Outfield Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 13 (2024)

June 16, 2024

Kevin Hickey's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for outfielders for Week 13 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 13 -- June 17 through June 23. 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. Rostered percentages can change quickly, so be quick to check your leagues for availability.

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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Standard Leagues

Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals (49% Rostered)

Alec Burleson has been a key component of the St. Louis Cardinals' recent offensive resurgence. His strong performance in May has spilled over into June, posting a 121 wRC+ and four home runs over the first 13 games. Overall, Burleson is up to a .273/.306/.435 slash line with nine home runs and a 113 wRC+. The strong performance has earned the 25-year-old an everyday spot in the Cardinals lineup. 

Burleson's underlying metrics go a long way toward legitimizing his recent success. He has produced an outstanding .280 xBA, alongside similarly strong numbers, like a .451 xSLG, 90.4 MPH average exit velocity, and a 42.7% hard-hit rate. Perhaps most impressive of all is Burleson's elite 14.1% strikeout rate. Good things happen when you put the ball in play.

Matt Vierling, Detroit Tigers (43% Rostered)

Matt Vierling has been a steady riser over the past month and a half. In May, he posted a .925 OPS with a 156 wRC+ across 24 games. Vierling has cooled off somewhat in June, but overall is sporting a strong .262/.301/.453 slash line. He has firmly established himself as an everyday part of the Detroit Tigers' batting order.

It's another early solo blast for Matt Vierling, giving Detroit the early lead! #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/X2aXiFhEc6

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) June 15, 2024

Looking deeper at Vierling's production, it's hard not to be encouraged by his batted-ball metrics. He has generated a .271 xBA, .432 xSLG, 43.9% hard-hit rate, 9% barrel rate, 39.8% sweet-spot rate, and a 91.3 MPH average exit velocity. Vierling offers a tremendous ability to make contact, whiffing on only 18.6% of swings while chasing on only 21% of pitches outside of the strike zone. Despite the excellent plate discipline, Vierling's on-base percentage is limited by a weak 5.2% walk rate. Still, the extra-base hitting production makes for a worthwhile trade-off.

Kevin Pillar, Los Angeles Angels (33% Rostered)

It seemingly makes no sense at all, but Kevin Pillar remains one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball. In 29 games since joining the Los Angeles Angels, the 35-year-old is slashing .354/.396/.626 with six home runs and an 184 OPS+. This has been the hottest offensive stretch of his career, and while skepticism surrounds the outstanding performance, Pillar has shown no signs of slowing down.

Pillar's underlying numbers don't necessarily support his current production level, but they do verify that his approach has improved in 2024. He sports a career-best .446 xSLG and 41.3% sweet-spot rate, alongside a similarly impressive .270 xBA and a .337 xwOBA. At the core of Pillar's success is his ability to put the bat on the ball. He whiffs on only 20.9% of swings and strikes out at just a 15.9% rate.

Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (26% Rostered)

Enthusiasm for Andy Pages dwindled following a slump during May, but he has rebounded nicely of late. Across 12 games played in June, the rookie owns a 1.029 OPS with a 200 wRC+. Overall, Pages is up to a .271/.320/.426 slash line with seven home runs and a 114 wRC+. He is firmly established as an everyday presence in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, and his prospect pedigree illustrates his prolific ceiling.

Looking under the hood, Pages' batted-ball metrics validate his success. The 23-year-old is squaring up the ball to the tune of a .442 xSLG, 9.7% barrel rate, 44.8% hard-hit rate, and a 41.8% sweet-spot rate. His 5.3% walk rate is underwhelming, but Pages showcased better on-base consistency throughout his minor league tenure, and a 14.6% walk rate so far in June suggests his plate discipline is starting to adjust to the top level.

Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Deeper Leagues

Tommy Pham, Chicago White Sox (7% Rostered)

A recent injured list stint killed Tommy Pham's growing momentum, but he rejoined the team this past week and immediately slots in as one of the Chicago White Sox's most important hitters. Over 34 games played this season, Pham is batting .279 with a 108 wRC+. His power numbers are not as impressive as we saw from him last season, though there is reason to suspect that positive regression is in store for Pham.

Even at 36 years old, Pham's underlying numbers paint the image of an impressive hitter. He has produced a .285 xBA, 91.3 MPH average exit velocity, 37.5% sweet-spot rate, and a .426 xSLG. Pham is an above-average player in most regards and is a reliable fantasy asset that is available in most leagues.

Brett Wisely, San Francisco Giants (2% Rostered)

Brett Wisely is not exactly a top prospect in the San Francisco Giants farm system, but his game has translated well to the big leagues so far. The 25-year-old is slashing .317/.333/.467 with a pair of home runs and a 129 wRC+ through 21 games played. His playing time suffers from a platoon designation, but Wisely finds himself in the lineup on most days, recently operating out of the leadoff spot against right-handed pitchers.

Wisely does not feature exceptional upside in any one offensive area, but he seems to do everything well. He has generated a .820 OPS or better in each of his past four minor-league campaigns, including at least 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Wisely has excelled at every level of baseball and if he can maintain consistent playing time, he offers considerable fantasy value in deep leagues.

Justyn-Henry Malloy, Detroit Tigers (2% Rostered)

Justyn-Henry Malloy is one of the more interesting names to debut in the majors this month. The 24-year-old is something of an odd fit at every defensive position, but the Detroit Tigers appear determined to make him work as a corner outfielder because of his tremendous offensive upside. The early returns have been encouraging for Malloy, posting a .864 OPS with a pair of home runs over his first 10 major league games.

Justyn-Henry Malloy crushes this one 💪

2nd big league homer for the @Tigers' No. 6 prospect.

407 ft | 107.9 MPH pic.twitter.com/A1ruN411yW

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 13, 2024

The strong offensive performance so far is not terribly surprising, given what Malloy accomplished in the minor leagues. He generated a .884 OPS across 45 games in Triple-A this season, building off the .892 OPS mark and 23 home runs he produced in 2023. In addition to an above-average power stroke, Malloy's greatest tool is his elite plate discipline, which should allow his offensive approach to more seamlessly translate to the big leagues.

More Players to Consider

• Bryan De La Cruz, Miami Marlins (49% rostered)
• Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (48% rostered)
• Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (33% rostered)
• Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies (25% rostered)
• Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels (24% rostered)
• Luke Raley, Seattle Mariners (20% rostered)
• Jake Fraley, Cincinnati Reds (16% rostered)
• Joc Pederson, Arizona Diamondbacks (15% rostered)

More Deep-League Players to Consider

• Nelson Velazquez, Kansas City Royals (7% rostered)
• Jake McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks (5% rostered)
• Johan Rojas, Philadelphia Phillies (5% rostered)
• Harrison Bader, New York Mets (4% rostered)
• Adam Duvall, Atlanta Braves (4% rostered)
• Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins (2% rostered)
• Addison Barger, Toronto Blue Jays (1% rostered)
• Max Schuemann, Cleveland Guardians (1% rostered)

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers