Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets: Jake Burger, Jorge Soler, Shea Langeliers

Home runs is a category that can get away from a fantasy manager in drafts. There are some elite power options early, but if you miss on those bats, you’ll have to make up for the miss later. A fantasy manager can’t just draft players who hit 20 home runs and make up the gap; you need players who can hit 30+ home runs.

In this article, I’ll discuss hitters going after pick 100 in average draft position (ADP) that can help your team make up home runs or take your team to higher levels in the power department. As you go farther down the draft board, most players will lack other five-category production. Continue to draft accordingly when looking for home runs late.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets

Jake Burger (1B, 3B – TEX)

Jake Burger has been a powerhouse over his last two seasons. He hit 34 and 29 home runs the previous two seasons playing with bottom dwellers in the White Sox and Marlins. He has showcased great power skills with a career 14.4% barrel rate and a 47.7% hard-hit rate.

Burger also has a career .789 OPS with a 20.7% home run to flyball (HR/FB) rate. Burger now joins an explosive Rangers offense that should allow him to tap into all of his offensive prowess. If Burger plays at least 140 games, he should be a lock for 30+ home runs.

Jorge Soler (OF – LAA)

Jorge Soler may be a bit of a wild card as he has hit either 30 to 40 home runs or barely hit 20. He is coming off a down season with 21 home runs, but that was mainly due to the first half of the season, where Soler struggled in San Francisco.

Soler hit 11 of his 21 home runs over 60 games in the second half of the season while hitting .267. He had a .900 OPS, .388 wOBA and 150 wRC+ in the second half. Those are elite numbers from Soler. This season, he joins an Angels team that should be decent at the top half of the lineup. If Soler can tap into that second-half skillset from last season, he could be in store for another 30+ home run season with a chance of hitting 40+.

Shea Langeliers (C – ATH)

There are so many who like Cal Raleigh as a catcher to get his power production. Well, Shea Langleiers is a poor man’s Raleigh. Langeliers hit 29 home runs last year after hitting 22 in 2023. He has a barrel rate of at least 12.8% and a hard-hit rate of 40% over the previous two seasons.

Langeliers has averaged an HR/FB of 16.9% over three seasons with a .708 OPS. Langeliers will hit in the middle of the A’s order in a hitter-friendly ballpark in Sacramento. At worst, Langeliers hits 20+ home runs with the potential of cracking 30.