The Keeper Corner #24-11

We continue down my 2015 preseason rankings that I used for a keeper league.  Since I've had questions, these projections are values for the 2015 season only, obviously if Harper is next to David Ortiz, I'd have taken Harper over him for keeper values, but when it comes to winning now, I had Ortiz ranked as a better producer purely based on numbers, as much as it pains me to say that.  This was my short term map.  Without further ado #24:

#24 Corey Dickerson, OF, COL

$31.39, 83 R, 24 HR, 73 RBI, 8 SB, .301 AVG, .896 OPS

Dickerson played only 65 games because of fractured ribs and planter fasciitis.  When he was on the field, he continued hitting well.  He isn't a big walker, but he was a great hitter for both power and average.  WARNING: He also has an extreme split between how he performs at home and on the road.  For the past two seasons Dickerson has been one of the best hitters in baseball at home, and average on the road, he also has struggles vs lefties but feasts on righties.  If you can find someone else to split time with Dickerson next season, you can have one of the best platoons in fantasy baseball, but if he is every moved out of Colorado, abandon ship immediately.

#23 Freddie Freeman, 1B, ATL

$31.68, 96 R, 21 HR, 90 RBI, 2 SB, .292 AVG, .858 OPS

Freeman had wrist injuries and only played 118 games.  This however did not stop him from being a line drive machine yet again, and also being the great on base player he has been all through his career.  Freeman is a natural hitter, and you won't have many issues with him when he's on the field.  His approach puts him in position to not have many slumps, and prior to last years' wrist injury, he'd been extremely resilient playing over a 147 games for four consecutive seasons.  If he's healthy next season, he should be back to smashing line drives all over the field, whether that be with the Braves or another team.  Fun fact, Freeman has the second best line drive rate ever, since they began recording it.

#22 David Price, SP, DET

$31.75, 216 K, 16 W, 3.292 ERA, 1.083 WHIP, 5.838 K/BB

Price was a Cy Young contender, and is coming off his best career season.  Both his strikeout rate, and walk rate were elite.  He also pitched over 200 innings for the 5^th time in his career.  He's a frontline starter, and will be a fantasy ace yet again next season.

#21 Adam Jones, OF, BAL

$31.99, 93 R, 32 HR 93 RBI, 10 SB, .279 AVG, .798 OPS

For the first time since 2009, Jones played under 149 games.  This didn't stop him from being a very strong fantasy performer, as he still bopped 27 homers, and hit .269.  Going forward, I wouldn't want to invest heavily in Adam Jones.  I've never been a fan of players who have poor walk rates, and high batting averages.  He'll continue to hit homers, but eventually it seems that all players like this start chasing pitches as their bat speed slows and they have to gear up to swing earlier than ever before, and their poor plate discipline will be exposed.

#20 Yasiel Puig, OF, LAD

$32.59, 93 R, 23 HR, 91 RBI, 13 SB, .283 AVG, .856 OPS

Puig had a litany of leg injuries, and missed half the season.  I don't really care about his poor mentality, and the issues other teammates have with him personally.  I watch Puig and I know he can make hard contact to all fields, and he is very fast.  He was reported to weigh over 260lbs last season, which is far more than any player with his speed should ever weigh.  Next year, if he's going any later than the second round I'll be looking to buy low, as I anticipate a big bounce back from the talented Puig.

#19 Michael Brantley, OF, CLE

$32.68, 84 R, 16 HR, 83 RBI, 20 SB, .307 AVG, .830 OPS

Brantley played through shoulder injuries, and still hit .310 last year.  His plate discipline is arguably the best in baseball, walking more than he struck out, and his .859 OPS, was the 22^nd best in baseball.  He's a great hitter.  The bad news is that he had offseason surgery, and will be out of baseball for 5-6 months, which cuts into next season.  This obviously makes him a gamble, and it is hard to project him 2016 because of this.  Hopefully he can have his 5^th straight season with an average over .280, and he can continue to get double digit steals.  The power is the big question next season.

#18 Robinson Cano, 2B, SEA

$32.84, 87 R, 19 HR, 90 RBI, 8 SB, .305 AVG, .844 OPS

Cano is presently in the hot seat after having his ex hitting coach rip him for being terrible, and his friends telling the media he wants to go back to New York.  His first half was a catastrophe, but after the Mariners fell out of contention early, few noticed his second half.  He posted a .331/.387/.540, that's a .926 OPS, that's some great hitting for half of the season, when most players wear down.  He played through an abdominal strain, and was apparently ill for the majority of the first half.  If his first half drives down his price next season I'll be a buyer in 2016.

#17 Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX

$33.73, 80 R, 24 HR, 79 RBI, 1 SB, .315 AVG, .876 OPS

Very similar to Robinson Cano, Beltre had a terrible first half, and then came back with a vengeance along with the rest of the Rangers, to save his fantasy season in the second half.  Beltre's whole triple slash rate drastically improved in the second half, along with his batted ball profile drastically improving.  Next year, similar to Cano, I'd invest, but not at the same level I'm willing to go with Cano due to him being 37 on opening day in 2016.

#16 Chris Sale, SP, CWS

$33.74, 232K, 17 W, 2.734 ERA, 1.033 WHIP, 4.462 K/BB

Sale had 274 strikeouts...  Besides that he was generally awesome.  I'm not sure what kind of analysis readers want on a player this good, he's just going to be good again next year so you want him.  If you want some sort of research, his strikeout and walk rate were both career bests, creating a 6.52 K/BB.

#15 Ryan Braun, OF, MIL

$33.75, 81 R, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 10 SB, .290 AVG, .872 OPS

Braun was a well rounded hitter, but the days of him being an elite masher are gone.  He's always nicked up, perhaps this is the new PED free Braun, but he's no longer a top 20 pick.  When he's on the field, you can expect him to continue being a great line to line hitter, with above average power to all fields.  The additional 24 steals he threw in were a great add after him failing to reach 20 steals in the two previous seasons.  In my mind he's a low end OF 1 or a great OF2.

#14 Stephen Strasburg, SP, WSH

$34.76, 243 K, 17 W, 2.972 ERA, 1.064 WHIP, 4.959 K/BB

Strasburg had a series of injuries (oblique, back, and trap) that led to him to only pitching 127 innings.  His strikeouts and walks were both elite last year.  His ERA makes him appear to not have had a great year, but his peripherals were very strong, and expect him to be back to his ace self in 2016.  Next year, he may slip because of his innings and ERA, but I'd be willing to bet on him coming back strong next year.

#13 Carlos Gomez, OF, MIL

$35.41, 95 R, 26 HR, 73 RBI, 40 SB, .277 AVG, .829 OPS

Wrist, intercostal, and hip injuries limited Gomez to 115 games last season.  As a result, his power and speed both took a big hit, and he failed to reach 20 homers or 20 steals, after being a 20/20 player in both of the previous two seasons.  It was his worst season since 2011, his big drop in hard hit rate and pull rate were likely a result of him playing hurt, and failing to turn on balls he used to pull.  Next year, if he's healthy I expect him to easily eclipse 20 steals, and he should resume posting solid power numbers again.

#12 Jose Abreu, 1B, CWS

$36.09, 78 R, 34 HR, 100 RBI, 3 SB, .286 AVG, .868 OPS

This is a professional hitter.  He hits the ball hard to all fields, and plays in a great hitters park.  His first two seasons of MLB baseball have resulted in 80 run, 30 home run, 100 RBI seasons.  He's a career .303 hitter in 1290 plate appearance, and his hard hit rate for his career is 35.3%, the 45^th best recorded rate of all time.  He's an excellent player, and his reliability only increases his value.  Last year he only had one month with an OPS below .800, and that was in May when he posted a .742.  You want Abreu.

#11 Anthony Rizzo, 1B, CHC

$ 36.47, 91 R, 34 HR, 89 RBI, 6 SB, .279 AVG, .883 OPS

On the other side of Chicago, Rizzo continued his ascent into MLB stardom.  He posted his second consecutive 30 homer season, and added 17 steals to his owners, after stealing 16 steals previously in his whole career.  At 26 years old, there is more for Rizzo to learn at the plate, whether that be spraying the ball around the field more evenly, or further improving his excellent plate discipline.  Rizzo is a top 10 player in 2016 drafts.

If you have any questions about rankings feel free to leave a comment below, or ask me on twitter @jackcecil1.  Below are the full ranks up to #11.

11	Anthony Rizzo
12	Jose Abreu
13	Carlos Gomez
14	Stephen Strasburg
15	Ryan Braun
16	Chris Sale
17	Adrian Beltre
18	Robinson Cano
19	Michael Brantley
20	Yasiel Puig
21	Adam Jones
22	David Price
23	Freddie Freeman
24	Corey Dickerson
25	Max Scherzer
26	Josh Donaldson
27	Anthony Rendon
28	Hanley Ramirez
29	Buster Posey
30	Victor Martinez
31	Madison Bumgarner
32	Johnny Cueto
33	David Ortiz
34	Bryce Harper
35	Carlos Gonzalez
36	Jordan Zimmermann
37	Zack Greinke
38	Ian Desmond
39	Adrian Gonzalez
40	Corey Kluber
41	Jose Altuve
42	Albert Pujols
43	Joey Votto
44	Aroldis Chapman
45	Justin Upton
46	Matt Holliday
47	Masahiro Tanaka
48	Prince Fielder
49	George Springer
50	Yoenis Cespedes
51	Matt Kemp
52	Jacoby Ellsbury
53	Carlos Santana
54	Jonathan Lucroy
55	Jon Lester
56	Evan Longoria
57	Koji Uehara
58	Cole Hamels
59	Craig Kimbrel
60	Mookie Betts
61	Nolan Arenado
62	Mark Melancon
63	Starling Marte
64	Greg Holland
65	Chris Carter
66	Pablo Sandoval
67	Ryan Zimmerman
68	Kole Calhoun
69	Kris Bryant
70	Chris Davis
71	Adam Wainwright
72	Evan Gattis
73	Nelson Cruz
74	Ian Kinsler
75	Kyle Seager
76	Jose Reyes
77	Adam LaRoche
78	Jeff Samardzija
79	Hyun-Jin Ryu
80	Justin Morneau
81	James Shields
82	David Robertson
83	Todd Frazier
84	Jayson Werth
85	Carlos Carrasco
86	Devin Mesoraco
87	J.D. Martinez
88	Phil Hughes
89	Melky Cabrera
90	Matt Harvey
91	Kenley Jansen
92	Starlin Castro
93	Glen Perkins
94	Hunter Pence
95	Jorge Soler
96	Pedro Alvarez
97	Dellin Betances
98	Julio Teheran
99	Brandon Moss
100	Mark Trumbo
101	Matt Carpenter
102	Manny Machado
103	Jason Heyward
104	Hisashi Iwakuma
105	Huston Street
106	Rusney Castillo
107	Jacob deGrom
108	Dustin Pedroia
109	Neil Walker
110	Alex Cobb
111	Andrew Miller
112	Christian Yelich
113	Sean Doolittle
114	Jonathan Papelbon
115	Jay Bruce
116	Alex Gordon
117	Marcell Ozuna
118	Brian Dozier
119	Homer Bailey
120	Lucas Duda
121	Yadier Molina
122	Leonys Martin
123	Matt Adams
124	Cody Allen
125	Steve Cishek
126	Joaquin Benoit
127	Alex Wood
128	Jason Kipnis
129	Brandon McCarthy
130	Trevor Rosenthal
131	Adam Lind
132	Kolten Wong
133	Ben Zobrist
134	Gerrit Cole
135	Chase Utley
136	David Wright
137	Charlie Blackmon
138	Aramis Ramirez
139	Anibal Sanchez
140	Ken Giles
141	Martin Prado
142	Drew Smyly
143	Steve Pearce
144	Fernando Rodney
145	Jake Arrieta
146	Yan Gomes
147	Drew Storen
148	Gio Gonzalez
149	Daniel Murphy
150	Michael Cuddyer
151	Doug Fister
152	Michael Wacha
153	Joe Mauer
154	Brett Gardner
155	Hector Rondon
157	Scooter Gennett
156	Alexei Ramirez
158	Tyson Ross
159	Billy Butler
160	Mat Latos
161	Howie Kendrick
162	Eric Hosmer
163	Garrett Richards
164	Brandon Belt
165	Josh Harrison
166	Jake McGee
167	Andrew Cashner
168	A.J. Pollock
169	John Lackey
170	Marlon Byrd
171	Jedd Gyorko
172	Francisco Rodriguez
173	Yusmeiro Petit
174	Alex Rios
175	Oswaldo Arcia
176	Khris Davis
177	Salvador Perez
178	Mike Fiers
179	Billy Hamilton
180	Brian McCann
181	Addison Reed
183	Bartolo Colon
182	Lance Lynn
184	Scott Kazmir
185	Shin-Soo Choo
186	Carl Crawford
187	Chase Headley
188	Jose Quintana
189	Tony Watson
190	Justin Verlander
191	Brad Boxberger
192	Dan Haren
193	Aaron Hill
194	Rick Porcello
195	Luke Gregerson
196	Michael Pineda
197	Rougned Odor
198	Michael Saunders
199	Lonnie Chisenhall
200	Mike Leake
201	Ian Kennedy
202	Jonathon Niese
203	Wade Davis
204	Yasmany Tomas
205	Wilin Rosario
206	Jhonny Peralta
207	Torii Hunter
208	Mike Napoli
209	Matt Shoemaker
210	Jimmy Rollins
211	Zach Britton
212	Russell Martin
213	Josh Reddick
214	Collin McHugh
215	Jered Weaver
216	Brandon Finnegan
217	Jake Peavy
218	Matt Cain
219	Sergio Romo
220	Gregory Polanco
221	Matt Wieters
222	CC Sabathia
223	Carlos Beltran
224	Erick Aybar
225	Jake Odorizzi
227	Joe Nathan
226	Sonny Gray
228	Bobby Parnell
229	Dallas Keuchel
230	Danny Salazar
232	Curtis Granderson
231	Joc Pederson
233	Kyle Lohse
234	Rafael Soriano
235	Jose Fernandez
236	Wei-Yin Chen
237	Drew Hutchison
238	Derek Holland
239	Darren O'Day
240	Trevor Plouffe
241	Chris Tillman
242	John Jaso
243	Nick Markakis
244	Elvis Andrus
245	Kevin Gausman
246	Tyler Clippard
247	Jason Hammel
248	Matt Garza
249	Coco Crisp
250	Dillon Gee
251	Neftali Feliz
252	Chris Archer
253	Josh Collmenter
254	Ben Revere
255	Pat Neshek
256	David Peralta
257	Denard Span
258	Santiago Casilla
259	Nick Castellanos
260	Adam Eaton
261	Wilson Ramos
262	Wil Myers
263	Jenrry Mejia
264	Kyle Hendricks
265	Steven Souza
266	Vance Worley
267	Dalton Pompey
268	Joakim Soria
269	Nathan Eovaldi
270	Andrew Heaney
271	Joe Smith
272	Lorenzo Cain
273	Marco Estrada
274	Francisco Liriano
275	Dee Gordon
276	Desmond Jennings
277	Ervin Santana
278	Kevin Quackenbush
279	Mark Teixeira
280	Mike Minor
281	Michael Morse
282	James Loney
284	Kennys Vargas
283	Justin Smoak
285	Rajai Davis
286	Angel Pagan
287	Junichi Tazawa
288	Henderson Alvarez
289	R.A. Dickey
290	Clay Buchholz
291	Brandon Phillips
292	Asdrubal Cabrera
293	Danny Santana
294	Shelby Miller
295	LaTroy Hawkins
296	Jed Lowrie
297	Wade Miley
298	T.J. House
299	Danny Farquhar
300	Brett Cecil