When compiling a list of the game’s top talents, how do you weigh a young player coming off a breakout season against a veteran with a longer track record of success?
The question applies everywhere but especially in the outfield, with Jackson Merrill and Jarren Duran coming off huge years at a time when some of the game’s elite outfielders were either limited by injury (Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis Jr., Kyle Tucker, etc) or took a step back offensively (Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez). Trout, for instance, still remains highly productive when he’s on the field, but he has now played in just 41% of his team’s games over the last four years. Availability, after all, has to be taken into account.
One thing we do know: The top outfield tandem in the sport is clear, even if that duo won’t be teammates again in 2025.
Our eight-part position series continues with the top 10 outfielders entering the 2025 season.
2024 stats: .231/.322/.428, 22 HR, 107 wRC+, 4.0 fWAR
2025 ZiPS projection: .256/.345/.449, 21 HR, 120 wRC+, 4.3 fWAR
Was Carroll’s abysmal first half (.213/.301/.334, five home runs) just a blip? His spectacular play after the All-Star break (.259/.351/.568, 17 homers) would suggest so. He finished with a 20-30 season, but it certainly wasn’t the Rookie of the Year follow-up many expected. This will be an important year for the speedster to build off his strong second half and cement his status as one of MLB’s top talents.
2024 stats: .285/.342/.492, 21 HR, 129 wRC+, 6.7 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .262/.324/.455, 18 HR, 114 wRC+, 3.9 fWAR
A member of the 2024 All-MLB Second Team and the All-Star Game MVP, Duran is coming off a career year in which he put all his tools together to post a 20-30 season while leading the majors in doubles and triples and ranking fifth in hits. He destroyed right-handed pitching and took a massive leap forward both offensively and defensively to finish eighth in AL MVP voting and top 10 in the majors in WAR.
2024 stats: .292/.326/.500, 24 HR, 130 wRC+, 5.3 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .281/.322/.461, 21 HR, 119 wRC+, 4.4 fWAR
Had Merrill played in the American League, you’re looking at the runaway Rookie of the Year. Moving off his natural position of shortstop to play center field for the first time professionally, the 21-year-old did not look out of place. He was dynamic both offensively and defensively in an All-Star season in which he launched 24 homers, stole 16 bases, registered an .826 OPS and finished top 10 in MVP voting.
2024 stats: .276/.340..492, 21 HR, 135 wRC+, 3.2 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .276/.346/.527, 29 HR, 144 wRC+, 4.8 fWAR
There aren’t many hitters in baseball who strike more fear in an opponent come October. Tatis always seems to turn his game up a notch when the lights are brightest, but the question is whether he can stay healthy over the course of a full year to fully realize the potential he flashed in 2019, when he launched 42 homers as a 22-year-old. The underlying numbers last year were even better than the .833 OPS he produced, and if he can stay on the field, the best should still be ahead for the 26-year-old.
2024 stats: .273/.325/.409, 20 HR, 116 wRC+, 3.9 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .281/.338/.469, 27 HR, 135 wRC+, 5.8 fWAR
Rodriguez’s spectacular defense in center provides such a high floor that he’s almost certain to be one of the most productive outfielders regardless of what he does at the plate. That said, while last year marked a third straight 20-20 campaign, his OPS has steadily declined since he was named Rookie of the Year in 2022. When he gets hot, though — as he did with a 1.122 OPS last July — he’s capable of carrying a team. Can he put his offensive tools together for a full season? If he does, we’re talking about a potential MVP.
2024 stats: .250/.351/.365, 4 HR, 105 wRC+, 1.0 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .294/.393/.526, 26 HR, 154 wRC+, 5.1 fWAR
Can we expect another 40-homer, 70-steal season coming off another ACL tear? Probably not. The truth is we don’t know what version of Acuña we’re going to get after his second major knee injury in a three-year span, but he demonstrated once that he can bounce back and be one of the most productive players in the sport. Even if he’s not quite as daring on the basepaths upon his return, I’m not going to be the one who doubts the dynamic 27-year-old.
2024 stats: .289/.408/.585, 23 HR, 180 wRC+, 4.2 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .263/.355/.472, 23 HR, 131 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR
One of the most unheralded superstars in the game, Tucker played only 78 games last year and was still worth more than four wins. He finished with a 181 OPS+ and was on a nearly 9.0 WAR pace, coming off three straight years in which he was worth basically 5.0 WAR every season. The Cubs will need that kind of consistent star production to carry their offense in what could be his lone season in Chicago.
2024 stats: .308/.392/.567, 35 HR, 168 wRC+, 5.3 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .300/.392/.576, 36 HR, 171 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR
Alvarez may not get a whole lot of time in the outfield, but the value he brings with his offense makes him worthy of a top-three spot here regardless. While his body has not always been kind to him, his bat has. Alvarez has launched more than 30 homers in each of the last four seasons and has logged an OPS over .950 in each of the last three seasons. Over those last three years, Aaron Judge is the only qualified MLB player with a higher wRC+.
2024 stats: .288/.419/.569, 41 HR, 180 wRC+, 8.1 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .277/.426/.521, 33 HR, 166 wRC+, 6.5 fWAR
Remember when everyone wondered how Juan Soto could possibly turn down that $440 million extension offer from the Nationals a few years ago? Well, bet on yourselves, kids. The best should still be ahead for the richest player in the sport. Soto has the highest on-base percentage in MLB since debuting as a teenager in 2018 and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in five of the last six seasons. Over the last five years, he has drawn 582 walks; no other player has more than 417.
2024 stats: .322/.458/.701, 58 HR, 218 wRC+, 11.2 fWAR
2025 ZiPS: .282/.409/.600, 46 HR, 180 wRC+, 7.7 fWAR
I mean, duh. It seemed preposterous that he could match the value he provided during his absurd 2022 season, when he broke Roger Maris’ single-season A.L. home run record. Yet two years later, he recorded more hits, knocked in more runs and recorded better slash line numbers across the board while leading the majors in homers, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS in 2024 to earn his second MVP award in three seasons. He missed 56 games in 2023 and yet still has at least 25 more home runs than any player over the last three years.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels), Jose Altuve (Houston Astros), Riley Greene (Detroit Tigers), Michael Harris II (Atlanta Braves), Jackson Chourio (Milwaukee Brewers), Wyatt Langford (Texas Rangers), Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians), Byron Buxton (Minnesota Twins), Teoscar Hernández (Los Angeles Dodgers), Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers)
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
