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Kevin Hickey's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for outfielders for Week 6 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 6 -- April 29 through May 5. It is about time to start making those tough roster decisions and potentially cutting 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.
As the sample size becomes more substantial, we can start making 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 percentage rostered 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 their availability.
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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Standard Leagues
Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles (50% Rostered)
It's only appropriate to kick things off with the most high-profile waiver wire add of the week, Heston Kjerstad. The 25-year-old is the fourth-ranked prospect in the Baltimore Orioles' impressive farm system and the 29th overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Kjerstad's prolific ceiling is underscored by a 50-grade hit tool paired with 55-grade power.
Kjerstad's major-league career is only 38 plate appearances deep, including just five at-bats since being recalled earlier this week. Instead of trying to read into that small sample size, it's worth acknowledging just how hot Kjerstad's bat has been in the minors. He slashed .349/.431/.744 with 10 home runs across 21 games played in Triple-A to start this season, building off a .904 OPS over 122 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. A breakout at the top level feels imminent for Kjerstad.
Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres (30% Rostered)
Jurickson Profar's name does not carry the same hype that it used to, but the 31-year-old is quietly enjoying the best season of his career so far. Through 29 games, he is slashing .293/.400/.457 with three home runs and a 147 wRC+. Despite being overshadowed by bigger names in the San Diego Padres lineup, Profar has been one of the team's most consistent producers in 2024, etching out an everyday spot in the heart of the batting order.
Looking under the hood, Profar's advanced metrics paint the picture of a very solid hitter. At the center of his success is fantastic plate discipline. He chases just 23.5% of pitches outside of the strike zone and whiffs on only 20.4% of swings. The result is a 17.3% strikeout rate and an elite 14.1% walk rate. Those figures are more or less in line with Profar's career marks. Instead, it is the improved quality of contact that we can attribute to his success this season. Profar is producing an outstanding 90 MPH average exit velocity, well ahead of his 86.8 MPH career average.
Brenton Doyle, Colorado Rockies (28% Rostered)
Brenton Doyle was featured on this list last week, and his roster percentage has tripled since then. The 25-year-old is slashing .330/.371/.527 with three home runs, four stolen bases, and a 135 wRC+. His breakout is somewhat surprising, following the 43 wRC+ he generated across 126 games in 2023, but Doyle was a 20-home run, 20 stolen-base producer during his minor league days. It may be time to adjust our expectations accordingly.
Realistically, there is probably some regression behind Doyle's surface numbers. He possesses solid plate discipline, chasing on only 24.7% of pitches outside the strike zone, though that only translates into a miserable 5.2% walk rate. As a guy whose value is boosted by his base-stealing ability, that is not ideal. Still, Doyle will find his baserunning spots as long as he continues to hit himself on base. His quality of contact has massively improved from last season, generating a 46% hard-hit rate and 41.3% sweet-spot rate. Plus, the invisible hand of Coors Field always helps.
Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (23% Rostered)
The big question surrounding Andy Pages' first week of MLB action was about how much action he would actually see. If we can trust the early returns, then Pages is settled in as an everyday player for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has started in all 10 possible games, and based on his strong performance, Pages should remain a fixture in their lineup for the foreseeable future.
Andy Pages got to the Dodgers and immediately started making his presence felt, he just hit 2nd home run of his big league career!
Just feels like he was meant to be on this squad 🔥
🎥: @SportsNetLA pic.twitter.com/6K2nJ6fP16
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) April 25, 2024
Pages is slashing .286/.316/.543 with two home runs and a 135 wRC+. The underlying metrics support his success, as he boasts a .541 xSLG, 11.5% barrel rate, 46.2% hard-hit rate, and a .377 xwOBA. This sample size is small, but terrorizing pitchers is nothing new for Pages. He generated a 1.146 OPS across 15 games in Triple-A to begin the season, up from a .907 OPS in the minors in 2023.
Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Deeper Leagues
Mike Tauchman, Chicago Cubs (6% Rostered)
With Cody Bellinger hitting the injured list, Mike Tauchman has stepped up surprisingly. He has hit safely in eight of his past nine contests, part of an impressive .295/.434/.475 slash line overall this season. That mark includes two home runs and a 159 wRC+. Tauchman's strong performance earned him an elevation to the two-hole in the Cubs' batting order, giving him plenty of run-scoring opportunities if he continues to get on base.
Looking closer at Tauchman's underlying numbers, he's in career-best form across the board. The 33-year-old boasts strong batted-ball metrics, including a 12.8% barrel rate, .430 xSLG, and a 42.6% hard-hit rate. Tauchman has additionally showcased elite plate discipline with his 21.6% chase rate and phenomenal 19.7% walk rate.
Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels (5% Rostered)
Jo Adell is a fascinating post-hype prospect. After relentlessly pummeling minor-league pitchers for years, he has failed to adjust to the next level during various MLB stints dating back to 2020. Now 25 years old, Adell might finally be cracking the code. Through 19 games, he boasts a .293/.362/.512 slash line with two home runs and five stolen bases. Consistent playing time was a battle to begin the campaign, but Adell appears to be settling into an everyday role with the Los Angeles Angels now.
Digging deeper, Adell's advanced metrics suggest the caliber of player he was always meant to be. Those numbers include a .557 xSLG, 12.9% barrel rate, 51.6% hard-hit rate, and a .414 xwOBA. He strikes out at a lackluster 23.4% rate, which is a remarkable improvement over the 34.5% strikeout rate that has plagued Adell early on in his career. It might not be long before the word gets out on a potential breakout.
Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies (3% Rostered)
Hunter Goodman doesn't carry the same level of acclaim as others featured here, but the guy can plain hit. He earned his promotion to the big leagues earlier this week after posting a 1.042 OPS and seven home runs across 20 games played in Triple-A to start the year. Further, Goodman mashed 34 home runs with a .919 OPS over 106 appearances in the minors last season, so the power production is nothing new.
Hunter Goodman (@Rockies' No. 12 prospect) demolishes his first big league homer of 2024!
106.5 mph | 448 ft. pic.twitter.com/oCNzxrxPFe
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 25, 2024
Goodman's upside is obvious. He hits home runs. Assuming Goodman can lock down consistent playing time, he is a worthwhile player to add in deeper leagues.
More Players to Consider
- Joey Loperfido, Houston Astros (13% rostered)
- Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox (50% rostered)
- Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (47% rostered)
- Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies (39% rostered)
- Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (35% rostered)
- Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners (27% rostered)
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (11% rostered)
- Jordan Beck, Colorado Rockies (2% rostered)
More Deep-League Players to Consider
- LaMonte Wade Jr., San Francisco Giants (9% rostered)
- Gavin Sheets, Chicago White Sox (5% rostered)
- Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins (3% rostered)
- Addison Barger, Toronto Blue Jays (3% rostered)
- Lawrence Butler, Oakland Athletics (1% rostered)
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