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Each year in fantasy baseball, there’s a handful of players that truly come into their own and break out at the plate.
We saw it yet again this past season. Just to name a few, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins came out of nowhere and turned himself into a star, and Toronto Blue Jays slugger Teoscar Hernandez put together a monster year.
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 American League with breakout potential.
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Jarred Kelenic - Seattle Mariners
As a Mets fan, it pains me to say this, but there’s no denying Jarred Kelenic is going to be a star in this league. Did he struggle in his first stint in the show? Absolutely, but the kid is still just 22 years old.
Kelenic was called up to the Mariners last season after taking just 125 at-bats against Triple-A pitching. Granted he was absolutely crushing it, hitting .320 with nine home runs, nine doubles, and a 1.016 OPS over that span.
When he first arrived in the big leagues, Kelenic looked a bit overmatched at the plate. He struggled over the first half of the season and was sent back down, but finally began coming into his own when he was called back up.
His best stretch of the season was a 30-game sample in September when he posted a .331 OBP, 135 wRC+, .854 OPS, and hit half of his home runs and doubles. You could tell he began to become more comfortable as the year went on.
While Kelenic struck out overall at a 28.1% clip, he cut that down over the last month and finished in the 61st percentile with a 9.5% walk rate. On top of that, he posted a 9.9% barrel percentage, and his 110.9 MPH max exit velocity ended up in the 77th percentile.
While the overall numbers from his first shot in the majors aren’t all too pretty, it was a learning experience for the youngster. Kelenic was certainly growing and making the necessary adjustments towards the end of the season.
With that experience under his belt and newfound confidence at the plate, I’d bank on Kelenic showing his true colors and breaking out in what should be another fun season for the up-and-coming Mariners.
Jo Adell - Los Angeles Angels
Speaking of developing former top prospects, Jo Adell is another outfielder with breakout potential for this season.
Adell was first called up to the big leagues during the 2020 season and struggled mightily both in the field and at the plate. He was not ready for The Show, picking up just 20 hits and striking out 55 times over 124 at-bats.
Both his strikeout (41.7%) and whiff rates (42.1%) were brutal, finishing in the first percentile in all of baseball. He also posted a 5.3% walk rate which ended up in just the 13th percentile in baseball.
Adell began this past season with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. In August, he finally made his return to the big leagues with a bang. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI, and his first career stolen base in a win over the Texas Rangers.
Adell finished the season with a bit of an up-and-down stint in the big leagues. Over 35 games, he posted a .703 OPS, 90 OPS+, and had four home runs, five doubles, and a pair of triples. While he still struggled a bit, Adell did show some positives in his return.
One of the biggest takeaways was his improved plate discipline. Adell was able to cut both his strikeout (22.9%) and whiff rates (29.7%) down from last season. He also began barreling the ball up a bit more, posting a 9.1% barrel percentage.
Adell has the power and speed combo to be an absolute star in this league. Both his sprint speed and max exit velocity have finished in the 90th percentile over his first two seasons in the show. The potential is certainly there.
He will need to continue to trend in the right direction, but Adell figures to be an everyday guy in what should be a strong Angels lineup this season. The young slugger has the tools and upside to develop into the star many expected him to be.
Akil Baddoo - Detroit Tigers
Maybe it’s because we share a birthday and his last name is extremely fun to say, but I am a huge fan of Akil Baddoo. Then again, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love an awesome feel-good story? Baddoo was certainly that last season.
The Tigers took him in the third round of last year's Rule-5 draft, and he shined in his first stint in the organization. Baddoo played so well in Spring Training, he hit his way into an everyday spot in center field.
Of course, we all remember his historic first few days in the big leagues.
Baddoo cranked his first big league homer on the first pitch he saw, then hit his first career grand slam just a day later. He went on to become the first player in Tigers history to hit four home runs and drive in 10 runs over his first eight games.
From Rule-5 pick to rookie sensation, Baddoo settled in as a regular atop the Tigers’ lineup and quickly became a fan favorite. He went on to appear in 124 games and produced a 113 OPS+ and .766 OPS while hitting 20 doubles, 13 home runs, and stealing 18 bases.
While Baddoo certainly exceeded expectations and then some in his first season in the bigs, he also had his fair share of struggles. These particularly came in the second half as big-league pitching began to figure him out.
The youngster posted a strong walk rate of 9.8%, but still has some work to do when it comes to plate discipline. Baddoo's 26.5% strikeout rate for the year ended up a few ticks higher than his minor league average.
Baddoo also found himself in a bit of a platoon for most of the season, as he struggled against left-handed pitching. He hit just .214 with a .523 OPS, just two extra-base hits, and 33 strikeouts over 98 at-bats facing southpaws.
These are certainly the two big areas Baddoo needs to improve upon as he heads into his second big league season. One of the good things he has going for him is that the Tigers don’t have much competition, so he should be back atop that lineup most days.
If he can add a bit more pop and even just slightly improve in those areas, Baddoo could be looking at a really solid 2022 season. With an increase in power, Baddoo has the potential to produce a 20-homer, 20-steal campaign.
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