Welcome. Hopefully you’ve been following our 2019 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. If you haven’t, we hope these NL East Outfielder Profiles and Projections will help you in getting to know the 2019 player pool. Enjoy the read and look for links to our other profiles at the bottom of the page.
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2019 NL East Outfield Profiles
Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves
Oh man, where to start. When it comes to rookie seasons, it’s not often you see one as phenomenal as Ronald Acuña’s last season. In just 111 games, Acuña racked up 56 extra-base hits and 16 steals with a .293 average and .917 OPS. If he had qualified, Acuña’s 143 wRC+ would have ranked 12th in baseball, sandwiched between two fantasy studs, Paul Goldschmidt and Manny Machado. He also had the same hard contact rate as Mike Trout (44.4%). Need I go on? That studly rookie season has vaulted Acuña into first-round consideration in 2019 drafts, and you know what? It’s warranted. Average, power, speed, it’s all there, and he’ll be hitting high in a strong Atlanta lineup with the likes of Freddie Freeman, Josh Donaldson, and Ozzie Albies hitting behind him. A first-round pick might seem risky for a second-year player, but it’s worth it here if you can grab him after the first 5-6 picks or so. – Eric Cross
Brian Anderson, Miami Marlins
You would never know it, but Brian Anderson quietly put up a decent little season for himself. The 11 homers and four steals don’t pop out, but he did hit .273 with a .357 OBP, 65 RBI, and 87 runs scored. The 87 runs were good for 38th most in baseball and his OBP was tied for 35th best. Is this me trying to find something positive about Brian Anderson? Yes, yes it is. Anderson’s upside isn’t that high, but he’s a safe late-round selection that can provide a decent batting average and some runs. – Eric Cross
Lewis Brinson, Miami Marlins
Well, that didn’t go according to plan. There was plenty of buzz surrounding Brinson for the last few years, but he hasn’t been able to show us anything at the Major League level. Literally nothing. Unless you’re a fan of .189 batting averages and 30% strikeout rates. Even with the immense struggles, the beauty of Brinson is that he’s still going to play every day as Miami doesn’t have any better options to throw in the outfield. I wouldn’t look at him in mixed leagues to start the season, unless they’re deeper, but the power-speed upside remains and makes Brinson an intriguing NL-Only target. – Eric Cross
Keon Broxton, New York Mets
I saw some that were excited when the Mets picked up Broxton. Why? I get the power/speed love as he has 33 homers and 50 steals in his first 701 career at-bats. But there’s a reason why he’s only had 701 at-bats in four years. The average always stinks and he’s had some injuries. Is that magically going to go away? I’m not betting on it. He’s also not a lock for consistent playing time, especially when Yoenis Cespedes returns. Leave Broxton on the wire for now until he gets consistent playing time. – Eric Cross
Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets
Speaking of Yoenis Cespedes. The oft-injured outfielder has been just that since signing a four-year extension with the Mets, suiting up for a combined 119 games over the last two seasons. Now, the production has been there while he’s been on the field as Cespedes has 26 homers 71 RBI, and 66 runs over those 119 games, but counting on him for 500-plus at-bats usually isn’t a wise decision to make. Drafting Cespedes in 2019 is tricky. You know the upside is there, but when he makes his debut is still up in the air. My best guess is June, making him only draftable if you have a couple DL spots that you could plug him into. Just remember, the last time he played a full season, he went .291/101/35/105/7. Keep that in the back of your mind. – Eric Cross
Michael Conforto, New York Mets
These profiles are flowing well. Speaking of Mets outfielders with some injuries, Michael Conforto was a massive question mark last spring due to the major shoulder surgery he was coming off of. Will he be ready for opening day? Will he still have the same power upside? The questions were bountiful. Luckily for all of us, the power did come back with Conforto smashing 28 homers in 153 games. That’s not as high of a pace as he had in 2017, but still provided his fantasy owners some value. But unfortunately, the batting average dropped down to .243 and the OPS tumbled nearly 150 points. When you look at his metrics, there wasn’t a huge change in anything. Sure there was a 4.8% drop in his hard contact rate, but that’s about it outside of a 39-point BABIP drop. Conforto is too good to hit .243 again. I’m expecting some positive regression there along with 30 homers and 150-plus R+RBI, making him a solid mid-round pick. – Eric Cross
Rajai Davis, New York Mets
No need to go too in depth on this one. Davis was brought in this winter to provide some outfield depth and that’s exactly what he is… depth. Davis is in the twilight of his career and not looking at much playing time this season. If he gets some playing time, NL-Only owners should take notice due to the wheels, but that’s about it. – Eric Cross
Austin Dean, Miami Marlins
As of right now, Austin Dean is looking at substantial playing time in a depleted Miami Marlins lineup. The minor league numbers don’t jump off the page at you, but Dean hit .280 with a .343 OPS. There’s just not a lot of power or speed to go along with it making Dean only an option at the tail end of NL-Only drafts. – Eric Cross
Adam Duvall, Atlanta Braves
Which Adam Duvall are we going to get this season? The one that had back to back seasons of better than a .240 AVG, 30 homers, 99 RBI, and 78 runs? Of the guy that hit below the Mendoza Line last season and couldn’t get out of his own way? That’s a trick question as Duvall isn’t currently slated as one of Atlanta’s three starting outfielders. Duvall’s 2018 season wasn’t that far off from his 2017 season when you look at his peripherals. The numbers were slightly worse, but nothing that explains his above statistical line. He even made more hard contact than he did in 2017. You can mostly blame a very low BABIP and hope that it stabilizes some. If it does, and an injury opens up every day at-bats, a .240/30 season with 130-150 R+RBI is within reach with the lineup he’d be in. Though, count more on the RBIs than runs as he’ll be slotted 6th or lower in the lineup. Ultimately, he can be ignore in all leagues while he’s a 4th outfielder. – Eric Cross
Adam Eaton, Washington Nationals
If Harper comes back, playing time could get a little interesting, but that’s looking unlikely, giving Eaton a full-time spot in right field. Eaton isn’t the flashiest player around, but he can chip in a little of everything without hurting you in any one category. That is, if he can stay on the field for a full season. That’s been the problem over the last two years as Eaton has only averaged 59 games per season after back to back 150+ GP seasons. With his strong on-base skills, Eaton is a near lock to hit high in the order, and with guys like Turner, Rendon and the GOAT, Juan Soto, hitting behind him, the runs should be bountiful. Throw in a strong batting average and the potential for 10-15 each of homers and steals, and Eaton once again makes for a sneaky-good mid-round pick. – Eric Cross
Odubel Herrera, Philadelphia Phillies
Where did the speed go Odubel? After 25 steals in 2016, Herrera has only attempted 20 combined over the last two seasons, converting on just 13 of them. If you’re drafting Herrera this year, you need to do so without expecting that speed to magically come back. If it does, great, but we need to accept Herrera for who he is at this point, which is a guy that can hit 15-20 homers with 120-plus R+RBI and a usually respectable batting average. Herrera was able to sock a career-high 22 dingers last season thanks to a new approach where he hit more fly balls to his pull side. Hopefully he can keep that up to offset the low stolen base total that we’re accustomed to seeing now. Don’t go hog-wild on him in drafts, but Herrera makes for a decent pick in the early-late rounds of mixed league drafts. – Eric Cross
Ender Inciarte, Atlanta Braves
Very quietly, Ender Inciarte is becoming a solid fantasy asset. In each of the last two seasons, he’s had at least 10 homers, 57 RBI, 83 runs, and 22 steals while hitting a combined .285. A near 50-point drop in BABIP dropped his average to a career-low .265 last season, but Inciarte has always been in the .320 to .340 range for BABIP, so I;m expecting that to normalize some and bring Inciarte’s average back up closer to .300. He’s not the flashiest guy in the world, but the consistent production across the board and the 20-plus steals he brings to the table provide good value. – Eric Cross
Juan Lagares, New York Mets
The Mets have a plethora of options for center field to start the season, but as of now, it looks like Juan Lagares is the leader in the club house. Though, Spring Training will likely decide this positional battle. Let’s assume Lagares gets the job. What can we expect from him this season? Honestly, not a whole lot. Lagares’ batting average has fluctuated for most of his career, but more often than not it’s been in the .240-.250 range. There is a little power-speed upside here, but not enough to warrant mixed league consideration to start the season. He’s best left for NL-Only formats. – Eric Cross
Andrew McCutchen, Philadelphia Phillies
Why do players have to age? Why?! Andre McCutchen was one of the most exciting players in baseball just a few short seasons ago, finishing in the top-5 in MVO voting for four seasons in a row from 2012-2015, winning the award in 2013. Back then he was a perennial .300 threat that could go 30/30 in any given season. No on the backside of 30, Cutch has lost a step and hasn’t reached 20 steals since his MVP season in 2013. His batting average has also lost some of it’s luster sitting at .255, .279, and .256 for the last three seasons. He’s still a damn fine fantasy option for his ability to hit 20-plus homers (done that eight seasons in a row now) and chip in solidly across the board. If you don’t expect more than 10-15 steals, you’ll likely be happy with your investment. – Eric Cross
Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets
Man, there are a lot of sneaky-good fantasy outfielders in this division. Nimmo fits that mold to a tee. After a long and uninspiring minor league career (outside of a .280 average and .388 OBP), Nimmo broke out a bit last season, trending at a 20/10 pace with a .263 average and .404 OBP. That power bump came from Nimmo making more hard contact, hitting more fly balls, and pulling the ball more than he ever had before. If that trend continues, I don’t see any reason why he can’t hit 20 homers in 2019 to go along with a strong OBP and 10-15 stolen bases. The one thing I’d throw caution at is the high .351 BABIP for only a .263 average. Outside of that, he’s a decent mid-round outfielder. – Eric Cross
Victor Robles, Washington Nationals
If it wasn’t for a gruesome elbow injury very early in the season, it would’ve likely been Roble pushing Acuña for the NL ROY award and not Soto. Robles missed a large chunk of the season recovering from that elbow injury and couldn’t really gain any momentum once he came back. Don’t let any of that deter you though as Robles is a bonafide stud prospect with top-50 overall upside this season. Will he reach that lofty plateau? Maybe not, but that’s the type of upside Robles possesses. He’s currently going outside of pick 100 and that’s a really good spot to grab him in mixed leagues. At the very least, he should provide a strong batting average and plenty of speed while chipping in double-digit homers. The runs and RBI will likely be suppressed due to his likely lower lineup spot, but you’ll take 120-140 R+RBI if they come with 10-15 HR, 30+ steals, and a .270-.300 batting average. Robles is definitely worth the near top-100 pick price. – Eric Cross
Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
You had to know I’d be the one writing up this profile. Soto’s 2018 season is only something you’d find in a baseball fairy tail if there was such a thing. He started off in Single-A, dominated that level plus high-A and Double-A, earning him the call to Washington where he terrorized Major League pitching for the next four months. If you’ve read any of my prospect/dynasty work, you’ll know how enamored I am with the young phenom. His combination of hit tool, plate discipline, and raw power are off the charts. Had he qualified, Soto’s .923 OPS would have ranked 11th in baseball ahead of names like Goldschmidt, Judge, Acuña, and Story. May I remind you he was 19 YEARS OLD for the entire season. A 19-year-old doing that while posting a 16% walk rate is almost unheard of. Don’t expect a ton of speed here, but Soto is going to be a four-category monster and needs to be treated as such. I have no problem taking him in the 2nd round, but you can likely get him in the third. If his name is still showing as available when your 2nd or 3rd round pick comes up, do yourself a favor and take the young phenom. You won’t regret it. – Eric Cross
Michael Taylor, Washington Nationals
When Michael Taylor gets a chance to play, he’s always an intriguing fantasy asset for the power and speed he brings to the table. He’s average 19 homers and 29 stolen bases per every 600 at-bats in his Major League career. The problem is that he doesn’t hit enough to stay in the lineup every day and has had many other talented outfielders in that Nationals outfield which remains the case this season, with or without Bryce Harper. With Taylor set to be a 4th outfielder again this season, he can be left on the wire to start the season. – Eric Cross
Nick Williams, Philadelphia Phillies
We’re gonna leave this projection right here for now, but word on the street says that a big name may be entering the Philly outfield picture, rendering Williams useless in all formats. Stay tuned.
More Fantasy Baseball Player Profiles & Projections
American League
C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | AL West – OF | AL Central – OF | AL East – OF | SP | RP |
National League
C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | NL West – OF | NL Central – OF | NL East – OF | SP | RP |
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