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EspañolAfter looking at infield breakouts on Monday, it’s time to turn our attention to the outfielders who could make a major leap this year. With 90 starting outfield positions across baseball, there are several breakout players each season, as we saw in 2025 with the likes of Jo Adell and Kyle Stowers.
Please keep in mind that for both breakout articles, I omitted rookies and bounce-back candidates, instead focusing on those who can achieve a level this year that is much better than anything we have seen from them before. Let’s dive into a list that is headlined by a pair of Nats that I’ll be targeting in drafts.
Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals
Once one of baseball’s best prospects, Crews has thus far sputtered in the Majors, logging a .634 OPS in 412 at-bats over two seasons. But this youngster has such a fantasy-friendly skill set that even with little success at the dish, he has still managed to produce 13 homers and 29 steals. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft has been hamstrung by a .248 BABIP, and the combination of better luck and improved skills will lead to a breakout campaign. For the cost of a final-round pick, managers could find themselves with a 24-year-old stud who hits .260 with 20 homers and 35 steals.
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Daylen Lile, Washington Nationals
Lile was far from the fantasy radar at this time last year and arrived at the 2025 All-Star break having hit .234 with two homers in his initial 111 career at-bats. But things clicked over the summer, as he improved in each of the final three months and loudly broke out in September (.391 BA, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 20 R, 1.212 OPS). Lile has strong contact skills and a line-drive stroke, and his overall .299 batting average was well-supported by a .302 xBA. Although he lacks the ceiling of the more heralded Crews, Lile is a more polished hitter and is nearly a full year younger. He’s also faster, as Lile hasn’t yet put his 92nd percentile sprint speed to full use. The rebuilding Nats will likely make their outfield trio of Lile, Crews and James Wood the foundation of their lineup.
Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals
Fantasy managers have run out of patience with Nootbaar, who is going undrafted in virtually every league. But there are still some interesting components to the 28-year-old’s skill set, and there is an abundance of opportunity for playing time and premium lineup spots on a retooling Cardinals team. Nootbaar has a solid career 20.2% strikeout rate and is among the most patient hitters in baseball (career 12.8% walk rate), which elevates his potential to score runs. He also hits the ball hard (91.3 mph average exit velocity in 2025), and his fly-ball rate skyrocketed from 30.3% in 2024 to 45.2% last season. An unusually low 7.3% HR/FB rate held Nootbaar’s power numbers in check in 2025, but he should hit .260 with 20-25 homers and 150 R+RBI from a premium lineup spot.
Dominic Canzone, Seattle Mariners
Despite doing some excellent things at the plate last season, Canzone is a complete afterthought in most drafts. The slugger hit .300 with 11 homers in 269 at-bats, thanks to elite marks in average exit velocity (92.4 mph) and barrel rate (14.5%). His success at the dish was well-supported by his expected marks, and his .533 xSLG was even higher than his .481 SLG. The left-handed hitter also put himself in position to be considered for a full-time role by posting a respectable .712 OPS against southpaws. The Mariners have a top-heavy lineup and could really use someone to emerge as the No. 6 hitter. Canzone currently looks like their best bet.
Evan Carter, Texas Rangers
After breaking out by posting a .917 OPS during the Rangers’ World Series run in 2023, Carter has dealt with significant injuries over each of the past two seasons. But he is healthy right now, and with 15 homers and 19 steals over 400 career at-bats, the 23-year-old has already proven to have the diverse skill set that is coveted in category formats. Despite going undrafted in virtually all Yahoo leagues, Carter has 20-20 potential if he can stay off the injured list. Additionally, he should immediately improve on his career .235 average, since he made massive improvements on his strikeout rate last year.
Matt Wallner, Minnesota Twins
Wallner is the definition of an all-or-nothing masher, as is evidenced by his career 32.3% strikeout rate and 15.7% barrel rate. He dealt with terrible luck last season, as his .228 BABIP seemed nearly impossible for someone who hits the ball so hard. Even in a down year, he still managed to produce 22 homers in 336 at-bats, thanks to his penchant for producing pulled fly balls. Wallner also logged some time on the IL last year, and this time around he will use better durability and improved luck to hit .250 with 30 home runs.
Jesús Sánchez, Toronto Blue Jays
A Sánchez breakout may not be as spectacular as that of the others on this list, but it still could happen for someone who has become an afterthought in fantasy drafts. By being traded twice since last summer and ultimately moving from Miami to Toronto, Sánchez received an upgrade in both supporting cast and home ballpark. A poor finish to the 2025 season with the Astros hid the fact that he improved his walk rate last year, while maintaining strong marks in average exit velocity (91.3 mph) and barrel rate (11.1%). The Blue Jays made a point of acquiring Sánchez on the eve of spring training, and he should occupy a premium lineup spot against righties. He has averaged 14.5 steals over the past two years and should finally produce a 20-homer season.