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Each year in fantasy baseball, there are a handful of players that truly come into their own and show their true colors and break out at the plate.
We saw it yet again this past season. Just to name a few, outfielders Tyler O'Neill of the St. Louis Cardinals and Jesse Winker of the Cincinnati Reds out of nowhere put together each of their best seasons in the big leagues thus far.
There’s no better feeling than grabbing that player right before they find that next gear. That will certainly be the case again this season, it's just a matter of who. Well, here are three outfielders from the National League who have potential to be fantasy baseball breakouts and draft values.
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Daulton Varsho, Arizona Diamondbacks
Varsho could be listed at catcher or the outfield, but either way, he’s an intriguing potential breakout option to consider this season.
The 24-year-old was given his fair share of playing time during the second half of last season and took full advantage of the opportunity. Varsho hit 10 homers and 14 doubles while posting a .879 OPS and 135 OPS+ over 60 games.
This was the most success he’s had at the big league level thus far. However, Varsho has a very strong minor league track record to this point, having hit at every level of the minors he’s appeared in.
The youngster presents loads of potential for this rebuilding Diamondbacks team.
With his defensive versatility and the addition of the designated hitter in the NL, Varsho should see plenty of playing time this season. His low strikeout rate (21.3%), ability to put the ball in play, and above-average sprint speed (28.4 MPH) could make him an interesting contributor in all categories.
Varsho should hit for a decent average, has 20-25 homer potential, and certainly will be right up there with J.T. Realmuto for the leader in stolen bases among catchers. Varsho presents a ton of upside heading into this season.
Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins
The Marlins' young slugger was absolutely tearing up Triple-A pitching when he received his second call-up to the big league level. Sanchez continued his success putting together a strong performance in the second half of the season. Over 40 games following the break, he hit 11 of his 14 home runs while posting a 111 OPS+ and .857 OPS.
While his power was on full display, as evidenced by his 113.9 MPH max exit velocity and 12.7% barrel percentage, Sanchez also showed some flaws. He hit just .251 and struck out 78 times over a total of 64 games on the season.
Sanchez posted a 31.8% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate, and 31.5% chase rate. He also whiffed at 43.8% of the breaking balls thrown to him, so there is certainly work for the youngster to do.
While he has his flaws, Sanchez definitely did enough to solidify himself as an everyday bat for the Marlins this season. While the rest of the lineup doesn't appear all too threatening, there could be some upside. Hitting in the middle of the order every day, Sanchez could have a really big season.
The power will be there, there’s no denying that. The question is if he can cut down on the strikeouts and hit for a bit of a higher average. Sanchez was just scratching the surface last year, and with his pop, he could provide tremendous value this season.
Tyrone Taylor, Milwaukee Brewers
Taylor figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries from the NL adding the designated hitter this season. He should be able to find his way into the starting lineup on a pretty much everyday basis.
While Taylor plays a passable outfield, he is blocked by a pair of gold glovers in Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, and the Brewers went out and added Hunter Renfroe to the mix this offseason.
Between Cain’s injury history and the presence of the DH, Taylor should find himself with plenty of playing time this season. If that does end up being the case, he could be a very intriguing breakout option.
The 28-year-old was drafted by the Brewers in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s enjoyed a ton of success over his minor league career, putting both his power and speed on full display. While he hasn’t received a full shot just yet, Taylor has done some good things at the big league level.
Last season, he quietly hit a career-high 12 home runs and stole six bases in 93 games. Over that span, he also posted a .778 OPS, 106 OPS+, and 1.6 bWAR. Taylor’s 28.6 MPH sprint speed finished up in the 86th percentile, and his exit velocity finished in the 76th percentile. He also posted just a 21.8% strikeout rate and 24.6% whiff rate.
Taylor should be able to hit for an average in the .260 to .270 range and provide a nice power/speed combo. If given the opportunity, he could potentially be looking at something like a 20 homer, 15 stolen base season.
Taylor is definitely one of the more interesting outfielders to keep an eye on when it comes to potential breakout seasons.
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