The 2020 MLB season is approaching, and that means the fantasy baseball season is nearing as well. Some drafts have already been completed, while numerous more drafts will be happening over the next few weeks. Here are some outfielders who could be ranked higher and may lead to a very efficient pick in fantasy baseball drafts.
*Rankings are according to ESPN’s Complete 2020 Projections for Fantasy Baseball at the time of writing. It is set to all players with ESPN standard scoring.*
Jorge Soler (OF, DH) (Kansas City Royals)
Rank: 89
Jorge Soler will be just 28-years-old during the 2020 season. Last year, he led the American League in homers with 48. That should be an eye-opening statistic to some fantasy baseball players. Those 48 homers were more than he hit in his first five seasons combined. That could be a potential red flag that Soler may not have the same kind of season in 2020, but it could also mean he’s developed more and could continue to hit homers at the big league level.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (OF) (Toronto Blue Jays)
Rank: 193
With Bo Bichette and Vlad Jr. also being on the Blue Jays, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has likely been overlooked by some. After two big league seasons, Gurriel Jr. has played in 149, games, which is just 13 less than a full regular season. In those 149 games, he has a slash line of .279/.320/.499. He’s also hit 31 home runs, 27 doubles and has 85 RBIs. If Gurriel Jr. plays a full season in 2020, there’s a chance his numbers could be pretty similar to his career numbers through his first two seasons.
Hunter Dozier (3B, OF) (Kansas City Royals)
Rank: 208
Hunter Dozier has played more MLB games as an infielder, but he still has outfield eligibility in fantasy baseball. The Royals also signed Maikel Franco this season, so Dozier may play quite a bit in the outfield this season. Dozier played a career-high 139 games in 2019, and had his best season statistically with the Royals. He slashed .279/.348/.522. He also had 29 homers, 26 doubles and his 10 triples were tied for most in the majors. Dozier should get some solid RBI opportunities this season if he bats near the middle of the order.
Nomar Mazara (OF) (Chicago White Sox)
Rank: 246
Nomar Mazara has been very consistent in his first four seasons when it comes to the long ball. From 2016-through-2018, Mazara hit 20 home runs in each of those seasons, while he hit 19 in 2019. That’s consistent. In 2019, Mazara played a career-low 116 games, so even though he had one less home run than each of his first three seasons, he still had a career-high OPS of .786. Mazara will be playing with the Chicago White Sox this season.
Anthony Santander (OF) (Baltimore Orioles)
Rank: 322
Anthony Santander doesn’t have much big-league experience, which can go into his ranking of 322. Last season was his third in the MLB, and he played a career-high 93 games. He slashed .261/.297/.476. He also hit 20 doubles and 20 home runs. Santander is also on the struggling Orioles, so he should get some solid playing time this season. Something Santander could improve this season is his on-base percentage. Last season, he walked just 19 times in 93 games.
Feature Image Courtesy of FOX4 Kansas City.
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