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Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Fantasy Baseball - Week 5

Brent Rooker - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

This article will discuss fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 5 – April 24 through April 30. Whether your team is derailed by injuries or you’re simply ready to give up on your draft day darlings, navigating the waiver wire will be crucial to finding long-term success in fantasy baseball. 

As we move through the season, trends fluctuate, and we must learn to react in real-time. When it comes to hot streaks, you have the act fast, or you may miss out. This set of outfield-eligible players may not have the longest track record or could be considered unsustainable. However, you have to take risks early in the season in order to find your breakout stars for the remainder of the season. It will already be too late if you wait until these names are established. 

Names listed are in order of roster percentage, not confidence ranking. Position eligibility and roster percentage are based on Yahoo, so check your leagues for availability! 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

Esteury Ruiz, Oakland Athletics

44% Rostered

Ruiz's MLB service time is quite limited so far, but he's starting to find his groove offensively. Through 20 games, Ruiz owns a respectable .299/.382/.383 slash line. They are not terribly exciting numbers, though the .974 OPS he posted in 114 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season suggests there's more pop in his bat than we've seen. Regardless, the Athletics are a directionless team giving Ruiz an everyday playing opportunity at the top of the batting order, and that role feels cemented for the time being.

Realistically, Ruiz's .382 on-base percentage is what we should care most about from his slash line. He'll hit a decent share of extra-base hits, but stolen bases are why he's on our radar. Ruiz led the minor leagues with 85 stolen bases in 2022. He is a perfect five-for-five on stolen base opportunities this season and figures to showcase his 70-grade speed as often as he can going forward. Ruiz's ownership is creeping up, so snag him now if he's still available, especially if stolen bases are commodified in your league.

 

Joey Gallo, Minnesota Twins

37% Rostered

Following a pair of horrible seasons offensively, it may be time to declare that Joey Gallo has shed his "washed" designation. He has hit five home runs in his first ten games alongside a .296/.406/.889 slash line. That includes an insane 38.9% barrel rate, .973 xSLG, 83.3% hard-hit rate, 100 MPH average exit velocity, and a career-low 28.1% strikeout rate.

Gallo entered 2023 as something of an afterthought, but it wasn't that long ago he was a perennial 40-home run threat. He's still only 29 years old, so it's not crazy to believe that a sustainable return to form is in the works. Further, if he keeps his contact rates up, it's even possible we are yet to see the best of Gallo. 

Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins

25% Rostered

Maybe it's because he plays for the Marlins, but Soler is not getting enough credit for tearing the cover off the ball this season. He's posted five home runs and seven doubles through the first 17 games, including a .267/.343/.633 slash line.

The surface numbers are strong, though underlying advanced metrics are even more encouraging. Soler ranks in the 95th percentile or better in each of xSLG (.691), hard-hit rate (56.5%), average exit velocity (96.5 MPH), barrel rate (23.9%), and xwOBA (.446). He's also striking out at a career-low 20.9% rate. 

 

Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics

21% Rostered

Oakland's lineup is far from a fantasy baseball haven, but it's hard to argue against Rooker's individual success this season. Through his first 13 appearances, Rooker has smacked four home runs with an unexpected 204 OPS+.

Prior to 2023, Rooker struggled to get going at the plate in 81 career games scattered between 2020, 2021, and 2022. Sporadic playing time may be partially to blame for the struggles, as he did demonstrate prowess at the plate during his various minor league stints. In 81 games at Triple-A last year, Rooker hit 28 home runs and 27 doubles alongside a .289/.395/.649 slash line.

It's hard to know how sustainable Rooker's hitting numbers are going forward, given the small sample size, but his underlying statistics support the upward trend. Thus far, he sports an impressive .643 xSLG, 459 xwOBA, 20.6% barrel rate, and 93.2 MPH average exit velocity. Notably, Rooker is putting the ball in play at an elite rate, carrying a minuscule 14.6% strikeout rate.

 

Jack Suwinski, Pittsburgh Pirates

8% Rostered

On the opposite end of the making-contact spectrum is Jack Suwinski, who strikes out at a 26.9% clip. He also whiffs on pitches 33.3% of the time, further complicating his ability to make the defense work for his out. That said, when Suwinski does put the ball in play, he is crushing it.

He ranks in the 95th percentile or better in each of xSLG (.739), average exit velocity (95 MPH), xwOBA (.473), and barrel rate (27.6%). Through 14 games, that has translated into five home runs and a 169 OPS+. Suwinski is a high-reward, buy-low candidate. It's hard to imagine his ownership staying this low.

Stone Garrett, Washington Nationals

3% Rostered

Garrett's role with the Nationals has slowly picked up steam over the season's first few weeks. He began the campaign in Triple-A before working his way to an early call-up. From there, Washington sprinkled in some starts for Garrett as a platoon specialist, exclusively hitting against left-handed pitching. Based on this past week, his role may finally be inching toward that of an everyday player as Garrett picked up three starts against right-handed pitching. 

This is the best time to get in on Garrett. He's hit well throughout his minor-league tenure and succeeded at the major-league level with limited exposure. Through 102 career at-bats between 2022 and 2023, Garrett owns a .917 OPS with five home runs. Rostering him now is something of a speculative move, as it remains to be seen if he'll stick as an everyday player. If Garrett does get the consistent opportunity, he brings a higher upside than most of the Nationals' otherwise offensively-challenged lineup.

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trey Lyles2 hours ago

A Full-Go In Wednesday’s Practice
Tyreek Hill2 hours ago

Gets A Day Of Rest
Kevin Huerter2 hours ago

Uncertain for Thursday
Cameron Johnson2 hours ago

Nuggets, Nets Hold "Exploratory Talks" Regarding Cameron Johnson
Keegan Murray2 hours ago

Misses Wednesday’s Practice
Bradley Beal2 hours ago

Heat Reportedly Not Interested In Bradley Beal
Domantas Sabonis3 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Zach Charbonnet4 hours ago

Misses Practice With Oblique Injury
Nolan Arenado5 hours ago

Blocks Trade To Astros
Trae Young5 hours ago

Expected To Face The Spurs
Kawhi Leonard5 hours ago

Progressing
Onyeka Okongwu5 hours ago

Out At Least Four Games
Kobe Bufkin5 hours ago

Done For The Rest Of The Season
Marcus Smart6 hours ago

Unlikely To Face The Dubs
Ja Morant6 hours ago

Questionable For Thursday Night
Vitek Vanecek6 hours ago

To Miss "At Least A Couple Of Weeks"
Thomas Harley6 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Wednesday
Baker Mayfield6 hours ago

Buccaneers List Baker Mayfield As DNP On Wednesday
Marco Kasper6 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Action Wednesday
Alex Lyon6 hours ago

Returns To Work Wednesday
Sam Bennett6 hours ago

Sits Out Wednesday's Game
Aleksander Barkov6 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision On Wednesday
Nikolaj Ehlers6 hours ago

Set To Return To Jets Lineup
Michael Pittman Jr.7 hours ago

Picks Up DNP On Wednesday
Zach Ertz7 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Clyde Edwards-Helaire7 hours ago

Signed By New Orleans
Jaleel McLaughlin7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Hayden Hurst8 hours ago

Questionable, Will Dissly Ruled Out
Patrick Mahomes8 hours ago

Logs Second Straight Full Practice
Kenneth Walker III8 hours ago

Seahawks Optimistic Kenneth Walker III Will Return To Practice This Week
Geno Smith8 hours ago

Practices On Wednesday
George Pickens9 hours ago

Missing Another Practice On Wednesday
San Francisco 49ers9 hours ago

Trent Williams May Miss Rest Of Season
Isaac Guerendo9 hours ago

Dealing With New Injury, Missing Wednesday's Practice
Tony Pollard10 hours ago

Missing Wednesday's Practice
Devin Williams10 hours ago

Yankees Name Devin Williams As The Closer
Jaylen Waddle10 hours ago

Won't Practice On Wednesday, Considered Day-To-Day
Sincere McCormick11 hours ago

Raiders Put Sincere McCormick On Injured Reserve
Patrick Mahomes11 hours ago

Expected To Give It A Go In Week 16
Younghoe Koo11 hours ago

Going On IR, Riley Patterson Added To Active Roster
Drew Lock11 hours ago

Will Start In Week 16
David Njoku12 hours ago

Not In Line To Practice On Wednesday
Malcolm Brogdon14 hours ago

Rejoins Practice
Kyle Kuzma14 hours ago

Ramping Up
Moses Moody14 hours ago

Doubtful For Thursday's Action
Christian Wood14 hours ago

Cleared For On-Court Workouts
Matisse Thybulle14 hours ago

Limited To Standstill Shooting
Deandre Ayton14 hours ago

Back At Practice
Linus Ullmark15 hours ago

Remains On Winning Path With A Shutout
Jake Guentzel15 hours ago

Pushes Goal Streak To Seven Games
Juuse Saros15 hours ago

Piles More Misery On Rangers With Shutout Performance
Pyotr Kochetkov15 hours ago

Stops Islanders From Scoring
Gabriel Vilardi15 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Tuesday's Win
Patrik Laine15 hours ago

Nets 11th Career Hat Trick
Jared McCain1 day ago

Undergoes Successful Surgery
Joel Embiid1 day ago

Current Injury "Not Nearly As Severe"
Andre Jackson Jr.1 day ago

Starting Versus OKC
Cody Bellinger1 day ago

Traded To The Yankees
Nick Foligno1 day ago

Available Tuesday
Taylor Hall1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision For Tuesday
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

To Remain Out On Tuesday
Bo Horvat1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Victor Hedman1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Anthony Stolarz1 day ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks Following Knee Surgery
Trevor Moore1 day ago

Remains Sidelined Tuesday
Connor McDavid2 days ago

Extends Point Streak With Three Assists
Joaquin Buckley2 days ago

Extends Win Streak To Six
Colby Covington2 days ago

Gets Outclassed At UFC Tampa
Manel Kape2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bruno Silva2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Tampa
Tuco Tokkos2 days ago

Remains Winless In The UFC
Navajo Stirling2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Adrian Yanez3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Tampa
Daniel Marcos3 days ago

Remains Undefeated After UFC Tampa
Vitor Petrino3 days ago

Gets Finished Again At UFC Tampa
Dustin Jacoby3 days ago

Pulls Off Stunning Knockout At UFC Tampa
Billy Quarantillo3 days ago

Gets KO'd At UFC Tampa
Cub Swanson3 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Tampa
Jack Flaherty3 days ago

Viewed As "Fallback" Option For Baltimore
Jesús Luzardo4 days ago

Cubs Showing Interest In Jesus Luzardo
Nolan Arenado4 days ago

Astros Serious About Trading For Nolan Arenado
Jeffrey Springs4 days ago

A's Acquire Jeffrey Springs From Rays
Christian Walker5 days ago

Seattle Would "Love" To Sign Christian Walker
Carson Kelly5 days ago

Agrees To Two-Year Contract With Cubs
Houston Astros5 days ago

Cam Smith Traded To Houston
Hayden Wesneski5 days ago

Shipped To Houston
Isaac Paredes5 days ago

Shipped To Houston
Kyle Tucker5 days ago

Cubs Acquire Kyle Tucker From The Astros
Kyle Tucker5 days ago

Cubs Close To Acquiring Kyle Tucker From The Astros
Nestor Cortes5 days ago

Traded To The Brewers
Adrian Yanez5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Tampa
Daniel Marcos5 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated At UFC Tampa
Vitor Petrino5 days ago

Looks To Return To Win Column At UFC Tampa
Dustin Jacoby5 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Tampa
Cub Swanson5 days ago

Searching For 30th Career Win At UFC Tampa
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Faces A Legend At UFC Tampa
Devin Williams5 days ago

Traded To The Yankees
Joaquin Buckley6 days ago

Looks For His Sixth Win In A Row
Colby Covington6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Bruno Silva6 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak

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