Like many other sports, Major League Baseball is delayed in 2020. With this, fantasy baseball is also not operating as planned. However, there is still a possibility of the season happening, even if it is different than the typical Major League season. Should the fantasy baseball season happen this year, a lot of participants will be doing research prior to their draft. Position rankings are a way for people to get an idea of who they might want to target in their fantasy baseball draft. Here is a list of outfielders for the 2020 fantasy baseball season.
Note: To be eligible for these rankings, the player’s first position listed on ESPN fantasy baseball must be the outfield. For example, since Kris Bryant is listed as (3B, OF), he is eligible for the third base rankings in this series, but will not be included in the outfield rankings.
Multiple players’ stats are according to Baseball-Reference.
50. Yasiel Puig, Free Agent (OF)
Although Yasiel Puig is a free agent, he could still potentially join a club and contribute if the 2020 season happens. In 2019, Puig played in 149 games, 100 being with the Reds and 49 with the Indians. He slashed .267/.327/.458 with 24 homers last year.
49. Anthony Santander, Baltimore Orioles (OF)
Although 2019 was Anthony Santander’s third in the MLB, he only played a total of 46 games in the first two years, but increased that to 93 games in 2019. He had an even amount of home runs and doubles at 20 apiece.
48. Justin Upton, Los Angeles Angels (OF)
Justin Upton played in 63 games last year, missing numerous games due to injury. In 256 plate appearances, Upton had 47 hits with 20 of them going for extra-bases. He also had 40 RBIs and scored 34 runs.
47. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (OF)
Byron Buxton hasn’t necessarily had that breakout year yet, but his fantasy potential is still high. He can score in multiple ways. He had a slugging percentage of .513 last year. Buxton can use that running ability to get an extra-base on some of his hits.
46. Andrew McCutchen, Philadelphia Phillies (OF)
Andrew McCutchen is another player on the list that could see an increase in fantasy points scored with more playing time. He participated in 59 games last year, slashing .256/.378/.457. McCutchen hit 12 two-baggers, 10 homers and scored 45 runs.
45. Lorenzo Cain, Milwaukee Brewers (OF)
Lorenzo Cain had close to as many plate appearances last season (623) as he did in 2018 (620). However, he had a noticeable drop in offensive numbers. He had 30 doubles and scored 75 runs last season.
44. Avisail Garcia, Milwaukee Brewers (OF, DH)
Avisail Garcia had 530 plate appearances with the Rays in 2019. He had 138 hits and slashed .282/.332/.464 which are all an increase from 2018.
43. J.D. Davis, New York Mets (OF, 3B)
In J.D. Davis’ first season with the Mets, he got 453 plate appearances. He had both 22 doubles and homers, and collected 126 total hits for the season. Davis also had 57 RBIs and scored 65 times.
42. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers (OF)
Ryan Braun had an increase in some of his offensive numbers last season compared to both 2017 and 2018. His 31 doubles are his most since 2012, and his 22 home runs are his most since 2016.
41. Oscar Mercado, Cleveland Indians (OF)
In his rookie season, Oscar Mercado had a slash line of .269/.318/.443. He had 118 hits and scored 70 times in 115 games played. Mercado could move up in the rankings with a solid season.
40. Danny Santana, Texas Rangers (OF, 1B)
In 2019, Danny Santana slashed .283/.324/.534. He played in a career-high 130 games and hit a career-high 28 home runs. He hasn’t put up stats like that consistently throughout his career, but it doesn’t mean he can’t continue to put up numbers in the coming years.
39. Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers (OF, 1B)
Joc Pederson may see less playing time with the addition of Mookie Betts. The Dodgers also have Cody Bellinger, A.J. Pollack and Chris Taylor on the depth chart. Pederson played in 149 games and hit 36 homers last season, so a lack of playing time may be the biggest reason to re-think how early he should be drafted.
38. Corey Dickerson, Miami Marlins (OF)
Corey Dickerson had a .906 OPS in 2019, his highest in a single-season since 2014. He dealt with an injury and was limited to 78 games on the season, slashing .304/.341/.565.
37. Mark Canha, Oakland Athletics (OF)
Mark Canha had one of his best years at the plate last season. In 497 plate appearances, he hit 26 homers and 16 doubles. His slash line for the season was .273/.396/.517, which are all single-season highs.
36. Willie Calhoun, Texas Rangers (OF)
After not reaching 100 plate appearances with the Rangers in his first two seasons, he got 337 plate appearances last season. He played in 83 games, totaling 21 dingers and 14 doubles.
35. Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox (OF)
Luis Robert played 47 games in AAA. He slashed .297/.341/.634, hitting 16 homers, 10 doubles and five triples. At the time of writing, he was ranked as the top outfield prospect and number three overall prospect.
34. Adam Eaton, Washington Nationals (OF)
In 2019, Adam Eaton played in 151 games, his most in a regular-season since 2016. He picked up 158 hits with 47 of them being for extra-bases. He also scored 103 times and had 49 RBIs on the year.
33. Victor Robles, Washington Nationals (OF)
Victor Robles played in 155 games in 2019, getting 647 plate appearances. He hit 17 long balls, 33 doubles and three triples. He also scored 86 runs and 65 RBIs on the year.
32. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates (OF)
Bryan Reynolds finished in fourth for NL Rookie of the Year in 2019. He collected 247 total bases and hit 37 two-baggers. Reynolds had 546 plate appearances and could move up in the list with solid consistency at the plate.
31. Franmil Reyes, Cleveland Indians (OF, DH)
Franmil Reyes played for both the Padres and the Indians in 2019, totaling 150 games in the regular season. He hit 37 home runs and had 81 RBIs. Reyes also had 19 doubles on the year.
30. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (OF)
Through two seasons in the MLB, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has played in 149 games. In those games, Gurriel Jr. hit 31 homers, 27 doubles and has 157 hits total. His slash line with the Blue Jays is .279/.320/.499.
29. Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox (OF)
With Mookie Betts being off the roster, Andrew Benintendi could see more playing time although Alex Verdugo was acquired by the Red Sox in the offseason. Benintendi hit 40 doubles in 138 games played last season.
28. Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics (OF)
Ramon Laureano more than doubled his plate appearances last season from 2018. He got 481 of them in 2019, hitting 24 homers and 29 doubles in those plate appearances.
27. Tommy Pham, San Diego Padres (OF, DH)
Tommy Pham has joined the San Diego Padres during the offseason. He spent 2019 with the Rays, playing in 145 contests. He recorded 81 base on balls and had a solid OBP of .369 on the year.
26. Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (OF)
Marcell Ozuna played slightly less than in the past few years, but he still got 549 plate appearances on the year. He had 89 RBIs and scored 80 runs in a year where the Cardinals struggled as a team offensively.
25. Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs (OF)
Kyle Schwarber boosted his offensive numbers last season. He had 610 plate appearances, 38 home runs and 92 RBIs, all single-season highs. Schwarber slashed .250/.339/.531 in 2019.
24. Michael Conforto, New York Mets (OF)
For the second season in-a-row, Michael Conforto surpassed 600 plate appearances, having 648 in the 2019 regular season. He slashed .257/.363/.494 on the year. Conforto had 84 base on balls for the second year in-a-row.
23. Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins (OF)
Max Kepler had 90 RBIs and 98 runs scored last season. On an offense like Minnesota, he could continue to get hitting opportunities with runners on base. Kepler also had 36 dingers last year.
22. Michael Brantley, Houston Astros (OF, DH)
For the second time in his career, Michael Brantley finished the regular season with a slugging percentage above .500 as it was .503 in 2019. Brantley hit 40 doubles and a single season-high 22 long balls last year.
21. Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox (OF)
In his rookie season, Eloy Jimenez got 504 plate appearances. He hit 31 home runs and 18 doubles. Jimenez recorded 240 total bases on the season as well.
20. Jorge Soler, Kansas City Royals (OF, DH)
Jorge Soler participated in all 162 Royals’ games in 2019. He mashed 48 homers and 33 doubles. The 117 RBIs he recorded is a huge fantasy stat. Soler also scored 95 runs last season.
19. Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees (OF)
An injury limited Giancarlo Stanton to just 18 games in the 2019 regular season. The year prior, Stanton got 705 plate appearances and hit 38 homers and 34 doubles.
18. Eddie Rosario, Minnesota Twins (OF)
Eddie Rosario had 32 long balls and 109 RBIs last season. Like Kepler, Rosario also had a high amount of RBIs. A reason for this is again because being on an offense like the Twins, it could help him get opportunities to bring in runs.
17. Jeff McNeil, New York Mets (OF, 2B, 3B)
Jeff McNeil could be used at second and third base along with the outfield which is a plus in fantasy baseball. In 2019, he slashed .318/.384/.531. He played in 133 games and got 567 plate appearances.
16. Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers, (OF)
After his first 416 regular-season games with the Rangers, Joey Gallo has hit 110 homers and 105 singles. He has a career .516 slugging percentage and a .847 OPS.
15. Starling Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (OF)
Starling Marte had a career-high .503 slugging percentage last season. He had 31 doubles and 25 homers. Like some other players on the list, he can find himself getting an extra-base on some of his hits.
14. Nicholas Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds (OF)
Nicholas Castellanos had a whopping 58 doubles last season. He picked up 178 hits, 27 homers and 100 runs scored. Castellanos also had a single-season high OPS at .863.
13. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (OF, 2B)
Ketel Marte had multiple career highs in the 2019 regular season. He hit 36 doubles, 32 homers and had 187 total hits, all single-season highs. Marte slashed .329/.389/.592 last season.
12. George Springer, Houston Astros (OF)
George Springer played in 122 games last season, his fewest since 2015. However, he still had a career-high 39 home runs and 96 RBIs last season. He slashed .292/.383/.591 in the regular season.
11. Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Rays (OF, DH)
Austin Meadows had 530 at-bats last season. In those at-bats, Meadows hit 33 homers, 29 doubles and seven triples. He also collected 296 total bases.
10. Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies (OF)
Charlie Blackmon had 634 plate appearances in 2019, his sixth-year in-a-row with at least that amount. Blackmon scored 112 runs and hit 42 doubles along with 32 homers last season.
9. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (OF)
Last season was Aaron Judge’s third in-a-row with at least 100 games played and a .900 OPS. Judge slashed .272/.381/.540 in 447 plate appearances last season.
8. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (OF)
Bryce Harper has seen a decrease in his slash line over the last few seasons. However, he has had an increase in playing time over the past few seasons. Harper had 114 RBIs in the 2019 regular season.
7. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (OF)
Mookie Betts had 706 plate appearances in 2019. He hit 40 doubles and 29 homers last year. Betts led the league in runs scored by scoring 135 of them last season.
6. J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox (OF, DH)
Last season, J.D. Martinez hit 33 doubles, the fifth season of his career with at least 30 two-baggers. Martinez slashed .304/.383/.557 in 657 plate appearances in his ninth MLB season.
5. Juan Soto, Washington Nationals (OF)
Juan Soto has now finished his first two regular seasons in the MLB with an OBP above .400. He drew 108 base on balls last season. Soto also had 34 homers and 32 doubles in the 2019 regular season.
4. Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers (OF, 1B)
Last season’s National League MVP winner Cody Bellinger slashed .305/.406/.629 in his third big league season. He hit 47 dingers and collected 351 total bases in the 2019 regular season.
3. Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves (OF)
Ronald Acuna Jr. led the National League in plate appearances last season with 715. He hit 41 long balls, 22 doubles and had 101 RBIs. Acuna had 324 total bases last season.
2. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers (OF)
An injury limited Christian Yelich to 130 games last season where he slashed .329/.429/.671. He hit 44 home runs, 29 doubles and drew 80 base on balls.
1. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (OF)
Last season was the eighth in-a-row where Mike Trout finished in the top four of the AL MVP voting. He got 600 plate appearances, slashing .291/.438/.645. Last season was also Trout’s third in-a-row with an OPS of over 1.000.
Feature Image Courtesy of MASNsports.com.
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