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Brian Creagh opened Outfielder week here at Fake Teams with the landscape of the position for fantasy purposesearlier this morning. Today we bring you our consensus fantasy outfielder rankings for 2016. We used a points system for each of the 30 outfielders ranked by each of the Fake Teams writers who participated in the consensus rankings series.
The writers who participated in this series are:
Ray Guilfoyle
Jason Hunt
Rob Parker
Daniel Kelley
Jack Cecil
Timothy Finnegan
We feel that by providing you our consensus position rankings, you get an average ranking from the Fake Teams writers, rather than one writers' opinion, which inherently may include some bias. You will see some players ranked higher by one Fake Teams writer than the others, so this helps the reader see both sides of the argument for/against a certain player who might be getting too much love this offseason.
Each of the position rankings will be split into two parts, rankings and player profiles for outfielders ranked 1 - 15 in part 1, and rankings and player profiles for outfielders ranked 16 - 30 in part 2 to be published on Tuesday morning. Consensus rankings should bring about discussion amongst you, our readers, and the Fake Teams writers who participated in this series.
In addition, our rankings are based on the standard 5 x 5 fantasy/roto baseball league scoring, including: batting average, runs scored, home runs, RBI and stolen bases for the hitters, and wins, saves, ERA, WHIP and strikeouts for the pitchers, relievers and closers.
Finally, we are using 5 games as our eligibility requirements to be ranked at a particular position. Your leagues may have more games played requirements to be eligible at a position, so keep that in mind when viewing our rankings.
Our Consensus Outfielder Rankings for 2016:
1. Mike Trout, Angels
While his stolen base totals have dropped in each of the last two seasons, Trout's home run totals have increased, from 27 in 2013, to 36 in 2014 to 41 last season. All the while, he continues to hit near .300, score over 100 runs, drive in 90+ runs and still steal double digit bags. He is bound to have an "off" year one of these years, but I don't see it just yet, and wouldn't want to draw a line in the sand predicting that. In his four full seasons in the majors, he has hit 139 home runs, and doesn't turn 25 till early August. If he continues to hit 35-40 home runs per season, he could have 500 home runs but the time he is 33 years of age.
2. Bryce Harper, Nationals
Harper finally had the breakout season everyone was predicting would happen sooner or later, and now the question is what can he do for an encore. He will be hard-pressed to hit 40 home runs and hit .330 again, and if I was a betting man, I think he can repeat the 40 home run season, especially in the watered-down National League this season. There is a chance he runs more under new manager Dusty Baker and new first base coach Davey Lopes, who is the best in the business. One of our readers predicted he could hit 50 home runs and steal 20 bases one season. At first I kinda laughed that off, but remembered that Lopes is the first base coach in Washington. Harper is young enough to steal 20 bases again, but who would complain if he "only" hits 40 homers?
3. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
If Stanton could ever stay healthy, he could hit 45+ home runs one year, and this season could be the year. Why? Well, first of all, he has a new hitting coach, one of the best hitters I have ever seen, Barry Bonds. The deserving Hall of Famer is the Marlins new hitting coach this season and I think he will have an impact on some of the Marlins young power hitters, including Stanton. Secondly, the Marlins are moving their fences in this season, yet the new dimensions have yet to be announced as far as I can tell. The 26 year old outfielder already has 181 home runs in his six year major league career, and could reach 500 by the time he is 33-34 years of age, or sooner. Last season, he hit 27 home runs in just over 300 plate appearances, so I wouldn't be surprised if he hit 50 homers this season. His 49.7% hard hit rate lad all hitters with 300 or more plate appearances last season, and his 32.7% HR/FB rate ranked second in baseball.
4. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
McCutchen is one of the steadiest fantasy outfielders on the board. You can mark him down for a .290-.300 batting average with 20-25 home runs, 90+ runs scored and RBI and double digit stolen bases every season. Like Trout, he isn't running as much as in the past, which makes sense, as any team would prefer he stay healthy and his bat stay in the lineup than for him to deal with nagging leg injuries throughout the season. He has a bit of a trend going with his home run totals over the past five seasons: 23, 31, 21, 25, 23, so a 25+ home run season could be in the cards for Cutch in 2016.
5. Mookie Betts, Red Sox
Betts is coming off a breakout season of his own in 2015, hitting .292 with 18 home runs, 92 runs scored, 77 RBI and 21 stolen bases. He will hit atop one of the better lineups in the American League, so there is room for improvement across the board. He makes a lot of contact and gets enough balls in the air to hit 20 or more home runs and should steal 20+ bases while scoring 90-100 runs in 2016.
6. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
Bautista is a free agent at the end of the season, and is already talking about not wanting to give a home town discount to the Blue Jays, so there is a chance this is his last season in Toronto. He is coming off a 40 home run season ins his age 34 season, and since it is his walk year, and he hits in a very home run friendly ball park, I see him duplicating his 40 home run season in 2016, and at the very least, he hits 30-35, while scoring 90-100 runs and driving in a similar amount.
7. A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks
Pollock had a breakout season in 2015, hitting .315, with 20 home runs, 111 runs scored, 76 RBI and 40 stolen bases, but I tend to think he won't repeat the power in 2016. While his hard hit rate bumped up 4% last season, his fly ball rate took a similar drop, and I am not convinced he is a power hitter, as he hit more home runs last season as he did in his first three seasons in the majors. But, he is a solid hitter, who should hit in the .290 range, score a bunch of runs and steal 30-40 bases in 2016.
8. Kris Bryant, Cubs
Bryant is eligible in the outfield and third base this season, and Michael Schwarz wrote about him in our Third Base rankings a few weeks ago, and here is the excerpt:
In 2015, Bryant's long-anticipated debut fulfilled expectations in nearly every way. After a scorching spring training at the plate and a brief-yet-controversial demotion designed to delay future arbitration and free agency, Bryant got the call-up on April 17 and began raking. Apart from a rough July, he never really stopped. One senses that a .275 average with 26 HR and 99 RBI represents only the beginning for this soon-to-be megastar. Fantasy owners should be aware, however, that Bryant's home/road splits are very pronounced; 21 of his 26 homers came at Wrigley Field. Furthermore, all prospective owners but especially those in head-to-head leagues should consider what to make of Bryant's ghastly 199 strikeouts, by far the most among third basemen. In short, there are some blemishes here, but Bryant's ceiling and the relentless hype surrounding him and his team will make him a sure-fire second-round pick.
9. Starling Marte, Pirates
Marte might be the best fantasy outfielder in the Pirates outfield in 2016, and that is saying something. He is coming off his best season as a big leaguer, hitting .291 with 19 home runs, 84 runs scored, 81 RBI and he stole 30 bases for the third consecutive season. He has the potential to hit 20 or more home runs and steal 30 bases once again, but he will have to improve his 23% fly ball and 29% hard hit rate to exceed 20 home runs this season.
10. George Springer, Astros
I am the high guy on Springer, and have been for the last two seasons. He was on the cusp of a breakout last season when he went down with a leg injury. That said, he improved across the board, hitting for a higher average, stealing more bases, made more contact, and reduced his swinging strike rate and strikeout rate dramatically. If he can maintain these improvements in 2016, I can see a 25 home run, 25 stolen base season from him, with a chance for a 30-30 season. The Astros are going to be a fun team to watch this season with Springer, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and possibly A.J. Reed manning first base.
11. Chris Davis, Orioles
Davis re-signed with the Orioles this offseason, so we should expect another 40+ home run season from him once again in 2016. He has hit 159 home runs over the last four seasons (33, 53, 26, 47) to lead the majors over that time period. The risk with Davis is the strikeouts and the batting average, but if you are getting 40+ home runs and 100+ RBI from him, you can live with the strikeouts and low batting average, unless your league assesses negative points for strikeouts.
12. J.D. Martinez, Tigers
Martinez should be the poster boy, along with Jose Bautista, for when all else fails, change your swing mechanics and sell out for power. Last season, Martinez built upon his breakout season in 2014, hitting .282 with 38 home runs and driving in 103 runs. He hits enough fly balls and makes enough hard contact to hit 30+ home runs once again in 2016. That said, he will need to work on keeping the strikeout rate down, as it is creeping up to the 30% level.
13. Justin Upton, Tigers
Upton moves from San Diego to Detroit after signing a six year contract this offseason. He and teammate Matt Kemp had similar offensive seasons in 2015, as Upton hit .251 with 26 home runs, 85 runs scored, 81 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 24 attempts. The move to Detroit shouldn't impact him too much as he has hit well in other pitchers parks in his career, and I can see him duplicating his 2015 performance at the plate, with maybe fewer stolen bases in 2016.
14. Ryan Braun, Brewers
Braun is coming back from back surgery, so he comes with risk on draft day 2016. He dealt with the back issue last season, yet still put up a solid season, hitting .285 with 25 home runs, 87 runs scored, 84 RBI and 24 stolen bases, one of four players to reach the 20-20 club in 2015. He moves to left field in 2016, a switch that really should't impact him at the plate. I would keep on an eye on his health in spring training to ensure the back is 100% healthy before drafting him this season.
15. Nelson Cruz, Mariners
Remember when we told you that Cruz wouldn't be able to duplicate his 2014 40 home run season in 2015? Yeah, I do too. It appears no ballpark can contain Cruz's power, as he belted 44 home runs last season playing half of his home games in Safeco Park, a pitchers haven. He probably won't be able to replicate the 30% HR/FB rate from 2015, so he will need to get his fly ball rate back to the 40% range if he wants to get back to the 40 home run club this season. I also wouldn't expect him to hit .300 again, as his .350 BABIP was a career high.
16. Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
Blackmon has been undervalued by the fantasy community until this offseason, as he is receiving his due for a solid 2015 campaign where he hit . 287 with 17 home runs, 93 runs scored, 58 RBI and 43 stolen bases in 56 attempts. He was involved in some trade rumors this off season, but in the end, the Rockies dealt Corey Dickerson to the Rays instead. In a puzzling move, they signed free agent outfielder Gerardo Parra before dealing Dickerson, and there has been talk in the early days of spring training that he will spell Blackmon in center field this season, so Blackmon could see his plate appearances drop as a result. That said, he should still be good for a .285 average with 14-17 home runs, 80+ runs scored and 25-35 stolen bases in 2016.
17. Adam Jones, Orioles
Jones has been one of the more consistent fantasy outfielders over the last 6-7 seasons, but has seen his overall production drop over the last two seasons. Last season, he hit .269 with 27 home runs, 74 runs scored, 82 RBI and just 3 stolen bases, in 581 plate appearances, his fewest since 2009. After missing just three games over the previous three seasons, Jones missed 25 games last season, partially explaining the drop in his counting stats. Assuming good health in 2016, Jones should be able to produce like the 2014 Adam Jones once again.
18,. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
Speaking of Rockies outfielders, here is the player they should have traded this off season, but it wasn't meant to be. CarGo is coming off a terrific 2015 season where he hit .271 with a career high 40 home runs, 87 runs scored and 97 RBI. The fact that he hit that many home runs was a surprise, since his fly ball rate dropped and his hard hit rate stayed relatively the same, so a repeat of 40 home runs is not in the cards in 2016. Another surprise is that he stayed healthy enough to make 600 plate appearances for the first time since 2010, and a repeat is not something I would put money on either.
19. Yoenis Cespedes, Mets
Cespedes put up his best year of his career last season, hitting .291 with 35 home runs, 101 runs scored and 105 RBI. He also tossed in 7 stolen bases for the third consecutive season. He did most of his damage in the last three months of the season, hitting 25 of his 35 home runs. His fly ball rate dropped dramatically last season, from 48% in 2014 to 38% in 2015, yet more of his flay balls landed in the seats. He has played in pitchers parks his whole career, so you can count on him hitting 25-30 home runs again in 2016, but his batting average should fall back into the .255-.265 range.
20. Jason Heyward, Cubs
Heyward is the outfielder I have been pretty down on over the year, mainly due to the lack of home run power from such a big guy, even though he has shown us the power skills he possesses, but that was three seasons ago. I just have to come to grips with the fact that this is who he is, a better real baseball player than fantasy player. He is an outfielder who will provide double digit power, nothing more, with an excellent batting average, 20+ stolen bases and score 70-8- runs. Now, with the move the Chicago, we could see him run a little more under manager Joe Maddon, and I believe he is slated to bat leadoff for the stacked Cubs lineup, so 30 steals is a possibility. He should score 80-90 runs and hit 10-15 home runs with a .280+ batting average, so there is plenty of value here, just not fantasy star value.
21. Yasiel Puig, Dodgers
Puig is the outfielder I am targeting in all of my leagues in 2016, as he has lost weight in the offseason and is "starting with a clean slate" with new manager Dave Roberts. After missing 83 games due to various leg injuries, Puig is looking to improve upon his down 2015 season, where he hit just .255 with 11 home runs, 30 runs scored, 38 RBI and 3 stolen bases. ZiPs is optimistic that Puig can return to the hitter he was a few seasons ago, projecting him to hit .276 with 19 home runs, 76 runs scored, 75 RBI and 9 stolen bases, but I am more optimistic than ZiPS. I think he can hit .280-.290 with 20 home runs, 80 runs scored, 85 RBI and 12-17 stolen bases in 2016.
22. Miguel Sano, Twins
Sano is perhaps one of my favorite hitters heading into the new season, yet I don't own him anywhere except the on-going Fake Teams mock draft right now. Sad face. Tim Finnegan wrote about Sano two weeks ago during Third Base week, saying he is the next 40 home run hitter in baseball, and I couldn't agree more. He will have to cut down on the strikeouts, and I think he will, but the man has some impressive power only matched by Chris Davis and Giancarlo Stanton.
Here is what Michael Schwarz wrote about him a few weeks ago in our Third Base rankings:
If you love 50-homer potential--and I imagine you do--then Sano is your guy at the hot corner. Long regarded as one of baseball's top prospects, the 22-year-old Sano, now 6'4" and 260 lbs, should provide elite power and run production from the middle of the Twins' order. Following his debut on July 2, 2015, Sano mashed his way to 18 HR, 52 RBI, and a .916 OPS in slightly less than half a season. Like most sluggers, Sano also presents the threat of enormous strikeout totals (119 in 80 games), so head-to-head owners beware. Meanwhile, all fantasy leaguers should take note that Sano played only nine games at 3B last season, and in 2016 the Twins will move him to the outfield, so in your league he likely will not be eligible at 3B beyond this coming season, assuming he even qualifies there now. Wherever he plays, Sano and his 80-grade raw power will come off the board in the early rounds.
23. Carlos Gomez, Astros
Like Puig, Gomez is coming off a down year due to injury, but should be 100% healthy heading into the 2016 season, and will hit atop a solid and exciting Astros lineup that will feature Carlos Correa, George Springer and Jose Altuve. Even in a down year, for him, Gomez still hit 12 home runs and stole 17 bases while missing 47 games, so with good health I see a him hitting 15-20 home runs and stealing 25-30 bases once again in 2016.
24. Kyle Schwarber, Cubs
I wrote about Schwarber in our top 15 Catcher Rankings a few weeks ago, and here is what I wrote about him:
Schwarber surprised many with his power output in his 69 games this season. He hit .246-.355-.487 with 16 home runs, 52 runs scored, 43 RBI in just 273 plate appearances, and led all catchers with 200 or more plate appearances in slugging percentage and isolated power (ISO). Like most power hitters, the elite power comes with plenty of swing and miss, as he struck out in 28% of his plate appearances this season. He struggles mightily vs left handers and hits better at home than on the road (no surprise there). Schwarber mainly played left field for the Cubs last season, but he did catch 20 games, so he is catcher eligible in all leagues in 2016, increasing his fantasy value. He has a 30 home run bat, but I am not ready to predict him to reach the 30 home run club just yet.
25. Hunter Pence, Giants
Another outfielder coming off a down year due to injury, Pence will be looking to bounce back in 2016. The soon to be 33 year old will have to fight off the "old age" tag, but he was having a solid season before going down with injury last year, as he was hitting .275 with 9 home runs, 30 runs scored, 40 RBI and 4 stolen bases in just 223 plate appearances. The Giants lineup was much better in 2015, so the RBI chances should increase in 2016.
26. Lorenzo Cain, Royals
Cain's breakout last year came out of nowhere, so I am not sure if he can repeat the .300 batting average and double digit home runs again in 2016. Cain is coming off a season where he hit .307 with 16 home runs, 101 runs scored, 72 RBI and 28 stolen bases, all career highs, and he tied his career high in stolen bases. His hard hit rate jumped 10% from 2014, and his fly ball and HR/FB rates jumped 5% as well, so whether he can repeat the power breakout this season is a question we all need answers to.
27. Matt Kemp, Padres
Unlike some players who are better real life players than fantasy players, Kemp is the exact opposite. He is terrible defensively, and as a result, gets a little undervalued in fantasy circles. But, even in a down year, and moving to a pitchers park in San Diego. Kemp managed to hit .265 with 23 home runs, 80 runs scored, 100 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 2015. Fully healthy, Kemp put up his best hard hit rate of his career, yet his HR/F% dropped from 20% to 14%, so with a return to his normal 20% HR/FB rate could push Kemp into the 30 home run club in 2016. Once again in 2015, Kemp had a strong second half of the season, hitting .286 with 15 home runs and 53 RBI in just 65 games, so he requires patience from his owners in the first three months of the season.
28. Gregory Polanco, Pirates
Polanco has been a bit of a disappointment in his first few seasons in Pittsburgh, but the potential still exists for a 15-20 home run bat with 20+ stolen bases. He hit .256 with just 9 home runs, 83 runs scored, 52 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 37 attempts last season, and he will need to make more hard contact and hit a few more fly balls for his home run total to reach double digits. He struggled to start the season in 2015, hitting just .237 with a ,338 slugging percentage, and 3 home runs and 23 RBI, but hit better in the second half, where he hit .276 with a .425 slugging percentage, so he hit for more power in the second half. Hopefully that can continue into the 2016 season.
29. Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox
Hanley had a disastrous 2015 season, reporting to camp much bigger than in previous seasons, and an early season shoulder injury sustained after running into the left field wall at Fenway Park affected him for most of the season. Ramirez. while still eligible in the outfield, will be the Red Sox starting first baseman, a position he has never played before. He has missed an average of 55 game per season over the last three years, and always seems to be hurt or playing hurt, so this might be what he is going forward. Learning a new position, even first base, is never easy, so there is risk in drafting him this season.
30. Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees
Ell bury endured an injury-filled season in 2015, hitting .257 with 7 home runs, 66 runs scored, 33 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 30 attempts, but played in just 111 games, so he should return to the outfielder that provides double digit power, 80-90 runs scored and 30+ stolen bases in 2016, assuming good health.
31. Corey Dickerson, Rays
Dickerson's fantasy value took a hit with the move away from Coors Field and into Tropicana Field, with the offseason trade to Tampa for closer Jake Reed. Dickerson is coming off an injury-shortened 2015 season where he hit .304 with 10 home runs, 30 runs scored and 31 RBI in just 65 games played. The move out of Coors will have a direct impact on his power numbers in 2016, so I think a conservative home run total would sit in the 15-20 range.
32. Kole Calhoun, Angels
I didn't realize Calhoun had this kind of power. He is coming off a season where he hit .256, down from 2014, with 26 home runs, 78 runs scored and 83 RBI in 159 games. He hits enough fly balls to hit 20 home runs again, but will have to make a little more hard contact.
33. Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers
Choo had a rotten first half and a scorching second half in 2015, so fantasy owners are hoping his first half was just a mirage, and he is over whatever troubled him. His season stats, though, were terrific, as he hit .276 with a .375 on base percentage, 22 home runs, 94 runs scored, and 82 RBI. Could he duplicate that in 2016? I think so, but I;d be happy with 15-18 home runs, 85 runs scored and 75 RBI with a .270ish batting average. Throwing in double digit steals would be nice as well.
34. Christian Yelich, Marlins
Yelich is one of the better hitters in the game, but he hits so many ground balls, we may never see him reach his power potential. He is an extreme ground ball hitter, regularly hitting ground balls at a 61-63% rate, and rarely gets the ball in the air (14-18%), so if you are counting on home runs from Yelich, don't. All of his fantasy value is in his batting average and ability to steal bases. That said, we could see low double digit home runs from him in 2016 as the Marlins are bringing in their fences this year, but the new dimensions have yet to be announced.
35. Alex Gordon, Royals
Gordon re-signed with the Royals this off season, so his fantasy value remains intact. He won't hit for 20 home run power, but will hit for a .260-.270 average with double digit home runs and steals with 140-150 runs scored + RBI. He just turned 32 years of age, so we might have already seen the best from Gordon from a fantasy perspective.
36. Brett Gardner, Yankees
Gardner is still dealing with a wrist injury from last year's wild card game, so that is not a good sign. That said, when he is healthy, he is good for double digit home runs, 20+ stolen bases and plenty of runs scored. I would keep an eye on him in spring training, as the wrist injury is still lingering as I write this. That said, this injury could push him down draft boards, so pounce if he falls past the 13-14th rounds.
37. Khris Davis, Athletics
The trade from Milwaukee to Oakland certainly impacts Davis' fantasy value in 2016, so we might want to tap the breaks on lofty power projections for Davis moving to the American League. Last season, he slammed 27 home runs and drove in 66 run in just over 420 plate appearances. Prior to the trade, I would have very easily projected him for 30+ home runs in 2016, but the move to Oakland and their spacious stadium should suppress the power totals.
38. David Peralta, Diamondbacks
The former pitcher has re-made himself into one of the more underrated outfielders, and is coming off a breakout 2015 season, where he hit .312-.371-.522 with 17 home runs, 61 runs scored, 78 RBI and 9 stolen bases in an eery day role in left field for the improved Diamondbacks. He made a lot of hard contact last season, but his fly ball rate does not support double digit home runs on the surface. We need more data to determine if he can repeat the double digit home runs in 2016, and his .368 BABIP indicates there could be some regression across the board in his performance in 2016.
39. Josh Reddick, Athletics
Reddick is coming off his best year since his 32 home run season in 2012, hitting .272 with 20 home runs, 67 runs scored, 77 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 149 games, the most games he has played in three years. Reddick hits enough fly balls for the power to repeat, but his hard contact rate was underwhelming. Reddick is a candidate to be traded this season as the A's have a glut of outfielders and he could bring back some decent prospects with a solid first half of the season.
40 .Michael Conforto, Mets
Conforto enters the season as the Mets starting left fielder, and is coming off a solid 2015 campaign where he played at two levels of the minors before his eventual call up. Across the two levels of the minors, Conforto hit .297-.372-.482 with 12 home runs, 46 runs scored, 54 RBI and a solid 61-40 strikeout to walk rate. After his call up, he hit .270 with 9 home runs, 30 runs scored and 26 RBI in just under 200 plate appearances. He projects to be a .270-.280 hitter capable of 15-20 home runs and 70-75 RBI in his first full season in the big leagues.
41. Adam Eaton, White Sox
It was a tale of two halves for Eaton last season, as he hit just .245 with 6 home runs and 5 stolen bases in the first half, but improved dramatically in the second half, hitting .335 with 8 home runs and 13 stolen bases. For some reason, he hit better on the road than at home last season, so there is a potential for a .300 average with double digit home runs and 20+ steals from Eaton in 2016.
42. Curtis Granderson, Mets
Granderson was one of the Mets best hitters last season, as he made a lot more hard contact, resulting in a higher batting average and more power. Granderson raised his average to .259 from .226 in 2014, with 26 home runs, 98 runs scored, 70 RBI and 11 stolen bases. He's not the 40 home run hitter he was in 2011-2012 when playing for the Yankees, but he has been a consistent 20+ home run hitter, and should continue to score plenty of runs hitting in a much better Mets lineup in 2016.
43. Billy Hamilton, Reds
I am pretty down on Hamilton in 2016, as he is coming off a pretty pitiful season at the plate, hitting just .226-.274-.289 with 4 home runs, 56 runs scored, 28 RBI and 57 stolen bases in 65 attempts. The Reds are in a mini rebuild at the moment, so Hamilton's grip on the starting center field job is probably safe heading into the season, but I would not be surprised to see him sit more in 2016, and possibly lose the starting job. Reds manager Bryan Price has already offered support to Hamilton in spring training, saying that Hamilton will return to being his lead off hitter, but did not commit to it long term. The offseason trade for Jose Peraza could impact Hamilton's playing time as there is talk that Peraza could be used all over the infield and outfield this season.
44. Matt Holliday, Cardinals
Unlike Fowler, Holliday is coming off a disappointing and injury-filled 2015 season, where he played in just 73 games, hitting just .279-.394-.410 with 4 home runs, 24 runs scored and 35 RBI. The Cardinals are trying him at first base this spring, as he is not a very good defensive left fielder and isn't getting any younger. Counting on 20 home runs and 80-90 Rbi from him might be asking too much.
45. Joc Pederson, Dodgers
Pederson made the All Star team last season, but was nothing short of abysmal in the second half, hitting just .178-.317-.300 with 6 home runs and 14 RBI in just over 200 plate appearances. Pederson reported to spring training with a new swing after working on correcting holes in his swing in the offseason. It remains to be seen if the new swing will turn things around for him, but he is in jeopardy of losing his starting center field job if he can't make enough contact. One positive for him is that he does walk a ton, but there is a lot of swing and miss in his approach.
46. Ben Revere, Nationals
If you want speed in the outfield, you can do worse than Nationals center fielder Ben Revere. Revere makes a ton of contact, will hit for a high average, and should get back to steal 40+ bases once again with new first base coach Davey Lopes in Washington. He is one of the better base stealers in the game, and Lopes will let him run as much as possible if he can keep his success ratio high.
47. Brandon Belt, Giants
Belt is one of my top targets for 2016, as he is coming off a season where he hit .280 with 18 home runs, 73 runs scored, 68 RBI and 9 stolen bases in 556 plate appearances. While those numbers aren't that impressive, consider the fact that his 39.5% hard hit rate ranked in the top 10 among all qualified hitters last season, and placed him with other established power hitters including Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz and others. This season could be his breakout season, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him exceed 20 home runs for the first time in his career.
48. Billy Burns, Athletics
If you are looking for speed from your outfielder, Burns is one to consider as he hits for a solid average and will steal 25-30 bases for you. He doesn't walk much, but there is not a lot of swing and miss or hard contact either, so he has to utilize his speed to get on base.
49. Randal Grichuk, Cardinals
Grichuk has big time power, but some seem to think it won't last due to his high strikeout rate. He is a departure from the rest of the Cardinals lineup, a lineup that focuses on contact and not striking out. Grichuk had a solid rookie season in 2015, slugging over .500 with an isolate power of .272, which ranked ninth in baseball among hitters with 350+ plate appearances last season. If he can reduce the strikeout rate, he could join the 30 home run club in 2016, assuming he gets 550 plate appearances.
50. Dexter Fowler, Cubs
Fowler reportedly signed a three year deal with the Orioles only to legitimately sign a one year deal with the Cubs the very next day. Fowler returns to the Cubs, and a glut in their outfield, with Kyle Schwarber in left field and Jason Heyward in right field. Fowler may lose playing time to Heyward in center field this season, but he should play regularly should he hit and get on base like he did last season. Fowler is looking to build on a career year in 2015, where he set career highs in home runs, runs scored and stolen bases.
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