2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 60 Outfielders
2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 60 Outfielders
Outfield is such a deep position that I would advise waiting deep into your draft before selecting your final outfielder. Every year we see an outfielder who was barely drafted drastically outperform expectations. I tend to target outfielders that have strong power/speed upside. In these ranks, you will find that there is not much separation between Tiers 4-6. This year, I think Bryce Harper returns to form and joins the elite tier. Will we finally see someone dethrone Mike Trout? These rankings will put an emphasis on the following:
- Triple slash: AVG/OBP/SLG
- BB%
- K%
- wRC+
- wOBA
- Exit Velocity
- FB%
- GB%
- HR/FB
- ISO
- Ballpark Factors
- Lineup & Lineup Slot
Outfield is such a deep position that I would advise waiting deep into your draft before selecting your final outfielder. Every year we see an outfielder who was barely drafted drastically outperform expectations. I tend to target outfielders that have strong power/speed upside. In these ranks, you will find that there is not much separation between Tiers 4-6. This year, I think Bryce Harper returns to form and joins the elite tier. Will we finally see someone dethrone Mike Trout? These rankings will put an emphasis on the following:
- Triple slash: AVG/OBP/SLG
- BB%
- K%
- wRC+
- wOBA
- Exit Velocity
- FB%
- GB%
- HR/FB
- ISO
- Ballpark Factors
- Lineup & Lineup Slot
- Motivation for Bounce back
- Top Prospect Pedigree
DISCLAIMER: One of the issues I have with some fantasy writers is that they tend to rank players in a similar range in order to take the safer option, particularly players in the upper-to-elite tiers. My rankings are different because some players are ranked much higher than their ADPs. I base them entirely on my own criteria of statistics as well as my personal intuition, which has led me to several years of success in fantasy sports. Here you will find players grouped into tiers along with tidbits of useful information. Keep in mind that these rankings are for OBP leagues. Hopefully they stimulate discussion and debate. I hope you enjoy them.
Tier 1 - The Big Three
1. Mike Trout
2. Mookie Betts
3. Bryce Harper
There's not much to say about Trout. He's the best player in baseball with the highest floor and highest upside. He has elite OBP, power, and speed. He shows no signs of slowing down and will continue to be the consensus #1. Betts is coming off of a career year. The speed has remained consistent which is a good sign. Mookie increased his Hard Hit% from 35.7% to 44.5%, which is a positive sign. Harper moves to Philly, where he'll hit in an elite lineup in one of the better hitter's parks in the league. In OBP leagues he is much more valuable due to his incredible plate discipline. I expect Harper to return to form in 2019.
Tier 2 - Heavyweights with Huge Upside
4. Aaron Judge
5. Giancarlo Stanton
6. Ronald Acuna
7. Kris Bryant
8. JD Martinez
Judge is ahead of his teammate due to his superior plate discipline skills (.392, .422 OBP last two seasons). If he can stay healthy all season he should have no issue eclipsing 40 home runs. Stanton slashed .266/.343/.509 with 38 HRs in what was widely considered to be a down year. Now with a full year in the AL under his belt, look for him to get back over the 40 HR mark. Acuna has as much upside in anyone in baseball, slashing .293/.366/.552 in his rookie season. He got better as the season progressed, hitting 19 of his 26 HR after the All-Star Break. The sky's the limit here. Bryant is coming off of a down season due to a shoulder injury. He is only two years removed from an MVP season where he put up .292/.385/.554 with 39 HRs, 102 RBI, and 8 SBs. He combines solid plate discipline with power and some speed. I think that he is one of the most talented players in MLB - we have not seen his best yet. Martinez is one of the best power hitters in the game; his .427 wOBA only trailed Betts and Trout. His lower rank says more about how high I am on the guys above him in this tier than it does about JD.
Tier 3 - The Rest of the OF1s
9. Christian Yelich
10. Rhys Hoskins
11. Juan Soto
12. Cody Bellinger
13. Andrew Benintendi
Yelich posted a lower FB% (23.5% compared to 25.3%) and had a higher HR/FB rate (35.0% compared to 15.3%). Part of this is due to the park upgrade, but this makes it seem unlikely that he will eclipse 35 home runs again. I expect him to be a solid contributor, but not the superstar he was a year ago. Look for a return to the .370 OBP, 25 HR, 15 SB type of hitter. No player got a bigger boost in value thanks to the signing of Bryce Harper than Hoskins. He has some of the highest power upside in the league and hitting next to Harper should do wonders for his counting stats. Hoskins should be able to eclipse 40 HRs for the first time of his career this year hitting in a much-improved Phillies' lineup. Soto showed incredible plate discipline in his rookie year, slashing .292/.406/.510 at the age of 19. He has as much upside as anyone in MLB. I am a bit wary of a sophomore slump, more so than Acuna because Soto does not have the same SB upside. I still think he's a rock-solid OF1, but he's not among the elite just yet. Bellinger is coming off of a down sophomore year where he slashed .260/.343/.470 with 25 HRs and 14 SBs - not bad for a sophomore slump. Like Hoskins, Bellinger has immense power upside. One encouraging sign was that he cut his K% from 26.6% to 23.9%. I expect young Bellinger to bounce back in a big way this year. I think Benintendi is Yelich at a cheaper cost. He slashed .290/.366/.465 in his age-24 season. He has 25/25 upside with solid .OBP and you can draft him a couple of rounds later.
Tier 4 - Breakouts and Bounce-backs mixed with Consistent Contributors
14. Khris Davis
15. George Springer
16. Marcell Ozuna
17. Charlie Blackmon
18. Michael Conforto
19. Joey Gallo
20. Tommy Pham
21. Justin Upton
Davis has become one of the most consistent power hitters in the game, with 3 straight seasons of 40+ home runs. 10.6 Barrels/PA% was good for 2nd in MLB. An improving OAK lineup also bodes well for Davis. Springer has a high floor batting leadoff in the Astros' lineup. While he does not steal bases anymore, he still has solid OBP skills and should be good for 100 runs with close to 30 HRs if healthy. Ozuna's down 2018 season can be attributed to a shoulder injury + adjusting to a new team. Cards’ addition of Goldschmidt is going to help him a lot - should be able to hit 30+ HRs once more. He just needs to improve his plate discipline. Blackmon has shown signs of decline: K% continues to climb (18.6 to 19.3); ISO fell from .270 to .211; He does not steal bases anymore 43 to 17 to 14 to 12; GB% rose from 40.7 to 43.4; FB% sank from 37.0 to 33.4. He also slashed .243/.329/.439 on the road, down from .276/.337/.447 in 2017. For these reasons, I'm a bit more down on him than others. Conforto looks ripe for a breakout, as his shoulder is fully healthy. He posted an excellent 13.2 BB% in 2018. He also has hit 27+ HRs in the past two seasons. Conforto's 9 HRs in September was highly encouraging. Gallo has two 40 HR seasons under his belt before the age of 25. He absolutely hammers the ball: led the league in Barrels/PA% with 11.4. His 12.8 BB% was 23rd best in MLB, which suggests room for growth in OBP. Gallo has huge upside. Pham did not perform at 2017 levels, but he still slashed .275/.367/.464 with 21 HRs and 15 SBs. However, he took off in Tampa Bay, slashing .343/.448/.622 in 39 games. His value is elevated in OBP leagues. Upton is one of the most consistent hitters in the game, posting 25+ HRs in each of the last six seasons. He's also shown a strong ability to stay on the field, playing in 145+ games since 2011. Upton is a very safe pick, but he does not have the same kind of upside of guys like Conforto or Gallo, which puts him at the top of Tier 5.
Tier 5 - A Mis-Mash of Reliability with Breakouts
22. Whit Merrifield
23. Starling Marte
24. Yasiel Puig
25. Andrew McCutchen
26. Lorenzo Cain
27. Mitch Haniger
28. Eddie Rosario
29. David Dahl
30. AJ Pollock
There's not much that separates Tier 4 & 5. Merrifield in 2018: elite speed (45 SBs) with a bit of pop (12 HRs) and improved plate discipline (4.6 BB% to 8.6 BB%). But I'm wary of him because he hits in one of the worst lineups in baseball and he's a late bloomer with a lack of prospect pedigree. I also don't like to take players whose value comes primarily from their speed. I'll let someone else draft Merrifield at his inflated cost. Marte is similar to Merrifield in that he hits in a poor lineup and depends on his speed for his value. He's also less valuable in OBP because of his subpar plate discipline: 5.8 BB% in 2018. Puig moves to a hitter's park in Cincinnati, out of the limelight of LA, which will be good for him. He slashed .267/.327/.494 with 23 HRs and 15 SBs last year. We could see a career year out of the big Cuban this year. McCutchen is likely to hit leadoff in the most improved lineup in baseball that added Harper, Realmuto, Segura, and himself. His plate discipline skills have remained stable (13.9 BB%), and he still has some speed. We could be looking at a big year for McCutch as he returns to playoff contention. Cain was great in his return to Milwaukee, slashing .308/.395/.417, increasing his BB% from 8.4 to 11.5. But entering his age-32 season, it's hard to continue to bank on 30+ SBs. Haniger has had difficulties staying healthy, but he's been productive while on the field. He slashed .285/.366/.493 with 26 HRs and 8 SBs a year ago, but that was his first full season in his career. He's a solid player, I just prefer the guys listed above. Same goes for Rosario, who is less valuable in OBP due to his 5.1 BB%. He's basically the same as Haniger but with worse OBP. Dahl will be a popular breakout target due to the allure of Coors Field. He has prospect pedigree and had a great 2nd half, slashing .272/.333/.563 with 12 HRs and 3 SBs after the All-Star Break. He has a low floor but carries significant upside. Pollock needs to stay on the field. He had 15 HRs and 9 SBs heading into July before he got injured. Once he came back from injury, he was not the same player, and his numbers cratered. It's hard to bet on him staying healthy, but he will be productive when on the field. His injury-risk puts him lower on the list.
Tier 6 - Flash and Stability
31. Victor Robles
32. Eloy Jimenez
33. Wil Myers
34. Nicholas Castellanos
35. Michael Brantley
36. Nomar Mazara
37. Aaron Hicks
38. Domingo Santana
39. Stephen Piscotty
40. Kyle Schwarber
41. Ender Inciarte
42. Mallex Smith
43. David Peralta
Robles has prospect pedigree and a full-time gig hitting in a solid Nationals' lineup. He has intriguing power/speed upside. He slashed .288/.348/.525 in 31 games last year. If he can get to 15 HR, he will provide great value because the steals are going to be there (likely 25+). Jimenez also has prospect pedigree, but he will likely be called up three weeks into the season. He's got more power upside than Robles, but he does not have the same ability to steal bases, which keeps him below the Nationals' rookie. Myers has struggled to stay healthy in 2018, playing only 83 games. But he has high upside in HR/SB, hitting 25+ HRs and stealing 25+ bases in 2016 and 2017. He is lower on this list due to his poor plate discipline: his OBP has not exceeded .336 in San Diego. Castellanos slashed .298/.354/.500 with 23 HRs in 2018. He's not as flashy as Robles or Jimenez, but he still has prospect pedigree and is entering his age-27 season. The sub-par Tigers' lineup tempers his upside, however. Brantley had a nice bounce-back in 2018, slashing .309/.364/.468 with 17 HRs and 12 SBs. He goes to a better lineup in Houston, where he should continue his solid production. Mazara is entering his age-24 season with 3 20 HR seasons under his belt. There is definitely some untapped potential here. He has the ability to hit 30 HRs in this league. He just needs to improve on that 7.5 BB%. Hicks has fantastic on-base skills; he posted a 15.5 BB% in 2018. Health is a big question mark, but he should be good for a .370 OBP, and 25+ HRs if he could stay on the field. Santana is a popular bounce-back target this year. He's only one-year removed from a 30 HR/15 SB season. He should get back on-track now guaranteed a full-time role in Seattle. Piscotty went off in the 2nd half, where he slashed .272/.337/.536 with 15 HRs. He's a solid power contributor in an underrated A's lineup. Schwarber is much more valuable in OBP leagues, as his plate discipline is elite: 15.3 BB% in 2018. He has excellent power, with the upside for 35+ HRs. The Cubs' outfield is crowded though, resulting in less PAs for Schwarber. Inciarte is a solid source of runs and speed. He needs to improve on that 7.4 BB%. Smith stole 40 bases in 2018 with a solid .367 OBP. He is ranked below Inciarte because he hits in an inferior lineup. Peralta had a big year in 2018, slashing .293/.352/.516 with 30 HRs. However, his heavy splits make him a risk for a platoon should he get off to a slow start.
Tier 7 - The Best of the Rest
44. Brandon Nimmo
45. Harrison Bader
46. Gregory Polanco
47. Shin-soo Choo
48. Franmil Reyes
49. Jesse Winker
50. Ramon Laureano
51. Jackie Bradley Jr.
52. Max Kepler
53. Odubel Herrera
54. Byron Buxton
55. Austin Meadows
56. Randal Grichuk
57. Dee Gordon
58. Corey Dickerson
59. Ian Desmond
60. Adam Eaton
Nimmo showed great plate discipline in his rookie season, putting up an impressive 15.0 BB% and .404 OBP. He does not have much category juice (HR/SB), though. Bader was also a solid rookie, slashing .264/.334/.422 with 12 HRs and 15 SBs. He should have more of a full-time role in 2019. Polanco has prospect pedigree, he just needs to develop some consistency. He hit 23 HRs in only 130 games a year ago. He's lower on this list as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. Choo is not flashy at all, but he'll give you a solid 20 HRs with close to .370 OBP. It's hard to bet on a full season though at age 36. Reyes has big time power potential - he slashed .315/.383/.537 with 10 HRs after the All-Star Break. Winker has terrific on-base skills, similar to Nimmo. He had a 14.7 BB% last season, he just needs to secure a full-time role. Laureano hit 5 HRs and 7 SBs in only 49 games last year, which makes him intriguing for 2019. Bradley Jr. hits in a great lineup, but he needs to improve that plate discipline. I don't see too much upside here, he's more of a steady pick. Kepler increased his BB% from 8.3% to 11.6%. He has the ability to hit 25+ home runs. Herrera is two years removed from a .286/.361/.420 season with 15 HRs and 25 SBs. He hits in a great lineup and could return to form. Buxton has prospect pedigree and phenomenal speed, but that plate discipline is subpar (7.4 BB% in 2017). He looks good this Spring. Meadows also has prospect pedigree with intriguing power/speed upside, but he needs to improve on his 5.2 BB%. Grichuk slashed .280/.326/.569 with 14 HRs after the All-Star Break, but he needs to improve his plate discipline. Gordon is a guy to avoid given his poor plate discipline (1.5 BB%). I prefer to ignore players with zero power, so he is much lower on this list. Dickerson posted a lowly 3.6 BB, but he has 25+ HR power. He hits in a weak lineup, so I'll be avoiding. Desmond gets to his in Coors Field, but he's never posted an OBP over .335. He can go 20/20, but I'm not a big fan of his due to the low OBP. Eaton never stays healthy, but if he could play a full season, he would be a solid source of runs and OBP.
Honourable Mentions
Manuel Margot
Hunter Renfroe
Jose Martinez
Ian Happ
Kyle Tucker
These players have some upside and/or prospect pedigree if they could just secure a full-time role or receive a call-up from the minors. Monitor them on your waivers.
- Top Prospect Pedigree
DISCLAIMER: One of the issues I have with some fantasy writers is that they tend to rank players in a similar range in order to take the safer option, particularly players in the upper-to-elite tiers. My rankings are different because some players are ranked much higher than their ADPs. I base them entirely on my own criteria of statistics as well as my personal intuition, which has led me to several years of success in fantasy sports. Here you will find players grouped into tiers along with tidbits of useful information. Keep in mind that these rankings are for OBP leagues. Hopefully they stimulate discussion and debate. I hope you enjoy them.
Tier 1 - The Big Three
1. Mike Trout
2. Mookie Betts
3. Bryce Harper
There's not much to say about Trout. He's the best player in baseball with the highest floor and highest upside. He has elite OBP, power, and speed. He shows no signs of slowing down and will continue to be the consensus #1. Betts is coming off of a career year. The speed has remained consistent which is a good sign. Mookie increased his Hard Hit% from 35.7% to 44.5%, which is a positive sign. Harper moves to Philly, where he'll hit in an elite lineup in one of the better hitter's parks in the league. In OBP leagues he is much more valuable due to his incredible plate discipline. I expect Harper to return to form in 2019.
Tier 2 - Heavyweights with Huge Upside
4. Aaron Judge
5. Giancarlo Stanton
6. Ronald Acuna
7. Kris Bryant
8. JD Martinez
Judge is ahead of his teammate due to his superior plate discipline skills (.392, .422 OBP last two seasons). If he can stay healthy all season he should have no issue eclipsing 40 home runs. Stanton slashed .266/.343/.509 with 38 HRs in what was widely considered to be a down year. Now with a full year in the AL under his belt, look for him to get back over the 40 HR mark. Acuna has as much upside in anyone in baseball, slashing .293/.366/.552 in his rookie season. He got better as the season progressed, hitting 19 of his 26 HR after the All-Star Break. The sky's the limit here. Bryant is coming off of a down season due to a shoulder injury. He is only two years removed from an MVP season where he put up .292/.385/.554 with 39 HRs, 102 RBI, and 8 SBs. He combines solid plate discipline with power and some speed. I think that he is one of the most talented players in MLB - we have not seen his best yet. Martinez is one of the best power hitters in the game; his .427 wOBA only trailed Betts and Trout. His lower rank says more about how high I am on the guys above him in this tier than it does about JD.
Tier 3 - The Rest of the OF1s
9. Christian Yelich
10. Rhys Hoskins
11. Juan Soto
12. Cody Bellinger
13. Andrew Benintendi
Yelich posted a lower FB% (23.5% compared to 25.3%) and had a higher HR/FB rate (35.0% compared to 15.3%). Part of this is due to the park upgrade, but this makes it seem unlikely that he will eclipse 35 home runs again. I expect him to be a solid contributor, but not the superstar he was a year ago. Look for a return to the .370 OBP, 25 HR, 15 SB type of hitter. No player got a bigger boost in value thanks to the signing of Bryce Harper than Hoskins. He has some of the highest power upside in the league and hitting next to Harper should do wonders for his counting stats. Hoskins should be able to eclipse 40 HRs for the first time of his career this year hitting in a much-improved Phillies' lineup. Soto showed incredible plate discipline in his rookie year, slashing .292/.406/.510 at the age of 19. He has as much upside as anyone in MLB. I am a bit wary of a sophomore slump, more so than Acuna because Soto does not have the same SB upside. I still think he's a rock-solid OF1, but he's not among the elite just yet. Bellinger is coming off of a down sophomore year where he slashed .260/.343/.470 with 25 HRs and 14 SBs - not bad for a sophomore slump. Like Hoskins, Bellinger has immense power upside. One encouraging sign was that he cut his K% from 26.6% to 23.9%. I expect young Bellinger to bounce back in a big way this year. I think Benintendi is Yelich at a cheaper cost. He slashed .290/.366/.465 in his age-24 season. He has 25/25 upside with solid .OBP and you can draft him a couple of rounds later.
Tier 4 - Breakouts and Bounce-backs mixed with Consistent Contributors
14. Khris Davis
15. George Springer
16. Marcell Ozuna
17. Charlie Blackmon
18. Michael Conforto
19. Joey Gallo
20. Tommy Pham
21. Justin Upton
Davis has become one of the most consistent power hitters in the game, with 3 straight seasons of 40+ home runs. 10.6 Barrels/PA% was good for 2nd in MLB. An improving OAK lineup also bodes well for Davis. Springer has a high floor batting leadoff in the Astros' lineup. While he does not steal bases anymore, he still has solid OBP skills and should be good for 100 runs with close to 30 HRs if healthy. Ozuna's down 2018 season can be attributed to a shoulder injury + adjusting to a new team. Cards’ addition of Goldschmidt is going to help him a lot - should be able to hit 30+ HRs once more. He just needs to improve his plate discipline. Blackmon has shown signs of decline: K% continues to climb (18.6 to 19.3); ISO fell from .270 to .211; He does not steal bases anymore 43 to 17 to 14 to 12; GB% rose from 40.7 to 43.4; FB% sank from 37.0 to 33.4. He also slashed .243/.329/.439 on the road, down from .276/.337/.447 in 2017. For these reasons, I'm a bit more down on him than others. Conforto looks ripe for a breakout, as his shoulder is fully healthy. He posted an excellent 13.2 BB% in 2018. He also has hit 27+ HRs in the past two seasons. Conforto's 9 HRs in September was highly encouraging. Gallo has two 40 HR seasons under his belt before the age of 25. He absolutely hammers the ball: led the league in Barrels/PA% with 11.4. His 12.8 BB% was 23rd best in MLB, which suggests room for growth in OBP. Gallo has huge upside. Pham did not perform at 2017 levels, but he still slashed .275/.367/.464 with 21 HRs and 15 SBs. However, he took off in Tampa Bay, slashing .343/.448/.622 in 39 games. His value is elevated in OBP leagues. Upton is one of the most consistent hitters in the game, posting 25+ HRs in each of the last six seasons. He's also shown a strong ability to stay on the field, playing in 145+ games since 2011. Upton is a very safe pick, but he does not have the same kind of upside of guys like Conforto or Gallo, which puts him at the top of Tier 5.
Tier 5 - A Mis-Mash of Reliability with Breakouts
22. Whit Merrifield
23. Starling Marte
24. Yasiel Puig
25. Andrew McCutchen
26. Lorenzo Cain
27. Mitch Haniger
28. Eddie Rosario
29. David Dahl
30. AJ Pollock
There's not much that separates Tier 4 & 5. Merrifield in 2018: elite speed (45 SBs) with a bit of pop (12 HRs) and improved plate discipline (4.6 BB% to 8.6 BB%). But I'm wary of him because he hits in one of the worst lineups in baseball and he's a late bloomer with a lack of prospect pedigree. I also don't like to take players whose value comes primarily from their speed. I'll let someone else draft Merrifield at his inflated cost. Marte is similar to Merrifield in that he hits in a poor lineup and depends on his speed for his value. He's also less valuable in OBP because of his subpar plate discipline: 5.8 BB% in 2018. Puig moves to a hitter's park in Cincinnati, out of the limelight of LA, which will be good for him. He slashed .267/.327/.494 with 23 HRs and 15 SBs last year. We could see a career year out of the big Cuban this year. McCutchen is likely to hit leadoff in the most improved lineup in baseball that added Harper, Realmuto, Segura, and himself. His plate discipline skills have remained stable (13.9 BB%), and he still has some speed. We could be looking at a big year for McCutch as he returns to playoff contention. Cain was great in his return to Milwaukee, slashing .308/.395/.417, increasing his BB% from 8.4 to 11.5. But entering his age-32 season, it's hard to continue to bank on 30+ SBs. Haniger has had difficulties staying healthy, but he's been productive while on the field. He slashed .285/.366/.493 with 26 HRs and 8 SBs a year ago, but that was his first full season in his career. He's a solid player, I just prefer the guys listed above. Same goes for Rosario, who is less valuable in OBP due to his 5.1 BB%. He's basically the same as Haniger but with worse OBP. Dahl will be a popular breakout target due to the allure of Coors Field. He has prospect pedigree and had a great 2nd half, slashing .272/.333/.563 with 12 HRs and 3 SBs after the All-Star Break. He has a low floor but carries significant upside. Pollock needs to stay on the field. He had 15 HRs and 9 SBs heading into July before he got injured. Once he came back from injury, he was not the same player, and his numbers cratered. It's hard to bet on him staying healthy, but he will be productive when on the field. His injury-risk puts him lower on the list.
Tier 6 - Flash and Stability
31. Victor Robles
32. Eloy Jimenez
33. Wil Myers
34. Nicholas Castellanos
35. Michael Brantley
36. Nomar Mazara
37. Aaron Hicks
38. Domingo Santana
39. Stephen Piscotty
40. Kyle Schwarber
41. Ender Inciarte
42. Mallex Smith
43. David Peralta
Robles has prospect pedigree and a full-time gig hitting in a solid Nationals' lineup. He has intriguing power/speed upside. He slashed .288/.348/.525 in 31 games last year. If he can get to 15 HR, he will provide great value because the steals are going to be there (likely 25+). Jimenez also has prospect pedigree, but he will likely be called up three weeks into the season. He's got more power upside than Robles, but he does not have the same ability to steal bases, which keeps him below the Nationals' rookie. Myers has struggled to stay healthy in 2018, playing only 83 games. But he has high upside in HR/SB, hitting 25+ HRs and stealing 25+ bases in 2016 and 2017. He is lower on this list due to his poor plate discipline: his OBP has not exceeded .336 in San Diego. Castellanos slashed .298/.354/.500 with 23 HRs in 2018. He's not as flashy as Robles or Jimenez, but he still has prospect pedigree and is entering his age-27 season. The sub-par Tigers' lineup tempers his upside, however. Brantley had a nice bounce-back in 2018, slashing .309/.364/.468 with 17 HRs and 12 SBs. He goes to a better lineup in Houston, where he should continue his solid production. Mazara is entering his age-24 season with 3 20 HR seasons under his belt. There is definitely some untapped potential here. He has the ability to hit 30 HRs in this league. He just needs to improve on that 7.5 BB%. Hicks has fantastic on-base skills; he posted a 15.5 BB% in 2018. Health is a big question mark, but he should be good for a .370 OBP, and 25+ HRs if he could stay on the field. Santana is a popular bounce-back target this year. He's only one-year removed from a 30 HR/15 SB season. He should get back on-track now guaranteed a full-time role in Seattle. Piscotty went off in the 2nd half, where he slashed .272/.337/.536 with 15 HRs. He's a solid power contributor in an underrated A's lineup. Schwarber is much more valuable in OBP leagues, as his plate discipline is elite: 15.3 BB% in 2018. He has excellent power, with the upside for 35+ HRs. The Cubs' outfield is crowded though, resulting in less PAs for Schwarber. Inciarte is a solid source of runs and speed. He needs to improve on that 7.4 BB%. Smith stole 40 bases in 2018 with a solid .367 OBP. He is ranked below Inciarte because he hits in an inferior lineup. Peralta had a big year in 2018, slashing .293/.352/.516 with 30 HRs. However, his heavy splits make him a risk for a platoon should he get off to a slow start.
Tier 7 - The Best of the Rest
44. Brandon Nimmo
45. Harrison Bader
46. Gregory Polanco
47. Shin-soo Choo
48. Franmil Reyes
49. Jesse Winker
50. Ramon Laureano
51. Jackie Bradley Jr.
52. Max Kepler
53. Odubel Herrera
54. Byron Buxton
55. Austin Meadows
56. Randal Grichuk
57. Dee Gordon
58. Corey Dickerson
59. Ian Desmond
60. Adam Eaton
Nimmo showed great plate discipline in his rookie season, putting up an impressive 15.0 BB% and .404 OBP. He does not have much category juice (HR/SB), though. Bader was also a solid rookie, slashing .264/.334/.422 with 12 HRs and 15 SBs. He should have more of a full-time role in 2019. Polanco has prospect pedigree, he just needs to develop some consistency. He hit 23 HRs in only 130 games a year ago. He's lower on this list as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. Choo is not flashy at all, but he'll give you a solid 20 HRs with close to .370 OBP. It's hard to bet on a full season though at age 36. Reyes has big time power potential - he slashed .315/.383/.537 with 10 HRs after the All-Star Break. Winker has terrific on-base skills, similar to Nimmo. He had a 14.7 BB% last season, he just needs to secure a full-time role. Laureano hit 5 HRs and 7 SBs in only 49 games last year, which makes him intriguing for 2019. Bradley Jr. hits in a great lineup, but he needs to improve that plate discipline. I don't see too much upside here, he's more of a steady pick. Kepler increased his BB% from 8.3% to 11.6%. He has the ability to hit 25+ home runs. Herrera is two years removed from a .286/.361/.420 season with 15 HRs and 25 SBs. He hits in a great lineup and could return to form. Buxton has prospect pedigree and phenomenal speed, but that plate discipline is subpar (7.4 BB% in 2017). He looks good this Spring. Meadows also has prospect pedigree with intriguing power/speed upside, but he needs to improve on his 5.2 BB%. Grichuk slashed .280/.326/.569 with 14 HRs after the All-Star Break, but he needs to improve his plate discipline. Gordon is a guy to avoid given his poor plate discipline (1.5 BB%). I prefer to ignore players with zero power, so he is much lower on this list. Dickerson posted a lowly 3.6 BB, but he has 25+ HR power. He hits in a weak lineup, so I'll be avoiding. Desmond gets to his in Coors Field, but he's never posted an OBP over .335. He can go 20/20, but I'm not a big fan of his due to the low OBP. Eaton never stays healthy, but if he could play a full season, he would be a solid source of runs and OBP.
Honourable Mentions
Manuel Margot
Hunter Renfroe
Jose Martinez
Ian Happ
Kyle Tucker
These players have some upside and/or prospect pedigree if they could just secure a full-time role or receive a call-up from the minors. Monitor them on your waivers.
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