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2014 Points League Rankings: Top 200 Hitters

The top-200 hitters in head-to-head points leagues are revealed.

By Alex Kantecki
Abelimages

Last year, I released position-by-position rankings in head-to-head points leagues, in addition to my top-100 hitters. This time around, I've skipped the positional breakdowns and aggregated separate lists for the top-200 hitters, top-150 pitchers and top-300 overall players -- because it's important to see how batters and pitchers stack up against each other in a points format. Fear not: each player listed will also have a positional ranking attached, so I've avoided the need to create a separate post for each position. For players with multiple eligibility, I've assigned the position I feel provides the most value.

First things first: You'll notice this list is very different from the ranks you might normally come across, as roto and points are two different animals. I'm only aware of one other site that provides points league rankings (ESPN), which runs a top-300 overall list. My advice for points leagues is simple: don't overthink it. Important statistics for hitters include total bases, B/KK and K%, as strikeouts can kill a player's overall value (for example, Martin Prado outscored Pedro Alvarez last year, 403 to 298).

Here's a simple strategy from 2013 -- which still applies -- of what you should be on the lookout for (this is how I approached last year's Official Fake Teams H2H Points League en route to a first-place finish):

Because more bases equal more points, total bases are one of the best indicators of a hitter's value in points leagues. In fact, it's the first thing I look at. Then I factor in the remaining four categories that produce positive points (runs, RBIs, stolen bases and walks), before factoring in the only category that yields negative points (strikeouts).

...A very useful stat in points leagues is BB/K. With strikeouts and walks cancelling each other out, it only makes sense that a player with a higher BB/K is more valuable (in general) than a player with a lower BB/K. In 2012, the league average BB/K was 0.40 (down from 0.44 in 2011), and only six players with 400 or more at bats had a BB/K of greater than 1.00, including Carlos Lee, Jose Reyes, Chipper Jones, Joey Votto, Joe Mauer and Prince Fielder. Now don't go drafting Lee No. 1 overall (he's not even on a team!), but keep BB/K in mind when comparing players of similar value. It's very helpful. Players near the bottom in BB/K can sink your team.

Ah, Carlos Lee...Jason Collette spearheaded a H2H Points League mock draft at ESPN in late February (with the same scoring settings I adhere to below), and you can see the results of the 10-team mock here. It's one of the best sources I've come across for 2014, and it also includes links to ESPN's points league rankings. Next, I'll release the top-150 pitchers on Tuesday and the top-300 overall players on Wednesday.

Position breakdown of the top-200 hitters was as follows:

Catcher: 21
First Base: 30
Second Base: 23
Shortstop: 23
Third Base: 24
Outfield: 76
Designated Hitter: 3

As a reminder, scoring for hitters in points leagues is one point for every base, run, RBI, walk and stolen base, and minus-one point for every strikeout. Your league may weigh points differently, so be sure to check your league's scoring and settings -- it will affect your league's final rankings/projections considerably.

Here are my top-200 hitters in points league for 2014 (yes, I snuck Darwin Barney inside the top 200):

Rank

Player

Postion Rank

Team

1

Miguel Cabrera

3B-1

DET

2

Mike Trout

OF-1

LAA

3

Paul Goldschmidt

1B-1

ARI

4

Edwin Encarnacion

1B-2

TOR

5

Joey Votto

1B-3

CIN

6

Andrew McCutchen

OF-2

PIT

7

Adrian Beltre

3B-2

TEX

8

Robinson Cano

2B-1

SEA

9

Jose Bautista

OF-3

TOR

10

Prince Fielder

1B-4

TEX

11

Troy Tulowitzki

SS-1

COL

12

David Ortiz

DH-1

BOS

13

Dustin Pedtoia

2B-2

BOS

14

David Wright

3B-3

NYM

15

Ryan Braun

OF-4

MIL

16

Hanley Ramirez

SS-2

LAD

17

Chris Davis

1B-5

BAL

18

Ian Kinsler

2B-3

DET

19

Matt Carpenter

2B-4

STL

20

Matt Holliday

OF-5

STL

21

Evan Longoria

3B-4

TB

22

Buster Posey

C-1

SF

23

Shin-Soo Choo

OF-6

TEX

24

Martin Prado

3B-5

ARI

25

Carlos Santana

C-2

CLE

26

Adam Jones

OF-7

BAL

27

Carlos Gonzalez

OF-8

COL

28

Eric Hosmer

1B-6

KC

29

Jacoby Ellsbury

OF-9

BOS

30

Joe Mauer

C-3

MIN

31

Victor Martinez

DH-2

CLE

32

Albert Pujols

1B-7

LAA

33

Josh Donaldson

3B-6

OAK

34

Freddie Freeman

1B-8

ATL

35

Ben Zobrist

2B-5

TB

36

Jose Reyes

SS-3

TOR

37

Bryce Harper

OF-10

WAS

38

Hunter Pence

OF-11

SF

39

Adrian Gonzalez

1B-9

LAD

40

Jason Kipnis

2B-6

CLE

41

J.J. Hardy

SS-4

BAL

42

Carlos Beltran

OF-12

NYY

43

Jay Bruce

OF-13

CIN

44

Giancarlo Stanton

OF-14

MIA

45

Yadier Molina

C-4

STL

46

Ryan Zimmerman

3B-7

WAS

47

Kyle Seager

3B-8

SEA

48

Billy Butler

DH-3

KC

49

Allen Craig

1B-10

STL

50

Jason Heyward

OF-15

ATL

51

Brandon Phillips

2B-7

CIN

52

Andrelton Simmons

SS-5

ATL

53

Brian McCann

C-5

NYY

54

Justin Upton

OF-16

ATL

55

Aramis Ramirez

3B-9

MIL

56

Yasiel Puig

OF-17

LAD

57

Norichika Aoki

OF-18

KC

58

Manny Machado

3B-10

BAL

59

Jonathan Lucroy

C-6

MIL

60

Jed Lowrie

SS-6

OAK

61

Pablo Sandoval

3B-11

SF

62

Alex Rios

OF-19

TEX

63

Alex Gordon

OF-20

KC

64

Chase Utley

2B-8

PHI

65

Jose Abreu

1B-11

CHW

66

Anthony Rizzo

1B-12

CHC

67

Elvis Andrus

SS-7

TEX

68

Aaron Hill

2B-9

ARI

69

Michael Brantley

OF-21

CLE

70

Nick Markakis

OF-22

BAL

71

Nolan Arenado

3B-12

COL

72

Salvador Perez

C-7

KC

73

Jean Segura

SS-8

MIL

74

Ian Desmond

SS-9

WAS

75

Coco Crisp

OF-23

OAK

76

Shane Victorino

OF-24

BOS

77

Daniel Murphy

2B-10

NYM

78

Brett Lawrie

3B-13

TOR

79

Wilson Ramos

C-8

WAS

80

Torii Hunter

OF-25

DET

81

Michael Cuddyer

OF-26

COL

82

Matt Wieters

C-9

BAL

83

Mark Trumbo

1B-13

ARI

84

Kendrys Morales

1B-14

FA

85

Xander Bogaerts

3B-14

BOS

86

Domonic Brown

OF-27

PHI

87

Yoenis Cespedes

OF-28

OAK

88

Wil Myers

OF-29

TB

89

Brandon Belt

1B-15

SF

90

Desmond Jennings

OF-30

TB

91

Nick Swisher

1B-16

CLE

92

Austin Jackson

OF-31

DET

93

Carlos Gomez

OF-32

MIL

94

Melky Cabrera

OF-33

TOR

95

Jose Altuve

2B-11

HOU

96

Marco Scutaro

2B-12

SF

97

Starlin Castro

SS-10

CHC

98

James Loney

1B-17

TB

99

Angel Pagan

OF-34

SF

100

Mark Teixeira

1B-18

NYY

101

Josh Hamilton

OF-35

LAA

102

Justin Morneau

1B-19

COL

103

Alexei Ramirez

SS-11

CHW

104

Asdrubal Cabrera

SS-12

CLE

105

Denard Span

OF-36

WAS

106

Gerrardo Parra

OF-37

ARI

107

Adam Eaton

OF-38

CHW

108

Omar Infante

2B-13

KC

109

Brian Dozier

2B-14

MIN

110

Jimmy Rollins

SS-13

PHI

111

Neil Walker

2B-15

PIT

112

Nelson Cruz

OF-39

BAL

113

Anthony Rendon

2B-16

WAS

114

Erick Aybar

SS-14

LAA

115

Adam Lind

1B-20

TOR

116

Chase Headley

3B-15

SD

117

A.J. Pierzynski

C-10

BOS

118

Alfonso Soriano

OF-40

NYY

119

Kole Calhoun

OF-41

LAA

120

Matt Joyce

OF-42

TB

121

Wilin Rosario

C-11

COL

122

Yonder Alonso

1B-21

SD

123

Christian Yellich

OF-43

MIA

124

Josh Reddick

OF-44

OAK

125

Mike Napoli

1B-22

BOS

126

Pedro Alvarez

3B-16

PIT

127

Curtis Granderson

OF-45

NYM

128

Matt Adams

1B-23

STL

129

Brandon Moss

OF-46

OAK

130

Adam LaRoche

1B-24

WAS

131

Daniel Nava

OF-47

BOS

132

Yunel Escobar

SS-15

TB

133

David Murphy

OF-48

CLE

134

Miguel Montero

C-12

ARI

135

Jason Castro

C-13

HOU

136

Carlos Ruiz

C-14

PHI

137

Logan Morrison

1B-25

SEA

138

Justin Smoak

1B-26

SEA

139

Corey Hart

OF-49

SEA

140

Nate Schierholtz

OF-50

CHC

141

Matt Dominguez

3B-17

HOU

142

Alejandro De Aza

OF-51

CHW

143

Jedd Gyorko

2B-17

SD

144

Starling Marte

OF-52

PIT

145

Zack Cozart

SS-16

CIN

146

Everth Cabrera

SS-17

SD

147

Leonys Martin

OF-53

TEX

148

Michael Bourn

OF-54

CLE

149

Brett Gardner

OF-55

NYY

150

Brad Miller

SS-18

SEA

151

Howie Kendrick

2B-18

LAA

152

Eric Young

OF-56

NYM

153

Marlon Byrd

OF-57

PHI

154

Andre Ethier

OF-58

LAD

155

Dexter Fowler

OF-59

HOU

156

Colby Rasmus

OF-60

TOR

157

Alberto Callaspo

3B-18

OAK

158

Will Venable

OF-61

SD

159

Carlos Quentin

OF-62

SD

160

Chris Carter

1B-27

HOU

161

Adam Dunn

1B-28

CHW

162

Russell Martin

C-15

PIT

163

Devin Mesoraco

C-16

CIN

164

Todd Frazier

3B-19

CIN

165

Chris Johnson

3B-20

ATL

166

David Freese

3B-21

LAA

167

Ryan Howard

1B-29

PHI

168

Derek Jeter

SS-19

NYY

169

Nick Castellanos

OF-63

DET

170

Mitch Moreland

1B-30

TEX

171

Jurickson Profar

2B-19

TEX

172

Jhonny Peralta

SS-20

STL

173

Justin Ruggiano

OF-64

CHC

174

Evan Gattis

C-17

ATL

175

Jon Jay

OF-65

STL

176

Raul Ibanez

OF-66

LAA

177

Carl Crawford

OF-67

LAD

178

Yan Gomes

C-18

CLE

179

David DeJesus

OF-68

TB

180

Oswaldo Arcia

OF-69

MIN

181

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

C-19

MIA

182

Alcides Escobar

SS-21

KC

183

Alex Avila

C-20

DET

184

Kelly Johnson

2B-20

NYY

185

A.J. Pollock

OF-70

ARI

186

Khris Davis

OF-71

MIL

187

Stephen Drew

SS-22

FA

188

Mike Moustakas

3B-22

KC

189

Jonny Gomes

OF-72

BOS

190

Rajai Davis

OF-73

DET

191

Dayan Viciedo

OF-74

CHW

192

Avisail Garcia

OF-75

CHW

193

Brandon Crawford

SS-23

SF

194

Juan Uribe

3B-23

LAD

195

Welington Castillo

C-21

CHC

196

Scooter Gennett

2B-21

MIL

197

Will Middlebrooks

3B-24

BOS

198

Michael Morse

OF-76

SF

199

Rickie Weeks

2B-22

MIL

200

Darwin Barney

2B-23

CHC

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