Outfield Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 10 (2024)

May 26, 2024

Kevin Hickey's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for outfielders for Week 10 of the 2024 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these free-agent hitters.

Welcome back RotoBallers! This article will discuss our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 10 -- May 27 through June 2. The time has come to start making those tough roster decisions and potentially cut ties with some of the struggling players who excited you on draft day. Trading in some of these early busts for players with more promising ceilings can be crucial to fantasy baseball success in the long run.

With the sample size becoming more substantial, we can start making better-informed decisions on the legitimacy of 2024 player performance. This article will highlight the guys who are trending upward and those whose standing with their team has changed significantly for one reason or another. At this stage, plenty remains speculative, but it's better to get out in front of the trends.

The names in this article are in order of rostered percentage and are not indicative of a confidence ranking. In the first few weeks, rostered percentages can change quickly, so be quick to check your leagues for availability.

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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Standard Leagues

Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (40% Rostered)

Wilyer Abreu continues to be one of the most consistent producers in the Boston Red Sox lineup. Through 45 games played, he sports a strong .270/.350/.475 slash line with five home runs, seven stolen bases, and a 128 wRC+. The 25-year-old's success has earned him an everyday role near the top of the batting order.

Looking under the hood, Abreu's underlying numbers are a mixed bag. His 30.9% whiff rate and .218 xBA signal a likely negative regression for his .270 batting average. That said, the trade-off is worthwhile, considering Abreu's ability to consistently get on base with an 11.3% walk rate and his fantasy batted-ball metrics. Abreu is squaring up pitchers to the tune of a 47.5% hard-hit rate, 11.1% barrel rate, and a 90.4 MPH average exit velocity.

Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners (38% Rostered)

Dylan Moore's fantasy stock has shot up in recent days. He has generated seven extra-base hits over his last eight games played, contributing to a 1.022 OPS overall for May. Even with the return of J.P. Crawford, Moore has unexpectedly etched out an everyday spot in the Seattle Mariners lineup for the foreseeable future. 

While Moore's career body of work suggests he will eventually cool off, the underlying metrics are encouraging. Of particular significance, Moore has demonstrated elite plate discipline, chasing on only 17.3% of pitches outside the zone, resulting in a 12.8% walk rate, part of a strong .339 xwOBA. The batted-ball numbers look great, too, as Moore has produced a 46.2% hard-hit rate, 9.9% barrel rate, 90.2 MPH average exit velocity, and a fantastic 42.9% sweet-spot rate.

Kevin Pillar, Los Angeles Angels (31% Rostered)

The Los Angeles Angels have emerged as the premier landing spot for journeyman veterans looking to revitalize their careers. There is perhaps no better example of this right now than Kevin Pillar. The 35-year-old is now on his ninth different major league team and has never looked better at the plate. Through 15 games with the Angels, Pillar is slashing .420/.453/.740 with four home runs and a 228 wRC+.

Kevin Pillar has been UNREAL with the Angels. pic.twitter.com/zPTFZlwN9S

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 22, 2024

Undoubtedly, Pillar's numbers will start to come back down to Earth. Still, he has established himself as a key contributor in the Angels' batting order and his improved batted-ball metrics go a long toward legitimizing his success. Pillar has generated a career-best .436 xSLG, alongside similarly encouraging numbers, like a 40.7% sweet-spot rate, 8.5% barrel rate, and a .267 xBA. Pillar won't maintain his current pace, but that doesn't mean he won't remain a valuable fantasy producer. At the very least, Pillar is worth streaming, if for no other reason than to ride out his hot streak.

LaMonte Wade Jr., San Francisco Giants (21% Rostered)

LaMonte Wade Jr. is flying under the radar this season. He sports an outstanding .326/.469/.416 slash line with a 166 wRC+. Wade has developed into one of the most important bats in the San Francisco Giants lineup, and he has partially shed his strong-side platoon limitations with Michael Conforto on the injured list and Jung Hoo Lee out for the season.

Wade's success at the dish starts with his elite plate discipline. He chases only 16% of pitches outside of the strike zone and owns an incredible 20.4% walk rate. While walks are not the most attractive statistic from a fantasy perspective, Wade's batted-ball metrics are worthwhile. He has generated a .485 xSLG, .312 xBA, 91.3 MPH average exit velocity, 9.7% barrel rate, and a 45.2% hard-hit rate. Wade has only two home runs so far this season, but there is likely positive regression on the way for his power numbers.

Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Deeper Leagues

Joc Pederson, Arizona Diamondbacks (10% Rostered)

Joc Pederson has been a regular name on this list and he continues to demonstrate why. The 32-year-old sports a .313/.409/.557 slash line with six home runs and a 173 wRC+. While he does not see much action against southpaws, Pederson has been the Arizona Diamondbacks' most valuable hitter against right-handed pitchers this season.

Pederson's success this season is supported by some eye-opening advanced metrics. Those numbers include a 51.2% hard-hit rate, 92.9% average exit velocity, 10.7% barrel rate, and a .363 xwOBA. While Pederson's .272 xBA indicates some probable regression incoming, it remains a remarkable improvement over his .239 career batting average. Pederson is unlikely to approach his 36-home run career high from 2019, but he is looking like the most well-rounded version of himself that we have seen so far.

Jake Bauers, Milwaukee Brewers (7% Rostered)

Jake Bauers has been a pleasant surprise for the Milwaukee Brewers this season. Through 35 games played, he has generated a respectable .772 OPS with five home runs and a 118 wRC+. Bauers' .223 batting average is somewhat of an eyesore, but there is plenty of room for positive regression.

While Bauers' gratuitous strikeout numbers will likely prevent him from ever being a .300 hitter, his .248 xBA tells us he deserves better results. Bauers has demonstrated fantastic pitch selection, chasing only 19.5% of pitches outside the strike zone. It can be frustrating that nearly half of his at-bats end in a walk or a strikeout, though the peripherals look great when he manages to put the ball in play. Bauers has produced a .486 xSLG, 50% hard-hit rate, 12.9% barrel rate, and a 92 MPH average exit velocity.

Johnathan Rodriguez, Cleveland Guardians (1% Rostered)

Johnathan Rodriguez's big league career is only 13 plate appearances deep so far, but he will be an interesting name to track. Before his call-up, Rodriguez was slashing .276/.389/.449 with seven home runs across 43 games played in Triple-A to begin the year. The performance followed a breakout 2023 campaign, where he generated 29 home runs and a .529 slugging percentage across 135 minor league appearances.

Congratulations to Johnathan Rodriguez on his first career MLB hit 👏👏👏

It comes in a key moment to give the @CleGuardians the lead in the bottom of the seventh! #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/r6Cgjbt7mr

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) May 22, 2024

While Rodriguez is not regarded as a top prospect in the Cleveland Guardians farm system, he does possess a worthwhile ceiling. More specifically, Rodriguez has a fantastic 60-grade power stroke. His ability to launch balls over the wall has never been a question, but his plate discipline has been a limiting factor during his development. Rodriguez earned a reputation for chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone, which often curtails his ability to produce premium contact. That said, he has come a long way with his pitch selection. Rodriguez's walk rate jumped up to an impressive 12.4% in Triple-A last season, and that mark improved to 15.7% in 2024.

More Players to Consider

• Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins (47% rostered)
• Luke Raley, Seattle Mariners (35% rostered)
• Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies (35% rostered)
• Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (33% rostered)
• Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (25% rostered)
• Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (22% rostered)
• Tommy Pham, Chicago White Sox (17% rostered)
• JJ Bleday, Oakland Athletics (11% rostered)

More Deep-League Players to Consider

• Joey Loperfido, Houston Astros (9% rostered)
• Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates (5% rostered)
• Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles (5% rostered)
• Matt Vierling, Detroit Tigers (3% rostered)
• Willie Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels (2% rostered)
• Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants (2% rostered)
• Dominic Canzone, Seattle Mariners (1% rostered)

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers