Fantasy Outfield 16-30
Mar 5, 2015; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte (6) leads off first base against the New York Yankees at a spring training baseball game at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The number before each outfielder’s name represents their overall rank in the 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings.
Due to the fact that I ranked 75 outfielders versus 25 players at each infield position, I will be lumping the OF’s into groups of 15 and the breakdowns will generally be more concise. Please feel to comment if you want me to expound more on a certain player.
16. #43 George Springer Houston Astros
Springer should not be drafted this high if you play in a points league that penalizes for strikeouts. (The same goes for any K% player). For the rest of us, Springer represents maybe the best chance in baseball to go 30-30. The power is insane, he went 37-45 between AA and AAA in 2013, and Springer plays in Minute Maid with its short porch in left field. Fans in the Crawford Boxes need to pay attention with all the right-handed pop in the lineup this year.
17. #46 Corey Dickerson Colorado Rockies
Dickerson was the second player to break out in the Colorado outfield in 2014, but he is being drafted way above Charlie Blackmon. I think I need to shrink the gap between the two of them when I update my rankings, but Dickerson has a very promising profile. His .399 wOBA and 26.5% line drive rate in his short career are demonstrating some nice skills at the plate. If Dickerson consistently hits in the two hole, then he could be a budding fantasy star.
18. #48 Starling Marte Pittsburgh Pirates
Marte went from my do not own list to a very solid option as he has posted very similar seasons with serious productivity. Starling Marte played 135 games in both seasons. In 2013, his line read 83 runs, 12 HR, 35 RBI, 41 steals, and .280/.343/.441. Marte had a fairly similar line in 2014 with a little balance in his stats as he scored 10 fewer runs, hit one more homer, drove in 21 more runs, stole 11 less bases, and slashed .291/.356/.453. I can safely invest in Marte now.
19. #53 Yoenis Cespedes Detroit Tigers
Cespedes is an interesting player as he has tools that look great on SportsCenter, advanced metrics do not support his batting skills (102 and 109 wRC+ in the last two seasons), and he has a great fantasy profile. For our purposes, Yoenis Cespedes has hit the marks of at least 70 runs, 20 HR’s, and 80 RBI’s each season in his three-year career. I really do not care about his wRC+ or propensity to hit a ton of infield pop-ups if he is a counting stat wizard.
20. #56 Nelson Cruz Seattle Mariners
Nelson Cruz is being discounted because he is moving from Baltimore to Seattle, but he hit 25 homers last year on the road. Over his career, Cruz has averaged a homer in just under 20 plate appearances. He became a full-time starter in 2009, and he has 22+ bombs in all six seasons. Yeah, he will not hit 40 homers, but the power is not going to evaporate.
21. #69 Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
I need to rank Matt Holliday a decent bit lower because he did show some signs of decline in 2014. While I highly doubt he falls over the cliff, he is at risk for a big decline after his decade of excellence and unparalleled consistency. Holliday is still a great player, but I fear he could put up his worst numbers since 2005.
For reference, Holliday’s 132 wRC+ was the worst since 2005. Even in his worst season in a decade, Matt Holliday was still 32% better than the average hitter. I personally believe Holliday can repeat 2014, but I have braced myself for a decline even though I hope it will be slow and graceful.
22. #70 Jayson Werth Washington Nationals
When I created my rankings, I overlooked Jayson Werth’s unsure health status, so mark him significantly lower. A healthy Werth could be a top 50 fantasy player, but I have serious concern about a player with a checkered injury history at almost 36 years old.
23. #71 Alex Gordon Kansas City Royals
When the Royals destroyed the American League in the 2014 Postseason, I was really hoping that Alex Gordon would lead the team because he is my favorite player on the team. The mega prospect turned bust turned productive player turned wildly underrated stud is an awesome defender and very solid bat. Gordon should produce a line around 90/20/80/10/.270 and be a worthy second or third OF.
24. #72 Jay Bruce Cincinnati Reds
From 2010 to 2013, Jay Bruce represented consistent power, and I absolutely loved the idea of getting a guaranteed 30 home runs. However, he is the baseball version of Benjamin Button because Jay Bruce is looking increasingly lost at the plate. He is the only starter in MLB to have a rising K% rate for five years running. I am only buying a partial bounce back as you can read here.
25. #78 Mark Trumbo Arizona Diamondbacks (also 1B eligible)
I wrote about Mark Trumbo in the article called Fantasy First Base 10-17.
26. #80 Kole Calhoun Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
It almost seemed like Kole Calhoun came out of nowhere this year to produce 90 runs, hit 17 homers, and have a .775 OPS. Now, he is on my radar for sure because I think he will score at least 100 runs hitting in front of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.
27. #82 Christian Yelich Miami Marlins
Yelich just signed a team-friendly extension to stay in Miami for seven years. It was a great move for the team, but I think Yelich is more of a real-life talent than a fantasy asset if he keeps hitting so many ground balls. While his hard contact is good for his average and on-base percentage, it limits his power potential.
28. #88 Jorge Soler Chicago Cubs
I feel Soler is a pretty safe bet for production if his hamstrings hold up. Then again, you have to be ready for anything with prospects and rookies. Jorge Soler could easily hit 25-30 homers this year, but he also could be a below-average hitter in 2015. Soler is one of the top fantasy prospects in all of baseball, and I would absolutely take a chance on him as my third outfielder.
29. #89 Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
It is still pretty weird to me that Heyward’s best offensive season came as a 20 year-old rookie. Now, he will probably be hitting second in a significantly better lineup. I would have to assume that his run and RBI opportunities will increase hitting between Matt Carpenter and Holliday. Jason Heyward’s real life value will be buoyed by his great defense, but it remains to be seen whether he can finally live up to his lofty fantasy potential.
30. #97 Brandon Moss Cleveland Indians (also 1B eligible)
I wrote about Brandon Moss in the article called Fantasy First Base 10-17.