Four Outfielders: Suzuki, Robert, Reynolds, & Cruz

Syndication: The Enquirer

Previous Outfield Reviews

• Marsee, Caglianone, Carpenter, & Crews
• Marte, Doyle, Stowers, & Butler
• Nimmo, Ward, Profar, Happ
• Simpson, Adell, Rafaela, & Kwan

Seiya Suzuki (96 ADP)

The 31-year-old hit an MLB career-high 32 HR with the power metrics to back it up. Baseball Savant had him with 33.3 xHR. His 69 Barrels normally lead to 36 HR. He increased his max Exit Velocity for the third straight season. He posted a career-high 17% Barrel%. All the projections point to him hitting fewer than 30 HR, but a repeat, or more, is in play.

One issue limiting his upside is that last season was the first time he’s exceeded 600 PA. With the extra plate appearances, he exceeded 100 RBI for the first time.

After reviewing his profile, he shows no signs of aging. He did have a career-low 5 SB, but his Sprint Speed increased last year. I don’t see a reason he can’t run it back.

Final take: Seiya Suzuki’s power took a step forward with 35 HR being a possible outcome if he can stay on the field. The rest of his profile shows no signs of aging.

Luis Robert Jr. (118 ADP)

I have no idea what to expect from Robert this upcoming season. I start with what I do know:

• Besides the 595 PA in 2023, he’s never accumulated more than 431 PA in a season. Health is his biggest red flag.
• His career 162-game pace is 29 HR, 29 SB, with a .259 AVG. That’s basically Corbin Carroll’s projection.
• His production is uneven with his home runs (400 PA seasons) ranging from 12 to 38, the stolen bases ranging from 11 to 33, and his batting average ranging from .223 to .284.
• His core skills (power, speed, and ability to make contact) remain intact.

It’s tough to know what production to expect from him.

Over the past four seasons, he’s finished 148th, 26th, 341st, 215th (average 183rd) on our player rater. In the seven NFBC Online Championships, he’s been drafted as the 118th player after reaching that finish just once.

Final Take: While Luis Robert has been a 30/30 “full-time” player over his career, he doesn’t play enough to reach that level. Roster only if getting an extreme discount.

Bryan Reynolds (222 ADP)

At this point in the 30-year-old’s career, all our projections agree that he’s a 20 HR, 5 SB, and .255 AVG hitter.  That projection is fine, but I can see a glimmer of upside.

To start the season, Reynolds dealt with a shoulder issue that kept him from playing in the outfield. Over the first four months, he posted a .662 OPS. Over the last two months, it was an .843 OPS. Additionally, the shoulder issue might have kept him running for fear of it being reinjured. His last stolen base attempt was on May 2nd. A healthy shoulder could be a boost to his home runs and stolen bases.

Final Take: If Bryan Reynolds’s shoulder heals, I could see him return to 25 HR and double-digit steals instead of the projected 20 HR/6 SB. I want to see him playing in the field and attempting steals in Spring Training to show that his shoulder is no longer an issue.

Oneil Cruz (83 ADP)

It’s tough to believe in Cruz. While he hit 20 HR with 38 SB last season, he comes with some major red flags. First, he posted a .200 AVG, the league’s lowest by 12 points for those with at least 500 PA.

Second, he struggled versus lefties with a career .560 OPS (.400 OPS in ’25) against them and a .795 OPS (.758 OPS in ’25) against righties. The team finally took action against these struggles and sat him against the last 10 lefties he could have faced (concussion IL trip during that stretch). The concussion that caused him to go on the IL seemed to linger. He only hit .165/.267/.278 after returning. And remember, those numbers were only against righties.

The only upside I found was his 48% GB%. If he found a way to lift the ball when he makes contact, his home run total could jump.

Final Take: Oneil Cruz needs to improve in several areas (health, platoon issues, strikeout rate) while not backtracking in any other area. He is a solid source of power and speed. Just make sure to have a solid batting average in place before adding him.