Top 20 fantasy baseball outfielders for the 2023 season

We continue on in our fantasy baseball rankings, this time with outfielders. This list is a mix of left, center, and right fielders, because most fantasy leagues don’t distinguish between the individual positions. I decided to do 20, since narrowing this list down to 10 was nearly impossible, and there are still very talented players who didn’t make it.

This list is a ranking of the top 20 fantasy baseball outfielders you should target for your team.

First, a few outfielders who just missed the list:

Teoscar Hernandez has been one of the best power hitters in baseball since he became an everyday player in 2018. Last year, he slashed .267/.316/.491/.807, good for a 127 OPS+. He hit 25 homers, 35 doubles, drove in 77 runs, and scored 71. He’ll be entrenched in the middle of a deep Mariners lineup with plenty of opportunities to be productive.

Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t look of play like his usual self after returning from his ACL injury. Last year, he slashed just .266/.351/.413/.764, with a career-low OPS+ of 114. He hit 15 homers, 24 doubles, drove in 50 runs, and scored 71. He still stole 29 bases, even though he got caught 11 times. It often takes time for players to find their groove after major injury like that, so I’d expect him to be back to his usual self this year and jump back onto the top half of this list.

Daulton Varsho will be moving to the outfield full-time in Toronto, and providing a much-needed lefty bat in the middle of that lineup. In 2022, he slashed .235/.302/.443/.745, which was an OPS+ of 109. He hit 27 homers, 23 doubles, drove in 74 runs, and scored 79. He also stole 16 bases. As noted in the catcher rankings, he will start the year with catcher eligibility, but likely lose it relatively early since those duties will be handled by Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen, so just know that if you plan on drafting him.

Michael Harris had an electric rookie campaign culminating in the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He slashed .297/.339/.514/.853, good for a 135 OPS+. He hit 19 homers, 27 doubles, drove in 64 runs, scored 75 runs, and stole 20 bases while only getting caught twice. The concern for him is the alarming strikeout and walk problems. His strikeout rate was sky high at 24.3%, and his walk rate was just 4.8%. Unless he can cut the strikeout rate and boost the walk rate, his ceiling will be limited.

These are all guys that you should be content with on your fantasy baseball teams. With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s look at the top 20 fantasy baseball outfielders you should target for your team in 2023.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #20: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Fernando Tatis Jr. was one of the most electric baseball players in the world for his first three seasons in the league, but unfortunately he made some ill-advised decisions that culminated in a lost 2022 season, as well as the first month or so of 2023. Talent-wise, he’s one of the best in the game. In 2021, he slashed .282/.364/.611/.975, good for an outstanding 166 OPS+. He hit 42 homers, 31 doubles, drove in 97 runs, scored 99 runs, and stole 25 bases. He has to re-establish himself, but the talent is unquestionably there.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #19: Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper is another incredibly talented baseball player who will miss time for the second consecutive year. Last year, he only played 99 games due to a fractured thumb, but prior to that, he was already limited to the DH role because of a torn UCL in his throwing elbow. He had Tommy John surgery over the offseason, and he’s expected to be back in late May or early June. When he played last year, he was his usual self. He slashed .286/.364/.514/.877, good for a 145 OPS+. He clubbed 18 homers, 28 doubles, drove in 65 runs, and scored 63. He also stole 11 bases. As long as he doesn’t have any setbacks, you can expect a similar level of production this year. He is definitely worth the draft and stash.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #18: Cedric Mullins

Cedric Mullins had a career year in 2021 and, while he wasn’t bad in 2022, there was a major drop off. He slashed just .258/.318/.403/.721, which was an OPS+ of 104. He hit about half as many homers from 2021 with just 16 last season, 32 doubles, he drove in 64 runs, and scored 89. He also stole 34 bases, but he got caught 10 times too. Hopefully he can bring back that MVP-caliber level of production, while also taking advantage of the bigger bases.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #17: Adolis Garcia

Adolis Garcia has an exciting combination of power and speed that should have him higher on this list but, unfortunately, he is way too much of a free-swinger and strikes out a ton. He hit .250/.300/.456/.756 last year, which was a 113 OPS+. He hit 27 homers, 34 doubles, drove in 101 runs, and scored 88. He also stole 25 bases while only being caught six times. However, 193 strikeouts is eye-popping in the worst way, as well as only walking 40 times. He needs to reign in the chase rate (9th percentile on baseball savant), whiff rate (8th percentile), and strikeout rate (12th percentile), and walk more (21st percentile in walk rate) to reach his ceiling.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #16: Ian Happ

Happ has been one of the more consistent producers in baseball since his call-up in 2017. Last season, he slashed .271/.342/.440/.781, which was a 119 OPS+. He hit 17 homers, 42 doubles, drove in and scored 72 runs, and stole nine bases. His power fluctuates from year to year, with 25 homers in 2021, but only 17 last year. His doubles more than doubled at the same time though, so he’s still hitting the ball hard and getting on base.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #15: Starling Marte

Starling Marte was a great number two hitter for the Mets last season. He hit .292/.347/.468/.814, good for a 132 OPS+. He hit 16 homers, 24 doubles, drove in 63 runs, and scored 76. Unfortunately his stolen bases dropped sharply after leading the league in 2021 with 47, stealing just 18 bags and getting caught nine times. He missed about six weeks with an injury, so hopefully this year he can stay on the field more. He’s another guy who should love the bigger bases this year.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #14: Taylor Ward

Taylor Ward had a breakout season in 2022 that was unfortunately cut short due to an injury. He was still one of the most productive outfielders in the game, posting a .281/.360/.473/.833 slashline, good for a 135 OPS+. He hit 23 homers, 22 doubles, drove in 65 runs, and scored 73. He is an important part of what’s shaping up to be a pretty good Angels lineup.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #13: Hunter Renfroe

Speaking of a pretty good Angels lineup, here’s Ward’s newest teammate, who rakes. Renfroe slashed .255/.315/.492/.807, good for a 126 OPS+. He hit 29 homers, 23 doubles, drove in 72 runs, and scored 62. He missed a little more than a month last year, so those numbers could be higher given health, and also the fact that he’ll likely have Ward, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani hitting ahead of him.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #12: Byron Buxton

You could make a very strong argument that Byron Buxton has the loudest raw tools (except contact) in baseball, but his health problems are severe. He got called up in 2015, and in his eight MLB seasons, he’s only played more than 100 games once, and more than 86 games four times. Last season, in 92 games, he slashed .224/.306/.526/.833, good for a 135 OPS+. He hit 28 homers (50 homer pace of 162!), 13 doubles, drove in 51 runs, and scored 61. His stolen base numbers have dropped to a fraction of what they used to be, probably in an effort to avoid injuries. If he can stay on the field, he’s one of the best players in the game, and I really hope we get to see that.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #11: Randy Arozarena

Arozarena is one of the most well-rounded players in baseball. Last year, he hit .263/.327/.445/.773, good for a 124 OPS+. He hit 20 homers, 42 doubles, drove in 89 runs, and scored 72. He stole 32 bases, but he also led the league in caught stealing with 12, just as he led the league with 10 times caught stealing in 2021. He needs to get better at picking his spots to steal, but he can definitely benefit from the bigger bases this year.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #10: George Springer

Springer missed about a month last year, which unfortunately is the norm for him, but he puts up elite production when he plays. Last year, he slashed .267/.342/.472/.814, good for a 131 OPS+. He hit 25 homers, 22 doubles, drove in 76 runs, scored 89 runs, and stole 14 bases. Heading into his age-33 season, he can still do it all, and he’ll be atop a very talented Blue Jays lineup.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #9: Kyle Schwarber

The reigning NL home run leader comes in ninth on the list. The slugger slashed .218/.323/.504/.827, good for a 130 OPS+. He hit 46 homers, 21 doubles, drove in 94 runs, and scored 100. He also stole 10 bases while only getting caught once. He walked 86 times which led to an OBP that was more than 100 points higher than his batting average, which is very impressive. Unfortunately, he also led MLB in strikeouts with 200, which is obviously a ton. He can move up this list next year if he trims that down, but I don’t know if that’s possible with the hacks he takes.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #8: Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker is one of the more underappreciated outfielders in the game. Last season, he slashed .257/.330/.478/.808 with a 128 OPS+. He hit 30 homers, 28 doubles, drove in 107 runs, and scored 71. He also stole 25 bases while only being caught four times. Could the bigger bases make Tucker a legitimate 30-30 guy? We’ll find out soon.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #7: Bryan Reynolds

Reynolds has been one of the best outfielders around for a few years. He slashed .262/.345/.461/.807 with a 126 OPS+ last year. He hit 27 homers, 19 doubles, drove in 62 runs, and scored 74. Unfortunately he doesn’t have much of a team around him, but there’s also a possibility he gets moved if the Pirates don’t open the checkbook for him. His value would rise if he gets moved to a contender at the deadline.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #6: Juan Soto

Juan Soto had a down year in 2022, especially after getting traded to San Diego, but he’s still an elite talent in this game. Overall, he hit .242/.401/.452/.853, which was a 149 OPS+, which is crazy for a down year. He hit 27 homers, 25 doubles, drove in 62 runs, and scored 93. He led the league in walks in 2021 with 145, and he led the league once again in 2022 with 135. Both years he struck out less than 100 times (93 in 2021, 135 in 2022), which is ridiculous. Expect a “bounceback” from him this year.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #5: Julio Rodriguez

Julio Rodriguez has made a very quick transition from super-prospect to one of the most exciting players in baseball. As a rookie last year, he slashed .284/.345/.509/.853, good for a 147 OPS+. He hit 28 homers, 35 doubles, drove in 75 runs, and scored 84. He also stole 25 bases. He could benefit from walking a little more and striking out a little less, as he walked just 40 times and struck out 145 times in 132 games, but that’s really nitpicking. Remember, this kid just turned 22. He’s just getting started. He’s got all five tools, and he could be the next member of the 40-40 club at some point in his career.

Fantasy baseball outfielders #4: Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts returned to elite form last year. The righty slashed .269/.340/.533/.873, good for a 136 OPS+. He hit 35 homers, 40 doubles, drove in 82 runs, and led the NL with 117 runs scored. He finished fifth in the MVP voting while also claiming the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for NL right fielders. He also might play second base more this year, which adds fantasy value at one of the weakest positions.