Filling three spots in the outfield makes this a critical position in fantasy baseball. It’s likely three of the top-five overall picks will be outfielders, so don’t reach outside that area. It’s an important position, but one where you can find value picks later in drafts featuring players that are close to elite in certain categories.
The top picks in the outfield position are elite in several categories.
Here is my top-five list for outfielders in the upcoming fantasy baseball draft.
1. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
He’s the No. 1 pick in my fantasy baseball rankings and he should be in yours, too. He’s a more consistent option than the No. 2 overall pick (see the next pick) and there are no weaknesses in his fantasy baseball game. Trout is a career .304 hitter, with an average of 35 homers, 99 RBIs, 28 stolen bases and 119 runs during a normal 162-game season. It’s impossible to find a player in Major League Baseball today with numbers like that on a yearly basis. He’s a sure-fire anchor for your fantasy team, so you’d be nuts not to pick him first in the upcoming fantasy draft.
2. Bryce Harper, Washington
It was tough to be as good as Harper last season. He hit 42 home runs, batted .330, had an on-base percentage of .460, drove in 99 runs and scored 118 runs. The only area he was deficient was stolen bases, where he managed only six. I’m banking on last year being the crux of my expectation for this year, but I’m not guaranteeing it. While Trout has been a consistent machine, Harper hasn’t been quite the same ballplayer since breaking into the league in 2012. He has a tough time staying on the field (he went for 118 and 110 games two and three years ago) and he’s not shown that kind of power in any other year. I believe he is that power hitter, but I’m not completely sure. Despite the minor reservations, I’m still taking Harper as my second pick in the upcoming fantasy baseball draft.
3. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami
Stanton has the ability to have a monster year…as long as he stays healthy. Last year was a bust for Stanton, who managed to play only 74 games. He was coming off a year when he hit 37 homers, 105 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 89 runs and a .395 on-base percentage. He was on pace for another big year last season before getting injured. He’s still young and is the main source of offense for the Marlins. I like Stanton a little more than others and I’m taking him as my third overall pick in my fantasy baseball draft.
4. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
He’s a mainstay on top-10 fantasy baseball lists and this year shouldn’t be any different. He’s not the top-five overall option that he’s been in the past, but he’s still easy to like. His on-base percentage has been over .400 during the previous four seasons and he’s a solid option in the runs, batting average and RBI categories. The biggest issue with McCutchen is his lack of production in the stolen bases category recently. He was once a player who was easily over 20 stolen bases per season. However, in the last two years, he hasn’t reached 20 stolen bases, with a career low of 11 last year. I’m looking for that number to improve this season to go along with his other attributes.
5. Jose Bautista, Toronto
I value Bautista less than the top-four, so he shouldn’t be grabbed off the board until the second round. There are multiple options at this level in the outfield, with A.J. Pollock, Charlie Blackmon and Starling Marte, but what separates Bautista from the crowd is his elite ability to hit for power. Oh, and I also like his double-position stature as he can also be labeled as a Designated Hitter. He’s a perennial 40-homer, 100-plus RBI, 100-run player. He may not hit for average or steal bases, but he can power fantasy owners to wins in multiple categories, making him a top-five outfielder in fantasy baseball.
