Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Fantasy Baseball - Week 7

Kevin Hickey's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for outfielders and Week 7 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 7 – May 8 through May 14. 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

Esteury Ruiz, Oakland Athletics

49% Rostered

Ruiz's stock is rising quickly, especially in leagues emphasizing stolen bases. On the surface, his .276/.346/.358 slash line isn't terribly exciting, but Ruiz is now tied for the MLB lead with 15 stolen bases this season. That includes Ruiz stealing ten over his last nine games. Ruiz only has nine extra-base hits, though he is a threat to steal every time he gets on base.

Further, there may also be some hidden pop in Ruiz's bat. Over 114 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022, Ruiz posted a .526 slugging percentage, including 16 home runs, 33 doubles, and two triples. If he can integrate that power at the major-league level, the sky is the limit for the 24-year-old.

Nick Senzel, Cincinnati Reds

41% Rostered

Senzel had a phenomenal stretch of games last week. He produced five multi-hit performances in the span of six games, including three home runs. Overall, Senzel carries a .286/.351/.443 slash line through 20 appearances. With a career .673 OPS, the former second-overall draft pick has lost his shine since debuting in 2019. Injuries have muddied Senzel's ability to get his footing in the majors. Nonetheless, an upside remains, but the time to produce is now. Whether riding out a hot streak or you believe Senzel has truly turned a corner, he's worth taking a flier on right now. 

Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians

34% Rostered

Naylor owns an awful .602 OPS with only seven extra-base hits so far in 2023. Nonetheless, now is a great time to buy low on the 25-year-old. Naylor has experienced exceptional bad luck this year. He sports a .224 BABIP, and Naylor's advanced metrics tell us his numbers should start to rebound in a significant way -- .467 xSLG, .344 xwOBA, .276 xBA, 45.6% hard-hit rate, 90.5 MPH average exit velocity, 8.9% barrel rate. Those are all career-best marks for Naylor. 

Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins

16% Rostered

Soler is another player whose production doesn't match his metrics. Soler sports a .212/.288/.451 slash line with six home runs through 31 games played. However, his advanced stats tell us a much different story -- .540 xSLG, .260 xBA, .370 xwOBA, 50% hard-hit rate, 93 MPH average exit velocity, 17.9% barrel rate. Soler is not getting enough credit or on-field payoff for crushing the ball at an elite level.

Though you shouldn't expect him to start hitting for average, we can anticipate better results are headed Soler's way. His 48-home run campaign in 2019 feels like a distant memory these days, but his power upside has shown no real signs of meaningful decline. If Soler can stay healthy, a 30-home run output is not out of reach.

Outfield Waiver Wire Adds In Deep Leagues

Randal Grichuk, Colorado Rockies

7% Rostered

Grichuk's name popped up on this list last week as he was activated from the injured list. Since then, his offensive numbers have been very encouraging. Grichuk is slashing .500/.560/.611 through his first five games, including four two-hit performances, three doubles, and a stolen base. Obviously, the pace is unsustainable, but it's good to see the 31-year-old hit the ground running in 2023.

Grichuk managed 19 home runs alongside a middling .259/.299/.425 slash line last season. It was ultimately an underwhelming debut 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. We're already seeing that Grichuk still has some pop left in his bat, and playing at Coors will only strengthen his output.

JJ Bleday, Oakland Athletics

2% Rostered

The former fourth-overall draft pick was a top prospect in the Marlins organization as recently as last year. After showcasing his prolific power and plate discipline in the minors, Bleday stumbled in his first shot at the big leagues in 2022. He posted a .586 OPS across 65 games and was eventually traded to Oakland in the offseason.

Bleday was called up to the majors earlier this week following a hot start with Triple-A Las Vegas, featuring a .316/.429/.643 slash line and 16 extra-base hits. The sample size is small, but Bleday has two multi-hit performances in his first three games, including a home run and a double. It's possible the 25-year-old is finally living up to his prospect pedigree, and he should get an opportunity to play regularly with Oakland. 

Nick Pratto, Kansas City Royals

1% Rostered

Pratto rocketed up the Royals' prospect rankings following a 36-home run campaign in 124 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. His continued dominance in the minors led to Pratto's eventual call-up last season, but success didn't follow. Pratto posted a disappointing .184/.271/.386 slash line across 49 appearances with the Royals and returned to Triple-A. 

Now nine games deep into 2023, Pratto sports a respectable .353/.421/.471 slash line with four multi-hit performances. It remains to be seen if he will produce consistently in the majors, but the ceiling is high for Pratto, considering his 60-grade power stroke.

More Players To Consider

• Jon Berti, Marlins - 38% rostered
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Diamondbacks - 32% rostered
• Ramon Laureano, Athletics - 28% rostered
• Adam Frazier, Orioles - 15% rostered

More Deep-League Players To Consider

• Edward Olivares, Royals - 6% rostered
• Max Kepler, Twins - 5% rostered
• Eric Haase, Tigers - 5% rostered
• Stone Garrett, Nationals - 1% rostered
• Miguel Andujar, Pirates - 1% rostered

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers