To wrap up my initial positional rankings, let’s take a look at my Top 30 outfielders for the upcoming season. 

Outfield is not quite as deep at the top of the rankings, but the positioned is littered with young players on the precipice breaking out. Players like Jason Heyward, Jay Bruce, Colby Rasmus and Mike Stanton could easily take the next step in 2011 and become some of the best options at the position. 

Where do they stand entering the year? Let’s take a look:

  1. Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers
  2. Carlos Gonzalez – Colorado Rockies
  3. Carl Crawford – Boston Red Sox
  4. Matt Holliday – St. Louis Cardinals
  5. Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers
  6. Josh Hamilton – Texas Rangers
  7. Andrew McCutchen – Pittsburgh Pirates
  8. Alex Rios – Chicago White Sox
  9. Andre Ethier – Los Angeles Dodgers
  10. Hunter Pence – Houston Astros
  11. Adam Dunn – Detroit Tigers
  12. Jay Bruce – Cincinnati Reds
  13. Shin-Soo Choo – Cleveland Indians
  14. Jason Heyward – Atlanta Braves
  15. Nelson Cruz – Texas Rangers
  16. Colby Rasmus – St. Louis Cardinals
  17. Justin Upton – Arizona Diamondbacks
  18. Mike Stanton – Florida Marlins
  19. Jose Bautista – Toronto Blue Jays
  20. Curtis Granderson – New York Yankees
  21. Jayson Werth – Washington Nationals
  22. Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox
  23. Ichiro Suzuki – Seattle Mariners
  24. Chris Young – Arizona Diamondbacks
  25. Shane Victorino – Philadelphia Phillies
  26. B.J. Upton – Tampa Bay Rays
  27. Corey Hart – Milwaukee Brewers
  28. Nick Markakis – Baltimore Orioles
  29. Ben Zobrist – Tampa Bay Rays
  30. Carlos Quentin – Chicago White Sox

Thoughts:

  • Many people want to take Hamilton’s 2010 performance (.359, 32 HR, 100 RBI) and turn him into a Top 5 outfielder and a first round pick. The problem is he is constantly battling injuries and his 2010 numbers were buoyed by a .390 BABIP. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine him coming close to replicating his success. For more on why I do not believe he is a first round pick, click here.
  • Before you disregard Pence’s place as a Top 10 outfielder, keep in mind that he should be the Astros’ full-time No. 3 hitter in 2011. In 292 AB there in 2010, he hit .288 with 13 HR, 49 RBI, 43 R and 9 SB. It is realistic to think that he will push 90/90 again (overall, he hit .282 with 25 HR, 91 RBI, 93 R and 18 SB) and there is a shot that he reaches 100/100.
  • Will Choo continue to post big BABIP? Over the past three seasons, he has posted marks of .367, .370 and .347. If he regresses there, his average could struggle, though I still view him as a great OF2 thanks to his consistent 20/20 production. To view my projection of him for 2011, click here.
  • I may be pushing Stanton a little higher than most, but he possesses a skill that is becoming more and more rare in the game today: Power. He hit 22 HR in 396 AB in the majors (plus 21 in 240 AB at Double-A).  There’s a very realistic chance that he approaches 40 in his sophomore campaign.
  • Does anyone really believe that Jose Bautista is going to be able to replicate his 2010 success?
  • Ichiro Suzuki can hit, that’s not in debate. He also showed that he can still run, stealing 42 bases in 2010. The problem is that a lot of his value came from scoring runs, which he has struggled with the past two seasons. Formerly a perennial 100+ run option, he has scored 162 runs total since 2009. That’s what happens when you hit atop an anemic offense.

What are your thoughts on these rankings? Whose too high? Whose too low?

 

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