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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 making some changes to 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 that are off to hot starts and, more importantly, show 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 6, May 16 through May 22.
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 it up regarding 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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Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians
47% Rostered
Yes, Naylor is the COVID IL. Yes, that could limit his playing time for the upcoming week. However, we also do not know how bad the COVID is, and he could be back soon or be back later. Regardless he is worth rostering if you have a roster spot where you can stash him in the hopes he plays this week or the coming week.
Before Naylor went on the IL, he hit safely in nine of ten games with a .389 average, four home runs, and 17 RBI. Quite the stretch for Naylor, but there is more to like. He was only striking out 12.5% of the time to go with a 12.5% barrel rate and 50% hard-hit rate. Naylor was still hitting .347 with five home runs and a 13% strikeout rate even with the hot streak. Naylor is a pure hitter that is showing gains at the plate. Improvements should continue throughout the season. Add Naylor anywhere you can.
Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles
30% Rostered
Mateo is straight-raking right now. He was riding a nine-game hitting streak heading into Saturday's action. He only hit .286 but had five extra-base hits, including two home runs and three stolen bases. Mateo was a major stolen base asset heading into the season, but the power upside is enormous. Mateo even started hitting well enough to hit second in his last game.
We have Mateo, who may hit higher in the batting order and is hitting each game. If Mateo can still showcase some power to go with his decent batting average, then he is a fantasy stud. Mateo has ten stolen bases on the season with the two home runs last week. The BAT X has Mateo hitting seven home runs and 18 stolen bases, which Mateo can top if he keeps it going. Mateo is a solid outfield add going forward, and his positional flexibility makes him a great addition.
Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants
27% Rostered
Yaz spent some time on the COVID IL, but since returning, he hit safely in seven of nine games for a .281 average. He has three extra-base hits, including a home run over that stretch, with a 15% walk rate. Yaz's .156 ISO, .838 OPS, and 144 wRC+ will play quite well for any fantasy team. Yaz is now hitting .273 with two home runs and an 11.1% walk rate on the season. As long as Yaz stays healthy, he makes for a strong waiver wire add. If LaMonte Wade Jr. is available, he may be a better add, but both should be very fantasy value from now on for the time being.
Alex Kirilloff, Minnesota Twins
27% Rostered
Kirilloff missed some time with another wrist injury, but he has been riding a four-game hitting streak since returning. Since returning from his injury, he hit .333 with a 141 wRC+. Kirilloff has not walked, is striking out 35.7% of the time, and does not have a barrel, but there is plenty to be optimistic about. Last season, Kirilloff was raking and his contact skills with a 12.8% barrel rate and 43.9% hard-hit rate. There is a lot to like with Kirilloff but some understandable skepticism. If you have room to stash and are willing to invest in upside, Kirilloff is one of the week's better waiver wire outfield adds. Just realize there is some potential downside if the wrist injury never fully heals.
Josh Rojas, Arizona Diamondbacks
20% Rostered
Similar to Kirilloff, Rojas is a significant upside add. Since Rojas returned from the IL, he has been hitting and running. Rojas has hit safely in five of six-game with two stolen bases. He walks 13% of the time with a 31.3% hard-hit rate. Last season Rojas hit .264 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases. Rojas's contact quality has always been low, but the results have been solid. Rojas can hit over .250 with a 15/15 upside, and that is worth a gamble on the waiver wire before a hot streak makes him nearly impossible to add.
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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