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Brent Rooker 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Big Power, Improved Contact Rate Produces Reliable Counting Stats
Athletics designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker was one of only six players to play in all 162 games last season, registering his third straight season with at least 30 home runs and earning his second All-Star nomination. While the batting average sank from .293 in 2024 to .262 in 2025, that was still well above average (.245), and he's now lowered his strikeout rate in back-to-back seasons, down to 22.2 percent, which is right at league average. The 2x All-Star's xBA of .267 in 2025 was nearly identical to 2024's xBA of .266, so that .293 batting average from '24 appeared to be somewhat propped up by a high BABIP of .362. That makes the 164 wRC+ season from '24 look more like an outlier than the norm, but fantasy managers should still feel confident that '25 was a baseline, which produced a .349 wOBA and 122 wRC+. The 31-year-old looks primed for another 30-plus home runs in 2026, along with strong contributions to RBI and run totals, combined with a batting average that won't hurt you. Given the 6-foot-3 slugger's NFBC ADP of 57, he appears just slightly undervalued compared to RotoBaller's ranking of 53 overall.
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