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We have completed another week of MLB action, making it time to make more waiver wire moves. With more and more injuries and players slumping, it is time to start changing our rosters. I want to emphasize that it is still not time to panic about your core players. Do not go dropping early picks that are just slumping out the gate. If they are still struggling in a few weeks, we can look at the underlying metrics to see if a drop is in play.
Early in the season, we are interested in players off to hot starts, and more importantly, showing sustainable improvements from last season. With the early injuries, we are also looking into players that may be receiving more playing time. Some of the lower rostered players, or some not mentioned here, are on the solid side of platoons, so make sure you are not adding them if they have a negative schedule. Lastly, the names in the article are in order of percentage rostered, not so much in my preference of adding to your roster. This article will discuss fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 10, June 13 through June 19.
In the first few weeks, rostered percentages can change quickly. So be quick to check your leagues for their availability. When you want to chat about outfielders, prospects, or dynasty leagues, message me directly on Twitter at @bdentrek. Key points - this list will focus on rostered players in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.
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Tommy Pham, Cincinnati Reds
42% Rostered
The fact Pham is so low-rostered blows my mind. I know he got out to a slow start, but he has been a steady contributor once he has started to hit. Since returning from his recent injury, Pham has hit safely in six of his last nine games with two home runs and a stolen base. In addition, he is an on-base machine with a 13.2% walk rate over that stretch and a solid 136 wRC+.
After Pham's slow start to the season, he is still hitting .242 on the season with seven home runs and four stolen bases. He has an excellent .341 OBP with a 9.8% barrel rate and 48.1% hard-hit rate. Pham is on pace for another solid season that could net you a 20/10 outfielder with even more upside as he plays his home games in Great American Small Park. He should be rostered in all 12-team and deeper leagues with some strong consideration in 10-team leagues.
Josh Rojas, Arizona Diamondbacks
39% Rostered
Rojas has been swinging a pretty solid bat since he started the season late off the IL. Over the last nine games, he has swung it well, hitting safely in seven of the games with five extra-base hits, including a home run. Rojas is also showcasing excellent plate discipline with a 10% walk rate and a strikeout rate of around 17%. He is hitting second for the DBacks, which may not sound great, but it has been productive and has allowed Rojas to put up a 129 wRC+ over the last nine games.
On the season (29 games), Rojas is hitting .280 with four home runs and three stolen bases. He is walking 12.1% of the time and striking out 20.7%, which are his best in a few seasons. More importantly, Rojas has his best hard-hit rate since 2019, his best maxEV of his career, and by far his best launch angle. He appears to have a new approach at the plate, which could lead to more power and much more fantasy goodness. He also brings major positional flexibility to your fantasy rosters.
Amed Rosario, Cleveland Guardians
31% Rostered
Rosario has been quite a steady producer this season. Over the last 10 games, he has hit safely in nine games with a .311 average. In addition, he has two extra-base hits with two steals and five runs scored. We do not expect much power from Rosario, but a 5.1% barrel rate and 38.5% hard-hit rate are not too shabby over the last 10 games.
On the season, Rosario has zero home runs and five stolen bases to go with a .250 average. If he is not producing in the batting average department, then he is not worth rostering, but for now, he is contributing. With Rosario getting on base, he can contribute in runs, stolen bases, and batting average if that is something your team is looking for.
AJ Pollock, Chicago White Sox
25% Rostered
The month flipped to June, and all of a sudden, Pollock became on offensive force once again. He is hitting .321 over his eight June games with a .214 ISO and 154 wRC+. Pollock has four extra-base hits, including a home run with six RBI. He is batting all over the White Sox lineup, between leadoff or the five/six spot. Pollock used to be a 20+ home run asset with some speed, but injuries have always been the issue. He is healthy for now and producing, making him very fantasy viable in all 12-team and deeper leagues.
Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels
17% Rostered
A few quick caveats about Adell: first, I am a major Adell truther and am sinking with the ship. Second, we do not know how long he will be up as Taylor Ward should be back soon, and the Angels will have to decide between Adell or Brandon Marsh to get sent back to Triple-A. Now to the analysis, which has been pretty solid from Adell since he was recalled on June 5th.
In the six games he has played since he was recalled, Adell has hit safely in five, suitable for a .368 batting average. He has two doubles, a 53.8% hard-hit rate, and an excellent 165 wRC+. Now, he does not have a home run or a stolen base, and slightly more concerning is no barrels. However, his hard-hit rate is outstanding, so any future barrels could result in something extraordinary. Adell is also striking out a bit too much, 28.5%, but that sadly has come to be expected. I love his fantasy ceiling as long as Adell plays every day. Let's hope he sticks with the team after Ward returns.
Deeper League Waiver Wire
You can check out my NFBC deeper league waiver wire article, which comes out every Saturday, looking at deeper-league waiver wire options at various positions.
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