Jacob Young DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

If Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young struggles early in 2025, MASN's Mark Zuckerman believes that he could be in danger of losing the job to outfield prospect Robert Hassell III. Hassell, a former eighth overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2020, is considered the team's No. 12 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old has turned heads so far in Grapefruit League play, hitting .360 (9-for-25) with a homer, three doubles, five RBI and two stolen bases in 10 games after he hit .241/.319/.328 with five homers, 28 RBI and 15 steals at High-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2024. While he's looked good this spring, it's a small sample size, and the Nats will likely want to see him hit better at Rochester to begin the 2025 season before they even consider him for his first MLB call-up. Hassell is merely a dynasty stash for the time being.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (shoulder) is returning to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon when the Nationals hope to clinch a series victory over the Chicago Cubs. The outfielder was sidelined on Friday and Saturday after leaving Thursday's game early due to shoulder soreness. He will return to center field on Sunday and bat in the eight-hole. Through September, the 25-year-old is carrying a .213/.288/.234 line with just one extra-base hit. One the season, he sits with a .254 AVG and 32 stolen bases. Young should be left out of DFS lineups this afternoon as he will face Chicago southpaw Shota Imanaga who enters Sunday with a solid 3.03 ERA.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (shoulder) remains sidelined on Saturday as the Nationals continue a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old was held out of the starting nine on Friday afternoon due to a shoulder injury. Fantasy managers should consider the young outfielder day-to-day for the time being. Young has showcased his speed throughout his sophomore campaign this summer, stealing 32 bags. As a result, top prospect Dylan Crews will shift over to center field on Saturday and bat in the leadoff spot. Crews has held a mere .225/.244/.250 line across his past ten games but has a great opportunity against Chicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks to get back on track as Hendricks carries a high 6.25 ERA.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young continued his strong offensive August in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Yankees. Young went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo home run. The 25-year-old launched an eighth-inning Mark Leiter Jr. offering into the left-field bullpen for the Nationals' second run of the game. Young has only hit three HR this season, but two of them have come in August to go with a .282/.313/.436 slash line, eight RBI, and four stolen bases in 78 at-bats. Young may not offer much in terms of counting stats other than stolen bases, but he is just 14 percent rostered, so he is available in deep roto leagues for fantasy managers looking for an overall boost.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (hand) continues to sit in Monday's series opener against the visiting division-rival New York Mets. Young was forced to leave Saturday's game early against the Cleveland Guardians due to swelling in his right hand and he did not play on Sunday, so Monday will be his second straight missed game. The 24-year-old is currently considered day-to-day and could return as soon as Tuesday's game against the Mets. Young has been a regular for the Nats in center field in just his second year in the big leagues. Although he has yet to homer in 81 games in the majors, he's stolen 30 bases in 284 plate appearances dating back to last year and is useful in most fantasy formats for his speed when he's in the lineup. With Young out again, both Jesse Winker and Eddie Rosario are manning the corners in the outfield for Washington on Monday.