Points Leagues: June Outfield Rankings

Here we go for another look at the outfield situation. Before we get into it, there are a couple of things that I think are worth noting. First, you’ll see that I do not currently have Aaron Judge ranked. If he wasn’t hurt, he’d obviously be in the top-3, and probably not second or third. However, he is hurt. And, beyond that, there’s really no clear indication of just when he’ll be back. That makes it pretty much impossible for me to figure out how to value him. Along those same lines, Roman Anthony and Teoscar Hernandez are also not ranked. They aren’t nearly on Judge’s level, but like in the infield, my general practice is to kick the can down the road when it comes to guys on the IL.

The other thing I want to mention when it comes to the outfield in particular is that these rankings are not hard and fast on a spot-to-spot basis. I have guys broken down into groups of 12, meant to roughly indicate if I value them as an OF-1, OF-2, OF-3, etc. Within each tier, the actual order is a bit more amorphous than it looks, and the same goes for the end of one tier and the start of another. Yes, there is an order. And yes, I do think that Juan Soto is better than Kyle Tucker. But in general, think more in terms of ranges than specifics.

Alright, let’s get to it.

The Top 12

• Buxton has missed the last couple games after running into the outfield wall. That’s the sort of thing that understandably makes people nervous. It would be nice if the Twins played on Monday, but they don’t.

The Second 12

• Pages just keeps raking. And now he’s even hitting second in a potent Dodgers’ lineup.
• Cruz continues to strikeout at a ridiculous rate. However, he’s also actually taken some walks the last couple weeks. He’s also just hitting well enough that the Ks are barely an issue, even in -1 per K leagues. He’s going to continue to cause me headaches, I just know it.

The 12 After That

• In past years Steer has produced decent numbers in spite of underwhelming skill metrics. This year, he’s earning what he’s doing. His Hard Hit% is actually slightly down, but his xBA, xSLG, and xWOBA are all career highs.
• Springer’s 2025 is looking like it was just one last hurrah, as everything this season looks bad. His ranking, even this high, is honestly more about hoping he finds something than having any real confidence that he does. It’s been bad. But most of Toronto’s bats have been disappointing, so maybe his bat can wake up with everyone else’s?
• It feels almost irresponsible to have Schmitt this high, especially considering how slow I am to make huge jumps up or down with so many other guys. But he just keeps hitting. At the same time, a lot of people who started the year in front of him keep disappointing. Maybe he tumbles back down the ranks next month, but for now, I don’t know how you could bench him. So, here he is.

Another 12

• Antonacci isn’t hitting for any power at all, and it’s not expected to ever be a huge part of his game. What he does do is get on base and then run a bit when he gets there. If your league counts points for getting hit by pitches, all the better, as he’s already done that 15 times! Base hits and walks are safer for your long-term health, for what it’s worth, Sam.
• Last year, Taylor Ward hit 36 home runs. This year, he is sitting on 3. On the other hand, his OBP has gone from .317 to .396. That’s keeping him in the realm of useful in this format, but it’s certainly not what you drafted him for. My guess is he’s still dealing with the lingering effects of a bone bruise in his hand he suffered back in April. What I can’t guess is if and when it stops affecting him.

A Dozen To Go

• Like I said in last week’s infield rankings, Duran’s success doesn’t make a ton of sense, but he keeps having it. In the long term, I struggle to see him being a top-25 OF the way he has the last month. In the short term, however, you want to be using him. But you’re still likely better off using him somewhere around the infield, where he qualifies everywhere.
• I want to have Stowers higher than this, but he’s shown almost nothing this season. Injuries have certainly played a role, but at some point, he needs to do something to show that he wasn’t just a couple-month wonder last season.