Normally outfield is where you would look for your 20/20 players, but those are becoming a rarity these days as Ron Vackar pointed out in an article several months ago. That doesn’t mean that you won’t find 5 category players here, you just have to lower your standards and adjust your thinking once you get past the top players.
Standard leagues generally start 4 outfielders; with a standard 12 team league, that means 48 outfielders will be drafted just to fill your active lineup. Unfortunately nobody drafts just enough and owners usually grab one or two more as a back up or to hold down a utility spot. Overall, in standard leagues you can expect at least 70 outfielders to be drafted; basically everyone on this list. Does that mean you should grab your outfielders early? Kevin Jebens has part of that answer here in his Waiting Game series which compares the numbers you can expect from tier to tier. The short answer after looking at the numbers he has laid out is, it all depends on what you are willing to settle for. Obviously the higher you select an outfielder the better your numbers will be, but there is still talent to be found in the later rounds for the shrewd owners who know where to look.
For those of you who play in deeper or AL/NL only leagues, additional players will be discussed in the coming week that should cover the back-end of your draft. There are prospects, retreads, aging veterans, platoon players; a regular mixed bag of assorted outfielders that those in standard leagues might not give a second look at. There may even be some players mentioned that some of you believe are worthy of a spot in the top 75; opinions do vary so don’t think these rankings are set in stone, adjust them to your own liking come draft day.
Below are our top 75 Outfielders for the 2015 season. While we used a 10 games started requirement for eligibility, players like Hanley Ramirez were ranked here based upon what their primary position would be at the start of the season. If you feel we overlooked someone or would like to debate a players ranking, feel free to do so in the comment section below.
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Out of the top 20 players there were only 5 individual rankings below 20; 4 of which are just 1 or 2 shy of 20. Looking at the top 40 as a whole, there were just 5 individual ranks below 50 in our top 40. While we may not agree on each ranking, it is clear that these are the top 40 players to own come draft day. Quite impressive when you consider the number of players we had to choose from and how far apart we have been on some of our past rankings.
A few of you are probably grumbling because you have not seen your player yet; don’t fret, I’m sure they are on page 2 with the remainder of the outfielders.
I’m in a 12 team 8 keeper league so the draft pickings are understandably slim, but there are some gems available…Question: Why do you have Dickerson so high in the OF rankings? Did the Colorado manager make a statement about playing time? Also, who has more appeal? Gregory Polanco, Wil Myers, AJ Pollack, Steven Souza, Marcell Ozuna, or Jorge Soler? I’m still high on Polanco, but a lot of people seem down on him?
I really do not think Blackmon is ranked that high. Most sites have him higher. Even playing 4-5 days per week, he will do enough damage to be worth a top 150 pick. I am lowest on him, but I still think he has value.
As for your potential targets, I would look at Soler and Polanco first. In a keeper, their upside makes them extremely valuable. If they are gone, Pollock would be next. I like Souza as much as anybody, but what makes him attractive is the price tag. If you are reaching before pick 200 to grab him, then I am not sure the value is there.
I agree completely with Polanco and Soler. Both would be KEY massive additions to any keeper team. I differ with pick 3 in that I think Myers has some intriguing upside, so I’d slide him just ahead of Pollock.
But target the other two if you can. You could end up with a top 15 OF (heck maybe two of them)
I have to apologize Keith. I totally misread your previous question. I don’t know why, but I had Blackmon on the brain for some reason.
I am not aware of any statements, but Dickerson is locked in as an everyday player. Stubbs and Blackmon look like platoon candidates until somebody gets hurt.
As for Dickerson, he was arguably the Rockies’ best hitter after Tulo went down. Given his past numbers both in the majors and minors, there really is not anything there that looks flukey either. Dickerson is a steal in the fourth round and could be a value late in the third. There is always risk in a crowded outfield, but I can’t envision a scenario where Dickerson is the odd man out.
Thanks guys
Dickerson turned out a very good and consistent year last year even without consistent at bats. Looking at his minor league stats at milb.com he seems to have some legitimate power to hit 25-30 HR’s and a good average .280-.300. I don’t question his playing time this year. I think Blackmon is the one more likely to split his starts with Stubbs. 2011 minors for Dickerson .282/.356/.629 with 78/32/86/9 in 106 games at A full. In 2012 he had a .304/.358/.542 with 83/22/81/16 in 127 games over A and AA. In partial seasons in 2010 (rookie ball) 69 games and AAA in 2013 (75 games) he batted .348 and .371 with the same OPS at both levels 1.046 and 13 and 11 HR’s.
And Tommy is lowest on Blackmon but highest on Dickerson so probably best for him to tell you what he likes in Dickerson.