Is it too early to start thinking about 2026 concepts? Not actually! Rob Dipietro of the Pull -Hitter Podcast and Discord has an annual “too early meatball” design every season, and this year’s edition is planned for August 21. The players are all prominent names in the Fantasy baseball space, and, more importantly, this is not a fakeophap. It is an NFBC Draft Champions League. For those who are not known, these are 50 round concept-en-holds, so no FAAB, these are your players for the entire season 2026. They will prepare 11 rounds on the 21st “life” and then take the remaining 39 rounds at a certain moment during the low season at a certain moment.
I always find this concept interesting, because it is our first look at how a number of experts look at next year’s player pool. I am aware of a handful of outfielders, which I will divide here into certain risers and pallers versus their main event average design position (ADP) from the 2025 season.
Riskers
Pete Crow-Armstrong 115.82 ADP
Does PCA bring all the way to the first round? He is a bit delayed, only 2 homers, 2 steals, a .202 average and a 29.2% K% since 11 July. Yet he is in 5th place under Hitters on the Razzball player with $ 36.5 of earned auction value. He is on pace for a 75-35-100-100 Seaso, N and he hits .258. Speed boys with power spikes such as these pop up almost every year and tend to go in the middle of the 2nd round. But PCA has an even better season than boys like Jarren Duran and Cedric Mullins in recent years. So can he get the first round? Well, that naturally requires at least one 2025 1st rounder to stop. Gunnar Henderson and Vlad Guerrero Jr. Probably Will, and Jrod and Jackson Chouio might as well. Under later Picks, Garrett Crochet and Zack Wheeler were able to jump from the 2nd to the 1st round. I’m going to guess that PCA gets there (hardly). However, I am not sure if I would be the one who pulls the trigger there. His 18th percentile Whiff% and 1st percentile pursuit% are worrying for your top choice.
James Wood 50.24 ADP
He is a better prospect than PCA and with a large general 25 Homer, 14 Steal, $ 25 EAV season. Just like PCA, he has abandoned a lot. Even greater time even, .129, 2 steals and 1 homers since 10 July. Moreover, he has a considerably weaker attack, and that will probably remain the case next season.
Wood feels like a middle 2nd rounder, so I think it is around the 25th choice. He is only 22 and his statcastistics are a sea or ruby red red, except for some swing and miss.
It could easily grow into a 35-40 Homer bat with 15-20 steals, and who knows, maybe the NATS may try to place a real line-up around him in 2026.
Roman Anthony 314.89 ADP
Anthony would have gone much higher if the Red Sox had raised him to start the season. He looked like the future superstar with a .392 OBP while he hit Leadoff like a 21 -year -old rookie. He has a 94 EV and 56% hardhit% while playing plus defense. Those are elite things in his first 204 MLB PAs. Unfortunately it has not translated into fantasy production, because he has only 2 homers and 2 steals.
It feels like the fantasy juice will flow and it will be set up as such. I think he’s going around 100 level. He has 13 barrels, so maybe he should have more out of 6 or 7 gays. Or maybe not. In my anecdotal observation of 1 explosion, he hit a deep ball on Wednesday in the absolute wrong part of Fenway. It would have been a homer in 29 parks, but just a very long home. Will his home park cost him some gayers over time? Maybe … but hey, he is a monstrous talent, just aim closer to the annoying pole in the future! He could easily be a .275 25-10 man, next season and on top of an excellent line-up. That is the production of Bryan Reynolds on a higher stroke average benefit in a real team.
Honorable mention risers
Jac Caglianone 444.33 (only 13 times set up)
Tyler Soderstrom 262.07
Addison Barger (Unsigned)
All or none of the three may be set up on the 21st, remember that it is only 165 picks. All have a double eligible for 2025. Caglianone loses 1B for 2026, but Soderstrom (1B) and Barger (3B) will keep the Hunne. I think they will all go close to this specific design.
Jac Cags remains on the IL without the chance of improving his ugly .147 start, with 5 homers in 161 PAs. He had extraordinarily unfortunate results if you believe that are .332 XWOBA versus .218 actual Woba.
Soderstrom feels like he has had about 12 seasons so far. There was the explosion from the gate, the extensive malaise when he was moved to the Van Nick Kurtz, his cameo and production dived back on the 1st with Kurtz on the il, another slump while he back in and then his recent wave. Throw it all together and he has a .260 average, 21 homers and 6 steals that hits the Sutter Health Launching path in West Sacramento. It is unclear whether the A’s think that he can process LF in a future Playoff team, so he can be traded somewhere and return to the 1st.
Barger is a large part of the Jays Summer Surge 2025. It is versus some links, but has still managed 17 Homers in 356 PAs with a 93.1 EV and 53.5% Hardhit%. He waves bat speed with a 94th percentile and still makes above average contact. I love this combo
Faller
Jackson Merrill 26.81 ADP
Health problems have plagued Merrill throughout the season. But even when he is on the field, his production is available from its near Roy 2024 season. His ba has fallen from .292 to .257, and he has only 1 stem, vs. 19 last season. He may have a bad bad luck because his barrel% has risen slightly from 11.3% to 11.5%, but he has only 8 gayers (in 359 pass) versus 24 (in 593 PAs). Yet at best he is a solid 5 category -man without 1 huge carrying tool for fantasy. It is very likely that we will discover the next spring training, or therefore that he had a nagging injury all year round. And it is important to remember that he is only 22. His sprint speed remains 81st percentile, so hopefully the steals bounce back. But he is going to fall for a round or two, I think he will come close to Pick 50.
Yordan Alwez 17.89
Where is there unknown (ok, that’s only mild funny if you’ve seen Animal House)
Where does the Astro -Slugger go in this design? If you have missed the last 3 months, don’t worry, you have so many Major League PAs since 5/02 as Yordan. And he was not so good in the month that he played. He will absolutely fall to the least the 3rd round, and perhaps much more. He is not even allowed to wear the suitability of Outfield in competitions that require 20 performances, because he has only 6 so far, versus 23 at DH. Heck, he may not even get 10. Or 7. He hit .308 with 35 Homers in 2024, and he will be 29 years old in 2026. If he returns this season and the piece passes, his costs will not fall so much in the spring, but I will stay away without a big discount.
Lawrence Butler 56.52
For many, the case won competitions that gained him on time for his 2nd half of 2024 explosion. All in all, he hit .262 with 22 gays and 18 steals in 451 PAs. With the A in 2025 to a Hitter-friendly park, the sky looked like the limit. And he has not been a disaster. He has 15 homers and 17 steals in 480 PAs. But it is not close to what everyone has paid for, because he only hits .231 and his Woba drops from .345 to .310 while his K% has risen from 23.9% to 28.7%. He is now mainly vs. Left. Butler only wears an 84 WRC+ vs. Southpaws, versus 111 vs. Righties. Undoubtedly, the A’s Butler (and Soderstrom, by the way) should try to work out peloton problems on the field, but they have other promising of such as Colby Thomas they like to see. He will drop a lot of time in this design.
#early #Outfielder #Thoughts #early #Draft