2026 Fantasy Baseball: NL Outfield Rankings

Sometimes, there are no issues with boring. At the end of the day, we need to find fantasy baseball production. Where it comes from doesn’t matter, but outfield is certainly an interesting position. The increasing use of platoons makes finding regular at-bats even that much more difficult when we look at our 2026 NL-Only outfield rankings.

In a perfect world, we’d secure both power and speed. We want to manage batting average, and ultimately, with five starting outfielders required, roster construction can go in multiple directions. With that being said, let’s jump into our National League outfield rankings.

National League Only Outfield Notes

Ramón Laureano, San Diego Padres

Many of the issues with Ramon Laureano have simply come down to availability. There have been too many situations where the outfielder just hasn’t been able to take the field. That’s evidenced by the fact that the 132 games Laureano played last year were his career high. It also makes sense that 2025 was his best season since 2019.

In 488 plate appearances, the outfielder hit .281 with 24 home runs, 76 RBI, 72 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. Given the workload, the performance shouldn’t come as a surprise. The good news, though, is that all of Laureano’s metrics back up his success and lead me to believe that he should continue on this path in 2026. Well, as long as he stays on the field, that is. What’s even better is that when it comes to his draft price, a true repeat, or even improvement if he gets more at-bats, isn’t factored in here.

Laureano had a career-high 13.8% barrel rate last year with a 90.3 MPH exit velocity, along with a max exit velocity of 112.7. That also came with a 48.8% hard hit rate and .512 SLG (.518 xSLG). Now it’s all about sustaining.

Adolis Garcia, Philadelphia Phillies

From the perspective of an NL-Only fantasy baseball manager, it’s all about new entrants to the player pool. In the case of Adolis Garcia, he was also in need of a return to health and a change of scenery. The good news is that those problems have been rectified.

Prior to last season, Garcia was consistently durable. Even last year, Garcia did play in 135 games, but his performance clearly suffered as he worked through a knee injury. He hit .227, with an xBA of just .232, although there was some room for improvement with Garcia’s .267 BABIP. While it was a letdown from what we’ve come to expect from him, Garcia still had 19 home runs, 75 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in what was a down year.

Garcia had a .394 SLG with a .427 xSLG, offering a little upside. His 11.6% barrel rate was also not too far off from his career mark of 12.8%. I’m not saying that Garcia is going to return to his All-Star levels, but he can still be a viable option in your outfield.

The good news is that so far this spring, the ball is jumping off Garcia’s bat. Last season, his 92.1 MPH exit velocity was tied for his career high, and in Spring Training, it’s currently sitting at 95.5.

Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies

After a strong 2025 season, I’m not sure there’s anything left for Justin Crawford to prove in Triple-A, and there seems to be no shortage of opportunity in Philadelphia’s outfield this season. He’ll begin the season starting ninth for the Phillies, but that also removes a lot of the initial pressure. Additionally, it should afford Crawford the opportunity to run.

While Crawford is hitting just .203 in his first 10 Spring Training games, he does have a 92.4 MPH average exit velocity. By no means are we saying that Crawford will be a power threat, but he’s fast and has a solid skill set.

Last season, in Triple-A, Crawford hit .334 with just seven home runs and 47 RBI, but that’s not what’s going to make a difference. Instead, it’s the 46 stolen bases that capture our attention. However, the 88 runs scored and .411 OBP don’t hurt either.

What gives me the most comfort, beyond his speed, is the approach at the plate. Crawford struck out just 18% of the time last season, and that paired well with an 11.5% walk rate. That points to what we should be able to expect from the young outfielder who still has a little room to grow. The speed and ability to get on base are what catch our attention, and he won’t be a power threat, but he’s also not done progressing.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.

2026 NL-Only Outfield Rankings