Our review of the 2016 fantasy baseball season continues with a look at some more breakout performances in the outfield.
Breakout Outfielders in 2016
Jackie Bradley, Boston Red Sox
Bradley technically broke out last August, when he hit .354 with five homers across 79 AB. He had been largely considered a Quad-A player — someone who tore apart Triple-A pitching but couldn’t make the adjustment to the big leagues — before putting it all together late in 2015. He endured yet another slow start in 2016, but exploded in May, slashing .381/.474/.701 with eight homers and 24 RBI. The 26-year-old finished the season with 26 HR, 94 R, 87 RBI, nine steals and a .267/.349/.486 slash line. While his rate stats went up and down throughout the season, the power remained consistent for most of the season. Bradley may never excel in any one category, but he contributes across the board in an offense that will continue to provide him with run-scoring and run-producing opportunities. He should come off the board between rounds seven and nine in 2017 drafts as a borderline second outfielder.
Yasmany Tomas, Arizona Diamondbacks
Tomas saw over 400 AB as a rookie in 2015 but managed just nine homers despite being highly-touted for his power. The third base-outfield hybrid batted .273/.305/.401, posting an abysmal 110:17 K:BB ratio. He picked up the pace in 2016, smashing 31 long balls to go along with 72 R, 83 RBI, and a .272/.313/.508 slash line.
Tomas’ walk rate jumped up by 1.5 points, and his strikeout rate fell 1.6 points. His hard hit percentage rose from 31% to 41%, and his ground ball to fly ball ratio was nearly cut in half (2.36 to 1.52). He finished second in the National League and fifth in all of baseball in home run to fly ball rate (25.0%). Whether or not that number is sustainable has yet to be determined, but there’s no denying his ability to hit homers in bunches— 10 of his 31 bombs came in August. Tomas can provide solid value in the power categories in all mixed leagues for 2017.
Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
Mazara made his debut on April 10 after Shin-Soo Choo went down with a strained hamstring, and wasted no time making his mark on the major leagues. He batted .333/.392/.460 over 63 AB in April, adding two homers, 10 runs scored, and seven RBI. His rate stats dropped consistently over the course of the season, but he still managed a .266/.320/.739 slash line to go along with 20 HR, 59 R, and 64 RBI at year’s end. The 21-year-old struggled a bit against lefties (.234 average, one homer in 111 AB), but that isn’t anything out of the ordinary for a rookie. Mazara managed an average 19.7% strikeout rate and should even cut that down as he continues to adjust to big-league pitching. There is certainly room for growth in his sophomore season, and his 25-homer potential makes him worthy of a selection in the later rounds on draft day.
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!