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I have seen several fantasy writers rank Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury as a top 10 or top 12 pick for 2014 fantasy baseball drafts. One of them was our own Alex Kantecki, who published his early Top 10 for 2014 earlier this month.
Listen, everyone is entitled to their opinions, and I know for a fact, I am not always right on players (Ike Davis says hi), but I am here today to tell you that, for me, Ellsbury is not a first round pick in 2014. And, he isn't a top 10 outfielder for me either. Actually, he isn't even a top 20 outfielder for me either. Maybe I will be in the minority here, but I prefer outfielders who hit for power.
Ellsbury does several things well. He lead the majors in stolen bases this season with 52, although if Everth Cabrera was not suspended, he probably would have given him a run for his money for the stolen base title. Ells hits for a sold batting average as well. He hit .298 this season and is a career .297 hitter. Finally, Ellsbury is probably one of the best leadoff hitters in the game, and as a result, he will score plenty of runs.
But, here is why I won't rank him in my top 20 outfielders for 2014:
1. The stolen bases are nice, especially when he steals 50 or more. But, if you look at the stolen base leaders for this season, two of the top three guys weren't even drafted in most mixed leagues this season. Eric Young Jr. and Rajai Davis stole 46 and 45 bases, respectively. That tells me that you can grab stolen base guys off the waiver wire and they are much easier to trade for as well.
2. Ellsbury scored 92 runs this season, ranking 14th in baseball. But, did you know that there were 29 other hitters who finished within ten runs of him this season? Yes, and there were 40 other hitters who finished within 15 runs of Ellsbury in 2013, so runs are easy to find. Plus, Ellsbury is a free agent at the end of the season, and he will more than likely be leaving the Red Sox for a big contract this offseason, so his run scoring may drop. If the Mariners sign him, and there are some who believe they have strong interest. his runs scored will plummet, because Seattle turns good hitters into hitters you do not want to draft on your fantasy teams.
3. I am a power whore, and will always rank a 20-80-80 hitting outfielder ahead of a low power, 40 stolen base guy. Every day and twice on Sunday.
I ranked Ellsbury as my 25th ranked outfielder in my early outfielder rankings yesterday. Obviously, this isn't a finished product, but here is a look at my early take on the Top 25 outfielders for 2014:
Rank |
Name |
Team |
1 |
Mike Trout |
Angels |
2 |
Andrew McCutchen |
Pirates |
3 |
Ryan Braun |
Brewers |
4 |
Carlos Gonzalez |
Rockies |
5 |
Adam Jones |
Orioles |
6 |
Giancarlo Stanton |
Marlins |
7 |
Bryce Harper |
Nationals |
8 |
Yasiel Puig |
Dodgers |
9 |
Carlos Gomez |
Brewers |
10 |
Alex Rios |
Rangers |
11 |
Jay Bruce |
Reds |
12 |
Matt Kemp |
Dodgers |
13 |
Jose Bautista |
Blue Jays |
14 |
Jason Heyward |
Braves |
15 |
Shin-Soo Choo |
Reds |
16 |
Wil Myers |
Rays |
17 |
Justin Upton |
Braves |
18 |
Carlos Beltran |
Cardinals |
19 |
Domonic Brown |
Phillies |
20 |
George Springer |
Astros |
21 |
Matt Holliday |
Cardinals |
22 |
Jayson Werth |
Nationals |
23 |
Michael Cuddyer |
Rockies |
24 |
Hunter Pence |
Giants |
25 |
Jacoby Ellsbury |
Red Sox |
What do Fake Teams' readers think. Let me hear you in the comments section below.
More from Fake Teams:
- A Look Back at our 2013 Consensus Starting Pitcher Rankings - Part 3
- Alfonso Soriano: Turning back the clock
- A Look Back at our 2013 Consensus Starting Pitcher Rankings - Part 2
- 2014 Minor League Keeper Thoughts: Boston Red Sox
- Fantasy Football: Thursday Start/Sit, Week 7 Rankings and More
- Fantasy Basketball: Top 20 Centers
- Max Scherzer Is Awesome: Now What?
- A Look Back at our 2013 Consensus Starting Pitcher Rankings - Part 1
- The Top 5 Fantasy Shortstop Prospects
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