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Keeping in form with my first base post, the only players eligible are those whose primary position is listed as outfield. I know some may not agree with this approach but I wouldn't consider David Ortiz for first base even though he's eligible in leagues that require 5 in-season games for eligibility. While this is post is the outfielders who have been all stars for the American League, it might as well be the Angels in the Outfield edition. I have Trumbo and Trout in two of the three OF spots. Who's the third? Hit the jump to find out!
Mark Trumbo - Trumbo is a triple-threat in fantasy leagues right now with his 1st base/3rd base/OF eligibility. Trumbo has exceeded everyone's expectations and the power numbers have increased as the season has gone on. With only 3 home runs in limited playing time during March/April, Trumbo then slugged 7 and 9 in the months of May and June respectively. He's already hit 2 dingers in the first 7 July games and he's also ahead of last year's pace in RBI and BB as well. The average is starting to fall, as expected, but the power will remain. He's currently on pace to hit 40 home runs, and while he may not reach that total, 35 is easily attainable. Owners may be getting scared with his batting average normalizing, and while he won't necessarily be cheap, he could be available at a reasonable cost. If you have Trumbo, continue to start him and if you can acquire him, I recommend doing so
Mike Trout -Trout's major league season didn't start til April 28th. He was 1-11 in the first 3 games and has been nearly unstoppable since. He hit .324/.385/.556 in the month of May with 5 home runs, 16 RBI, and 8 steals in the lead off position. He was nothing short of spectacular in June, hitting .372/.419/.531 with 3 home runs, 16 RBI, and managing to steal 14 bases in 15 attempts. He's carried that production over as he's off to simply a torrid start in July. In the 7 games played, he's already matched last month's HR total of 3 and has 7 RBI with 4 steals. Trout's line as of date is .343/.399/.555. He's 2nd in the MLB in stolen bases with 26, trailing only Dee Gordon of the Dodgers by 4 bags. Trout is a top 10 outfielder in H2H points leagues, and in Roto leagues that count OBP he's top 5. He's arguably the #1 position player in dynasty formats.
Josh Hamilton -Not much of a surprise here. Hamilton is tied for the major league lead in home runs (27) with Jose Bautista and he's the current leader in RBI (75) as well. But just how good has Hamilton been? Comparing his 2010 & 2012 first halves, he's already bested his home run (22) and RBI (64) marks, and he's essentially on par in every other category and he's done it in 7 less games . He's currently on pace for a final season line of . 312/.383/.639 with 52 HR, 146 RBI, 105 R, and 11 SB. Can Hamilton duplicate his performance or will he tail off in the second half? Only time will tell, but if history is an indicator the only thing that can stop Josh Hamilton are injuries.
Honorable Mention: Adam Jones, Jose Bautista, Josh Reddick, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rios