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I grew up in a house with a TV antenna that brought in 10 channels, which is roughly the same number of food items that were on the McDonald’s menu at the time. But now, we live in an era of choice. Most of us have cable and multiple streaming services, and my local McDonald’s sells donuts, salads, smoothies and about 40 more items that have very little to do with one another.
The 2022 fantasy baseball outfield group perfectly fits these modern times.
Although the position is not at its all-time best in terms of depth, the outfield continues to provide a diverse profile of skill sets that allows fantasy managers to shape their counting stats in a variety of ways. Loaded up on sluggers early? There are some speedy outfielders to balance your lineup. A little light on power after selecting several pitchers? No problem at all — the outfield can give you home-run hitters galore. This is also a great position to balance your risk-reward profile by opting for either high-variance players or rock-steady veterans.
Here are some pockets of outfielders that are especially appealing to this writer at their current Yahoo! ADP.
Sure-fire stars
Juan Soto, Washington Nationals (ADP: 4)
Despite a lack of game-changing speed, Soto and his prodigious bat are an absolutely great way to start any fantasy team. The 23-year-old is arguably baseball’s best pure hitter and can go No. 1 overall in points leagues.
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros (ADP: 20)
Tucker is one of my favorite value picks in Yahoo! formats. The 25-year-old is already terrific at the dish (.917 OPS in 2021) and has 20-steal potential. He should also benefit from a likely move to a better spot in the Astros productive lineup.
-As colleague Scott Pianowski often reminds us, even the disappointing seasons from Mookie Betts (ADP: 12) are pretty darn good. I expect him to bounce back from a mediocre (by his standards) 2021 campaign.
Fleet Feet
Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals (ADP: 38)
Although not one of baseball’s best pure hitters, Merrifield will produce a helpful average and is as likely as anyone to lead the Majors in steals. He has been incredibly durable and is worth an early pick in roto leagues.
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Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles (ADP: 40)
Another 30-30 season likely isn’t in the cards for Mullins, but the diminutive sparkplug should be a five-category star and is a great option for those who come out of the initial three rounds with few swipes.
Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers (ADP: 228)
If you remember one thing from this article, it should be that Grossman is incredibly undervalued in Yahoo! drafts. He will produce a reasonable follow-up to his effective 2021 campaign (23 HR, 20 SB).
-Those who need small steals bumps late in their draft should take a look at Andrew Benintendi (ADP: 210), Ian Happ (ADP: 220), AJ Pollock (ADP: 219) and Eddie Rosario (ADP: 230). All four of these outfielders should finish with roughly 10 swipes while also helping with the other counting stats.
The Big Boppers
Teoscar Hernandez, Toronto Blue Jays (ADP: 39)
Hernandez is the latest in a long line of power hitters to find his footing in Toronto. The slugger may not repeat his .296 average, but he will reach the 30-homer and 100-RBI plateaus for a second straight year.
Mitch Haniger, FA (ADP: 89)
Haniger could have plenty of regression from his 39-homer 2021 season and still be a great value pick at his current ADP. Depending on where he signs, this free agent could see an uptick in his fantasy value in March.
Hunter Renfroe, Milwaukee Brewers (ADP: 178)
Renfroe has always had plus power and took a step forward last year by improving against righties. The 30-year-old will take advantage of the cozy confines of American Family Field to produce another 30-homer season.
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (ADP: 211)
I’m fully on board with anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable drafting Ozuna after the outfielder missed most of last season due to an incident involving domestic violence. But Atlanta is going to give him regular playing time in a potent lineup. 30 homers and 90 RBIs are fair projections.
On the Way Up
Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox (ADP: 18)
This may be the last year for a while that Robert lasts until the second round. The 24-year-old possesses a terrific power-speed blend (24 HR, 15 SB in 124 career games) that he has yet to show off across a healthy 162-game season.
Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins (ADP: 249)
Sanchez has serious power potential, which he displayed while swatting 14 homers across 227 at-bats last season. The addition of the NL DH will open up enough playing time for the 24-year-old to collect 30 long balls this year.
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Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (ADP: 239)
Those who have roster room to stash a premium prospect in roto leagues should have Rodriguez near the top of their list. The 21-year-old hit .347 with 13 homers and 21 steals in 74 Minor League games last year. Let those numbers sink in for a minute.
Steady Eddies
George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays (ADP: 60)
Springer misses a few more games than we would prefer, and he isn’t going to steal many bases. But as a powerful leadoff hitter on a lineup of offensive juggernauts, Springer has been a stable source of homers, runs and RBIs for several years.
J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox (ADP: 59)
A career .290 hitter who regularly posts high homer totals, Martinez is as safe as they come once the initial rounds have been completed. The veteran also benefits from his membership in a Red Sox lineup that is regularly one of baseball’s best.
Alex Verdugo, Boston Red Sox (ADP: 169)
The 25-year-old Verdugo may be too young to fit into this category, but I’m putting him here anyway. The outfielder lacks the power or speed to lead your team to victory, but his stellar contact skills give him a high floor that will result in a helpful batting average and plenty of runs scored.