Some people may overlook outfielders when drafting a team. Many owners will wait on grabbing a big-name outfielder because they assume that there is a plethora of talent at the position because of the number of players eligible to play there.
Yes, there is a slew of players who have eligibility in the outfield in addition to other positions, but there are two other factors that need to be taken into account. First, does your roster have generic OF slots, or is there one each for LF, CF and RF; and second, how many outfield spots does each roster have, three or five? Outfield is an important position because once you get into the middle rounds you may find yourself at the warning track when it comes to selecting an OF.
Not naming players who may have eligibility in the OF but have already been ranked in our spring training series, here is the Fantasy Tracker’s list of the top 10 outfielders.
(REUTERS)
(Getty Images)
(AP)
1. Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers
2009 – .320 BA 32 HR 114 RBI 113 R 20 SB
Ryan Braun exploded into the league with 34 home runs in 451 at-bats in 2007, and many people feared that he would be a fluke. In 2008 and 2009, Braun hit 37 and 32 home runs respectively, proving all of his critics wrong. Braun is one of the few players in the majors who hits for average and power and has the ability to steal 20+ bases in a season. There may be more depth at the outfield position than some of the others, Braun needs to be selected in the first round in any format.
2. Matt Holliday – St. Louis Cardinals
2009 – .313 BA 24 HR 109 RBI 94 R 14 SB
After being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals last season, Matt Holliday became one of the best hitters in all of baseball. In 63 games with the Cards, Holliday hit .353 with 13 HR and 55 RBIs, and showed exactly what he could do when protected in a lineup. Holliday re-signed with the Cardinals this offseason, and who can blame him, after the move to St. Louis saved his season and will have a full season with the best hitter in baseball protecting him in the lineup (Albert Pujols). I would expect a season from Holliday that is similar to his 2007 campaign, where he set career highs in HRs, RBIs, BA, R and XBH.
3. Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers
2009 – .297 BA 26 HR 101 RBI 97 R 34 SB
At 26, Matt Kemp may be the best young outfielder in the majors. Last season Kemp’s offense really took off; he raised his batting average by seven points and watched his home run and RBI totals jump by eight and 25, respectively. Kemp’s real value comes when he is on the base paths: He has stolen 30 or more bases in each of his last two seasons and was the only player on this list to hit 25 home runs and steal 30 bases. Will Kemp’s RBI totals slip a bit due to the loss of Orlando Hudson? Perhaps, but as he enters his prime there is still some improvement to be seen with the Dodgers outfielder.
4. Carl Crawford – Tampa Bay Rays
2009 – .305 BA 15 HR 68 RBI 96 R 60 SB
After missing over 50 games in 2008, Carl Crawford returned to form in 2009. In addition to batting over .300, hitting 15 home runs and collecting 68 RBIs, Crawford set a career high with 60 stolen bases. Crawford’s speed has always been his best asset, but there was one red-flag last season that had the Rays outfielder working hard this offseason: his caught stealing number. Crawford’s 16 CS was his highest total in his career so he dedicated this offseason to fixing his mechanics. Regardless if he gets caught 20 times, Crawford is a great source of steals and is a legitimate five-tool player.
5. Bobby Abreu – Los Angeles Angels
2009 – .293 BA 15 HR 103 RBI 96 R 30 SB
Bobby Abreu is like the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball, he gets no respect. Abreu’s power is no longer what it used to be, thanks in part to the 2005 Home Run Derby, but he can still hit for average and has a knack for driving in runs. Abreu has hit at least 15 home runs in his last nine seasons and has driven in 100 runs in eight of those nine (85 in 2002), but is rarely mentioned among the top outfielders in baseball. Abreu will be hitting in a weaker Angels lineup, but will still have Kendry Morales hitting behind him for protection and Howie Kendrick getting on base in front of him. Abreu is a model of consistency in the outfield and isn’t a sexy pick but is certainly a great option.
6. Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox
2009 – .301 BA 8 HR 60 RBI 94 R 70 SB
Ranking Ellsbury here was a little bit of a challenge because he does not have the same pop in his bat that someone like Carlos Lee (ranked 7th) does. Nonetheless, what Ellsbury lacks in home runs and RBI he makes up for in his ability to steal bases and score runs. Ellsbury led the majors in stolen bases last season with 70 and even improved his batting average by 21 points, bringing him to .301. Ellsbury will be moving over to left field after the departure of Jason Bay, which doesn’t mean much but could result in a slight jump in stolen bases wth the position is not as physically demanding as center field, and at 27 we may not have seen the most of his power yet.
7. Carlos Lee – Houston Astros
2009 – .300 BA 26 HR 102 RBI 65 R 5 SB
Based on his 2009 numbers, we are beginning to see the effect both age and playing on a mediocre team is having on Carlos Lee. Lee, who also goes by “El Caballo,” has watched his home run numbers steadily decrease from his career high of 37 in 2006. His drop in production should not come as a surprise because Lee is going to be 34 years old this season and has played in over 140 games in all but two of his 11 major league seasons. Lee’s RBI and runs totals will suffer a bit more considering the Astros have lost Miguel Tejada and do not have the strongest offense in baseball, two factors which prevent him from being higher on this list. Lee will still be good for about 23 HRs, 95 RBIs, and a .300 batting average in 2010, so draft him accordingly.
8 – Justin Upton – Arizona Diamondbacks
2009 – .300 BA 26 HR 86 RBI 84 R 20 SB
Anyone who was disappointed in Justin Upton in 2008 was biting their tongue in 2009 when the Diamondbacks outfielder silenced all of his critics with a monster campaign. Upton was one of three players on this list to have at least 25 home runs and 20 stolen bases (Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp were the others) but that wasn’t all he had to offer fantasy owners. Upton managed to raise his batting average by 50 points to an even .300 and drove in 44 more runs than he did in 2008. The Diamondbacks realized how good Upton can be and locked him up for six years last week and at 22, there is only room for improvement.
9 – Ichiro Suzuki – Seattle Mariners
2009 – .352 BA 11 HR 46 RBI 88 R 26 SB
Age is finally beginning to catch up with the Japanese superstar; Ichiro failed to score 100 runs and steal 30 bases for the first time in his career. The good news is that though Ichiro’s legs may be slowing down, his bat certainly is not. Ichiro hit over .350 for the fourth time in his career and again led the MLB in hits with 225. The interesting thing to see with Ichiro is where Seattle’s manager Don Wakamatsu will bat the aging star. Ichiro may be able to become more productive in terms of RBI by batting second in the order with Chone Figgins taking over at the leadoff spot. Remember, Ichiro is 36 years old and is not the player he used to be, so don’t let the name draft him for you.
10 – Adam Dunn – Washington Nationals
2009 – .267 BA 38 HR 105 RBI 81 R 0 SB
Adam Dunn has not only been one of the most prolific home run hitters in recent memory, but also one of the most consistent. I was a little bit disappointed Dunn was unable to reach the 40 home run mark for the sixth straight season, but he did still manage to hit 38, which led all players on this list. Dunn has also collected at least 100 RBIs in five of his last six seasons, making him one of the best sources of power and production at the outfield position. As dismal as it sounds, Dunn also managed to set a career-high in batting average by hitting .267 last season. Long story short, if you draft Dunn, you know what you are getting, a ton of power and RBIs but you will have to take the hit in batting average.
