Top Fantasy Baseball Outfielders for 2024: Ronald Acuna Jr., Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and More

Discussing some of the top fantasy outfielders for the 2024 season.

The 2024 MLB season is closing in quickly, so it’s time to start putting together your rankings for every position to make sure you’re lined up for your fantasy baseball draft.

There’s plenty of outfielders to fill up your team with, but today we’ll focus some on the better options out there. Let’s discuss where some outfielders are being drafted and then determine if that’s a good spot to take them at.

We already covered some of the top starting pitchers, catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops, so be sure to check those out. We’ll cover other positions in stories to come, so check back for those.

Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!

The Best of the Best

At the top of just about every draft board this season is Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. 

Acuna was an absolute monster a season ago, finishing with a .337 average, .416 on-base percentage, 80 extra-base hits (including 41 home runs), 106 RBIs, 73 stolen bases, 217 total hits and 149 runs scored. That’s about as good as it gets nowadays across the board, and was the reason he was the top hitter in fantasy points leagues (excluding the two-way Shohei Ohtani).

Acuna is just 26 years old, so he’s just getting into the prime of his career. If he’s somehow able to build upon last season and post better numbers, then he could almost single handedly help you win a fantasy title. If he’s able to replicate last season, or only slightly go backward, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be the top fantasy hitter again. 

There’s really not much else to say. There’s no doubt in my mind who should be the No. 1 pick in all formats this season, it’s Acuna.

After Acuna, Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez, Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker, San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. and New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are all top-10 picks in rankings/drafts (or at least close to it).

In his second year in the big leagues, Rodriguez had a .275 average, .333 on-base percentage, 71 extra-base hits (32 homers), 103 RBIs, 37 stolen bases, 180 total hits and 102 runs scored. He’s already established himself as one of the faces of the league and is just 23 years old.

Carroll posted a .285 average, .362 on-base percentage, 65 extra-base hits (25 homers), 76 RBIs, 54 stolen bases, 161 total hits and 116 runs scored in his first full season in the bigs. He’s also just 23 years old.

Rodriguez and Carroll are the next two OF off draft boards, sometimes going at picks two and three. It’s hard to argue against taking them right after Acuna - you really can’t go wrong with either guy - but I tend to prefer Carroll with his higher average and stolen base numbers, not to mention he’s in a more loaded lineup top to bottom.

Betts is a guy we already covered in depth in the second base story. To summarize my thoughts on Betts, he’s got a good argument for being the No. 2 pick in the draft, with his position versatility a big reason behind my reasoning. I’m fine taking Betts at any pick after Acuna goes.

Tucker recorded a .284 average, .369 on-base percentage, 71 extra-base hits (29 homers), 112 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 163 total hits and 97 runs scored.

Tucker falls a bit under the radar, probably because last season was arguably his best season in the big leagues and his average was 12 points higher than his career mark and a whopping 27 points higher than in 2022. He’s still just 27 years old and is hitting in the heart of a loaded lineup.

Tucker typically goes around pick five, but I’ve seen him fall all the way to 10 too. Pick five is where I’d start heavily considering him - after Acuna, Carroll, Rodriguez and Betts. 

Tatis had a bit of a down season in 2023, finishing with a .257 average, .322 on-base percentage, 59 extra-base hits (25 homers), 78 RBIs, 29 stolen bases, 148 total hits and 91 runs scored over 141 games. 

Tatis tends to be drafted right after Tucker. I’d agree with that, but also would prefer a few other guys over Tatis. I’d personally not consider taking Tatis until pick 10, with that .257 average last season being the reason why, but if he’s able to revert to closer to his .280 career average, he’s got the chance to be a top five and maybe even three fantasy hitter if he stays healthy.

Judge and Soto typically go between picks 8-12.

Judge had a .267 average, .406 on-base percentage, 53 extra-base hits (37 homers), 75 RBIs, 98 total hits and 79 runs scored across 106 games played last year. His average and games played are definitely concerning, but that high on-base percentage is still great to see (keep that in mind if your league doesn’t reward OBP).

Soto joins the Yankees’ loaded lineup after a well-rounded season with the Padres last year. He had a .275 average, .410 on-base percentage, 68 extra-base hits (35 homers), 109 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, 156 total hits and 97 runs scored across 162 games played. Between him and Judge, the Yankees will seemingly always have at least one guy on base (if they don’t clear the bases themselves with a homer).

I get the love for Judge because of his home run power, but the low average and games played are ones that scare me off of Judge as a first-round pick. He’d be a steal if he’s able to play a full season and gets drafted somewhere in the teens, but that’s where I’d feel most comfortable taking him.

Soto is a guy I’m surprised isn’t going a few picks higher in rankings/drafts. He’s a pretty well-rounded player and now in a better hitting lineup than he’s ever been in. I think he’s got a case to be the No. 2 pick after Acuna - he’s in that group of Rodriguez, Carroll and Betts to me.

Other Guys Worth Mentioning

There’s dozens of more players that are worth mentioning, but I just want to focus on a couple of the next guys typically off draft boards/in rankings.

Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr., Atlanta’s Michael Harris II, Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena and Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia typically are all drafted/ranked before pick 40.

Alvarez would probably be knocking on the door of being a top-10 pick if it weren’t for some injury concerns. Instead, he’s going typically between picks 15-18. Alvarez played 114 games last season, posting a .293 average, .407 on-base percentage, 56 extra-base hits (31 homers), 97 RBIs, 120 total hits and 77 runs scored.

It all comes down to games played for Alvarez. He’s in a good spot in the draft if he misses a decent chunk of time, but if he plays closer to a full season, he’ll be a steal for this portion of the draft. I feel most comfortable drafting him near that 15-17 range.

Robert finished with a .264 average, .315 on-base percentage, 75 extra-base hits (38 homers), 80 RBIs, 144 total hits and 90 runs scored across 145 games played last season. 

Robert typically goes a couple slots before pick 30, which is fair seeing his average drop the past two seasons. If Robert can raise his average closer to his .279 career mark, he’ll be one of the bigger steals of the draft. I like him right where he’s going though.

Harris continued to play well in his second season in the bigs, ending the season with a .293 average, .331 on-base percentage, 54 extra-base hits (18 homers), 57 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 148 total hits and 76 runs scored over 138 games.

A full season would give Harris the chance to be a top 15-20 fantasy hitter, even without a ton of power to his game. I’ve seen him go anywhere from pick 30-40, and actually prefer him over Robert, so even a late 20s pick is one I’d consider for Harris.

Arozarena saw his average dip to .254, but he had a strong .364 on-base percentage to go along with 45 extra-base hits (23 homers), 83 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, 140 total hits and 95 runs scored across 151 games played. 

With his average continuing to dip, I’m fine with his ranking/ADP in the late 30s, but I’d prefer him even later if possible.

Garcia hit just .245 and had a .328 on-base percentage, but clubbed 39 homers among his 68 extra-base hits. He also drove in 107 runs, stole nine bases, totaled 136 hits and scored 108 runs. 

I personally prefer contact hitters over power ones, but it’s hard to deny Garcia’s fantasy value. He’s 30 years old now, so he’s still probably got a few good seasons in his bats. He also goes in the late 30s, but is another one I’d prefer in the 40s.

#2024-fantasy-baseball-draft #ronald-acuna #corbin-carroll #julio-rodriguez #mookie-betts #juan-soto