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Welcome back, RotoBallers! This article will discuss our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 22, August 19 through August 25. With the fantasy playoffs increasingly approaching, each waiver wire decision carries higher stakes. It's still not too late for many fantasy managers to turn their seasons around.
Roster spots and playing time are changing league-wide every day. Fantasy managers better be ready to stay on their feet as the summer winds down and adapt to evolving situations. This article will highlight the guys deserving of more attention this week, including a critical name returning from the injured list.
The names in this article are in order of rostered percentage and are not indicative of a confidence ranking. Rostered percentages can change quickly, so check your leagues for availability.
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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Standard Leagues
Kerry Carpenter, Detroit Tigers (55% Rostered)
Kerry Carpenter's rostered percentage is slightly north of what typically qualifies for this list, but he is worth highlighting as a player to grab if he's still hanging around the waiver wire in your league.
Carpenter returned from a nearly three-month-long absence this past week and hit the ground running, smacking three home runs over four games played. Overall, he sports a tremendous .286/.339/.602 slash line with a 157 wRC+ through 54 appearances this season.
Kerry Carpenter launches his 2nd home run of the day in his first game back! 💪
(via @tigers)pic.twitter.com/W0qw7tj5nG
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 13, 2024
Looking deeper at Carpenter's advanced metrics, it's clear he possesses the upside of a core fantasy producer. He has crushed the ball this season to the tune of a .581 xSLG, 17.8% barrel rate, and a 49.2% hard-hit rate. Look to Carpenter as the type of player who can carry you through the fantasy playoffs if he gets hot.
Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (39% Rostered)
If you've been following this list all season long, then you know that Ryan O'Hearn has been a fixture. There must be something unexciting about the 30-year-old because his fantasy stock refuses to take off. Still, O'Hearn remains one of the most reliable players widely available in leagues, slashing .279/.356/.452 with 12 home runs and a 129 wRC+.
O'Hearn's underlying numbers are even more impressive than the surface stats tell us. His outstanding batted-ball metrics include a .505 xSLG, 43.7% hard-hit rate, and a 90.5 MPH average exit velocity. Further, O'Hearn puts the ball in play at an elite clip, striking out just 12.6% of the time alongside a strong 10.4% walk rate.
Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers (35% Rostered)
Gavin Lux's MLB tenure has rarely resembled the elite offensive talent we were once promised, and his 2024 numbers aren't any more encouraging overall, but recent weeks have shown us the best version of Lux yet. Over 26 games since the All-Star break, he sports a spectacular .370/.441/.654 slash line with five home runs and a 203 wRC+.
Despite his years-long struggles in the majors, it's not far-fetched to think Lux is finally figuring out how to hit in the major leagues. The former top prospect was a prolific producer in his minor league days, generating 26 home runs and a 1.028 OPS in 2019, up from a .913 OPS the year prior.
The potential has always been there for Lux, and at 26 years old, it's not absurd to believe that he can still realize his potential.
Michael Toglia, Colorado Rockies (26% Rostered)
Michael Toglia's bat continues to heat up, yet his rostered percentage has inexplicably dipped in recent weeks.
Toglia is fresh off a July where he smacked nine home runs with a .567 slugging percentage. He has followed that up with an impressive .872 OPS through 14 games so far in August. Overall, he's up to a strong .785 OPS with 19 home runs for the season and deserves more attention in fantasy leagues.
Looking under the hood, Toglia's advanced numbers suggest his bat should stay hot. His underrated batted-ball metrics include a .522 xSLG, 17.2% barrel rate, 51.1% hard-hit rate, and a 92.3 MPH average exit velocity. Toglia offers the type of ceiling that wins championships.
Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Deeper Leagues
David Peralta, San Diego Padres (10% Rostered)
Nobody expected David Peralta to be an impact fantasy player in 2024, but here we are. The 37-year-old has been one of the league's hottest hitters, slashing .405/.463/.838 with four home runs since the beginning of August. On the season, he's up to a strong .785 OPS with a 124 wRC+.
While Peralta is unlikely to continue producing at the pace he's set over the past two weeks, his advanced numbers suggest he can continue to provide value. Peralta's .281 xBA, 45.8% hard-hit rate, 41.5% sweet-spot rate, and 20.5% strikeout rate all paint the picture of a worthwhile fantasy asset.
Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins (6% Rostered)
Jesus Sanchez remains a high-upside name to pursue in deeper leagues. His 15 home runs this season are already a new career-high, and the trade deadline overhaul to the Miami Marlins roster has erased Sanchez's prior platoon designation. Further, his bat looked good in August, generating a .808 OPS with three home runs and a 120 wRC+.
Ladies & Gentlemen, the longest HR of 2024..
Jesus Sanchez just went 480ft 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tSaDWAYR83
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) August 6, 2024
While Sanchez's .713 OPS in 2024 isn't very exciting, his underlying numbers paint a much different picture. He sports a .344 xwOBA alongside some sneaky batted-ball metrics, such as a .492 xSLG, 12.7% barrel rate, 53.2% hard-hit rate, and a 93.5 MPH average exit velocity. Sanchez has an unrealized ceiling worth chasing.
Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins (1% Rostered)
If you're this deep on the waiver wire and need a spark, Trevor Larnach might be your best shot. The 27-year-old sports a decent .242/.318/.413 slash line with 11 home runs and a 107 wRC+ this season. Larnach has been limited by a strong-side platoon for most of the season, but he is closer to being an everyday player with Byron Buxton back on the injured list.
Larnach's surface numbers aren't terribly impressive, but the advanced statistics suggest a breakout waiting to happen. His outstanding batted-ball numbers include a .478 xSLG, 92 MPH average exit velocity, 9.7% barrel rate, and a 44.4% hard-hit rate. Larnach is exactly the type of hidden gem you're looking for down here.
More Players to Consider
- Joc Pederson, Arizona Diamondbacks (50% rostered)
- Bryan De La Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (42% rostered)
- Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (41% rostered)
- Juan Yepez, Washington Nationals (27% rostered)
- MJ Melendez, Kansas City Royals (21% rostered)
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pittsburgh Pirates (21% rostered)
- Brandon Marsh Philadelphia Phillies (19% rostered)
- Victor Robles, Seattle Mariners (13% rostered)
- Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels (13% rostered)
More Deep-League Players to Consider
- Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (9% rostered)
- Tommy Pham, St. Louis Cardinals (8% rostered)
- Harrison Bader, New York Mets (8% rostered)
- Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers (7% rostered)
- LaMonte Wade Jr., San Francisco Giants (5% rostered)
- Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers (3% rostered)
- Joey Loperfido, Toronto Blue Jays (2% rostered)
- Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox (2% rostered)
- Will Brennan, Cleveland Guardians (1% rostered)
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