How is everyone doing? I said that in very slow motion, so it would sound distorted, making you think there was something wrong with me, but, when I just stare back at you, you start to think something is wrong with you. Now we are in an intense staring contest across the internet. It’s called being in quarantine for almost a month and running out of things to talk to your dog about. “So, really, Ted, do you love me or are you licking crumbs out of my mustache?” *Ted stares, then licks my face* “You’re a sweet dog, but you can’t hold a conversation worth a sh*t.” The top 100 outfielders for 2020 fantasy baseball were updated with new projections for a 100-game season. With this series, I will take a look around the 2020 fantasy baseball rankings to see if there’s any differences now that we might only play a 100-game season. Projections have been updated on all my positional rankings. Anyway, here’s thoughts on the top 100 outfielders for 2020 fantasy baseball with the new Corona timeline:
83. Anthony Santander – Check out my projections for Santander: 40/15/46/.267/1 in 346 ABs. Wanna throw out my projections and use Steamer? Okay, fine. I mean, not cool, but okay. Steamer hitter projections have Santander down for 40/14/47/.262/3 in 320 ABs. (No lie, this is the first time I’m looking at projections for these guys on Steamer, so I’m pleasantly surprised they’re so close. Okay, back to previously scheduled program…) Now, you might be like, “Fine, the projections are close, who gives a flying f–” Whoa, easy there, killer. Santander’s projections actually make him valuable in a shortened season. On our auction value rankings, Santander is the 53rd best outfielder, above some names like Mallex Smith, Kyle Tucker, Scott Kingery…Okay, a bunch of guys. Some guys I don’t agree with, per my rankings, but our Steamer rankings really like Santander, and our Steamer rankings are right more than they’re not.
85. Aaron Hicks – When the season got pushed back, I added Aaron Hicks into my top 100 outfielders. That’s pushed back, not pushback. Pushback is what I got when I tried to pitch my retractable hula hoop to Shark Tank. It goes from to six feet for social distancing to 500 feet for sex offenders. Not sure why I didn’t hear back. Hicks is a guy who had his entire career ripped off by Denis Leary. Wait, that’s Bill Hicks. Sorry, wrong Hicks. Aaron Hicks’s last full season was 2018, when he went 27/11/.248, and his 2017 season was 88 games (close to what he could do this year) and he went 15/10/.266. Of course, his legs are a few years older, and he has some injury risk now, but where Hicks was not even in my top 100 prior to Covid-19 putting the kibosh on everything, now I could see drafting him. Last year, his K% went up, but I’d almost throw that out since it was such a small sample size of games (59), but, then again, this year might be a super small sample size of games. No joke, I saw Tom Verducci speculate how a 43-game MLB season could work. That gave me a hearty guffaw. Are baseball teams going to play once on Sunday, followed by a Coronavirus test, wait six days for results, then play again? Put together one good month of four wins and you could win the pennant! Joe Buck in the playoffs, “Mariners and Orioles are tied up at zero-zero in this best of one series for the ALCS. Winner advances to a best of one game series in about two to three weeks against the Cubs or Reds, who have yet to play each other this year, because it was a 43-game season.” I mean, so, so dumb. For what it’s Werth, I still believe there’s gonna be a 100-game season.
98. Domingo Santana – While looking at the possible changes from a 100-game season, I was looking at just about everyone and what they might’ve done in shortened seasons in the past. Sunday Santana came back as one with a large sample size of shortened seasons. Whether it was injury or just losing a job, Sunday has had a fair number of seasons where he didn’t play a whole year. Since 2015, he’s had one full year of 151 games. Every other year it’s been partial seasons and none of them give any indication whether he’s good in them. In 2018, he played 85 games (about a full season if there’s 100 game season, due to days off) and he went 21/5/20/.265/1 in 211 ABs. There were many extenuating circumstances that year with his playing time, and he only started 48 games, so it’s unfair to say that’s his projections for 100 games. Last year, he went 21/8/.253 in 121 games, and 451 ABs. If that were prorated down to 100 games, it’s not bad (roughly 17/5) and that’s around what the projections are saying he’s going to do this year. He feels (this is scientific now) like one of those guys who could be a top 25 hitter in a shortened season or worthless, i.e., I have no clue what to do with him, and don’t call me Colonel Mustard; that’s Paul DeJong.
116. Mike Tauchman – Here’s my last two updates for Tauchman: On March 3rd, when Giancarlo was unrealistic for Opening Day, I said, “With the Yankees asking the Chinese to build a two-week hospital for their outfield, I’ve moved Tauchman up and increased his projections.” Then on March 23rd, when Giancarlo was ready to go and baseball wasn’t, I moved Tauchman back down and said, “Rather than Tauchman playing, the Yankees shut down their season until further notice. Okay, that’s not exactly accurate, but what are facts?” Do you see what my jokes have done? They’ve ruined baseball. Nice job, me!
141. Monte Harrison – I still have no idea what a delayed season will mean for prospects. Will they be more likely to start the season with the big league club, or less likely? My guess is borderline guys will be more likely in the majors. Thought process: There may not be a minor league season. Revenue for MiLB isn’t enough to go through costly precautions to make sure everyone is safe. There’s literally no reason for MiLB to play without fans. TV money is zilch or near that. So, if any teams want their near-ready prospects to play, they will call them up to a larger-than-normal roster. Once it’s clear I’m right (and, honestly, when have I not been? Shut up about Daniel Palka!), I will move some prospects up in my rankings, Harrison is definitely one.
