Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Roman Anthony vs. Riley Greene vs. Jackson Merrill

Roman Anthony’s elite bat speed, Riley Greene’s 30-homer power, and Jackson Merrill’s five-category upside define a pivotal 2026 fantasy baseball draft tier.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) celebrates after hitting a single during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Roman Anthony, Riley Greene, and Jackson Merrill form one of the most intriguing tiers in the 2026 fantasy baseball outfield rankings, blending elite prospect pedigree, rising power profiles, and post-hype rebound potential. Knowing which underlying metrics signal a true breakout — and which flaws could cap their ceiling — will determine whether this ADP range becomes a league-winning sweet spot.

OF13 – Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox (NFBC ADP – 66)

The Red Sox drafted Anthony in the second round of the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft out of high school. Over his first two seasons in the minors, he hit .281 over 469 at-bats with 86 runs, 14 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. His walk rate (16.6) was elite while posting about a league-average strikeout rate (22.1).

Boston gave Anthony 701 at-bats of development at AA and AAA over the past three seasons, leading to a .292 batting average with 148 runs, 29 home runs, and 27 steals. He walked 16.3% of the time, with about a league-average strikeout rate (22.4%). His best play over this span came at AAA (.309/78/13/49/8).

The Red Sox called him up in early June last season. His bat was empty over his first 70 at-bats (.200/9/1/7/1 while striking out 22 times). Over his last 50 games, Anthony proved he was major league ready (.326/39/7/25/3 over 187 at-bats). His walk rate (13.5%) was an edge, but he underperformed expectations with his strikeout rate (27.9%).

His exit velocity (94.5) and hard-hit rate (60.3%) ranked among the best hitters in the game. Unfortunately, his launch angle (6.9) was groundball-favoring (51.1%). Anthony barreled 27 balls (15.5%) over his 257 at-bats, but only eight events landed in the seats due to his low flyball rate (31.0%)

Anthony has work to do against left-handed pitching (.278/10/4/11 over 90 at-bats) based on his approach (eight walks and 38 strikeouts). He only had two home runs in Fenway Park over 129 at-bats. His season ended in early September due to an oblique injury, and Anthony missed some time in August with a minor back issue.

Roman Anthony 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Boston gave their rising young stud 93.0% of his at-bats in the first three slots in the batting order in his rookie season. He posted an elite contact batting average (.434), but his average hit rate (1.587) suggested around 20 home runs with a full season of at-bats.

His bat-to-ball skills should improve quickly with more experience in the majors, and Anthony already owns an elite combination of bat speed and hard contact. With a correction in his strikeout rate and more loft with his swing path, he will develop into a middle-of-the-order beast.

His early foundation skill set doesn’t look worthy of a top 15 outfielder in 2026, but Anthony’s talent is worth the gamble. My starting point is .290 with 90 runs, 25 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 15 steals with 550 at-bats.

OF14 – Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers (NFBC ADP – 79)

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Greene emerged as a foundation power hitter in his fourth season with the Tigers. He set career highs in almost every offensive category, one of which was a glaring negative (201 strikeouts – most in the American League). His contact batting average (.388) aligned with his previous three years (.386), while his average hit rate (1.910) reached a new high. Greene came to the plate with 428 runners on base, highlighted by a favorable RBI rate (17.8%).

His strikeout rate (30.7% - 26.7% in 2024) was a career high, and he took the fewest walks (7.0%) in his time in the majors. Greene struggled with left-handed pitching (.218/17/4/28/1 over 179 at-bats). His bat was at its best in May and June (.317/31/13/47/1 over 202 at-bats). He had six to seven home runs in five different months.

Greene lost momentum in his exit velocity (89.9) and hard-hit rate (45.5%), but his swing path was much improved, highlighted by his rising launch angle (15.0%) and career-best flyball rate (38.9%). He barreled an impressive 17.1% (69) of his balls in plays, pushing his HR/FB rate (22.9%) to an elite range.

Riley Greene 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: High strikeout batters tend to be up and down each season. Greene figured out how to drive the ball at the expense of his contact rate. With more experience and confidence, his approach could swing back in a positive direction in 2026. His high contact batting average offsets some of his whiff flaws. Let’s go with a neutral hitter with 85+ runs, 30+ home runs, and 90+ RBIs while offering minimal speed at this point in his career.

OF15 – Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres (NFBC ADP – 80)

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (3) slides into second base after hitting a double in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Merrill went down as a bust fantasy selection in 2025 due to landing on the injured list three times (hamstring, concussion, and ankle issues). His bat looked on point over his first 37 at-bats (.378/7/3/10/1), but it failed to rebound after missing a month in May and some time in June (.247/35/6/41 over 312 at-bats). Merrill played better in September (.275/17/7/16 over 91 at-bats) after sitting out another 14 games.

His exit velocity (89.7) came below his rookie season (90.4), with minimal changes in his launch angle (15.2), barrel rate (13.0%), and hard-hit rate (42.9%). Merril finished with about the same swing path (flyball rate – 40.1% and HR/FB rate – 11.9%). He took a few more walks (6.8% - it remains below the league average) while losing over five percentage points with his strikeout rate (22.4%).

He continues to struggle against left-handed pitching (.236/15/2/19 over 157 at-bats). Merrill upped his average hit rate (1.733), suggesting a push to 30 home runs is possible with 550 at-bats. His contact batting (.349) remained favorable despite some pullback, while aligning with his minor league career (.354).

Merrill has never had an at-bat in the minors at AAA. Over four seasons, he hit .295 with 135 runs, 21 home runs, 114 RBI, and 31 stolen bases over 806 at-bats.

Jackson Merrill 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: With 994 career at-bats in the majors, Merrill should continue his upward progression in 2026. He must add back his missing stolen bases to his equation while showing growth vs. lefties. His RBI rate (16.1%) has been an asset in his first two years in the majors. The Padres gave him 56.4% of his at-bats in the cleanup position last season.

Merrill was the 22nd-best hitter by FPGscore (3.95) in his rookie season, creating two rounds of value if repeated. Let’s go with a five-category asset, with a potential floor of .280/80/25/85/15. In my thoughts, but his stock could rise in March.

Should You Draft Roman Anthony, Riley Greene, or Jackson Merrill?

Anthony offers the superstar growth curve if his swing path adds loft, Greene brings bankable 30-homer production with batting-average volatility, and Merrill remains the sneaky five-category value if his health cooperates. This tier is all about roster construction: chase Anthony’s ceiling, lean into Greene’s power, or scoop up Merrill’s across-the-board production at a discount. Ultimately, Anthony is the best pick among this trio of outfielders.

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