Top fantasy baseball outfield waiver pickups for Week 6

These are hectic times for fantasy baseball managers trying to piece together an outfield. Not even Yordan Alvarez and Aaron Judge are safe. That’s why we’re here with four targets on the waiver wire who could help you navigate this chaotic stretch of the 2023 MLB season.

Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 6 outfield targets

Brent Rooker, OF, Oakland Athletics

Roster percentage: 14.8%

Generally speaking, when someone’s Statcast page looks like this, you should probably pick them up:

A former first-round pick of the Minnesota Twins, Rooker hit at every step of the Minors but was never able to put it together at the highest level. He’s absolutely crushing the ball this year, though, and even more impressively, he’s doing it while walking just about as often as he strikes out. Everything about his quality of contact and approach at the plate suggest that this breakout is for real, and he could be a fantasy difference-maker with 30+ homers and a solid average.

Jack Suwinski, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Roster percentage: 10.8%

Suwinski’s breakout has been arguably even more unlikely, as the Pirates’ center fielder was never much of a prospect at all and struggled in his first taste of MLB action last year. With five homers and four steals so far, though — and a Statcast profile featuring almost as much red as Rooker’s — Suwinski seems like he’s here to stay, with among the highest walk rates in the league allowing him to wait for his pitch and drive it when he gets it. Power, speed and average in one package doesn’t come along very often.

Esteury Ruiz, OF, Oakland Athletics

Roster percentage: 10.6%

Ruiz may never hit for much pop, but his hot start to the season now has him atop the A’s order seemingly for good, which will allow him to bust out his real calling card: He’s quite possibly the fastest position player in the game. Ruiz put up positively ridiculous stolen-base numbers in the Minors, and as long as he’s cutting down on strikeouts and putting the ball in play, he’ll get on base enough to wreak havoc once he’s there. (He’s in double-digits already.)

Travis Jankowski, OF, Texas Rangers

Roster percentage: 0.3%

Of course, if you missed out on Ruiz or are otherwise in need of speed, you could always opt for Jankowski. The outfielder is hitting second in Corey Seager’s absence, and he’s been driving the ball with authority en route to a .340 average. He never expands the strike zone — his chase rate is the lowest in baseball — and once he’s on base he has the green light for a Texas team that loves to run.