There is tremendous value in the outfield. You can start at the very top where Mike Trout is arguably the best player and fantasy player in the game. My goal is usually to get two of the top 20 outfielders in the first 8 rounds. If an elite option for my second outfielder is available in the third round, it is a situation where I would take two outfielders on my roster. Otherwise, you do not want to fill the three outfield slots too quickly because there are other positions less deep that you need strong production. I like having 2 outfielders then selecting a couple of high upside guys after round 10. While there is elite production at the top, the pool of strong fantasy production is the deepest in the outfield.
1. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2013: .323 AVG/ 109 R/ 27 HR/ 97 RBIs/ 33 SB)
Trout is a five tool player and arguably the best player in the game with his elite defense. Along with Miguel Cabrera, they are the top two players in fantasy baseball. He is a 30/30 player who is a plus in all 5 categories.
2. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers (2013: .298 AVG/ 30 R/ 9 HR/ 38 RBIs/ 4 SB)
Braun’s season was cut short due to injury and the suspension related to the Biogenesis scandal. Nevertheless, he provides elite production in all 5 roto categories. In 2012, he hit 41 homeruns and stole 30 bases. It is insane production at any position. While it calls into question how much the PEDs helped his performance, 30/20 should still be very attainable.
3. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates (2013: .317AVG/ 97 R/ 21 HR/ 84 RBIs/ 27 SB)
McCutchen is another 5 category roto superstar. He plays on a poor Pirates offense. It would be very interesting to see what his stats would look like in a good lineup.
4. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies (.302 AVG/ 72 R/ 26 HR/ 70 RBIs/ 21 SB)
Gonzalez’s biggest issue is his injury plagued history. He put up his elite production in only 110 games last season. He has never played more than 145 games in a season. Nevertheless, he plays in Coors Field and provides elite stats when he is on the field.
5. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals (2013: .274 AVG/ 71 R/ 20 HR/ 58 RBIs/ 11 SB)
Harper has yet to play a full season or come close to his potential. However, his time is coming soon and it could be this season. In 139 games in 2012, he hit 22 homerun and stole 18 bases. In an injury shortened 118 games in 2013, he still put up excellent production. As long as he stays healthy, he could do 30/20 this year. Moreover, it is scary that his ceiling could be much higher.
6. Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles (2013: .285 AVG/ 100 R/ 33 HR/ 108 RBIs/ 14 SB)
I have never been a big fan of Adam Jones as a hitter because he is a hacker with poor plate discipline. For fantasy baseball, production is production. He has been a sensational fantasy baseball outfielder the last two seasons. In 2012, he hit 32 homeruns and 16 stolen bases. He backed it up with 33/14 last season. You can pencil him in for 30+ homeruns and 15+ stolen bases.
7. Giancarlo Stanton (2013: .249 AVG/ 62 R/ 24 HR/ 62 RBIs/ 1 SB)
Stanton has as much power as any hitter in the game. However, he has had trouble staying healthy the last two seasons. Nevertheless, he hit 37 homeruns in only 123 games in 2012 and hit 24 homeruns in 111 games last year. Besides his injury risk, he is loses value batting in a terrible lineup.
8. Carlos Gomez (2013: .284 AVG/ 80 R/ 24 HR/ 73 RBIs/ 40 SB)
I was ready to classify Gomez as a bust. However, he broke out in 2012 with 19 homeruns and 37 steals in only 137 games. He backed it up last year with 24 homeruns and 40 steals. 20/40 is elite production in fantasy baseball.
9. José Bautista (2013: .259 AVG/ 82 R/ 28 HR/ 73 RBIs/ 7 SB)
Bautista is sure power. Unfortunately, he has had trouble staying healthy recently playing in only 92 and 118 games respectively the last two seasons. Nevertheless, he has hit 27 and 28 homeruns in those shortened seasons. If he can stay healthy, he still has 40 homerun power and can add double digit steals.
10. Jacoby Ellsbury (2013: .298 AVG/ 92 R/ 9 HR/ 53 RBIs/ 52 SB)
Ellsbury’s best fantasy season came in 2011 when he hit 32 homeruns and stole 39 bases. While he may never approach 30+ homeruns again since his next highest homerun total in a season is 9, he should be able to hook a few extra homeruns into Yankee Stadium’s right field. Although I am not a proponent of drafting speed without twenty homeruns to supplement and I personally would not draft Ellsbury in the first two rounds, double digit homeruns and 40+ stolen bases makes him an elite fantasy outfielder. However, injury risk is a major factor with Ellsbury too.
11. Jay Bruce (2013: .262 AVG/ 89 R/ 30 HR/ 109 RBIs/ 7 SB)
Bruce has hit over 30 homeruns in 3 consecutive seasons. His consistency in providing power is his strongest attribute. He will also add some steals.
12. Shin-Soo Choo (2013: .285 AVG/ 107 R/ 21 HR/ 54 RBIs/ 20 SB)
Choo is a consistent 20/20 outfielder and has produced that output for most of his career. He also provides reliable average as a career .288 hitter.
13. Hunter Pence (2013: .283 AVG/ 91 R/ 27 HR/ 99 RBIs/ 22 SB)
Pence is a very consistent hitter providing 25+ homeruns each year. He upped his stolen bases to 22 last year which made him an elite fantasy outfielder. You know he will produce the homeruns. Moreover, the Giants will allow him to run. Even if it is not 22 stolen bases, he will contribute double digit steals.
14. Alex Rios (2013: .278 AVG/ 83 R/ 18 HR/ 81 RBIs/ 42 SB)
After a horrific 2011 season, he returned to fantasy prominence in 2012 with 25 homeruns and 23 steals. He backed it up in 2013 with an even bigger season. He is a great fantasy outfielder because he provides power and speed.
15. Yasiel Puig (2013: .319 AVG/ 66 R/ 19 HR/ 42 RBIs/ 11 SB)
Puig had an astronomical start to his rookie season last year. I am not as high on him as most people. He cooled down in the second half of last year batting .273 with 11 homeruns and 6 stolen bases. I believe those stats are more indicative of what he will produce this year. This prorated 25 homeruns and 15 stolen bases is excellent fantasy production. I would not make the lead that he will do more than those numbers and perform like a superstar.
16. Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals (2013: .300/ 103 R/ 22 HR/ 94 RBIs/ 6 SB)
He is no longer an elite fantasy option. Nevertheless, he is very consistent. If he is healthy, he is good for 25+ HR and 100+RBIs with a .300 average. Even when he misses games and plays limited games, he is good for 20+ homeruns. His ceiling is not as high as it was in his prime but his floor is still very good. Accordingly, his true value is certainty.
17. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers (2013: .270 AVG/ 35 R/ 6 HR/ 33 RBIs/ 9 SB)
Kemp is the most difficult player to rank this year. Two years ago, he hit .324 with 39 HR, 126 RBIs, and 40 SB. He was arguably the best player in baseball. He has been ravaged by injuries the last two seasons. They are significant injuries too. He is high risk, high reward. You may get a top 5 player if he is healthy or get nothing if his injuries continue.
18. Wil Myers, Tampa Bay Rays (2013: .293 AVG/ 50 R/ 13 HR/ 53 RBIs/ 5 SB)
Myers is one of the best young hitters in the majors. He is a .300 hitter with a high on base percentage. He hit 37 homeruns in the minor leagues two years ago and combined for 27 homeruns between the minor leagues and major leagues last season. He will be an elite fantasy option soon if not this season. If you believe his time is now, you can move him closer to the top 10.
19. Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals (2013: .318 AVG/ 84 R/ 25 HR/ 82 RBIs/ 10 SB)
Werth is a great combination of power and speed. Health has been an issue the last two seasons. While he only played in 129 games last season, he was still very productive. He also has a pretty high ceiling since he hit over 30 homeruns and stole over 20 bases in a past season. He has also hit over .300 the last two seasons. He is a better player in a deep lineup rather than being responsible for carrying a lineup. Accordingly, I think he can produce at the levels he did with the Philadelphia Phillies as the Nationals young hitters develop, especially Bryce Harper.
20. Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves (2013: .254 AVG/ 67 R/ 14 HR/ 38 RBIs/ 2 SB)
Heyward has been a disappointment so far in his career. However, he is still very young and already had a 27 homerun and 21 stolen base season in his career 2 years ago. Accordingly, he has a lot of upside. He also performed much better once he became the leadoff hitter last year and he will start the season in the same spot in the batting order. After the All-Star Break last season, he batted .305 with a .397 OBP in 37 games. He is another high risk, high reward player.
21. Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Angels (2013: .250 AVG/ 73 R/ 21 HR/ 79 RBIs/ 4 SB)
I have never been a fan of Hamilton as a fantasy player because he is an injury risk and will always battle his drug addiction. He really struggled with the Angels in his first season with the team. Nevertheless, he is one of the best sluggers in the game when healthy. He hit 43 homeruns two years ago. A concern is that he will continue to regress similar to the way Albert Pujols did when he joined the Angeles. I will not be drafting Hamilton in any situation but I do acknowledge his fantasy value.
22. Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland As (2013: .240 AVG/ 74 R/ 26 HR/ 80 RBIs/ 7 SB)
Cespedes had a very promising rookie season batting .292 with 23 homeruns and 16 stolen bases. He had a bit of a sophomore slump in his second season. Early in his career, he has shown he is an injury risk but has immense power. I would sign up for his rookie stats. Moreover, he has a huge upside.
23. Domonic Brown, Phialdelphia Phillies (2013: .272 AVG/ 65 R/ 27 HR/ 83 RBIs/ 8 SB)
Brown finally broke out in 2013. Moreover, he only played in 139 games. Over a full season, he should be good for 30 homeruns and 10 SBs.
24. Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees (2013: .296 AVG/ 79 R/ 24 HR/ 84 RBIs/ 2 SB)
Beltran’s homers and steals significantly decreased from 32/13 in 2012. Nevertheless, he is still a very productive player. He has always wanted to be a Yankee to follow the footsteps of his boyhood hero and fellow Puerto Rican, Bernie Williams. Playing in Yankee Stadium and in the AL where he can stay fresh with more games at the DH should improve his stats this year.
25. Alfonso Soriano, New York Yankees (2013: .255 AVG/ 84 R/ 34 HR/ 101 RBIs/ 18 SB)
Soriano started the season with the Chicago Cubs before joining the New York Yankees via trade. He had a monster fantasy season displaying an elite combination of power and speed. While his numbers should regress, 25 homeruns and 10 stolen bases are reasonable and good fantasy value.
26. Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates (2013: .280 AVG/ 83 R/ 12 HR/ 35 RBIs/ 41 SB)
His overall homerun and stolen bases for his first full season is excellent. However, I am very skeptical of Marte going forward and would warn against drafting him too high. He hit 9 of his homeruns in the first half. As such, I do not think he has 20 homerun power. He may not even be able to duplicate double digit homeruns. He does steal a lot of bases but he gets caught stealing a lot too. There are a lot of holes in his game and I would rather stay away than take a flier.
27. Desmond Jennings, Tampa Bay Rays (2013: .252 AVG/ 92 R/ 14 HR/ 54 RBIs/ 20 SB)
Jennings has had injury issues and has never quite realized his potential. Nevertheless, he has an excellent combination of power and speed and has the potential to be a 20/30 player. He also added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason so it should be interesting to see if it improves his game.
28. Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles (2013: .266 AVG/ 49 R/ 27 HR/ 76 RBIs/ 5 SB)
Cruz hit 27 homeruns in only 109 games after he was suspended for his involvement in Biogenesis. Health is an issue but he provides immense power. His steals have gone down every season so he is no longer the dual threat he was in the past. On the other hand, I like that he joined a deep, powerful Orioles lineup and is playing in another hitter friendly park.
29. Shane Victorino, Boston Red Sox (2013: .294 AVG/ 82 R/ 15 HR/ 61 RBIs/ 21 SB)
He was limited to 122 games last season but was very productive in the time he did play. He is good for 15+ homeruns and 30+ steals when healthy.
30. Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals (2013: .265 AVG/ 90 R/ 20 HR/ 81 RBIs/ 11 SB)
Gordon was a big prospect when he first came up to the major leagues. He has settled in as a 20/10 type player. It is not bad for an outfielder but it is not great either.
Other 20/20 Men
Coco Crisp, Oakland As; Will Venable, San Diego Padres; Curtis Granderson, New York Mets
20+ homeruns and 20+ steals is a hot commodity in fantasy baseball. I have always been a fan of Crisp for fantasy. However, it was usually because of his ability to steal 40+ bases. He set a new career high in homeruns with 22 last season. While I expect that total to decrease, he should provide double digit homeruns while stealing more than 21 bases. He is more of a 10/30 player. I was surprised that Venable went 22/22 last season. He should be good for 20+ stolen bases. I have no idea whether he can duplicate the power. Nevertheless, I did not know how well he did last season until I started drafting for this year. As a result, he should go unnoticed throughout the draft and is worth a shot late. Granderson has a swing built for Yankee Stadium. He hit 41 and 43 homeruns in 2011 and 2012. His best fantasy season came in 2011 when he went 41/25. I do not anticipate him hitting 40 homeruns switching to home games at CitiField. On the other hand, his steals have dropped each season but he should have to steal more bases in a National League style game. Accordingly, 20/20 is a possibility for 2014.
Other Power Options
Brandon Moss, Oakland As; Colby Rasmus, Toronto Blue Jays; Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox; Josh Willingham, Minnesota Twins
I mentioned Moss under first basemen. He has really found a home in Oakland. He hit 21 homeruns in only 84 games in 2012 and hit 30 homeruns in a full season in 2013. The power is legitimate and he can be drafted later than most first basemen so there is a ton of value with him. Rasmus is usually good for 22+ homeruns. Quentin is a cheap source of power very late. Although he has injury problems, he hit 16 homeruns in 86 games in 2012 and 13 homeruns in 82 games in 2013. Willingham hit 29 homeruns and 35 homeruns in 2011 and 2012 before a nightmare 2013 campaign.
10/30 Options
Brett Gardner, New York Yankees; Leonys Martin, Texas Rangers; Carl Crawford, Los Angeles Dodgers; Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants
It is good to have one of these players on your team. They provide steals but also some power. They can also be had in the teen rounds. The Yankees thought highly enough of Gardner to give him a multiyear deal. He can pop some homeruns to the hitter friendly right field of Yankee Stadium. He stole 47 and 49 bases in 2010 and 2011 so he has the highest upside for steals in this group. Martin had a breakout season in 2013. He hit 8 homeruns and stole 36 bases. Crawford has serious injury risk of late. However, he is still a productive player when healthy. Pagan will go under the radar in drafts but provides solid production.
Buyer Beware
Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies (2013: .331 AVG/ 74 R/ 20 HR/ 84 RBIs/ 10 SB)
Cuddyer is a very good player. However, he is not an elite fantasy option. I overdrafted him in 2010 after he hit 32 homeruns in 2009. Similarly, I would not overdraft him this year after he hit .331. He is a career .277 hitter. Nevertheless, 20/10 is acceptable and valuable. I just have a feeling someone will reach for him.
Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
He is a tease. He looks like he should be better but his overall numbers are surprisingly bad for fantasy purposes. His stolen bases have decreased steadily in his career from 27 in his rookie season to 8 last year. He provides double digits homeruns but the decrease in steals really hurts his value. Someone will draft him too soon. Do not allow it to be you.
Flawed Speed
Michael Bourn, Cleveland Indians; Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds, Rajaj Davis, Detroit
Bourn has been a sure 40+ steals for most of his career. The 23 last season is concerning. He relies on his legs and is getting older. Hamilton has received a lot of hype for his ridiculous ability to steal bases. However, you cannot steal bases without getting on base. Batting average is not important for him. However, his .308 OBP at AAA is atrocious. He also strikes out a lot. He will still steal his share of bases but do not overdraft him. He may have a rough time in the major leagues. Davis is an example of the downside of Hamilton. Davis stole 45 bases last season but he did not get on base enough to stay in the lineup. He only played in 108 games.
Reclamation Projects
BJ Upton, Atlanta Braves; Drew Stubbs, Colorado Rockies
Upton signed a massive contract with the Braves after the 2012 season and was a bust in 2013. Despite a terrible average, he has been a great fantasy option in his career providing homeruns and steals. In his last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, he went 28/31. While he has shown an improved approach at the plate to make more contact during spring training, he has not shown power yet. Stubbs is similar to Upton. He provides power and speed but at the cost of your average. I do not see Stubbs playing enough in Colorado for a comeback.
Prospect Watch
George Springer, Houston Astros
I am not going to comment on all prospects. However, Springer definitely caught my eye. I was blown away when I looked him up. If the Astros were a better team, they would allow him to start the season with the major league team rather than try to play with his arbitration and free agency clock. He should be up with the Astros at some point this season. He is the real deal. In AA and AAA last season, he hit a combined 37 homeruns and 45 steals. Moreover, he did it with a .300 average and .400 OBP. His glaring weakness is his propensity to strike out but he is still young and working on it. Even if he does not have a great batting average at the beginning of his career, his willingness to take a walk, hit homeruns, and steal bases make him an extraordinary fantasy player.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.