Outfield Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 1 (2025)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! This article will discuss our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 1 of the 2025 season- March 31 through April 6. Whether you're looking for a replacement for Josh Lowe or just trying to bolster your roster, we've got you covered.

We'll be using roster percentages from Yahoo! leagues, including recommendations for both standard leagues and deeper formats. For this article, outfielders in standard leagues are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo! formats, while those in deeper leagues are below 10%.

The process behind each pick will be a combination of long-term appeal and short-term value. I will include a player's schedule when it's relevant, such as a strong-side platoon bat taking on a bunch of righties for the week. So, without further ado, let's get right into the Week 1 outfield waiver wire adds for the 2025 fantasy baseball season.

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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Standard Leagues

Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (43% Rostered)

Wilyer Abreu had 12 batted balls hit 108.7 mph or harder last year. He missed a month this spring due to GI issues. Today he posted batted balls of:
108.7 mph (HR)
110.7 mph (HR)
110.8 mph (1B)
What a way to start your season 🔥pic.twitter.com/kJoYakVzXX

— Chris Clegg (@ChrisCleggMiLB) March 28, 2025

Wilyer Abreu started the year with a bang, homering twice on Opening Day. With all the young talent coming up for the Red Sox, Abreu got a bit forgotten this offseason. Let's remember that this is a 26-year-old who put up a 114 wRC+ in his first full season last year. While Abreu will sit against lefties, the good news is that the Red Sox face only one lefty this week.

TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds (38% Rostered)

TJ Friedl is one year removed from an 18-home run, 27-stolen base season. The Reds' outfielder had an injury-riddled year, which affected his 2024 production. Now healthy and batting leadoff, Friedl looks like an enticing pickup for his multi-category upside. It also helps that the Reds will play three of their seven games in the most hitter-friendly environment in MLB, the Great American Ballpark.

Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals (30% Rostered)

Victor Scott II shows off the range! pic.twitter.com/RpgLhb7vGU

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 27, 2025

Victor Scott II disappointed as a rookie, slashing .179/.219/.283 in 155 plate appearances. But he's still only 24 years old, set to work as the Cardinals' primary center fielder. While this is a bottom-of-the-order bat, there's immense stolen base upside here, as Scott racked up an absurd 94 steals in the minors back in 2023. If you're in need of a speed boost, Scott is your guy.

Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants (25% Rostered)

Jung Hoo Lee is another hitter who had his first season ruined by injury, but this player has a great hit tool and strong plate discipline. While there's not much power here, Hoo Lee is batting third for the Giants and could definitely provide a boost to your batting average. It's also not out of the realm of possibility that Hoo Lee steals more in Year 2, as he has 79th-percentile sprint speed.

Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals (18% Rostered)

LARS NOOTBAAR OPENING DAY HOME RUN💣💪 pic.twitter.com/UMvmg2W5Ya

— Cardinals Talk (@theredbird_way) March 27, 2025

Lars Nootbaar is batting leadoff for the Cardinals. The 27-year-old has elite plate discipline, making him even more of an asset in OBP formats. If Nootbaar can just stay healthy, there's a good chance that we'll see a 20+ HR, 10+ SB season. He's off to a solid start, including a home run on Opening Day. The Cardinals take on the Angels and visit the Red Sox this week.

Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Deeper Leagues

Jacob Young, Washington Nationals (6% Rostered)

Jacob Young is a speed-only asset who put up 33 steals in 521 plate appearances last season. The 25-year-old swiped a bag on Opening Day, demonstrating the 40+ SB upside here. I'd only roster Young in five-outfielder formats where I'm trying to balance out a power-heavy build with more speed. Keep in mind that Young hits in the nine-hole, so he's going to hurt you in runs and RBI.

Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers (6% Rostered)

Sal Frelick has been a fixture in the five-spot for the Brewers so far. While there's virtually zero power in this bat, this is a volume play on a hitter who is in the lineup in a premium spot almost every day. I'd ride with Frelick if I was in a 15-team league and wanted to ensure that I had an outfielder with secure playing time. The Brewers have a seven-game week, with matchups vs the Royals and Reds.

Chandler Simpson, Tampa Bay Rays (5% Rostered)

Chandler Simpson went 3-6 in his AAA debut.

It included 4 hard-hit balls:

104.6 MPH
95.7 MPH
96.9 MPH
97.1 MPH

He has the speed and contact tool to be dangerous at the Major League Level

2024:

A+: .364 AVG/.431 OBP/138 wRC+
AA: .351 AVG/.401 OBP/141 wRC+

With 104 SB pic.twitter.com/sderLIuy67

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) March 29, 2025

This is purely a speculative play on a top prospect with elite speed. Chandler Simpson swiped a ridiculous 104 bags in the minors last season. It sounds like Josh Lowe (oblique) is headed for a long-term absence, which means that the Rays have an opening in the outfield. While there's a chance that they'll just ride with Kameron Misner and give some OF reps to Curtis Mead, I'd pick up Simpson if I had an NA spot or played in a deeper league.

Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins (3% Rostered)

Trevor Larnach is a platoon bat who can be useful in daily leagues or in weekly formats when he has a string of righties coming up. Fortunately, the Twins face right-handed pitchers in five of six games this week, so Larnach can have another useful week. When the Twins' outfielder is in the lineup, he's been firmly entrenched in the cleanup spot, so there are plenty of RBI opportunities here.

Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox (3% Rostered)

Remember when Miguel Vargas was an intriguing prospect for the Dodgers? It feels like a while ago, but this hitter is still only 25 years old. What's exciting here is that Vargas has been leading off for the White Sox. I'd ride the wave if I were in an OBP league where walks are more useful (Vargas had a 10.5 BB% last year). Even if you're in a BA league, Vargas is still valid, especially since he has 3B eligibility as well.

More Outfielders to Consider Adding

• Victor Robles, Seattle Mariners (47% rostered)
• Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (42% rostered)
• JJ Bleday, Athletics (29% rostered)
• Matt Wallner, Minnesota Twins (27% rostered)
• Christopher Morel, Tampa Bay Rays (26% rostered)
• Joc Pederson, Texas Rangers (22% rostered)
• Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers (20% rostered)
• Nolan Jones, Cleveland Guardians (19% rostered)
• Michael Conforto, Los Angeles Dodgers (18% rostered)
• Luke Raley, Seattle Mariners (11% rostered)

More Deep-League Outfielders to Consider

• Josh Smith, Texas Rangers (7% rostered)
• Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies (7% rostered)
• Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles (6% rostered)
• Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (5% rostered)
• Max Kepler, Philadelphia Phillies (5% rostered)
• Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (4% rostered)
• Alan Roden, Toronto Blue Jays (3% rostered)
• Pavin Smith, Arizona Diamondbacks (2% rostered)
• Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox (2% rostered)
• Gavin Sheets, San Diego Padres (2% rostered)

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers