Alex Verdugo

28-Year-Old OutfielderOF

Free Agent

2024 Stats

AVG

.233

RBI

2025 Projections

AVG

RBI

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2025 Fantasy Outlook

Expectations for Verdugo going to New York were high as the ballpark and lineup appeared to be a great fit for him on paper. Yet, the final counting stats were very similar to his 2023 numbers while his batting average plummetted 31 point to a career-worst .233. The Yankees did give Verdugo more playing time against lefties than he had with Boston in 2023, but he actually hit them slightly better in 2024. The problem was a career-worst .235 average against rigities, which was 34 points lower than any other previous season. Verdugo does not swing and miss often, but his hard hit rate has declined each of the past four seasons while his bat speed finished just above the 10th percentile in the first season that metric was made public by StatCast. Verdugo was given the volume of playing time as his defensive skills are still a plus, and he will ultimately find a new home with a club who values his defense and his ability to put the ball in play. However, Verdugo needs to end the five-year decline in production to be anything more than a late round fantasy option in 2025. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

From Preseason

Bats L

Throws L

40 Man No

Height 6'0"

Weight 192

DOB 5/15/1996

Born Tucson, AZ

College None

Drafted 2nd Rd 2014 LAD

Will start again in Game 2

OFNew York Yankees

October 6, 2024

Verdugo is expected to start in left field in Game 2 of the ALDS versus Kansas City on Monday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
Verdugo started in Game 1 and came through with a big performance, going 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. His seventh-inning RBI single broke a 5-5 tie, providing what proved to be the winning run. Verdugo's expected start in Game 2 seems to indicate that he's currently the preferred option in left field over rookie Jasson Dominguez, as the Yankees are electing to deploy the lefty-hitting Verdugo over the switch-hitting Dominguez against southpaw Cole Ragans.

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Batting Stats

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2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

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2023 MLB Game Log

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2022 MLB Game Log

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2021 MLB Game Log

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2020 MLB Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown

vs Right-Handed Pitchers

vs RHP

vs Left-Handed Pitchers

vs LHP

Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2022

+17%

OPS vs RHP

2024

+13%

OPS vs RHP

2023

+30%

OPS vs RHP

2022

+8%

OPS vs RHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022vs Left	.631	523	50	4	41	4	.238	.317	.314
Since 2022vs Right	.737	1344	180	33	148	4	.267	.313	.424
2024vs Left	.592	192	18	2	8	1	.228	.311	.281
2024vs Right	.670	429	56	11	53	1	.235	.282	.388
2023vs Left	.608	161	17	1	13	3	.220	.311	.298
2023vs Right	.793	441	64	12	41	2	.279	.329	.464
2022vs Left	.693	170	15	1	20	0	.266	.329	.364
2022vs Right	.746	474	60	10	54	1	.285	.327	.419
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Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2022

+1%

OPS on Road

2024

+6%

OPS on Road

2023

+15%

OPS at Home

2022

+12%

OPS on Road

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022Home	.705	922	115	19	89	4	.254	.312	.394
Since 2022Away	.711	945	115	18	100	4	.264	.317	.394
2024Home	.627	300	30	7	29	2	.221	.284	.343
2024Away	.665	321	44	6	32	0	.243	.297	.368
2023Home	.796	310	47	7	28	2	.279	.342	.454
2023Away	.692	292	34	6	26	3	.248	.305	.387
2022Home	.690	312	38	5	32	0	.262	.308	.383
2022Away	.772	332	37	6	42	1	.297	.346	.426
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Stat Review

How does Alex Verdugo compare to other hitters?

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

BB/K
Walk to strikeout ratio
BB Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
K Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
BABIP
Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
ISO
Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
AVG
Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
OBP
On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
SLG
Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
OPS
On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
wOBA
Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
Exit Velocity
The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
Hard Hit Rate
A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
Barrels/PA
The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
Expected BA
Expected Batting Average.
Expected SLG
Expected Slugging Percentage.
Sprint Speed
The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
Ground Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
Line Drive %
The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
Fly Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.

BB/K

0.53

BB Rate

7.9%

K Rate

15.0%

BABIP

.253

ISO

.123

AVG

.233

OBP

.291

SLG

.356

OPS

.647

wOBA

.286

Exit Velocity

88.3 mph

Hard Hit Rate

30.6%

Barrels/PA

4.3%

Expected BA

.250

Expected SLG

.373

Sprint Speed

20.8 ft/sec

Ground Ball %

49.3%

Line Drive %

16.9%

Fly Ball %

33.8%

Prospect Rankings History

Advanced Batting Stats

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Additional Stats

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Defensive Stats

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Batted Ball Stats

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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Alex Verdugo See More

RotoWire Roundtable: 2025 Fantasy Baseball Top-300 Rankings

22 days ago

Shohei Ohtani takes the top spot in the first edition of the 2025 RotoWire roundtable rankings, but his lead is a very slim one.

MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for World Series Game 1 on Friday, October 25

52 days ago

With the splits in his favor versus Jack Flaherty, Anthony Rizzo makes for a contrarian option for Friday FanDuel MLB DFS contests.

MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Saturday, October 19

57 days ago

FanDuel's ALCS Game 5 picks include Cleveland slugger Lane Thomas and company hoping to force a Game 6 in the Bronx.

MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, October 19

57 days ago

There's some solid selections for Game 5 of the ALCS on DraftKings' Saturday MLB showdown slate.

MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, October 15

61 days ago

Josh Naylor is an under-the-radar option for Tuesday DraftKings MLB DFS contests thanks to being the Guardians' second-best hitter against righties during the regular season.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Acquired from the rival Red Sox this past December in exchange for three pitchers, Verdugo is joining a Yankees team that will be hungry to bounce back from last year's mediocre 82-80 finish. Maybe a change of scenery will help him individually -- Verdugo always wore the stink of being part of the Mookie Betts trade in Boston -- but there aren't many indicators in his current offensive profile suggesting a fantasy breakthrough is coming. Since posting a career-high .844 OPS during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the outfielder has registered a mediocre .751 OPS while averaging only 14 home runs for every 162 games played. He finished in the 49th percentile last year in average exit velocity and was just 29th percentile in hard-hit rate. Lacking both projectable power and projectable speed, he'll need his new teammates in the Bronx to bolster his counting-stats production.

Verdugo hit .280 with 74 RBI and 75 runs in 2022, but it was a largely disappointing campaign as his power and on-base percentage dropped. He finished 2022 with a 103 wRC+ and hit only 11 home runs in 152 games. He also saw his walk rate drop two percentage points to 6.6 percent, though he similarly cut his strikeout rate to 13.4 percent. Verdugo's defense has never been a strength, but he took a step back last season and finished with minus-five OAA. He handled left-handed pitchers better in 2022 but saw a sharp drop against righties, which led to reduced production overall. Verdugo could push for a .300 average if he can bounce back against RHP in 2023, but his below-average power and lack of production on the basepaths (one steal last year) limits his appeal to modest RBI and run totals.

Verdugo continues to make the most of the opportunity provided to him since he was traded from the Dodgers to the Red Sox. Where he struggled to stay in the lineup in Los Angeles due to depth and matchups, he has excelled in Boston as an everyday player while the club has lived with his faults. He has mashed righties since joining Boston at a .316/.384/.505 clip, but the issues against lefties have become more pronounced with increased exposure as he has hit .254/.300/.322 against them over the past two seasons. His defense has its moments, but he has otherwise been a below-average outfielder, though the bat has been enough to keep him in games despite those challenges. His high-contact abilities should allow him to continue to hit for a high average and the Boston lineup provides him both run-scoring and RBI opportunities aplenty. Whether or not he hits over .300 will hinge upon how he handles lefties in 2022.

If you're sick of hearing about the Mookie Betts trade, just wait for the follow-up to Verdugo's first season in Boston. The subtitle of that sequel should be "Regression City." No player -- aside from perhaps DJ LeMahieu -- outperformed their Statcast expected outcomes to a greater extent than Verdugo. In fact, the differentials between his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA and his actual marks were among the greatest gaps in the league (in all three categories). Verdugo puts bat to ball with consistency and the Red Sox will play him against lefties since Verdugo can handle himself fine against same-handed pitching. Verdugo is far from a burner but has enough speed to approach double-digit steals in a full season. With middling power, Verdugo will be reliant on a high average to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to his fantasy value. He is unlikely to hurt you, but the total package here is modest.

Verdugo impressed in his first extended big-league opportunity in 2019, demonstrating hitting acumen that belies his youth. Among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances, the 23-year-old's 13.0 K% was 21st-best in the league while his 85.2% contact rate ranked 30th. Verdugo doesn't take many walks -- his 6.9 BB% last season was below league average -- but his 6.6% swinging-strike rate is indicative of a keen eye at the plate. While the lefty has thus far demonstrated only average power, his hard-hit rate portends greater long-ball potential with an increase in the 8.8-degree launch angle he posted last season. Verdugo missed most of August and September with related oblique and back injuries, and it was reported in mid-December that Verdugo had yet to resume baseball activities. With his outstanding batting profile, and now with the Red Sox after headlining the return for Mookie Betts, it's not hard to imagine Verdugo blossoming into a .300-plus hitter in the near future.

Verdugo may finally be set for regular playing time in Los Angeles. A second-round pick in 2014, he has been at least 8% better than league average at the plate at every stop on the farm. The hit tool is his carrying tool -- Verdugo has consistently posted low K-rates, never exceeding even 13% above rookie ball, and high batting averages. He's also shown an ability to take a walk (9.0 BB% at Triple-A last season), along with decent in-game power and a splash of speed. His success hasn't translated to the highest level yet, but it's unwise to put any real stock into Verdugo's MLB numbers given how sporadic his opportunities have been. While Verdugo has a fair bit of prospect fatigue, it's important to remember that he's still just 22. The trade that sent Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati appears to have opened a spot for Verdugo, which should make him a popular late-round target as a fourth or fifth outfielder in mixed leagues.

Verdugo ranked 14th in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a .314 batting average and ranked third with a 1.04 BB/K. He also happened to be the youngest hitter in the league. Verdugo has a prototypical all-fields approach. His hit tool is elite, nobody questions that. The one knock that has followed him all the way up the ladder is his inability to hit for enough pop to profile nicely in an outfield corner. However, we’ve seen other hit-over-power prospects -- Jesse Winker comes to mind -- show up in the majors and display power that seemed dormant in the minors. Given Verdugo’s age and 6-foot, 205-pound frame, it seems reasonable to expect him to develop into 20-homer hitter. He will never be much of a threat on the bases, so a lot of his fantasy value will be dependent on where he hits in a loaded Dodgers lineup. He’ll likely be held down to start the year, but should be summoned after a month when the Dodgers have gained an extra year of control.

Verdugo has been pushed aggressively by the Dodgers, as the 20-year-old center fielder has already completed a full season at Double-A and was one of the youngest players at that level in 2016. The left-handed outfielder more than held his own, hitting .273/.336/.407 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI in 126 games. The Dodgers expect the 6-foot, 205-pound Verdugo to develop even more power as he matures and fills out. Curiously, his speed on the basepaths was virtually non-existent. After swiping 14 bags in 2015, he stole just two bases this past season. A former pitcher, Verdugo has a cannon for an arm, and was among the leaders in outfield assists over the past couple of seasons. Since the Dodgers have not been shy about fast-tracking their prospects, expect Verdugo to begin the 2017 campaign at Triple-A and perhaps even make his big-league debut before the season is completed.

A second-round pick in 2014, Verdugo burst out of the gates to the tune of .353/.421/.511 that year and firmly entrenched himself as one of the team's top position prospects. Last year saw him make the big leap from rookie ball to full-season action, and though the results weren't quite as good, a .311/.340/.441 line in 512 at-bats split between Low-A and High-A is still pretty solid. Verdugo's top qualities include his athleticism and raw ability, as though most saw him as a pitcher coming out of High School, the Dodgers like the upside they see in his bat. He can also play center field, which is always a plus. Verdugo walked in just 3.9% of his plate appearances last year, but he showed very good ability against LHP even though he hits from the same side, as Verdugo hit .340 versus southpaws in Low-A. Verdugo doesn't turn 20 until May, but though he's at least two years out from a big league debut, his skill set should be of serious interest in dynasty leagues. He could very well end this year in Double-A where he'll be all of 20 years old.

Verdugo could have been developed as a hitter or a pitcher, but the early returns certainly justify the Dodgers’ decision to deploy the 18-year-old lefty as an outfielder. It would have been difficult to predict the 18-year-old, taken with the 62nd pick in the 2014 draft, would get off to such an impressive start to his career. Verdugo slashed .347/.423/.518 with three home runs and eight steals in 196 plate appearances in the Arizona rookie league, while learning to play center field on a full-time basis. After Corey Seager and Joc Pederson, Verdugo might have the most upside of any of the Dodgers' position player in the minors. Those in dynasty leaguers who invest in Verdugo should be prepared to see some bumps along the way, as he will probably struggle for stretches in 2015. But he should be treated as a first-round talent, as the potential does not match his status as a second-round pick.

More Fantasy News

Expected to start in Game 1

OFNew York Yankees

October 4, 2024

Verdugo is expected to start in left field for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Royals on Saturday, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.