Fantasy Outfield 1-15

Sep 25, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez (27) talks to teammates in the dugout during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-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.

1. #1 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

I am yet to find to a format where Mike Trout should not be the top pick. He is well on his way to surpassing Tim Salmon as the best Angels outfielder with the last name of a fish. (Obviously, Trout is significantly better, but Salmon has 14 years of career accomplishments).

2. #2 Giancarlo Stanton Miami Marlins

If Mike Trout repeats his stolen base total of 16 from 2014, then Stanton may not be all that far away. I personally believe that the game’s best hitter will finish as the top fantasy player in 2015. Of course, I am still taking Trout first overall.

3. #3 Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates

Andrew McCutchen is the most popular choice at #2 overall, but I prefer Stanton’s power potential. Cutch is a five category stud who can do no wrong. McCutchen is a .300 hitter, solid bet for 20/20, and will have upwards of 100 runs and RBI’s. He makes a strong case as the National League’s best player over the past three seasons.

4. #6 Carlos Gomez Milwaukee Brewers

Carlos Gomez is the only player in Major League Baseball to hit 20+ homers and steal 30+ bases in each of the past two seasons. Gomez will hit for a solid average and should score upwards of 100 runs, but I would wait and see where he is placed in the lineup to gauge his R and RBI potential.

5. #10 Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays

I have no real qualms with any of the players in the top 10 this season. Even though I have preached about their safety, half of them will flop, and I will look foolish. Bautista is an injury risk and he is 34 years old, but he has been an absolute stud for the past five years. I will certainly take a late first rounder on arguably the premier R/HR/RBI/OBP option in all of fantasy.

6. #11 Adam Jones Baltimore Orioles

Adam Jones is far less exciting than the previous outfield options, but there is no chance that I will ever complain about a guy who will hit 30 homers and a .280 batting average. Here is a little more on why I want Adam Jones with the 11^th pick this year.

7. #19 Bryce Harper Washington Nationals

There is a drop-off between Jones and Harper because the young phenom has a significantly lower floor than any of the previous options. In fact, Harper’s best numbers are nowhere near his ADP, but he is still only 22 years of age. Regardless of Bryce Harper’s production, he will not be a good value pick.

8. #23 Yasiel Puig Los Angeles Dodgers

Puig is the next young exciting outfielder on this list. Yasiel Puig is yet to produce up to his ADP as well, but he already has a plus hit tool and shows glimpses of being a true five category stud. Like Harper, I will probably not have any stock in Puig, but a 25-15 season with a .300+ average is quite possible.

9. #25 Justin Upton San Diego Padres

There is definitely concern that Upton’s power will be sapped by moving from Atlanta to San Diego, but if you watch Upton hit or look at a chart of where his HR’s landed, then you will see that he hits no doubters. Assuming he stays healthy, I think Justin Upton still has 25+ long balls as a Padre.

10. #26 Michael Brantley Cleveland Indians

If Yasiel Pug pans out to the fullest of his ability in 2015, then he could reproduce the numbers that Brantley posted last season. However, Brantley is expected by many to succumb to a bit of a regression. I personally believe he has a 15-15 floor, which means that I am not afraid of grabbing last year’s rising star in the third round.

11. #28 Ryan Braun Milwaukee Brewers

If Braun’s thumb is supposedly healed, then I could be drafting him about 25 spots too low based on the ranking that I gave him. Of course, we would foolish to take Ryan Braun’s word on something. On the other hand, I am a gigantic fan of Braun’s play, so I really do hope that he returns to the fantasy elite, but I am a little skeptical of Braun returning to his insane production from three years ago.

12. #32 Hunter Pence San Francisco Giants

These rankings were done before Pence had his forearm broken in Spring Training. I would probably drop Hunter Pence down about 25 spots from here, but I am not worried about his recovery. I think that Pence could turn into a nice value pick as long as the healing goes well.

13. #35 Carlos Gonzalez Colorado Rockies

CarGo was pretty terrible when he was healthy, but he almost never was. Gonzalez would be a first rounder with a clean bill of health, but we could say the same for his teammate, Troy Tulowitzki. I would only invest in CarGo if your previous picks were safe options like Adam Jones and Josh Donaldson rather than Bryce Harper and Tulo.

14. #39 Matt Kemp San Diego Padres

Kemp has been killing the ball this spring. While Spring Training stats are not very important for the vast majority of proven MLB players, it is promising to see that Matt Kemp has picked up right where he left off. Even with the arthritic hips, Kemp looks like the stud of old at the plate.

15. #41 Jacoby Ellsbury New York Yankees

The main attraction for Ellsbury is his stolen bases, and I will fundamentally not pay that much for a base stealer. Jacoby Ellsbury’s 32 homer season is clearly looking to be a fluke, and he is more of a top 50 option rather than the top 5 player he was in 2011 with his 119/32/105/39/.321 line.

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