Every discussion about the state of the outfield position during the 2024 Fantasy Baseball draft prep season has been about how bad things are. Historically, the deepest positions in fantasy have been considered wastelands, which leads us to force uncertain names like Cody Bellinger and Nolan Jones into the top five rounds of ADP. Because, if you don’t, you may have to take even more iffy names like Nick Castellanos, Lane Thomas or Jordan Walker in the first 10 rounds. oops.
For once, we can be a little more picky about the outfielders we’re going to pick. Sure, there are still some questionable picks, but even relatively unproven names like Lawrence Butler and Brenton Doyle were taken later than Jones or Bellinger in most of last year’s drafts, and both essentially ranked in the bottom of the top 20 at the position; Jones was near the top 12 outfielders in some of those drafts!
We can thank real breakouts from the likes of Doyle, Jalen Duran, Jackson Jorio, and Jackson Merrill for bringing some new depth to the position, and breakouts from Langford, Butler, and James Wood help explain the enthusiasm of fantasy drafters for the top of the position.
But here’s a caveat: Things can change quickly in fantasy baseball. A position that was talked about like a toxic wasteland this time a year ago is now arguably the deepest in the game, and while that may continue – I’m not necessarily betting on these breakout picks to fail! – Outfielders have had very limited success this season while they’ve invested tons of money. Every star has to start somewhere, but spending a high draft pick on a player who has only had one season of success – and for much less money for some of the names being discussed – is the source of Fantasy’s headaches.
I’m not saying that outfielder isn’t a depth position, with both stars at the top of the rankings and potential the further down the list you go. I’m just reminding you not to have a bad memory. Don’t give up on proven stars just because you “know” the lower-priced players will be just as good. There are still quite a few projections at this position, and our projections aren’t always as good as we think they are. Here’s what else you need to know:
1.Roman Anthony, outfielder, Red Sox
Opening Day Age: 20
Teams played in 2024: Double A, Triple A
Minor League Stats: Batted .291 (454 AB), 18 homers, 21 stolen bases, OPS .894, walked 79, struck out 127
After a powerful display of power at the inaugural Future Skills Showcase last summer, a coronation of sorts, Anthony’s exit velocity readings brought all the optimism he could muster, followed by a .353 batting average, eight home runs, and a 1.022 OPS in 52 games. a decrease in strikeout rate coincided with this breakthrough, which further solidified his status as one of baseball’s top hitters. .
Scott’s Impact on 2025 Fantasy Leagues: battling this spring
2. Dylan Cruz, outfielder, Nationals
Age (Opening Day): 23
Teams played in 2024: Double-A, Triple-A, Major League Baseball
Minor League Stats: .270 batting average (397 hits), 13 home runs, 25 stolen bases, .792 offense, 36 walks, 92 strikeouts
Major League stats: .219 batting average (119 hits), 3 homers, 12 stolen bases, .641 offense, 11 walks, 26 strikeouts
The second overall pick in the 2023 draft was thought to be on the fast track, and the Nationals decided they didn’t need to wait for his performance to catch up with his favorable fielding speed and batting discipline readings to introduce him as their right fielder in late August. Regardless, the late-season performance showed us that Cruz isn’t shy about stealing bases, which should allow him to still be useful when trying to optimize the angle of the ball coming off the bat. Scott’s impact on 2025 fantasy games: rostering him
3. Jason Dominguez, outfielder, Yankees
Age (Opening Day): 22
Teams played on in 2024: Low A, Double A, Triple A, Major League Baseball
Minor League Stats: .314 batting average (226 hits), 11 home runs, 16 stolen bases, .880 OPS, 22 walks, 50 strikeouts
Major League stats: .179 batting average (56 hits), 2 homers, 5 stolen bases, .617 OPS, 11 walks, 19 strikeouts
Dominguez’s return to the majors at the end of last season was a far cry from his debut in 2023, which could have been worrisome since he underwent Tommy John surgery in the middle of it, but his time in the minors suggests he hasn’t gotten any worse. He’s still excelling in all facets of the game, playing with his usual power and speed, and with the Yankees having vacated left field for him, they’ll have to trust him to make the rest of his adjustments in the big leagues.
Scott’s impact on 2025 fantasy leagues: rostering him
4. Walker Jenkins, outfielder, Twins
Age (Opening Day): 20
Teams played in 2024: rookie, low A, high A, double A
Minor League Stats: .282 batting average (305 AB), 6 homers, 17 stolen bases, .833 OPS, 56 walks, 47 strikeouts
Jenkins’ power output hasn’t lived up to the hype, but the fact that he made it to Double-A at age 19 – and in an injury-plagued season – tells you how advanced his approach is. Predictability is a big part of the equation here, and Jenkins’ perfect left-handed swing and athletic 6-foot-3 frame suggests a fair amount of injuries are in his future, which, combined with the previously stated methodology, will result in him becoming a superstar.
Scott’s 2025 fantasy impact: late-season performance
5. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins
Age (Opening Day): 22
Team he played for in 2024: rookie, low A, double A, triple A
Minor League Stats: .280 BA (157 AB), 9 HR, 9 SB, 1.026 OPS, 51 BB, 62 K
Rodriguez’s strikeout rate has been very high, but that’s not a result of him chasing, it’s a result of him never chasing and not being willing to swing at anything he can’t control. Fortunately, he controls the ball often enough that he’s been consistent over the course of his promotion, which alleviates concerns that his approach will fail against more advanced pitchers. His on-base percentage