have to take risks early in the season in order to uncover your breakout stars. It will already be too late if you wait until these names are established. 

Names listed are in order of roster percentage, not confidence ranking. Position eligibility and roster percentage are based on Yahoo, so check your leagues for availability! 

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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds For Standard Leagues

Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics

46% Rostered

This is probably the last call on Rooker before he's taken in the majority of leagues. His ownership has doubled over the last seven days following another torrid week at the plate. In total, Rooker is slashing .339/.455/.758 with eight home runs. The 28-year-old carries similarly impressive advanced metrics like a .647 xSLG, .449 xwOBA, 48.9% hard-hit rate, and a whopping 23.4% barrel rate. He's the anchor of the Oakland lineup and shows no signs of slowing down.

Rooker's breakthrough has seemingly come out of nowhere. Prior to 2023, he struggled to get going at the plate in 81 career games scattered between 2020, 2021, and 2022. Sporadic playing time may be partially to blame for the struggles, as Rooker did demonstrate prowess at the plate during his various minor league stints. Through 81 games at Triple-A last year, he hit 28 home runs and 27 doubles alongside a .289/.395/.649 slash line.

Jack Suwinski, Pittsburgh Pirates

34% Rostered

Jack Suwinski is another outfielder whose fantasy ownership has grown exponentially over the past week. He carries a .276/.397/.603 slash line, including a 173 OPS+, 165 wRC+, and five home runs. Suwinski's downside is that he's primarily a platoon player, though he does at least get the strong side of the platoon.

Ignoring his surface-level successes, Suwinski ranks in the top-fifth percentile with each of his .630 xSLG, .434 xwOBA, 22.5% barrel rate, 16.2% chase rate, and 17.8% walk rate. He brings elite plate discipline paired with undeniable pop. 

Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox

28% Rostered

Duran has been an on-again, off-again part of the Red Sox MLB roster as far back as 2021. Still, his total service time is just over 100 games deep, so take his career .685 OPS with a grain of salt. The highly regarded prospect has made momentous strides and may finally be showcasing the offensive output necessary to stick in the big leagues.

Through 11 games this season, Duran is slashing .436/.455/.718 with a home run and eight doubles. His minor-league track record, plus a 70-grade run tool, further illustrates his impressive base-stealing upside. That has translated into two stolen bases this season, though Duran would have presumably accrued more if the majority of his hits didn't go for extra bases. Duran will eventually cool off at the plate, but he's capable of running up fantasy points in a multitude of ways if he continues to get the playing time. 

Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants

26% Rostered

Yastrzemski is enjoying a very solid 2023, posting a .292/.323/.539 slash line with 12 extra-base hits through 23 games. That includes a strong 10.4% barrel rate, .369 wOBA, 20.6% whiff rate, 15.2% chase rate, and 43.3% hard-hit rate. Yastrzemski doesn't walk much, but he showcases elite pitch discernment and is making solid contact with regularity.

Given the consistency of Yastrzemski's production, this ownership feels too light. Partially to blame, the Giants are among the most aggressive with platooning their bats. Still, he gets the strong side of the platoon, and he's crushing the ball when he is given the opportunity. Further, Yastrzemski (29 plate appearances versus left-handed pitchers) has not been written off against southpaws to the same extent Joc Pederson (four plate appearances) and LaMonte Wade Jr. (17 plate appearances) have. Of that group, Yastrzemski is the closest to an everyday player. 

Outfield Waiver Wire Adds In Deep Leagues

Randal Grichuk, Colorado Rockies

6% Rostered

Grichuk was just activated from the injured list on Saturday and expects to immediately take on an everyday playing role for the Rockies. The 31-year-old managed 19 home runs alongside a middling .259/.299/.425 slash line. It was ultimately an underwhelming debut season with Colorado. Before 2022, Grichuk hit 22 or more home runs in five of six prior campaigns, with the only exception being the Covid-shortened 2020 season. There's reason to believe Grichuk still has some pop left in his bat, and playing at Coors is an added benefit.

Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins

4% Rostered

At 30 years old, Kepler is not the most exciting player on this list, but he is likely available in your league. He carries a respectable .262/.333/.491 slash line, including three home runs. Kepler may not offer the highest of ceilings, though he is in the lineup most days and hits leadoff against right-handed pitching, meaning he receives a sizeable share of hitting opportunities. 

Further, Kepler is hitting the ball better in 2023 than he ever has before. The sample size is only 17 games, but his .508 xSLG, 13.6% barrel rate, 45.5% hard-hit rate, and .347 xwOBA would all be career highs if the season ended today. Kepler's 2019 36-home run total feels like forever ago, but he's in a good way this season, and he's not too old to accomplish something resembling that output.\

Nelson Velazquez, Chicago Cubs

2% Rostered

The sample size is understandably too small, but Velazquez has crushed the ball when given the opportunity this season. Through six games, he's accrued three home runs and two doubles, amounting to a 1.559 OPS. This performance goes a long way toward validating the 60-grade power Velazquez showcased throughout his minor-league tenure.  

Velazquez's most recent call-up was a result of Cody Bellinger's stint on the paternity list. Bellinger has since returned, and rather than send Velazquez back to Triple-A, as expected, the Cubs opted to waive Luis Torrens and keep Velazquez instead. Obviously, his value hinges on how his playing time pans out, but the vote of confidence from the organization is a good indicator for the 24-year-old.

More Players To Consider

• Ji Hwan Bae, Pirates - 39% rostered
• Jorge Soler, Marlins - 25% rostered
• TJ Friedl, Reds - 14% rostered
• Michael Brantley, Astros - 10% rostered

More Deep-League Players To Consider

• Oscar Colas, White Sox - 8% rostered
• Joey Wiemer, Brewers - 3% rostered
• Stone Garrett, Nationals - 1% rostered

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