2026 Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Rankings: James Wood vs. Pete Crow-Armstrong

Compare James Wood and Pete Crow-Armstrong for 2026 fantasy baseball, including power, speed, and potential breakout ceilings.

Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

James Wood and Pete Crow-Armstrong emerged as intriguing young outfield options in 2025, showing flashes of power, speed, and five-category fantasy production. While Wood flashed elite power, Crow-Armstrong brought balance and growth potential, making both worthy considerations in 2026 drafts. Wood is currently being selected just two picks ahead of PCA.

OF9 – James Wood, Washington Nationals (NFBC ADP – 32)

Wood delivered a winning year in his second year with the Nationals. He finished 29th in FPGscore (3.93) while being an asset in all five categories. Despite his success, Wood led the National League in strikeouts (211). His batting average (.256) was reasonable due to his high contact batting average (.406).

Over the first three months, his bat was at its best (.283/52/22/64/11 over 315 at-bats) while controlling the strike zone better (walk rate – 14.5% and strikeout rate – 26.8%). Wood gave back some of his gains in July (.188/9/2/7/3 over 96 at-bats). He handled himself well against left-handed pitching (.278/26/12/34/4 over 209 at-bats) with the exception of his strikeout rate (31.2%).

Wood struck out 32.1% of the time while posting a favorable walk rate (12.3%). Despite his success in power, he had a shallow launch angle (6.3) and with low flyball rate (26.6%). His exit velocity (94.3), barrel rate (16.3%), hard-hit rate (56.3%), and HR/FB rate (30.7%) graded as plus assets.

In his first experience at AA in 2023, Wood lost his edge at the plate (.248/48/18/55/10 over 323 at-bats) due to a much higher strikeout rate (33.7). The following year. His bat dominated at AAA (.353 with 44 runs, 10 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases over 190 at-bats) while showing a much better approach (40 walks and 42 strikeouts – 18.2% strikeout rate).

James Wood 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Wood is on a similar trajectory as Elly De La Cruz in his approach, while being a year behind in his development. His power is much more explosive, even with an unfavorable swing path. High strikeout batters invite slumps and potential days off. Let’s go with a .250 batting average with 85 runs, 30 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases.

OF10 – Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (NFBC ADP – 34)

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after striking out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning during game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Crow-Armstrong came into last season with a potential 15/30 profile. He brought swag to the Cubs' starting lineup while surprisingly providing middle-of-the-order production at times. In the end, his bat exceeded expectations by a wide margin, ranking him 15th in FPGscore (6.15).

His strikeout rate (24.0%) aligned with his rookie season while taking fewer walks (4.5%). Crow-Armstrong had a much stronger rating in his average hit rate (1.945), but his success in power wasn’t supported by difference-maker stats in exit velocity (89.5) or hard-hit rate (41.6%). He barreled more balls (13.0% - 7.4% in 2024), with a home run-inducing swing path (launch angle – 20.0 and flyball rate – 49.7%). Crow-Armstrong pushed his HR/FB rate (14.2%) higher by over 50%.

Left-handed pitchers got the best of him on too many at-bats (.188 with 16 runs, seven home runs, 27 RBIs, and five steals over 170 at-bats – 29.2% strikeout rate). He also had similar struggles in batting average on the road (.211/44/16/47/14 over 312 at-bats). Pitchers caught up to Crow-Armstrong after the All-Star break (.216/24/6/24/8 over 63 at-bats).

Even with a breakout season, the Cubs hit him below fourth in the batting order for 53.5% of his at-bats. Crow-Armstrong hit .249 in the clean-up spot in the batting order with 36 runs, 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 16 steals over 233 at-bats.

Pete Crow-Armstrong 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: All of the outfielders ranked ahead of Crow-Armstrong this draft season showed the ability to hit the ball harder or had a better baseline of their underlying stats. His stolen base output aligned with his minor league career, along with his strikeout rate (24.1%). He even had a league-average walk rate (8.5%) before reaching the majors.

On the downside, Crow-Armstrong's desire to put the ball in the air leads to many easy outs, with some work to be done against lefties. He can’t move up to the top third of the batting order without improving his on-base percentage (.285 in the majors, .328 at AAA, and .368 in the minors).

I don’t expect the fantasy market to fight him in 2026 due to his internal stats, but surface drafters will gravitate toward last year’s outcomes in power and speed. My initial thought is some pullback in power, resulting in a 20/30 season. At the same time, Crow-Armstrong could get better in multiple areas, helping his overall fantasy value. I’m torn because I respect his ability to produce winning at-bats in big moments of games.

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Wood projects as a high-upside 30/30 threat, though strikeouts and potential slumps remain a concern. Crow-Armstrong offers a slightly safer floor with moderate power and speed, making the two outfielders complementary options depending on your roster construction. At the end of the day, Wood is the slightly more reliable option.

Top 5 Fantasy Baseball Outfielders According To ADP

Check out the top five outfielders according to ADP from our friends at the NFBC:

1. Aaron Judge
2. Juan Soto
3. Ronald Acuna Jr.
4. Corbin Carroll
5. Julio Rodriguez