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Welcome officially to the 2024 fantasy baseball season! Late-round picks in fantasy baseball can often be the difference between a mediocre team and a championship contender. While it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of selecting big-name players early in the draft, finding those hidden gems in the later rounds is equally essential. As a fantasy manager, it's crucial to do your due diligence and research these overlooked players' statistics, injury history, and current team situation. While taking a chance on a player based on a hunch or a cool name may seem appealing, making informed decisions that increase your chances of success is the wiser strategy. With careful consideration and some luck, these late-round picks could be the key to unlocking your team's full potential.
Today, we're looking at some late-round outfielders for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority late-round draft target? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2024 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more – available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.
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Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows made his big-league debut in 2023 and experienced the typical peaks and valleys as a young player in the majors. After hitting .256 with 19 home runs, 19 stolen bases, and an 11% BB% across 113 games at Triple-A, the Tigers promoted Meadows, and he put a solid showing of power and speed on display. Meadows hit three homers with four doubles, two triples, and eight stolen bases across his first 37 MLB games. He also walked at a healthy 11.7% clip in his debut campaign.
However, much of his current value is in the speed and defense departments. He ranked in the 90th percentile in sprint speed and was worth four outs above average in his limited time in the bigs last season. His lanky 6-foot-5 frame makes it difficult to project Meadows' hit tool, and while he boasts some pop, he has swing-and-miss in his game. His stolen base potential has led to a 296.44 ADP as the 68th outfielder off the draft board. However, with ATC projecting a 13-homer, 15-steal season, along with a .230 average and .301 on-base percentage, Meadows' prevailing ADP is rich despite a shot at an everyday role in 2024.
-- Brenton Kemp - RotoBaller
Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and top prospect Sal Frelick played in 57 MLB games last season. He slashed .246/.341/.351 with 41 hits, 28 walks, and seven stolen bases across 233 plate appearances. Throughout the minors, Frelick was known for his contact-oriented approach, stellar plate discipline, and high BABIP. His skills translated well to the majors, but there is room to grow. For someone whose BABIP typically exceeds .300, it was just .266 in Triple-A and .286 in MLB last year. This suggests that his batted-ball luck could have been more fruitful in 2023.
Considering his approach, there is a solid chance of his BABIP and batting average increasing in 2024. At 24 years old, he is expected to get everyday playing time for the Brewers. Milwaukee has tried Frelick out at the hot corner and second base during spring training. He could add one of these infield spots to his position eligibility, increasing his fantasy value. Right now, his NFBC ADP is around 280. ATC projections have him hitting .266/.336/.384 with 131 hits, 49 walks, eight home runs, and 17 stolen bases, making him a solid pick at his current ADP.
-- Wade Smith - RotoBaller
Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela made his big-league debut last year and comes to spring training in 2024, competing for the center field job with Jarren Duran. The 23-year-old from Curacao went 20-for-83 (.241) with two home runs, five RBI, and three stolen bases in his first 28 big-league games last year. He's not guaranteed to make the Opening Day roster unless he wins the center field job, though, and his glove is certainly ahead of his bat at this stage. Rafaela is an exceptional athlete, but more likely than not, he'll open 2024 at Triple-A Worcester, where he hit .312 (62-for-199) with 14 homers, 42 RBI, and six steals in 48 games in 2023.
MLB Pipeline's No. 76 overall prospect had a total of 20 homers and 36 steals in 108 games in the minors a year ago, demonstrating the kind of raw tools he possesses. On the downside, the 5-foot-9 outfielder chased too much at the plate and struck out over a third of the time in his small MLB sample size in 2023. The youngster could eventually become an above-average hitter at the big-league level if he's able to refine his hit tool, but for 2024, his glove and his speed will be his most attractive traits in AL-only leagues. Rafaela is projected by ATC to hit .257/.298/.408 with five homers, 25 RBI, and eight stolen bases in just 218 plate appearances
-- Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/outfielder Henry Davis graduated from prospect status and appeared in 62 games for the Bucs in the 2023 season. His debut season wasn't exactly a productive one, as he hit just .213 with seven home runs, three stolen bases, and a .653 OPS across 255 trips to the plate. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick also spent just two innings behind the plate versus 417 1/3 frames in the outfield. The good news is that the Pirates' management stated that Henry would indeed enter spring training as a backstop, but he is currently not catcher-eligible. Davis has been on absolute fire this spring, hitting .292 with four home runs and nine RBI over nine games, and his bat should keep him in the lineup daily.
The long-term outlook is murky. His bat will play and ATC is projecting 15 home runs and nine stolen bases from Henry in 2024, solid figures for a catcher as he seemingly should gain eligibility early in the season. However, dynasty league managers will want to take note that there is a very real chance he ends up in right field, first base, or designated hitter. His defense was graded poorly in right in his rookie season. For now, his 344.21 ADP as an outfielder is steep, but considering the catchers available in that range, he is offering some value at his prevailing ADP for 2024.
-- Brenton Kemp - RotoBaller
James Wood, Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals outfielder outfielder James Wood is an impressive athlete considering his 6'7" frame, and many will be quick to throw an Aaron Judge comp on him, as anyone who is over 6'5" tends to get. He moves well for his size and is a fast runner once he gets going. In 2023, Wood spent time between High-A and Double-A, with the majority of his season being spent in Double-A Harrisburg. Wood slashed .262/.353/.520 between both stops, with 26 home runs and 18 stolen bases. The concerns come in when you see the 173 strikeouts, good for a 31.5 percent rate. The contact rate of 68 percent leaves plenty to be desired, but there are plenty of positives to take away from the lefty with long levers.
Wood has massive power, to no surprise, as he has 41 career home runs in 850 at-bats, with 26 of them coming this season. Wood's 90th percentile exit velocity of 109 mph shows massive power and firmly puts him in the 60-70 grade range for power. In addition to the power, Wood also shows a solid approach, chasing just 26 percent of pitches out of the zone, which is better than average, and showing the ability to mash fastballs. There are major concerns about his struggles with breaking balls and changeups, and it seems like Wood spends the majority of the 2024 season in the minors and likely has a late-season cup of coffee. However, with Stone Garrett unlikely for Opening Day, Wood could force his way onto Washington's roster after mashing this spring. The 21-year-old is slashing .344/.475/.688 with three home runs, five RBI, 12 runs, and a stolen base over 15 games. Update: Wood was reassigned Wood to minor-league camp and will look to debut at some point in 2024.
-- Chris Clegg - RotoBaller
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