Jurickson Profar
After spending years trying to establish his niche in the major leagues for pretty much the past decade, Jurickson Profar finally managed to have his breakthrough season at age 31 in 2024 with the San Diego Padres. With ill-timed injuries to some of their key players in Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arráez that resulted in them missing significant chunks of the season, the Padres desperately looked to Profar and company to help carry the offensive load for the team this past year.
Even with the burden on his shoulders, Profar delivered big time for San Diego, as he ultimately put up career-best numbers in runs scored (94), hits (158), home runs (24), RBI (85), OPS (.839), OPS+ (134), and total bases (259). In doing so, he became an All-Star for the first time in his career, while helping the Padres reach the postseason for the second time in three years and the third time in the past five seasons.
On the other hand, Profar’s defense may leave a bit to be desired, after registering -8 DRS over 148 games in the outfield. But at least he was steady and reliable with the routine plays, committing only one error all year in 235 total chances for a sparkling .996 fielding percentage. He also added four outfield assists for good measure.
A former No. 1 prospect of the Texas Rangers, Profar appears to have plenty of productive years still ahead of him as he looks to have finally found his groove in the majors. With the ability to hit from both sides of the plate, he should fit in seamlessly in the top-half of the Phillies lineup to help balance the attack and maximize run production.
We had actually previously suggested earlier that the Phillies should acquire Profar in a trade with the Padres during the 2024 season to help solve their outfield situation. Now with Profar becoming a free agent this offseason, they will instead have that same opportunity to recruit him without having to worry about losing any potential precious assets from within the organization in the process.