2022 Prospect Position Rankings: Corner Outfield

Position Rankings are voted on by Baseball America staff members. 

RATING: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Julio Rodriguez gives the position group a potential superstar and Zac Veen is another potential standout, but the depth of this year’s corner outfield prospects quickly falls off into players with extreme risks or limited ceilings. High-variance prospects Andy Pages, Joey Wiemer and Owen Caissie all have enormous potential and could elevate this group’s standing in time, but they have yet to play above the Class A levels and carry significant risk.

BEST HITTER: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners

A career .331 hitter in the minors with plus-plus power potential, Rodriguez has a chance to be one of the top hitters in baseball at his peak. He makes consistent contact with a short, direct swing, drives the ball hard to all fields and has the pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline to keep his strikeouts reasonable. He has an advanced feel to making adjustments and is equally capable of beating out infield singles or hitting balls 450 feet, making him a potential offensive force with few weaknesses. 

BEST DEFENDER: Heliot Ramos, Giants

Despite his thick build, Ramos is a playable defender in center field and an above-average defender in the corners. He gets good reads and jumps, takes efficient routes and is surprisingly fast and athletic given his size. He frequently makes highlight-reel catches at the wall and has above-average arm strength that led to seven outfield assists in 90 games last season.

SLEEPER: Matt Fraizer, Pirates

A third-round pick out of Arizona in 2019, Fraizer made his full-season debut in 2021 and hit .306/.388/.552 with 23 home runs, 68 RBIs and 15 stolen bases across High-A and Double-A. He is a solid athlete with power to all fields from the left side and showed the ability to adjust his approach and shorten his swing over the course of the 2021 season. He is an older prospect who will have to prove he can maintain his performance against upper-level pitching, but he hit well in a limited sample at Double-A last year and keeps trending in the right direction.