Separating outfielders into tiers is a little different from other positions, as is positional depth. Because you have to roster more outfielders than other positions, it makes it extra important to draft solid depth. In drafts, I would try to make my first outfielder one of the tier one or two players.
Outfield Tiers
If you miss out on one of the top-15-ish outfielders, you can still find some pretty solid depth at this position. In fact, you can comfortably draft players from outfield tiers four and five to fill out your depth, even in deep leagues. Fantasy managers should prioritize drafting outfield relatively early, though, to avoid missing out on the four-to-five category studs.
Tier 1: Superstars
- Aaron Judge
- Juan Soto
- Julio Rodriguez
- Kyle Tucker
- Corbin Carroll
- Mookie Betts
Aaron Judge ranks as my top outfielder because he does something nobody else in the outfield can do, which is hit 50-60 home runs. Fantasy baseball managers can find steals in every round, but not Judge’s incredible power. Among qualified batters last season, nobody was better in terms of runs above average on fastballs than Judge. He also ranked top-10 against sliders, cutters, and splitters. For some more crazy stats on Judge, check out my 100 Facts article here.
Juan Soto ranks as a close second, after showing some massive power potential in 2024. He benefited from Yankee Stadium but will find ways to be productive in the heart of a talented Mets lineup. In fact, Soto could have actually been even better. His xwOBA was higher than wOBA last season – the largest gap among qualified hitters.
Julio Rodriguez, Corbin Carroll, Kyle Tucker, and Mookie Betts round out the top tier. Each offers various benefits, but also minor detractions. Conversely from Judge and Soto, these players have stolen base potential to go along with the power. Rodriguez has astronomical potential and may be the most likely of them to go 30/30. His counting stats may suffer, though, with a lackluster lineup. Carroll does not have the power potential of the other three but could lead outfielders in steals. Betts arguably has the best discipline of them, ranking top-15 last season in chase, z-contact, and contact rates. The downside is that he hasn’t stolen more than 20 bases since 2018. Tucker has 30/30 potential but moved to the least friendly hitter’s park for lefties, so his power potential may take a hit.
Whatever you choose, you really cannot go wrong with anyone from this outfield tier.
Tier 2: Stars
- Jackson Chourio
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Yordan Alvarez
- Ronald Acuna Jr
- Jarren Duran
- Lawrence Butler
- Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- Jackson Merrill
It definitely is not the end of the world if fantasy managers miss out on a player from the first outfield tier. Many of these players have the potential to return top-5 outfielder value, especially Fernando Tatis Jr. He has dealt with injury issues throughout his career, reaching 600 plate appearances just once since 2019. If Tatis can get to 600 PAs this season, a 30/30/.270 season is not out of the question. However, his ability to stay healthy remains a question mark.
Another player who could return significant value is Yordan Alvarez. Soto’s value lies in his power production and batting average. Similarly, Alvarez has the ability to hit home runs and hit for average. Alvarez’s issue is that he has just one season of either 100 runs or 100 RBI, while Soto has posted at least 100 runs in three seasons, and over 100 RBI in three seasons.
Ronald Acuna could also produce tier-one value, depending on when the Braves deem him ready to play. Even in just part of a season, Acuna has the ability to make an impact in real life and in fantasy baseball.
Some other players to look out for in this tier are Jackson Chourio, who had a 21/22/.275 rookie season. He has 30/30 potential and is only 20 years old. Jackson Merrill hits the ball surprisingly hard and could put up a 20/20/.280 season or better. Lawrence Butler also nearly reached 20/20 last season and could put up some big numbers for an improving Athletics team this season.
Tier 3: Last Starters I’m Comfortable With
- James Wood
- Wyatt Langford
- Brenton Doyle
- Oneil Cruz
- Teoscar Hernandez
- Michael Harris II
- Brent Rooker
- Luis Robert Jr.
- Kyle Schwarber
- Christian Yelich
- Anthony Santander
- Jung Hoo Lee
- Steven Kwan
- Seiya Suzuki
- Bryan Reynolds
- Cody Bellinger
- Dylan Crews
- Jake McCarthy
This is the final outfield tier where fantasy managers should look to draft their OF1. If any player in this tier could have a huge breakout, it would be James Wood. Wood put up 9 homers in 79 games in his debut season last year, along with 14 steals and a .261 AVG. He projects to have a similar AVG and a 20/20 season, but a 10% barrel rate and a 52% HardHit rate suggest more power is in there.
Wyatt Langford was one of 10 qualified batters last season to be league average or better in K%, BB%, GB%, AVG, OBP, wOBA, avg EV, Bar%, HH%, and Hard Contact%. He was also the only rookie to do it. Langford also could have a major breakout in 2025.
The other players in this tier have some flaws to go along with their positive qualities. Jung Hoo Lee might not give you much more than batting average; yet, that would be okay in the right context. For example, if you drafted Kyle Schwarber as your top outfielder, then snagging Lee as your second one makes sense. Steven Kwan and Jake McCarthy are mostly good for steals, while Kwan also provides a high floor in AVG. Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Santander will mash home runs, but they are sub-.250 hitters for their career. These flaws are things fantasy managers should take into account, and in doing so, can plan around as drafts commence.
Tier 4: Solid Depth
- Jasson Dominguez
- TJ Friedl
- Lane Thomas
- Spencer Steer
- Randy Arozarena
- Adolis Garcia
- Tommy Edman
- Jesus Sanchez
- Cedric Mullins
- Pete Crow-Armstrong
- Ceddanne Rafaela
- Jake Fraley
- Mike Trout
- Taylor Ward
- Riley Greene
- Alec Burleson
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
- Kerry Carpenter
- Josh Lowe
- Ian Happ
- Nick Castellanos
- George Springer
- Parker Meadows
- Willi Castro
- Jurickson Profar
- Brandon Nimmo
- Lars Nootbaar
- Brandon Marsh
- Kyle Isbel
- Evan Carter
- Chas McCormick
- Byron Buxton
Jasson Dominguez is just 21 years old but has some excellent projections. He just has not done it in the pros yet. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ceddanne Rafaela, Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, and Willi Castro are all under 25, have played well, and have room to grow.
Another player to target in this tier is TJ Friedl, who could have a bounce-back campaign after dealing with a wrist injury in 2024. His teammate Spencer Steer suffered from an uncharacteristically low BABIP last season. We could see a 20/20/.250 season from him in 2025. Kerry Carpenter hit 18 homers in 87 games last season while batting .280. He could lead this tier in AVG, but his extreme splits against righty and lefty pitchers make him a part-time player. I am also higher on Kyle Isbel than most, and think he could outperform his projections as the Royals’ starting center fielder.
This tier is exactly as it is titled – solid depth, and that is how it should be treated. Accordingly, fantasy managers should use this tier to find balance in the rest of your team context. If you can afford to take a hit on batting average, then you have some options. You have a lot of options and different directions you can go in this tier, especially if you can sacrifice one or two stats to target others.
Tier 5: Deep League Depth Pieces
- Colton Cowser
- Jorge Soler
- Alex Verdugo
- Jeff McNeil
- Brendan Donovan
- Heliot Ramos
- Tyler O’Neill
- Victor Robles
- Trevor Larnach
- Jordan Walker
- Nolan Jones
- Matt Vierling
- Jonny DeLuca
- Garrett Mitchell
- Daulton Varsho
- Wilyer Abreu
- Jo Adell
- Jarred Kelenic
- Andrew Benintendi
- Michael Conforto
- Jesse Winker
- Max Kepler
- Matt Wallner
- Tommy Pham
- Ryan O’Hearn
- Jacob Young
- Starling Marte
- Sal Frelick
- Kris Bryant
- Jake Meyers
- Luke Raley
- MJ Melendez
- JJ Bleday
- Dylan Moore
One favorite from this tier is Tyler O’Neill, who has a big bat. He launched 31 dingers last season in 113 PAs but has some injury risk since he has surpassed 100 games played in a season just twice since 2018. O’Neill also carries some risk with strikeouts, which will likely limit his AVG upside.
Victor Robles has been inconsistent throughout his career, even during last season. He batted .120 in 14 games for the Nationals before he was designated for assignment. Afterward, he caught on with the Mariners, finishing the season with a .307 AVG, 34 steals, and four homers. T-Mobile Park in Seattle may be the ideal park for the speedy Robles, as can be seen by the eight doubles he had there after his arrival.
Additionally, Luke Raley could end up being a great sleeper and an important depth piece for fantasy managers. He hit 19 homers in 2023 and had 22 last season. He also swiped double-digit bases in both seasons. There are some concerns with his career 31% strikeout rate and the fact that he probably will sit against lefty pitchers. Even so, the possibility of a 20-homer, 15-steal, .250 AVG season is not only realistic but also very valuable in fantasy. He should be one of your major targets in this tier, especially if you can eat the possibility of a low AVG.
Tier 6: Dart Throws
- Mike Yastrzemski
- Kyle Stowers
- Seth Brown
- Billy Cook
- Sam Hilliard
- Tyrone Taylor
- Pavin Smith
- Heston Kjerstad
- Hunter Goodman
- Victor Scott II
- Austin Hays
- Hunter Renfroe
- Jhonkensy Noel
- Will Benson
- Ramon Laureano
- Alek Thomas
- Leody Taveras
- Harrison Bader
- Andy Pages
- Wenceel Perez
Tier 7: Super Deep Dart Throws
- Whit Merrifield
- Dairon Blanco
- Johan Rojas
- Mike Tauchman
- Richie Palacios
- Mickey Moniak
- Blake Perkins
- Amed Rosario
- Will Brennan
- Miguel Andujar
- Jordan Beck
- Jack Suwinski
- Mauricio Dubon
- Jason Heyward
- Bryan De La Cruz
- Mitch Haniger
- Derek Hill
- Michael A Taylor
- Miguel Vargas
- Jose Siri
- Manuel Margot
- Joshua Palacios
- Mark Canha
- Eseury Ruiz
- James Outman
- Davis Schneider
- Sean Bouchard
- Rob Refsnyder
- Roman Anthony
- Dane Myers
- Dylan Carlson
- Oscar Colas
- Jerar Encarnacion
- Zach McKinstry
- Kevin Pillar
- David Fry
- Austin Martin
- Enrique Hernandez
- Alex Call
- Tyler Wade
- Griffin Conine
- Adam Duvall
- Stuart Fairchild
- Austin Slater
- Zach DeLoach
- Angel Martinez
- Chase DeLauter
- Ezequiel Duran
- Addison Barger
- Grant McCray
- Adam Frazier
- Nathan Lukes
- Tyler Freeman
- Luis Matos
- Jake Cave
- Jonatan Clase
- Michael Siani
Generally, you should only roster a player in tier six or seven if you are in the deepest of leagues. For the most part, these players are free agents and could go into the season without a home, or prospects who may or may not see time in the majors.
Think we should rearrange any players into different tiers? Share it in the comments below. For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
2025 Fantrax Fantasy Sports
No Matt Wallner at all?
Wallner is in tier 5
you put lawrence butler in the same tier as yordan alvarez, fernando tatis, jackson chourio, and ronald acuna? he’s had 3 good months in his entire major lg career, and he’s on the same level as MVPs and potential HOFers?
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call Alvarez, Tatis, and Chourio HOFers. Also, Butler has more major league PAs than Chourio and similar output. Why no outcry there about Chourio being in that tier? You have to look at potential, and I like Butler’s ceiling a lot. Excellent quality of contact, improving discipline, and has a really good shot of a 20/20/.260 season. Also, the players you mentioned as comps have a combined 1 MVP and that was Ronald Acuna, who is going to be diminished this season. Hopefully that explains why in a little more depth than I already had in the article.