2026 Fantasy Baseball – Top 100+ Outfield Rankings for OBP Leagues (Tiers & Commentary)
Last Update: January 28, 2026. Updated Christian Yelich. Top 101 outfielders with commentary. For full update log, please scroll all the way tf down.
Let’s talk about the many many outfielders that will be relevant in fantasy baseball for the 2026 season, particularly in deep leagues that use on-base percentage instead of batting average. These outfield rankings will be pretty deep because our 13-team league starts five of them, meaning at least 65 outfielders will be drafted, and that doesn’t count the utility slot, as well players eligible for other positions. Keep in mind that these rankings are for my weird-ass OBP league, which means some players with lower walk rates may be in lower tiers than other industry rankings.
I’ll be spending the offseason adding to this list and updating as I work out my thoughts about allllll the outfielders I have to think about. I’ll also be logging those thoughts here and you’re more than welcome to join me and bookmark my page and save it and come back because I’ll be ranking a shitload of outfielders.
Tier 1 – Elite Outfield Hitters for OBP Leagues
These are elite hitters who are still in their prime and hitting elitel-ly and are first-round talents, and you’re likely already considering these hitters with your non-Ohtani first-round pick in 2026. I suspect, however, that there is at least one dude in this tier who will not be drafted in the first or second round…
1. Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge is so fucking good that even though an elite defensive catcher just had the biggest offensive season ever from a catcher by hitting 60 home runs, Judge still ran away with the AL MVP award with an incredible 331/457/688 slash, winning the batting title while hitting 53 home runs. At this point, we have to talk about Aaron Judge as one of the greatest hitters who ever lived — I mean, the dude slugged .701 in 2024, ffs — and he’s not slowing down. Will he get surgery on his elbow, tho? “I’m not a doctor, idk” is a direct quote.
2. Juan Soto
I mean what else is there to say about Juan Soto? All of the superlatives don’t seem to be sufficient when we consider that he’s set an outstanding floor of 100+ runs and 35+ home runs and 100+ RBI with an obscene 18.7% BB% for his career. And then he up and went and led the National League with 38 stolen bases! Like Ohtani in 2024 and Josh Naylor in 2025, it was such a deliberate and intentional choice to steal more that I feel comfortable projecting double-digit stolen bases (DDSB) for him again, but that may mean like 12 SB instead of leading the league again. Juan Soto is entering his Age 27 season already having established himself as the Ted Williams of his generation and theoretically hasn’t even hit his prime yet. His next few seasons could be epic. Insane. Historical. Monstrous. Unbelievable. Crazy. I’m getting chills just typing this.
3. Julio Rodríguez
Julio Rodríguez turns 25 on December 29th, and he’s already hit 32 home runs twice and scored 100+ runs twice and and knocked in 95+ RBI twice and have 700+ plate appearances twice and stole between 24 and 37 bases in the four seasons he’s played so far. His BB% has been 6.5% for his career, pretty mid, to be sure, but he’s never hit worse than .267. Julio Rodríguez is a star who is about to become a superstar. This right here is a rocket ship. Strap yourself on.
4. Corbin Carroll
Not only has Corbin Carroll put his shoulder injury behind him, he doubled his Barrel% and increased his hard-hit% for an ISO of .282, which was .85 points higher than last year, and better than Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. He’ll be 25 and has already set a 25/30 floor. The R/R may take a dip because the Arizona Diamondbacks offense isn’t really great these days but this is a buy. Buy buy buy.
5. Kyle Tucker
This superstar got hit with a hairline fracture in his hand on June 1st, came back on the 5th and played thru it, almost certainly contributing to a slump thereafter that resulted in a 231/360/378 second half. Kyle Tucker has a career 11.5% BB%, and that’s actually a few points lower than what he’s done the past two seasons, as well as DDSB the last five seasons, ranging from 11 bags to 30. He hit his career-high 30 HR in 2021 and 2022, and we need that hand be fully healed for him to be worth a first-round pick in 2026. Now a Los Angeles Dodger, you can expect a bit of a boost in his R/R.
6. Ronald Acuña Jr.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is entering his Age 28 season having suffered two ACL tears, one in each knee, plus a long-ass list of other injuries and owies. The batted ball profile is still elite and so was his phenomenal 17.2% BB%. He’s hit 40+ HR twice, knocked in 100+ RBI twice, scored 149 runs and stole 73 bases in 2023. How many stolen bases he’ll get in 2026 with knees like that remains to be seen, ofc, and Ronald has a wide range of outcomes with his injury history but health permitting, the floor is established and if the Braves make him their full-time leadoff hitter, so much the better.
7. Byron Buxton
Finally! We had to wait until his Age 31 season but Byron Buxton stayed healthy enough to have a career-high 542 plate appearances, and boy, did he deliver. 35 HR, 24 SB, and a 97/83 R/R. The Twins were smart to hit him leadoff as much as they could and maximize his PA, and he slashed 264/327/551 for a 8.5 fWAR and 4.9 bWAR. It’s a shame it took a decade for the superstar to put up a superstar season. Can he stay healthy all year again, though? I have no idea, but I’m super encouraged by his 100th% sprint speed — which says he is literally among the fastest players in Major League Baseball last year despite his long history of owies — and I’ll be monitoring his ADP in mock drafts this offseason.
I am not saying you should grab Byron Buxton within the first few rounds! We all know the injury risk and history. But I am saying his full-time production and talent justify this ranking. I know this is a super controversial placement but he’s clearly elite when he’s on the field so if his ADP is where it was the last few years, go fucking get him.
8. Fernando Tatís Jr.
I am afraid of drafting Fernando Tatís the Junior. It’s not just the lengthy injury history that includes two left shoulder subluxations and a stress reaction in his right quadricep — he needs those upper-body parts to hit! — but also the fractured scaphoid bone that he needed an operation for after he supposedly had a motorcycle accident and also the 80 games he lost because he tested positive for a steroid. Fernando has a history of off-field recklessness and while I don’t want to penalize the man for the stupid shit he did when he was younger, I don’t want to lose sleep over my first-round pick. Other than the injuries and intangibles, his home run totals the last three seasons have been 25, 21, and 25, and his RBI totals have been 78, 49, and 71, and he hasn’t slugged more than .490 in that span. He’s an elite talent but are these elite results? He has a career DDBB%, but he’s also had two seasons where he was merely league-average in that regard. Fernando will turn 27 in January, so the arrow should be trending upwards but this is a risky profile and the chances of him doing something stupid to jeopardize your team is not zero. I believe his range of outcomes is wider than Acuña’s.
Tier 2 – High-End Outfield Bats with Strong Walk Rates
This next tier of outfielders are all players I think are worth the ADP I expect they’ll go for, which should be in the 3rd or 4th or 5th round. They all deliver power (or plus-power) and very strong walk rates, with varying levels of speed and stolen bases. I’ll be pleased as fucking punch if any of these guys are my second outfielder on draft day.
9. Yordan Alvarez*
Yordan Alvarez will turn 29 years old in June, and 2025 was basically a lost season for him. He dealt with a hand injury — that later turned out to be a fracture — that sapped all of his power and required a long recover and rehab, only to come back in August and have his season end in September with an ankle injury.The Statcast profile and the 1.034 OPS he posted in September says the power is still here, and this ranking presumes the hand and ankle are all the way healed.
*Okay so I THINK (but I am not positive) that Yordan Alvarez will retain his OF eligibility despite playing only 15 games there in 2025. Typically, ESPN requires that the hitter play at least 20 games at a certain position the previous season to carry over to the next season BUT if the hitter plays at least 25% of their games at the position the previous season, they can keep that eligibility. In Yordan’s case, the 15 games is under the minimum but since he only appeared in 48 games and 15 out of 48 is 31%, Yordan will remain an OF for 2026. I think.
10. Wyatt Langford
Wyatt Langford just turned 24 over the offseason, and he’s already had two season of at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, even with hitting the IL with oblique strain three times last year. He can get on base a lot, too, with a 90th% walk rate of 12.9% in 2024 and 9.2% the year before. This a growth stock that is still growing into a (super)star, but oblique issues can be a bitch.
11. James Wood
Hot damn, go look at James Wood’s Statcast profile and spray chart, and how he bashes the shit out of ball all over the ballpark. In his Age 23 season, James Wood smacked 31 home runs, stole 15 bases, and laid a foundation of 12.3% BB% and .350 OBP. He strikes out a lot! Lol, boy does he ever, he led the National League in strikeouts with 212. But with such a strong DDBB%, I don’t really care about that as much as you might, and it’s not like his expected batting averages are bad at all (69th%). Maybe the strikeouts will catch up with him in the long run but I don’t see why he can’t do a bit better next year at Age 24.
12. Brent Rooker
Bash bash bash. That’s all Brent Rooker has done for the last three seasons, hitting at least 30 home runs and posting excellent walk rates in the 9% range. He also plays just enough games in the outfield to retain his eligibility there, which really boosts his value in a league like this. The Athletics were pretty shitty in 2022, so Rooker couldn’t pile up the R/R stats that 30 home runs typically come with, but the last two seasons were much better, and he bashes in that joke of a ballpark in Sacramento with buddies like Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers and Tyler Sonderstrom. Bashers, all of them. Bash bash bash. Bam bam bam. Brent Rooker is worth his 2026 ADP.
13. Cody Bellinger — (OF Only)
Cody Bellinger is a young 30 (he won’t be 31 until mid-July) and with just seven games at first base last year, he’ll only qualify for the outfield in ESPN, and he’s been redeeming himself as a fantasy asset since winning the National League MVP award as a 23 year-old in 2019 and then putting up a combined 0.6 fWAR in 2020 and 2021. Since then, he’s delivered double-digit home run and stolen bases in almost every season (missing with nine SB in 2024), and rehabilitated his slash stats to well above league-average. It would help if he returns to the Yankees, in both ballpark and lineup, but Cody Bellinger is an excellent fantasy bat for deep OBP leagues — and a bit more valuable if still has first base eligibility in your league.
14. Randy Arozarena
31 in February, Randy Arozarena has been aging like the typical power/speed combo outfield bat we’ve been seeing for decades, With five(!) consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, Randy Arozarena has been a rather worthy fantasy asset and an excellent depth piece for leagues that start five outfielders, especially with his career 9.7% BB%. If he keeps aging like the typical power/speed combo outfield bat we’ve been seeing for decades, then there’s no reason why Arozarena can’t deliver another 20/20 season.
15. Roman Anthony
JFC, look at that 13.2% BB% and the rest of that sweet Statcast profile from a 21 year-old. Roman Anthony will be 22 in May, and he’s already established himself as a bona-fide major league hitter who can hit the shit out of the ball. Idk if he’ll repeat the the .396 OBP he had in 303 plate appearances last year but he could lead all of professional baseball in runs if the Red Sox let him lead off and he comes anything close to that crazy OBP.
Tier 3 – Young Talented Outfielders with OBP Red Flags
I am not especially interested in spending a high draft pick on these guys. I may be in the future, but all of these bats, as talented as they are, have been posting some pretty bad walk rates in their young careers, making them less appealing for the league I play in. I am not necessarily saying these are four of the top 20 fantasy outfielders so much as I’m trying to respect their talents since the rest of the industry are going to a lot higher on these guys than I am. But I just can’t fw these terrible BB%.
16. Jackson Merrill
Jackson Merrill had a fantastic rookie year in 2024, especially considering he had to learn how to play centerfield on the job. While 2025 was a step back in a lot of ways for him — just one stolen base!! — he also dramatically improved his walk rate from 4.9% (8th percentile) to 6.8%, which is still under league-average in the 31st percentile but obviously much much better. Is that another sign of Merrill learning a new skill on the job? There was still a lot of red on his Statcast last year and he also hit seven home runs with a .626 slugging percentage in September, so maybe he’s putting it together.
17. Jackson Chourio
Jackson Chourio got down-ballot MVP votes as a 20 year-old rookie in 2024 after a 20/20 season and statistically did pretty much the same thing last year, submitting another 20/20 season with 88 runs and 78 RBI. The flaw in his offensive game is in his meager walk rate of 5.1%, which was in the 12th percentile of all hitters last season. Chourio will be 22 in March and there is obviously room for growth and a step forward, but I think he will need to take that step forward to maintain his current ADP going into 2027, and his BB% says that’s not a given.
18. Pete Crow-Armstrong
The son of the mom from the 1994 film Little Big League, Pete Crow-Armstrong went 30/30 with 95 RBI, but with an awful .287 OBP thanks to a 4.5% walk rate that was in the 4th%. His .247 batting average makes him a lot easier to roster in non-OBP leagues and his glove makes him a super valuable real-life player, but I worry that another year in the league will further expose his lack of plate discipline and his year will have more fallow stretches like the .446 OPS he had last August. Super fun player who will turn 24 in March, I can’t spend his asking price as long as his OBP that much under .300.
19. Michael Harris II
Are we still ranking Michael Harris II this high? By bWAR, Harris II has been declining for four season in a row going into his Age 25 season. I know that fantasy doesn’t care about WAR but going from winning the National League Rookie of the Year in 2022 with a 5.1 bWAR in 114 games to 3.5 bWAR in 2023 and 3.2 bWAR in 2024 to a 2.2 bWAR last year despite a career high in games (160) and plate appearances (641) is pretty interesting for a young player who is supposed to be growing into a star. Then again, it’s also not much of a surprise considering that his 2.5% walk rate was literally one of the worst in baseball last year, right in the very first percentile. That was a career-low when it was already bad, and he’s also been hemorrhaging points of expected slugging the last three seasons, from .490 to .462 to .433. His offensive game may be completely falling apart, even at this age.
I’m not saying Michael Harris II is the 19th-best fantasy outfielder going into 2026. Far from it. I’m bunching very similar hitters in their own buckets in a way that makes sense to me and my weird-ass league. But if you’re looking for reasons to believe in him, he’s posted four consecutive seasons of DD HR/SB and has been posting very good-to-great expected batting averages.
Tier 4 — Talented Outfielders With Severe Platoon Issues
Note the purple! In my personal spreadsheets that I’ve been using to prepare for my drafts the last few years, I have been changing the text color for strong-side platoon hitters to purple. Purple means the hitter is best deployed (and often is so by the team) vs RHP. Purple bats can be plenty useful in deeper leagues, but require a bit extra planning and mindfulness of opposing SP.
These are all outfielders that I anticipate will be highly regarded and targeted by the industry and your league mates, but these are all outfielders I plan on avoiding because of their weaknesses verses left-handed pitching. Thing is, these are also very talented and young hitters who are talented enough and young enough to have earned everyday playing time at the expense of giving away plate appearances against LHP, and they’re not going to help your team on days they face LHP. I’m bunching them up in their own tier and like Tier 3, I’m not in on these guys because it requires using an extra roster spot for their backups. If you are, make sure you have contingency plans.
20. Riley Greene
Riley Greene had a great season, but it was also a kinda weird one for a supposed superstar on the way up. His BB% was a career-low 7.0%, way way down from the 11% he posted in 2024. He was also pulled versus a LHP in a 1-1 playoff game for chrissakes, and if the Detroit Tigers don’t have confidence in Riley Greene and his 74 wRC+ against left-handed pitcher, then I’m not sure how confident I am in drafting him at his asking price. He’s entering his Age 25 season so he’s obviously still young enough to figure it out, but you’ll want to give him a caddy if he’s on your fantasy team.
21. Oneil Cruz
Oneil Cruz had a .196 wOBA versus LHP last year, which is sad for a predicted superstar. He’s also no longer eligible at shortstop so while he should give you 20/20 production with a walk rate well over 9% with all the R/R that the Pittsburgh Pirates can muster him, he’s a whole lot less appealing going into Draft Day than he was the last few seasons. Oneil Cruz is going into his Age 27 season so in theory, he hasn’t had his career year yet. But I think it’s worth pointing out that he slugged just .378 last year and only had a slightly above-average 106 wRC+ vs right-handed pitching. Be very very very careful drafting this guy.
22. Jarren Duran
Jarren Duran had a 211/260/340 line in 209 plate appearances against LHP last year, and his league-average 8.6% walk rate last year was a career-high. The power isn’t exactly elite, as it took him 696 plate appearances to hit 16 home runs in 2025, and 735 PA to hit 21 dingers in 2024. Duran turned 29 last September which means he’ll be 30 by the time the 2026 season ends, and that’ll mean youth will no longer be on his side to bet on further improvements to his game. The bottom of this boat has too many holes in it for me to spend whatever his ADP’ll be.
23. Lawrence Butler
Lawrence Butler had knee surgery on his right patellar tendon in October to repair a partial tear, as well as a PRP injection in his left patella tendon to deal with “chronic tendonitis.” This may explain the step back he took with his power metrics and sprint speed. He’s also a purple bat (.656 OPS vs LHP in 2024 and .570 OPS vs LHP in 2025) so while idk his ADP yet, I suspect that chronic tendonitis and purpleness will go under the radar and he’ll be a popular bounce back mid-round pick. He’ll be expensive.
Tier 5 – Strong Outfield Targets for OBP Leagues
I like this tier a lot! I know my tiers are weird, but I wanted to bucket up two tiers of outfielders that everyone else likes but I do not, at least for my league going in 2026, and get those dudes out of the way. The next couple dozen outfielders are mostly all guys I like or at least am interested in, if not always at the ADP that they may go. Still, I’ll be monitoring and targeting the next few tier of outfielders. Since I’m starting five outfielders — not including my utility slot and outfielders with infield eligibility — I’ll have a long list of targets that I will be monitoring to find ADP value. That list (re)starts here.
24. Kyle Stowers
Kyle Stowers is the youngest hitter in this tier, going into his Age 28 season. After a trade to the Miami Marlins, Stowers significantly increased his isolated slugging and barrel percentages, and was 5th in barrels per plate appearances with 11.6% to break out with 25 home runs and a 912 OPS in 117 games. Sure, there was a .356 BABIP but if he keeps up the DDBB% then you’ve got a banger of a power bat here, maybe even 35 home runs in a full season.
25. Seiya Suzuki
Thirty-two in August, Seiya Suzuki makes a whole lot of loud contact (32 home runs and .482 xSLG last year) that comes with three consecutive MLB seasons of DDBB%. Suzuki primarily batted third in the Chicago Cubs lineup where he was able to rack up most of his 103 RBI, and while he will no longer have Kyle Tucker to drive in, Suzuki should be a excellent depth piece for OBP leagues with deep starting outfields.
26. Giancarlo Stanton
If you’re surprised to see Giancarlo Stanton on this here list of fantasy outfielders for 2026, then you may be surprised that he should barely keep his OF eligibility with 20 games there in 2025, and he can be your secret weapon in drafts if some of your league mates haven’t caught on. His Statcast is a different kind of light red, the kind where he hitter slugs and mashes at an elite level but does not have the PA to qualify among the league leaders. His .594 slugging percentage says he’s not quite done mashing and he projected to hit almost 50 HR in 162 games last year, so it’s just a matter of how many games he actually plays. Perhaps the best metaphorically literal (or something) bang for your ADP buck. He could really fall.
27. Mike Trout
I mean, it’s hard to quit on a GOAT who still has a juicy Statcast profile and posted a 15.6% walk rate last year with a .486 xwOBAcon that was in the top 3%. Mike Trout’s 130 games and 556 plate appearances were the most since before the pandemic, but his 32% K% did spike like eight points above his career average (23.4%) and into the bottom 2% of MLB, and his .467 xSLG was easily the lowest of his career. There are cracks in this armor and Mike Trout will be 35 in August, but if the ADP is right and you have a contingency plan for the games he’ll almost certainly miss, enjoy what counting stats he’ll give you on his way to the Hall of Fame.
28. Taylor Ward
As a big fat power hitter, I like Taylor Ward a lot as a fantasy outfielder in my particular league. He’s entering his Age 32 having just been traded to the Baltimore Orioles and while it remains to be seen where he’ll bat in their lineup and if he’ll repeat another 100 RBI season, he’ll be in a much deeper lineup than he was in Anaheim. Ward also hasn’t had a BB% below 9.5% in the last four seasons, making him a very very solid and relatively risk-free pick. Power ages well and bangers bang. Taylor Ward can bang.
29. Bryan Reynolds
Even though he was 4th in the National League with 38 doubles, Bryan Reynolds still saw his slugging drop 45 points and he struck out a career-high (by a lot) 173 times, as he admitted to tinkering with his swing throughout the year. Reynolds said he’ll do a deep-dive over the offseason that may include clinic work so there’s plenty of opportunity to a bounce-back here, especially with the Pittsburgh Pirates actually surrounding him with guys who can actually hit — or he could tinker his way into inconsistency, idk. Thirty-one in January, his walk rate is only league-average-ish these days, but a guy who’s been a very good hitter since his freshman year at Vanderbilt in 2014 is probably a good bet to be a good hitter for another year.
30. Christian Yelich — (Warning! Only 19 games in the outfield last year! DH-only in ESPN!)
Heed this warning! Christian Yelich is only eligible for designated hitter going into Draft Day 2026! He played 19 games in left field last season, and no games anywhere else on the diamond, making him DH-only for now, at least in ESPN leagues that require 20 games played at a position for the eligibility to carry over.
Christian Yelich continued to be a very productive fantasy hitter in his Age 33 season, with his highest home run (29) and RBI (103) totals since his MVP candidacy years before the pandemic. Yelich’s season is all the more remarkable when we consider he had back surgery in the summer of 2024, and he missed time in September thanks to lower back soreness. There’s injury risk here, but also a surprisingly high floor going into his Age 34 season despite that risk. This is where he would be if he were still eligible for the outfield. I’d like to rank him a bit higher, and maybe I should, but his usual DDBB% hasn’t been excellent relative to the rest of the league for three consecutive seasons.
31. Ian Happ
Yessir this is a steady reliable IanHapp2026, complete with a 12%+ BB% and 640+ plate appearances four seasons in a row and 20+ home runs three seasons in a row. She won’t be 32 until August, so she’s got miles left on her yet and if the supporting cast at the Chicago Cubs do what they’re expected to do, then the R/R and excellent OBP will be a perfect OF depth piece in a deep league like yours. You can bank on her volume and quality counting stats, the IanHapp2026, yessir.
Tier 6: Draftable and Useful and Still Very Good Outfielders
These are another tier of outfielders with strong walk rates that I like but I’m putting them in a slightly lower tier because if they don’t have age concerns, they have platoon split concerns. I’ll be targeting the tier above more aggressively, but I’d be plenty happy if any of these end up as my fourth outfielder by the end of Draft Day.
32. George Springer
Heck yeah, go George Springer, what a season he had in 2026. His Statcast says he hit the shit out of the ball, so that 959 OPS and those 32 home runs were no fluke. He hit over .300 for the first time in his career, and his .295 xBA says that was only a tiny bit of a fluke. He’s often posted DDBB%, but last year was his highest since before the pandemic. George Springer will be 37 next September, but like many speedy power bats throughout baseball history, he is still aging gracefully and is probably a safe bet to put up his fifth consecutive DDHR/SB season.
33. Jurickson Profar
Thirty-three in March, Jurickson Profar is getting a little long in the tooth but the late-bloomer has had some pretty great hitting in the last 1.5 seasons he’s played. Of course, that half he missed was due to suspension for performance-enhancing drugs but he was excellent in 80 games last year, and while it’s dangerous to just like extrapolate and double his counting stats last year and assume that’s what he would’ve done, that would’ve meant 112 runs, 28 home runs, 86 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. And he has a career walk rate of 10.3%. This is a hell of a fantasy outfielder that could be pretty discounted on Draft Day.
34. Brandon Nimmo
I do not know how Brandon Nimmo notched DDSB in 2024 and 2025 when he had never done that before even though his sprint speed was much much better (even elite!) earlier in the decade. He’s entering his Age 33 season having clocked three consecutive years of 20+ home runs and 80+ runs, and if he’s leading off with the Texas Rangers, he should handily repeat the latter. Although he has a 12% walk rate for his career, he had a career-low 7.7% last year, his first below DDBB% since 2016. Idk what to make of that but if the Rangers weren’t planning on batting him leadoff, he’d probably be lower on this list.
35. Jose Altuve — (2B/OF)
Jose Altuve goes into 2026 with 2B/OF eligibility and he will turn 36 in May. He’s submitted four consecutive seasons of DDHR/SB and gets his share of R/R hitting in those Houston Astro lineups, but the 26 home runs he hit last year were a mirage of his ballpark, as the he’d’ve had a bunch less pretty much everywhere else, even in Sacramento. Like Isaac Parades, it’s all fly balls to left field with some of the worse exit velocity in the game. Those home runs (and runs and RBI) still count in fantasy, tho, and Jose’s positional flex makes him that much more useful, so monitor his ADP.
36. Trent Grisham
*Beware of purpleness!
Trent Grisham doesn’t chase the ball at all, his chase rate was the 4th lowest in all of baseball. He also walked 14% of the time, 9th in MLB, and doubled his previous career-best HR with 34 and a .229 isolated slugging. He had an .651 OPS versus LHP in 155 PA, but he still hit 7 home runs against them and he could still take a walk against them and his iso was a not super-awful .166, which is basically Adolis Garcia versus everybody. Those in batting average leagues may want to avoid and sure enough, his BA can be bad enough to drag down his OBP for OBP leagues but I’m targeting him regardless going into his Age 29 season. Maybe he should be listed among the platoon bats but the Yankees like his defense so they will continue to play him and I think he’s less hapless versus LHP than at first glance.
37. Steven Kwan
*Beware of purpleness!
I like Steven Kwan a lot better IRL, I think. He’s an excellent contact hitter who pretty much never swings and misses and is very difficult to strike out, and usually posts a pretty good walk rate, if not quite DDBB%. But his hard-hit percentage is routinely among the worse in baseball, and his exit velocities isn’t much better. Even as the full-time leadoff hitter for the Cleveland Guardians the last three seasons, Kwan has only scored between 81 and 93 runs. While that’s still very good and very helpful to your team, it’s a bit less than you may suspect from a very good hitter who has been hitting leadoff for a playoff team. A strong OBP and two consecutive seasons of DDHR/SB certainly helps in deep leagues like mine, but Kwan’s inconsistent performance against left-handed pitchers give me serious pause. Last year, he slashed 246/300/281 against them while also eating up 224 plate appearances from the leadoff spot. He was actually great against LHP in 2024, OPS’ing 839 in 159 PA, but he was below league-average against them in 2023. I worry that putting him in the full-time tiers overrates him as a fantasy player so monitor which Steven Kwan shows up against LHP in 2026, his Age 28 season.
Tier 7 – Flawed Outfield Power Bats
I’m in on the guys in this tier. They all project to be non-platoon full-time players who should give you power, but do not have a super reliable and consistent history of posting strong on-base percentages and good walk rates, there is mostly varying degrees of optimism.
38. Teoscar Hernández
Teoscar Hernández is entering his Age 33 season having taken a huge step back in hitting profile. The walk rate, never great to begin with, was a meager 4.8%, and the power metrics took a big hit in pretty much every under-the-hood stat. He’s still a league-average hitter who can probably give you 25 home runs over a full season but between his aging profile, his lowly BB%, his bad defense, and the way the Los Angeles Dodgers are always looking for upgrades and maximum efficiency, Teoscar’s time as a near-star may be coming to an end.
39. Matt Wallner
Matt Wallner is going into his Age 28 season with a DDBB% and .485 slugging in 972 career plate appearances, and it looks like he’s made some huge strides in learning how to hit LHP. Small sample sizes and all of course, but he had an 482 OPS against them in 2023 and a 611 OPS against them in 2024, and then suddenly had a 791 OPS against them in 2025, which was slightly better than the 770 he had against RHP. Placing him in this tier is a bet that he’s solved those platoon issues. Matt Wallner packs a wallop, and he could have a big year.
40. Heliot Ramos
It seems like 2025 was a setback of sorts for Heliot Ramos, at least according to a Statcast profile that was far less red than it was in 2024. Otherwise, it was statistically a pretty similar year, with 20ish home runs and .320ish OBP with the counting stats that come with hitting in the top third of the San Francisco Giants order. Heliot Ramos will be entering his Age 26 season and if last year’s games played (157) meets 2024 slugging percentage (.469), you’ll get some nice counting stats. He’s younger than some of the young guys I bunched up a couple tiers below him but imo he’s already demonstrated much more consistency than any of them.
41. Ramón Laureano
Ramón Laureano will be 32 in July, and the heretofore weak-side platoon bat suddenly re-learned how to hit RHP to post the highest slugging percentage of his career (.512) in 2025. If you note the 296/327/505 he slashed in 226 PA with Atlanta in the second half of 2024, then Laureano’s year didn’t come all the way out of nowhere. He’s been mashing for a year and a half so this is an interesting hitting profile that I do not dislike at the price he will likely command.
42. Jo Adell
Bang bang bang. Jo Adell finally tapped into his elite bat speed to deliver a career-high 37 home runs (4th in the American League) and 98 RBI (8th in AL). The walk rate is still below league-average but Jo has cut down his strikeouts considerably the last two seasons, meaning he is merely very bad right now, as opposed to being close to the worst in MLB, and his xBA was .263, which was in the 67th percentile of all hitters, so not bad at all! Jo Adell will be 27 in April and improved by leaps and bounds last year, so while it probably won’t be very pretty since he’s going to have trouble cracking a .300 OBP, the dongs are too many to not consider, even in OBP leagues.
43. Luis Robert Jr.
Luis Robert Jr. won’t turn 29 until August, but he hasn’t been a league-average hitter since 2023, when he bashed 38 home runs and stole 20 bases. He stole a career-high 33 last year, but could not muster a .300 OBP despite a 9.3% walk rate, another career-high. He also sucked against RHP (211/272/329), which was easily a career-worst, and other than his 92nd percentile bat speed, nothing in his Statcast hitting profile suggests another season like 2023. However, again, he won’t turn 29 until August, so while he’s running out of youth, the youth is still there. There’s an obvious upside play to drafting Luis Robert Jr., and he’ll be a lot cheaper than he’s been in years past. At least he’ll give you some bags, right?
44. Anthony Santander
Going into his Age 31 season, Anthony Santander says his back and left shoulder “finally feel normal,” at least according to manager John Schneider who said Santander texted him as much. Of course, those are injuries that can just deplete a hitter’s power, as it did for Santander in 2025 to the tune of a 175/271/294 line. He’s just two seasons removed from a 44 home run campaign, and his BB% has been at respectable levels since he leveled up his mashing in 2022, so I have some late-round buy-low sights on this guy. My leash is short, though, especially with a back and left shoulder that wasn’t feeling so normal going into last year.
Tier 8 – Outfielders with Good Walk Rates and Little Power
I know it may seem crazy to think of these guys as Top 40-ish outfielders in but when it comes to listing full-time outfielders who do not have platoon splits and also have good walk rates and on-base percentages, there’s only so many who also have power, and the drop-off comes quicker than you may think. This tier is also where my interest in drafting outfielders more or less starts to drop off. I’ll be in on these guys who won’t need a platoon partner or kill my OBP and pitch in on counting stats, but they won’t give me more than a dozen or so major-league home runs. I say “major-league home runs” because one guy in this tier could and has hit like twice that.
45. Cedric Mullins
*Beware of purpleness!
Cedric Mullins had a 30/30 season as a 26 year-old in 2021, but while he’s matched the stolen base totals twice since then. his home runs per season has been 15 and 16 and 17 and 18, not in that order. Cedric’s walk rates have gotten a tad better with experience, hitting DDBB% for the first time last season and 8.4% for his career. However, his batting averages are often bad enough that he hasn’t had an OBP higher than .305 in three years. However again, he’s also got inconsistent platoon splits. While he was terrific against LHP last year (783 OPS), he was very bad against them in 2024 (506 OPS). In 2023, he was the same as he was versus RHP (708 OPS and 726 OPS) and in 2022 he was bad again (578). If you draft him, monitor which Cedric shows up versus LHP.
46. Jakob Marsee
Jakob Marsee will be 25 in June, and he projects to give you a dozen HR, .325 OBP and lotsa bags. If he plays full-time, he’ll be among the league leaders in SB. If he plays full-time and leads off, so much the better. There are several guys in this bucket like Ryan Bliss, Victor Robles, Victor Scott, Johan Rojas, and Brice Turang that will give you the same counting stats (if not ratios) given full-time playing time. Giving those ratios and presumed playing time, Marsee is the 2nd-best option of this bunch next to Turang.
47. José Caballero — (2B/3B/SS/OF)
José Caballero (or Joey Cowboy in English) has pretty much zero power and hits lefties better than he hits righties, but that’s not why I’m rostering him. Two consecutive seasons of 40+ stolen bases (led the AL both times) and all that sweet-ass eligibility? Gimme gimme gimme. His walk rate was 5.6% in 2024, but DDBB% the year before and last year, so I’m going to assume that was an aberration. Mr. Cowboy is very underrated in super-deep leagues like the one I play in, so he’s a target for me.
48. Jonathan India — (2B/3B/OF)
It was not a great year for Jonathan India, as he battled owies and learning LF on the job during his first season in Kansas City. Going into his Age 29 season, though, the Royals and manager Matt Quatraro have stated he will stay at second base and play everyday, and even pointed out his “on-base and the lead-off ability.” This ranking may be more aggressive than the rest of the industry but if Jonathan India actually does lead off for the Royals, that would be an awesome complement to his 2B/3B/OF eligibility.
49. Jeff McNeil — (2B/OF)
Jeff McNeil underwent “minor” TOS procedure after the 2024 season and had a 111 wRC+in 2025 anyway that included his first DDBB%, which is interesting considering all the times he’s posted OBPs north of .380. Now in Sacramento and turning 34 in April, he could be a very good 2B/OF roster piece for deeper leagues that count OBP. Though he hasn’t hit more than 12 home runs a year since he hit 23 home runs in 2019, he’s got the most home run opportunity of anyone in this tier, thanks to that non-MLB ballpark.
50. TJ Friedl
TJ Friedl will be 31 in August, and is kind of a weird hitter in terms of his lack of consistency. He doesn’t have good xBA even though he’s harder to strike out than most. His year-to-year platoon splits are a bit all over the place but he slugged under .400 vs both-handed pitching last year, with a bright-side .330 OBP against LHP, and an overall OBP .364, 11th in the National League, that was juiced by his third consecutive season of DDHBP. TJ Friedl led off for Cincinnati for pretty much all of last year, and if that continues, so much the better. But his Statcast says he can’t hit the ball very hard at all and his declining sprint speed says we probably shouldn’t count on more than a dozen or so stolen bases.
51. Sal Frelick
Sal Frelick will be 26 in April and was much better at home (854 OPS) than on the road (659 OPS) last year. Make of that what you will, as well of his slightly below-average walk rate, and the batting average (.288, 7th in the National League) that was way over his xBA of .256. His OPS was 85 points lower against LHP (697) than RHP (782), but that’s all in the slugging, as his average and OBP are very good against both-handed pitching. He’s posted good-to-great sprint speed scores and stolen 37 bases in the last two seasons, which he’ll need to boost his fantasy value because he’ll have trouble slugging .400 and giving you a dozen home runs.
52. Isaac Collins
Isaac Collins had his first full big-league season last season at Age 27, and it was a pretty good one from a guy who doesn’t have a lot of power. While his OPS was 70 points lower against LHP, he slugged both-handed pitching about the same (.408 vs LHP and .413 vs RHP), and he’s got a DDBB% that will help in deeper leagues. Collins could probably lead off for a lot of teams, including his new one, but the Royals have like at least three other candidates for that (including one in this tier) so he could get buried at the bottom of the Kansas City lineup, thereby capping his runs.
53. Lars Nootbaar*
*Beware injury!
While Statcast says Lars Nootbaar hits the ball harder than most guys in this tier and delivers some of the best walk rates in MLB, he’s never hit more than 14 home runs in season so I’m not inclined to place him in a higher tier even if I didn’t have qualms about his health. I don’t love drafting a known injured player so I’m probably out on drafting Lars Nootbaar in 2026, as he may miss the beginning of the season after having both of his heels shaved down (?!?!?) due to something called Haglund’s deformities. I’m putting him in this bucket/tier because this is where I’d put him if I had full confidence in his health. Don’t let me stop you from considering him, though, I could be being way more squeamish on the injury than you are but he’s got to play baseball on those feet ffs.
54. Garrett Mitchell*
*Beware injury!
Garrett Mitchell has posted some encouraging OBP and slugging percentages, but his xSLG says he didn’t deserve his actual in either 2023 and 2024. He posts above-average walk rates and has an 89th percentile sprint speed that presumes seasons of DDSB, but he’s never had a chance to show us much over parts of four big-league seasons that have yielded only 443 plate appearances. Garrett Mitchell will be 28 next September, and underwent surgery on his left shoulder last July. He is expected to be ready for Spring Training, but we all know how it can go for a hitter recovering from shoulder surgery so yeah no, no thanks.
Tier 9 – Young Outfielders Who May Break Out
These guys will likely be cheap on Draft Day and have the kind of upside you want to chase in the waning rounds of Draft Day. Unlike guys above them who may be younger, the young outfielders in this tier have not fully established a consistent hitting tool in the major leagues that would help in an on-base fantasy league right now — but of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t take that step forward and break out. There’s a lot of potential in this tier, perhaps even a few All-Stars. But will that be 2026? Idk. While I get chasing upside as much as you can, I don’t think I can justify having more than one of these dudes as one of my starting five outfielders on Draft Day because that would mean my outfield depth sucks.
55. Daylen Lile
Daylen Lile put up a really nice 351 plate appearances as a 22 year-old, OPSing .845 in his debut season. He doesn’t walk too much but doesn’t strike too much, either, and puts the ball in play a whole lot, as demonstrated by a .380 BABIP in the second half. Lile also likes to run, with a 92 percentile sprint speed and 8 stolen bases to go with 6 caught stealing. Daylen Lile also had a 5.9% HR/FB rate in the first half that jumped to 11.1% in the 2H so did he improve? That’s why they play the games! I think I’d like Lile more in a batting average league where his 6% BB% matters much less, but I like him the most of this tier.
56. Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker went to Driveline this offseason to do something about the difference between his elite-ish Statcast power metrics and his actual results. Driveline apparently discovered that “his back hip was collapsing” and if that’s fixed, watch out. Jordan Walker is pretty much a perfect post-hype sleeper, as his ADP will probably be cheap and he won’t be 24 until May.
57. Jac Caglianone
Is Jac Caglianone a big power bat in the major leagues? The slugger was comparable to Nick Kurtz in the minors but Jac has struggled mightily in the big leagues so far, with a 50% GB% rate and very little foot speed and a 492 OPS vs RHP. Caglianone’s .172 BABIP says he has room to progress back to the mean and he has posted DDBB% in the minors but he also has a lot of work to do just to get the fantasy relevance of, say, Josh Bell. Still, there is 30 home run upside here, and Jac won’t turn 23 until February.
58. Parker Meadows
Going into his Age 26 season, Parker Meadows has unfortunately battled issues with the musculocutaneous nerve in his right arm that have hampered his playing time and any subsequent development, but he’s been worth 3.3 fWAR in like a season’s worth of plate appearances (656) in his career so far. His excellent-to-elite sprint spreed suggests there’s stolen bases to be unlocked here and while he OPS’d just 503 against LHP last season, he was much better in 2024 and 2023 (732 OPS in 91 PA) and it’s not like he was very good against RHP either, so he won’t be marked as all the way purple just yet. Who knows if he’ll make steps towards his upside in 2026, but that musculocutaneous nerve, tho…Is there a cure for that? Weird injuries always give me serious pause because they’re such unknowns and I don’t like spending a roster spot on how a guy will come back from a weird injury.
59. Dylan Crews
Dylan Crews lost time due to oblique strain in May that limited him to 322 plate appearances. The results before and after were not great, the 77 wRC+ should tell you his numbers weren’t fantasy viable, and he hasn’t shown a lot of home run power. But 17 stolen bases in 85 games last year says he can theoretically like double that with full-time playing time, and his prospect pedigree currently suggest there’s a lot more upside at 24 years old. In the meantime, like Jac Caglianone, he has a lot of improving to do just to get to league-average.
60. Noelvi Marte — (3B/OF)
*Beware of purpleness!
This will be Noelvi Marte’s Age 24 season, and while youth is certainly on his side, the formerly highly-rated prospect hasn’t shown much in 725 big-league PA so far, neither statistically nor Statcastly. Some might be encouraged by the .448 slugging, but I’m a lil discouraged by the.413 xSLG. Noelvi has wheels, though (89th percentile sprint speed), so there could be a 20/20 season here to go with his positional flex but he also OPS’d 562 against LHP last year so Cincinnati may be inclined to platoon him. And if he stays in Cincinnati, he’ll likely lose his 3B eligibility to the entrenched Ke’Bryan Hayes, but that’s a thought for your 2027 fantasy baseball season.
61. Colton Cowser
Colton Cowser was the 5th overall pick in the 2021 Draft and had 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 92 games last year (limited by a fractured left thumb), but that came with some of the worst xBA and K% in MLB, and 12 of those home runs came across fastballs. Colton Cowser will be 26 in March and hasn’t shown much in 998 major league plate appearances so far, in no small part because he hasn’t demonstrated an ability to consistently hit non-fastballs, and his 35.6% strikeout rate is literally among the worst in MLB. Still, he could give you 20 home runs and like twelve stolen bases with a bad OBP that’s sunk by a bad xBA and not a 9.2% career walk rate so far. Idk how long his leash will be in Baltimore, especially if he’s underperforming and the Orioles are winning, but in the meantime, his defense is good enough to keep him in the lineup enough to run up enough counting stats in that new-look lineup.
Tier 10 – More Platoon Outfielders for OBP Leagues
*Note alllllll the purple!
With my league starting at least 65 outfielders (not counting the utility slot or outfielders eligible at other positions), we’re past listing the outfielders I’m interested in drafting, and moving onto other fantasy-relevant outfielders that I’m sure my league mates will be interested in. I very much dislike carrying platoon bats, especially more than one, so I’m only in on these guys as temporary plug-ins off the wire when I’m short-handed throughout the year, and only if I have an extra bat to plug in when they’re facing left-handed pitchers.
62. Wilyer Abreu
Wilyer Abreu has won two consecutive Gold Gloves for his defense and while defense doesn’t count in fantasy baseball, a player’s glove can put him in enough games to accumulate some counting stats, and the Red Sox have said they want Wilyer to face more LHP, even with that 230/299/377 slash line. He’ll probably be one of the more productive platoon bats in the game, with a career slash of 265/336/492 against RHP, but you’ll want to sit him against left-handers. Wilyer Abreu will be 27 in June, and with Boston’s slight outfield glut, he may find himself on a new team before long.
63. Kerry Carpenter
Kerry Carpenter has been one of the best platoon bats in MLB the last few seasons, with an 866 OPS versus RHP and just a 606 versus LHP, so if you draft him, make sure you have a Plan B. Kerry smacked 26 home runs in 464 PA in 2025, but his BB% sunk all the way from below-average in the 7% range to 3.9%, in the bottom 2% in all of MLB. Carpenter is still in his prime, though, he’ll be 28 in 2026, and that Statcast is still pretty loud. But he was flawed going into 2025 as a platoon bat and going into 2026, his sinking BB% is another big flaw that will hurt his fantasy value in OBP leagues.
64. Evan Carter
Evan Carter is entering his Age 23 season after ending 2025 with a fractured wrist in August that was preceded by yet another back injury in August, something that limited him to 45 games in 2024. The Texas Rangers have said that he will get a chance to prove himself versus LHP, but that doesn’t have to be on your watch if you’re drafting him for what he is talented enough to do against RHP. But yeah, Idk, I’m passing on him, those back injuries from someone so young worry me.
65. Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh is a pretty good hitter! He had a .300 batting average and a .356 OBP and a .482 slugging percentage — but that was against RHP. Against LHP, he slashed a pretty paltry 197/287/289, and the Philadelphia Phillies’ limited outfield options vs lefties may mean he’ll see more playing time against them that will be good for his ratios.
66. Alec Burleson — (1B/OF)
With the St. Louis Cardinals trading Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox, that opens up first base, and the Cardinals have already said that Alec Burleson, who is going into his Age 27 season, will be the everyday first baseman. His expected slugging and exit velocity improved a few degrees last year, and he’s a comfortably above-average hitter, at least against RHP. Against LHP, he OPS’d just 708 last year, but that was a huge huge improvement from the 515 OPS he had against them in 2024. You should beware of his past platoon tendencies, but he may be on his way to solving that. In the meantime, he brings 1B/OF flexibility to the table.
67. Ryan O’Hearn — (1B/OF)
So enamored with his 2025, the Pittsburgh Pirates made Ryan O’Hearn their highest-paid free agent acquisition in franchise history, even though he slugged .387 after his trade to the San Diego Padres and was a platoon hitter before last season, before he figured something out and slashed 278/358/474 against LHP in 2025. But did he learn a new skill, or did a .358 BABIP do a lot of heavy lifting? Considering that he’ll be 33 in July, I’m going against the former and keeping him purple in this here platoon tier. The 1B/OF flex helps, but Ryan O’Hearn is a waiver target for me and not a draft day target.
68. Josh Lowe
If you’re looking for the bat that slashed 300/343/511 versus RHP in 2023, so is everyone else. Josh Lowe has always been not very good against LHP, but he hasn’t been great against RHP in 2024 (715) or 2025 (727). He’ll be 28 in March, and sure, he should give you double-digit home runs (barely) and stolen bases, but he’s a purple bat without a single shade of red in his Statcast batting profile and probably shouldn’t be under consideration on Draft Day. Now a Los Angeles Angel, perhaps the change of scenery will do him good.
Tier 11 – Outfielders Other People Love That I’m Avoiding in OBP Leagues
There’s a lot of good outfielders on this list, but they all have not-great walk rates or very bad batting averages that drag down their OBP that will only hurt me in my league so they’re not for me. However, they (almost) all provide home runs and can all provide varying amounts of stolen bases.
69. Brenton Doyle
Sad sad sad, what happened to Brenton Doyle, who deserves all the mulligans in the world for his not-good 2025. If he returns to 2024 form, this is a 20/30 bat with a below-average BB% and his share of runs leading off for a bad team. Plenty useful, but drafting him in his Age 28 season in 2026 will require all the faith and compassion and patience he deserves.
70. Dalton Varsho
I was tempted to put Dalton Varsho in the Tier 7 of Flawed Power Bats but the only time he’s hit more than 20 home runs was his 27 home runs with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022. I mean yeah, sure, he’s hit exactly 20 home runs twice and DDSB thrice since then but he’s also posted some not very good slugging percentages and very poor on-base percentages and very bad batting averages. His defense in center field is pretty much elite, and he could be one of those guys whose glove keeps him in the lineup long enough to get helpful counting stats, but those sickly OBPs are bad even when his walk rates are league-average.
71. Jordan Beck
Considering Jordan Beck played 148 games with half his games in Colorado in 2025, his total counting stats of 62 runs and 16 home runs and 53 RBI and 19 feel like a disappointment, especially when half his home runs came on the road despite posting much better slash numbers at home. Jordan Beck won’t be 25 until April and everyone wants to believe in good young hitters in Colorado so there’s reason for optimism here, but I may be biased because I felt burnt by his underwhelming stats and also underwhelming 7.3% walk rate.
72. Andy Pages
Andy Pages did not hit RHP at all in 2024 (213/277/370 in 336 PA) so he was not on my radar going into 2026, where I had thought him a glove-first short-side platoon bat. He had a pretty good fantasy season, thumping 27 home runs to go with 14 stolen bases, but if you were in an OBP league, his very nice .272 batting average turns into a weak .313 OBP that came with a poor 4.6% BB%. Regulars in Dodgers lineup tend to be good fantasy assets so draft him if you must but know that going into his Age 25 season, Andy Pages now has huge home/road splits (963 OPS at home and 593 OPS on the road) instead of platoon splits. He still had 8 home runs and 6 stolen bases but idk if I can fw a .257 OBP on the road so I will be skipping these Pages on Draft Day lol.
73. Ceddanne Rafaela — (2B/OF)
Ceddanne Rafaela’s career 3.8% BB% is just bad bad bad bad, and there is no power at all in his Statcast profile. The 2B/OF is nice and his defensive WAR is so good that he may already be a star and you’ll get your double-digit HR/SB and his batting average may make him more palatable in fantasy, but you can do much much better in OBP leagues.
74. Chandler Simpson
Chandler Simpson has bags bags bags bags bags bags bags bags and pretty much literally nothing else, not even a single home run or a not-shitty BB%. But those bags! Chandler Simpson and his literally zero home runs and poor 4.5% walk rate are not a good fit for my league no matter how many bases he steals, but his 98th percentile expected batting average of .294 may make him a very good fit for yours. Have fun!
75. Tommy Edman — (2B/OF)
Tommy Edman had surgery for an ankle that was bothering him all year long, and he’s a decent buy-low if you think that was holding him back from stealing 30 bases again, but he’s never hit more than 13 home runs in a season (which he’s done three times), and the judicious Dodgers may deploy him mostly against LHP. The positional eligibility is nice enough and it’s tempting to assume that being a Dodger will help his R/R but his walk rates are pretty bad and he has trouble cracking a .300 OBP.
Tier 12 – More Outfield Platoon Bats for OBP Leagues
There are some good bats in this tier but I like them a bit less than the dudes in Tier 10, at least going into 2026 Draft Day.
76. Jasson Domínguez
I really like the switch-hitting Martian and I am long on him. Jasson Domínguez turns just 23 in February and has speed and patience to go with his (batting practice) power. However, he’s hapless against LHP (.204/.279/.290), slugged just .420 vs RHP, and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone says he is “in that mix” for a starting OF job, which sounds non-committal to me.
77. Mike Yastrzemski
Carl’s grandson has always posted pretty good DDBB% but his 12.9% mark in 2025 was his highest since the pandemic season, and he even spent 336 plate appearances leading off for the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Mike Yastrzemski will turn 36 in August, and the Atlanta Braves gave him $23m to platoon for them. He probably won’t lead off for them again and I’m not sure he’s worth drafting but he’s definitely useful off the waiver wire during the season.
78. Adolis García
Adolis García had a fantastic season in 2023, bashing 39 home runs in in a period of time where Globe Life Field’s park factor was the 5th-highest (104), perhaps a temporarily change from to the field humidor they had installed since it was the second-lowest (92) in 2025. Adolis was also bad vs LHP last year (64 wRC+) so the Phillies’ plan to a make him a primary outfielder with so much inexperience and platoon inconsistency from the other outfielders on their roster is curious. Maybe you think being in Philadelphia will rejuvenate Adolis García to hit a few more home runs and since his Statcast says he’d’ve had three more home runs in Citizens Bank Park, maybe it will. But make sure you monitor him against LHP, as you should with all the guys in this tier.
79. Gavin Sheets
Gavin Sheets slashed 251/324/453 against RHP last year for a 777 OPS that was more than a hundred points higher than his OPS versus LHP. Gavin’ll he 30 in April having achieved career highs in home runs, runs, and RBI, and his Statcast says his power did indeed take a step forward. Gavin Sheets is only eligible for the outfield in ESPN leagues, but with the 13 games he appeared at first base last year, he may have dual eligibility in yours.
80. Jesús Sánchez
Jesús Sánchez is entering his Age 28 season and his Statcast profile from 2023 and 2024 said he was a power bat on the rise. Last year, tho, his Statcast numbers took a huge step back and his .395 slugging was the lowest of his career. The trade to the Houston Astros did nothing for his offense, as he slashed 199/269/342 in 160 plate appearances, and his 520 lifetime OPS against them says he still can’t hit LHP. As far as his 2026 is concerned, his past power metrics suggest future breakout and he’s certainly still young enough to have a lot of prime left but Idk what happened to cause that power to take a step back last year.
81. Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee will enter his third MLB season in 2026 and turn 28 in August. Last year was his first full MLB season after missing most of 2024 due to labrum surgery that cut his MLB rookie season to just 37 games, and his 2025 was just kinda meh. He was above league-average, but needed 150 games and over 600 plate appearances to hit 8 home runs and steal 10 bases, and his 7.6% BB% was below the league average of 8.4%. He also slashed 241/277/354 against LHP in 2025, and sure wasn’t great in 46 PA against them in 2024 (534 OPS), strongly suggesting purple tendencies.
82. Trevor Larnach
It was something of a career year for Trevor Larnach, who turns 29 in February. Albeit barely, he achieved new highs in home runs, runs, and RBI, but slash-wise, it was a short step back and the Statcast is less red than it has been the past couple season. Like the other guys in this tier, he can’t hit LHP and if you roster him, you should be mindful that the Minnesota Twins gave him 118 plate appearances against them anyway.
Tier 13 – Young Bench Outfielders You Should Know
These are young outfield bats who could have bright futures ahead of them and saw MLB time in 2025, but are currently projected to be on the bench in MLB or starting the year in Triple A. With a little luck and playing time, they’ll be ranked a whole lot higher next year.
83. Cam Smith
The Houston Astros said in November that Cam Smith, who will be 23 in February, could begin the year in AAA “if he hasn’t turned the corner” after a 236/312/358 rookie season while the natural third baseman was learning right field on the job. I get that he completely skipped Triple A but that seems kinda punitive when the dude played so much outfield that he’s no longer even eligible at the position he was drafted as like 18 months ago. Cam Smith was the 14th overall pick of the 2024 draft, less than two years ago, and spent all of 2025 in the majors doing something he’d never done before while also learning how to hit major league pitching. They asked this much out of the kid and now he’s behind Jesús Sanchez on the RF depth chart with Yordan Alvarez almost certainly almost always DH-ing. I hope he’s not being dicked around.
84. Christopher Morel — (OF and soon 1B probably)
Everybody knows that Christopher Morel can hit the ball pretty hard. Everybody also knows that he strikes out a whole lot, as Morel’s K% has been well over 30% in three of the last four seasons. Morel doesn’t have platoon splits, tho, and he can walk at a league-average rate. He’s been below league-average versus both-handed pitching the last two seasons, so he will likely start the season on the Marlin’s bench. As far as fantasy baseball is concerned, Morel’s power potential is tempting enough to keep an eye on, especially if the Marlins start deploying him at other positions. Christopher Morel won’t turn 27 until June.
85. Heriberto Hernández
Heriberto Hernández may be more interesting than you think, especially if you haven’t heard of him. Heriberto is entering his Age 26 season a bit buried on the Miami Marlins depth chart, but he had a 118 wRC+ in 294 plate appearances last year without showing any platoon splits at all. He also has 84th percentile sprint speed that says he can provide a few bags than just the one he gave last year, and he submitted a DDBB% with above-average Statcast metrics. The Marlins may have a hitter here.
86. Jhostynxon Garcia
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly likes Jhostynxon Garcia all over the outfield, and that’s a good thing for the Password’s playing time and fantasy value but as the roster is constructed at the moment, the Pirates actually have a small surplus of quality major-league outfielders. Weird, huh?
87. Robert Hassell III
Another piece of the bountiful Juan Soto trade, Mr. Hassell the Third will be 25 in August but the 8th overall pick of the 2020 Draft didn’t show us too much with his 572 OPS in 206 plate appearances in the big leagues last fall. Though parts of his hitting profile improved as he went through the minor leagues, the power remains unremarkable and may not be more than a fourth outfielder. Still, the Nationals will probably give him chances.
88. Zac Veen
Zac Veen was the 9th overall pick in 2020 and did not do well at all in his 37 plate appearances with the Rockies last year with a wRC+ of only (four) 4! Idk, so far, he smells like another Jordan Beck to me, another good young hitter who may have trouble hitting more than 20 home runs even in Colorado. I suppose he’s an intriguing option if you’re deep-fishing for accumulators but it’s hard to get excited about young Colorado hitters these days.
Tier 14 – Waiver Wire Outfielders With Bags
So some of these guys will probably be drafted on Draft Day by managers who are probably a lot more optimistic than I am about their fantasy production, particular with stolen bases. I do not plan on drafting any of these guys, but I’ll definitely be eyeing the ones leftover on the wire for when I may need stolen bases throughout the year.
89. Victor Robles
Just when it looked like this dude was finally breaking out after being cut by the Washington Nationals and signing with the Seattle Mariners in June 2024 where he OPS’d 860 and stole 30 bases the rest of the way, Victor Robles dislocated his left shoulder last April while making a catch in the outfield. Robles will turn 29 in May and he was regarded as a top 5 prospect before the pandemic. There’s still time. I think.
90. Victor Stott II
*Beware of purpleness!
Victor Stott II will be 25 in February, and in terms of xSLG and hard-hit%, he was among the worst hitters in MLB last year. He stole 34 bases, 6th in the National League and while the St. Louis Cardinals will only be playing for so much in 2026, Victor’s .241 slugging versus LHP says the team will probably find another bat and cap his playing time. I’m not ready to put him in a platoon tier just yet, but beware of purpleness.
91. Denzel Clarke
Denzel Clarke will turn 26 in May, and he’s already established himself as a magnificent defensive center fielder in just 47 career games in the big leagues. However, his 3.8% walk rate and 75 wRC+ marks in 399 plate appearances says his bat still needs a lot of work. He’s stolen at least 30 bases twice in the minor leagues, and that might be the only fantasy baseball tool he has. But those catches in center field tho!
92. Justin Crawford
The Philadelphia Phillies expect Justin Crawford to be on the Opening Day roster but I can’t get excited about a dude who has had the highest GB% among all hitters in American professional baseball the last few seasons. What’s his upside? Ben Revere? I don’t get it. He did have a DDBB% in AAA last year, but that was a serious jump and a career-high by 3 points.
93. Jake McCarthy
The Colorado Rockies traded for Jake McCarthy and all of the 60 wRC+ he submitted last year. Jake stole at least 20 bases from 2022 through 2024, but only nabbed 6 bags while posting a career-low 4.5% walk rate. Obviously, a trade to the Rockies would typically raise a hitter’s ADP in fantasy drafts but McCarthy has not hit more than 8 home runs in a season going into his Age 29 year. If you roster Jake McCarthy for his bags, make sure he’s actually getting a lot of playing time but with Colorado’s lack of outfield depth, maybe that’s not a huge concern.
94. Esteury Ruiz
Freed from the basement of the Dodgers’ depth chart, Esteury Ruiz will take his famous wheels to Miami, whose offense is more interesting than you may think and may not actually give him the kind of playing time he’ll need to steal 67 bases again.
95. Jake Mangum
Good for Jake Magnum, who finally cracked a MLB roster at Age 29 last year, but with very little power an a discouraging BB%, the bags are the only reason to roster him, and I’m not sure it’s enough of a reason unless you are desparate for bags. The Pirates actually plan on deploying actual hitters in their outfield, so Magnum is now an SB-only flier in leagues deeper than mine.
Tier 15 – Island of Misfit Outfielding Toys
I told myself that I would commentary up the fantasy relevancy of one hundred outfielders and I realize now I’m kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel. These are names that have been of interest to me in the recent past and may have some 2026 fantasy value if they play every single day, but yeah no idk probably not.
96. Jorge Soler
Jorge Soler will turn 34 in February, and dealt with some lower back inflammation that basically shut down his season in July and perhaps/probably played a big part in the disintegration of his Statcast. I would love to say that his profile of power and career DDBB% typically ages well, but his OPS was more than 170 points lower than the 853 OPS he put up in 2023 when he also hit 36 home runs. Let’s hope this isn’t the end for him because if it’s not, he could provide some power off your waiver wire this summer.
97. JJ Bleday
The 4th overall pick of the 2019 Draft, JJ Bleday is entering his Age 28 season with a fresh start in Cincinnati after the Homeless Athletics non-tendered him. Bleday had a mini-breakout in 2024, clubbing 20 home runs with a 120 wRC+ but suddenly forgot how to hit RHP last year with a 650 OPS against them. Idk what the Reds plan on doing with him, but JJ Bleday’s DDBB% and pedigree make him interesting enough to keep an eye on.
98. Andrew Benintendi
Andrew Benintendi will be 32 in July, and the once big-shot prospect hasn’t been better than 23% above average with the bat at any point in his career, and considerably less so the last three seasons. Benintendi still has a decent BB% and could (barely) give you 20 home runs, and may make for a decent deep-league compiler if he plays every day and hits in the top third of the Chicago White Sox lineup. Not a name you target on Draft Day, but could provide cromulent counting stats when your roster needs a pick-me-up over the summer.
99. Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos is halfway to the 500 home run club! He’s also entering his Age 34 season and the last year of his 5-year $100m contract a bit less popular with the Philadelphia Phillies fans than he was a couple seasons ago. Castellanos had a negative fWAR and 90 wRC+, but his 72 runs and 72 RBI and 17 home runs were pretty helpful counting stats. But again, it came with a 5.4% walk rate and a Statcast profile that has seen much better days. There’s been lots of talk of the Phillies trading him or even cutting him, and the roster additions of Justin Crawford and Adolis Garcia only make that picture that much more clear.
100. Gavin Lux — (OF and 2B eventually)
*Beware of purpleness
Gavin Lux was just traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, who say they see him as a full-time second baseman, even supposedly against LHP. For now, he’ll only be eligible for the outfield on Draft Day in ESPN leagues, and his only hit tool is his DDBB%. Until he regains some of his positional eligibility back, he won’t be worth rostering, but he could come in handy later in the season when your backup’s backup goes down and you need an OBP floor in the middle infield slot.
101. Willi Castro — (2B/3B/OF)
Turning 29 in April, Willi Castro’s splits have been all over the place over his career, and last year his OPS was nearly 100 points higher against LHP than it was against RHP. He’s also routinely submitted exit velocities in the 10th percentile, and has never come close to matching the 33 bags he stole in 2023, before or since. Now a Colorado Rockie, Willi Castro is currently penciled in as their third baseman, but has positional flexibility that could be pretty useful if the Denver air helps his game even a lil bit.
Coming soon! More tiers and commentary for the next batch of outfielders. Please bookmark and return often because I’m ranking a shitload of them!
Where are the rest of your Fantasy Baseball 2026 rankings by position?
Stay tuned! I’ll be adding all the positions and updating them throughout the winter. Don’t forget to bookmark this page and stay tuned for updates throughout the offseason until Opening Day!
UPDATE LOG
- November 19, 2025: Top 8 outfielders posted with commentary.
- December 13, 2025: Tier 2 added. Top 15 outfielders with commentary.
- December 14, 2025: Tier 3 added. Top 19 outfielders with commentary.
- December 19, 2025: Tier 4 added. Top 24 outfielders with commentary.
- December 23, 2025: Tier 5 and Tier 6 added. Top 37 outfielders with commentary.
- December 26, 2025: Tier 7 and Tier 8 and Tier 9 added. Top 55 outfielders with commentary.
- December 27, 2025: Tier 10 and Tier 11 added. Top 73 outfielders with commentary.
- January 6: 2026: Forgot Cedric Mullins and Alec Burleson whoops lol. Top 75 outfielders with commentary.
- January 15, 2026: Added Tier 12. Top 81 outfielders with commentary.
- January 17, 2026: Added three more tiers. Top 101 outfielders with commentary.
- January 28, 2026: Updated Christian Yelich!
Cover Image Credit: public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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