In our penultimate outfield waiver wire column, we're taking a deep dive into the pool. For frame of reference, the cutoff for inclusion in this space has always been a 50 percent ownership rate in Yahoo leagues. Today's targets combine for a 51 percent ownership rate, with the bulk of that figure coming from the first player on the list (a familiar name to regular readers of this feature).
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for outfielders, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Outfield Pickups
Steven Souza (TB) - 30 percent
Since being activated from the disabled list 10 days ago, Souza has yet to hit a homer, but he has stolen a couple bases and posted an excellent .412 OBP. Assuming he continues to play every day down the stretch for the Rays, it's unlikely that you'll find a player on the wire with a better combination of pop and speed to plug into your lineup.
Michael Conforto (NYM) - 11 percent
Conforto does tend to sit against lefties, but he's mashed from day one when in the lineup. The rookie has posted a .286/.366/.526 line since his promotion to the majors in late July. Yoenis Cespedes gets the majority of the credit for the Mets' second-half surge, but Conforto deserves some recognition as well. It's rather surprising to see his ownership hovering this low given that he's a solid contributor in four of the five standard categories (he's yet to steal a base).
Aaron Hicks (MIN) - 7 percent
If it's steals you're after, Hicks might be your man. He hasn't quite recaptured the form he showed in July, when he posted a 1.001 OPS. However, he does have three homers and three steals so far in September. In fact, after going deep just once in his first 30 games this season, Hicks has hit 10 homers in his last 55. If Souza's already been rostered in your league, the Twins outfielder is a pretty good substitute. He's available in almost every league in the Yahoo game.
Abraham Almonte (CLE) - 2 percent
Almonte began the season in San Diego, where he barely played and put up lousy numbers when he did. Since joining the Indians, however, he's taken the starting gig in center field and run with it. Almonte's batted a healthy .270/.315/.474 with five homers and six steals in just 137 at-bats with the Tribe. Cleveland is still on the fringes on the wild-card race, and Almonte's emergence is certainly a reason why.
Aaron Altherr (PHI) - 1 percent
Let's keep the alliteration going as we finish up with our last waiver wire pickup. Altherr has held his own since getting called up by the Phillies last month. Even after a recent slump, he's sitting on a solid .761 OPS, with 12 XBH (including three homers) and three steals in just 92 at-bats. Philadelphia has had precious little help from its young players over the last several seasons, which exacerbated their decline from perennial contender to the team likely to choose first in next year's draft. However, with Altherr, Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera, and others emerging, the outlines of a bright future are rounding into focus.
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