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Welcome back RotoBallers! This article will discuss our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 9 -- May 20 through May 26. The time has come to start making those tough roster decisions and potentially cut ties with some of the struggling players who excited you on draft day. Trading in some of these early busts for players with more promising ceilings can be crucial to fantasy baseball success in the long run.
As the sample size becomes more substantial, we can start making better-informed decisions on the legitimacy of 2024 player performance. This article will highlight the guys who are trending upward and those whose standing with their team has changed significantly for one reason or another. At this stage, plenty remains speculative, but it's better to get out in front of the trends.
The names in this article are in order of rostered percentage and are not indicative of a confidence ranking. In the first few weeks, rostered percentages can change quickly, so be quick to check your leagues for availability.
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Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Standard Leagues
Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (49% Rostered)
There was little doubt at this point, but James Outman's recent demotion solidifies Andy Pages' everyday role in the Los Angeles Dodgers outfield. The 23-year-old has cooled off a little since his initial hot streak, but he still owns a strong .267/.304/.438 slash line and a 113 wRC+. Pages' success includes impressive bat speed and a 45.8% sweet-spot rate.
Pages is the top-ranked prospect in the Dodgers farm system and the No. 52 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline. His hallmark attribute is his 60-grade power, which has only translated into four home runs through 27 games so far in the majors. Pages flashed more meaningful power in the minors, posting a .694 slugging percentage in Triple-A to begin this season, up from a .482 mark in 2023. He averaged over 36 home runs per 162 games throughout his six-year minor-league tenure.
LaMonte Wade Jr., San Francisco Giants (23% Rostered)
LaMonte Wade Jr. is off to the best start of his career. Through 44 games, he sports a .311/.464/.415 slash line with 166 wRC+. Wade started the season in a strong-side platoon role, though he has been starting against left-handed pitchers recently and appears to be fixed in an everyday role now for the San Francisco Giants. Injuries to Michael Conforto and Jung Hoo Lee have further added to the need for Wade to be in the lineup most days.
Looking under the hood, Wade has some very eye-opening advanced metrics. He is crushing the ball to the tune of a 90.5 mph average exit velocity, .471 xSLG, .298 xBA, 9.5% barrel rate, and a 45.9% sweet-spot rate. Wade's success can additionally be attributed to his elite plate discipline. He chases only 16.3% of pitches outside of the strike zone and walks at an incredible 21.5% rate.
Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays (22% Rostered)
Davis Schneider was featured here last week, and his rostered percentage has ticked up significantly in the time since. Overall, he has generated a .260/.370/.490 slash line with five home runs and a 143 wRC+. The strong performance builds off Schneider's impressive 2023 campaign, which saw him post a 1.008 OPS across his first 35 major league games.
Davis Schneider's .939 OPS is the highest in Blue Jays history through a player's first 71 career MLB games#TOTHECORE pic.twitter.com/bLiI83lwkb
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 18, 2024
While Schneider's surface numbers are worthwhile, it's his advanced metrics that are truly exciting. Schneider boasts an elite 19.1% barrel rate alongside similarly fantastic batted-ball metrics, such as a .459 xSLG, 90.8 mph average exit velocity, and a 36.8% sweet-spot rate. His 25.9% strikeout rate is a little higher than ideal, but Schneider compensates for it with excellent pitch selection. He chases on just 18.6% of pitches outside the strike zone resulting in an outstanding 12.9% walk rate. Schneider's production has a lot of room for positive regression.
Joey Loperfido, Houston Astros (15% Rostered)
Joey Loperfido has turned in encouraging results during his first exposure to the big leagues. The 25-year-old is slashing .306/.359/.417 through his first 12 career games. While he is unlikely to see much action against left-handed pitchers, Loperfido is a regular in the Houston Astros lineup these days. The incoming return of Chas McCormick could create some complications, but Loperfido's productive bat and positional flexibility give him a strong path to playing time moving forward.
No. 1 is always special! Welcome to the baseball history books, Joey Loperfido.
(MLB x @BudweiserUSA) pic.twitter.com/A9HkraVFkI
— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2024
Though Loperfido has managed just one home run and one stolen base thus far, it's worth revisiting how dominant he was in the minor leagues. Over 25 games played, he produced a 1.106 OPS with 13 home runs and five stolen bases. Loperfido may have been overperforming somewhat in the power-hitting department during that hot streak, but he still possesses above-average 50-grade power and 55-grade speed. He established himself as a well-rounded offensive producer in the minor leagues.
Outfield Waiver Wire Adds - Deeper Leagues
Tommy Pham, Chicago White Sox (10% Rostered)
Tommy Pham has been with the Chicago White Sox for about three weeks now, and based on his low rostered percentage, it feels like the word has not adequately gotten out. Through 19 games played, he is slashing .338/.380/.486 with a 138 wRC+. Pham has been a huge part of the White Sox's offensive turnaround and should remain fixed in the team's leadoff spot.
Pham's advanced numbers support his success. Despite a low walk rate, he sports a strong .350 xwOBA, comprised of worthwhile batted-ball metrics. Those marks include a .316 xBA, .436 xSLG, and a 90.6 mph average exit velocity. The 36-year-old is likely beyond his prime, but there is still plenty of production remaining in Pham's bat.
Willie Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels (1% Rostered)
The Los Angeles Angels have been grasping at straws to fill out their roster. After starting the season in the minor leagues, Willie Calhoun has emerged, very surprisingly, as one of their most productive hitters. Across 13 games played, he sports an impressive .365/.382/.577 slash line. Calhoun has regularly featured in the cleanup spot against right-handed pitching and now garners consistent playing time against southpaws as well.
The 29-year-old has never been an exceptional major-league hitter, so it's safe to assume some regression will occur. That said, Calhoun's underlying numbers do back up his current success. He carries career-best marks with each of his .370 xwOBA, .346 xBA, .469 xSLG, and a 90.4 mph average exit velocity. At the core of his triumphs is the ability to simply put the ball in play. Calhoun whiffs on only 14.9% of pitches and strikes out at an outstanding 12% rate.
Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants (1% Rostered)
Heliot Ramos is another beneficiary of the San Francisco Giants' injury problems. Even with Jorge Soler activated off the injured list, Ramos has a good chance to maintain an everyday spot in the lineup. In a limited nine-game sample size, Ramos has generated a .281 batting average and a solid 104 wRC+ so far with the team. Though he has never been particularly successful across prior major-league opportunities, Ramos is still just 24 years old and possesses a worthwhile ceiling.
Ramos has since lost his prospect status, but it was not that long ago that he was considered one of the top young players in the Giants farm system. The shine has worn off by now, yet Ramos' minor league numbers have continued to demonstrate what he's capable of producing. Ramos posted a .953 OPS over 30 games played in Triple-A to begin this season, in line with his .954 OPS over 67 minor-league games in 2023.
More Players to Consider
- Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox (41% rostered)
- Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies (38% rostered)
- Jacob Young, Washington Nationals (32% rostered)
- Mark Canha, Detroit Tigers (31% rostered)
- Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (26% rostered)
- Luke Raley, Seattle Mariners (17% rostered)
- Kevin Pillar, Los Angeles Angels (12% rostered)
More Deep-League Players to Consider
- Wenceel Perez, Detroit Tigers (8% rostered)
- Harold Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays (6% rostered)
- Richie Palacios, Tampa Bay Rays (4% rostered)
- Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins (3% rostered)
- Harrison Bader, New York Mets (3% rostered)
- Will Brennan, Cleveland Guardians (2% rostered)
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