Went over the catchers, 1st basemen, 2nd basemen and shortstops and top 20 3rd basemen for 2015 fantasy baseball. Guess what’s next! No, not pitchers. Read the title, man. In 2010, there were only 5 outfielders that hit 30 homers, in 2011 there were 9, 14 in 2012, in 2013 there were 3, a small bounce back with 6 in 2014 and this year there were eight. Going the right way, for sure. Though, steals were basically gone. There were 14 outfielders who stole 30 bases in 2012, 10 in 2013 and there were 11 in 2014. This year there were only five outfielders who stole 30 bases (only seven players total). Five outfielders with 30 steals! Dubya tee eff, we need Ron LeFlore and his cocaine, stat! As before, these rankings are from our Fantasy Baseball Player Rater with my comments. Anyway, here’s the top 20 outfielders for 2015 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:
1. Bryce Harper – I ranked him 7th overall for outfielders, but that’s understating Grey’s par excellence. There were seven outfielders ranked in the top 13 players overall, i.e., I ranked Harper 13th overall. So, I wasn’t like, “WHUT?! Harper who?! Yo, I’m Hawkeye in M.A.S.H. and I’m caught with my panties down.” Grey’s panties were up. I really hope you have Siri read this to you while other people are around. Harper always had the ability, was only a matter of when. 2015 was when. Preseason Rank #7, 2015 Projections: 87/25/101/.284/12, Final Numbers: 118/42/99/.330/6
2. A.J. Pollock – In the preseason, I gave you a sleeper post for Pollock. I ranked him in a tier called, “Sexy sexy hot hot dot com that makes you clear your cookies.” I told everyone to draft him. I, however, didn’t get him anywhere. And they say he’s the Pollock! Preseason Rank #36, 2015 Projections: 78/14/61/.272/20, Final Numbers: 111/20/76/.315/39
3. Mike Trout – Everyone knows Trout so there’s not much to say on him, but, on a general note, offense felt up this year. *gets off lazy ass and actually looks up runs in 2014 vs. 2015* Runs were way up! Teams scored an average of 29 more runs in 2015. It’s like a toupee was lifted from baseball that was weighing it down. Ah, yes, Selig retired. Preseason Rank #1, 2015 Projections: 108/33/106/.281/20, Final Numbers: 104/41/90/.299/11
4. Chris Davis – Went over him in the top 20 1st basemen.
5. Jose Bautista – Went over him in the top 20 1st basemen.
6. Yoenis Cespedes – I don’t buy into contract year hocus pocus, but, with that said (here’s where Grey buys into contract year hocus pocus), if there’s any guys that are going to be good in a contract year, it would seem to be guys that form El Cubanati. Speaking of which, when does Puig go into his contract year? Preseason Rank #14, 2015 Projections: 73/26/87/.254/7, Final Numbers: 101/35/105.291/7
7. Nelson Cruz – Here’s an interesting note (not interesting, but it is a note that tries to absolve myself of telling people to sell Cruz about twenty-two homers too soon), I was way off on Cruz and Just Dong (who’s up next), but even being wrong on a few players doesn’t kill one’s season since I was able to ‘cobble’ together an impressive offense on many teams with Yoenis, Chris Davis, Bautista, Cain, etc. Just didn’t own Cruz or Just Dong. Preseason Rank #18, 2015 Projections: 71/26/85/.262/5, Final Numbers: 90/44/93/.302/3
8. J.D. Martinez – James Ingram just walked into my house and he’s singing, “Just Dong…Can’t we figure out where we went wrong? Make the magic last for more than just one dong.” Then I call the police. Stupid loser celebrities wandering around Los Angeles. Just Dong did dong and so much mong. Uh-oh, it’s The -Ong Show and I’ve been pronged. I did not benefit from Martinez this year, and I have a feeling he’ll go too high for my tastes next year, so I may never own Just Dong and that’s just wrong. As for my preseason predictions vs. reality, I’m not sure I could’ve been more wrong on Just Dong. If this was written in stanza form, it would be better than anything by E.E. Cummings. Preseason Rank #33, 2015 Projections: 69/17/80/.277/7, Final Numbers: 93/38/102/.282/3
9. Charlie Blackmon – I’m actually a bit surprised I missed on Blackmon. It’s almost as surprising as a Kardashian missing on a black man. On a serious note: Robert Kardashian died young, Jenner became a woman, Disick became an addict, Lamar became brain dead, Kanye best watch himself. Shizz doesn’t end well. I’m surprised I missed on Blackmon because in hindsight, it’s so obvious. He’s a leadoff hitter with power and speed and he plays in Coors. Well dur! Preseason Rank #29, 2015 Projections: 79/15/60/.285/20, Final Numbers: 93/17/58/.287/43
10. Lorenzo Cain – According to my preseason rankings, here’s a tier of guys I wanted in every league: Cain, Polanco, Pollock, Betts, Khris Davis, Avisail, Leonys and Oswaldo Arcia. Oops, oops, oops on the last three, but not too shabby on the front five. I’m wondering who will be the Cain..Sugar! of this preseason. You know, a guy that is legit penciled into the three spot in a solid lineup that no one thinks of drafting. Honestly, I don’t even know if there will be one or why no one else went crazy for Cain last preseason. Preseason Rank #40, 2015 Projections: 74/8/77/.274/23, Final Numbers: 101/16/72/.307/28
11. Ryan Braun – Braun has obvious similarities to A-Rod, but something else is similar that I haven’t heard mentioned before. Both guys seem stubborn as hell at wanting to prove they are talented without steroids. Only I think Braun’s Ben Kingsley in Schindler’s List and A-Rod is Oskar Schindler. Braun keeps asking for more names on the list, and A-Rod is constantly adding more asterisks. Preseason Rank #16, 2015 Projections: 77/22/85/.261/13, Final Numbers: 87/25/84/.285/24
12. Carlos Gonzalez – I couldn’t have been more wrong about CarGo, yet more right on him. Explanation: his preseason projections compared to his end of the season numbers are way off. Like night and day as sung by Al B. Sure. Yet, me telling you to buy him in May couldn’t have been more right. Let’s do each other a favor next year, let’s just keep telling each other to draft Rockies hitters. Don’t even poo-poo LeMahieu, you poet, you. Preseason Rank #11, 2015 Projections: 77/22/81/.274/16, Final Numbers: 87/40/97/.271/2
13. Starling Marte – Nailed it. His projections, owning him in multiple leagues, my love for him, his love back for me that I felt through the TV screen, our mutual love for each other. All of it. Only thing I missed on him was my thinking that he wanted me to sleep on his front porch when he was out of town. Cops did not need to be called. Preseason Rank #19, 2015 Projections: 79/16/70/.265/33, Final Numbers: 84/19/81/.287/30
14. Andrew McCutchen – I mentioned this to a commenter the other day, these recaps, in addition to being wildly entertaining for you, help me think about my next season’s ranks. McCutchen has me thinking more about next year than some other guys here because this feels about where I see him ranking for the next few years. Gone are the 20-steal years and the power was never much more than what it was last year, so, yeah, The Dread Pirate is no longer dreaded by myself or pitchers. Preseason Rank #3, 2015 Projections: 92/22/94/.309/20, Final Numbers: 91/23/96/.292/11
15. Kris Bryant – Went over him in the top 20 3rd basemen.
16. Mookie Betts – Went over him in the top 20 2nd basemen.
17. Justin Upton – Reading McCutchen, Bryant, Betts then Upton and the names below him reminded me of this giant dip in the road on my street that I always slam the bottom of my car on. “We’re cruising…We’re cruising…We’re–*bang!* Dammit! Why does the bottom fall out like that?” Seriously, how are Kris Bryant and Evan Gattis only five players removed on the outfielder ranks. It seems impossible. As for Upton, it’s hilarious to read January Grey talk about the offense the Padres have added. It turned out there was more offense in Petco, but it was from opposing hitters. Preseason Rank #8, 2015 Projections: 81/27/95/.266/8, Final Numbers: 85/26/81/.251/19
18. Matt Kemp – I came pretty close on Kemp’s projections, which is odd because during the year, I thought he was doing awful and now looking at his numbers, I’m still unimpressed. It’s a case of filling out all five categories, which is good in theory, but we’re not trying on douchebag clothes in Theory, so who cares. Preseason Rank #17, 2015 Projections: 72/22/81/.276/8, Final Numbers: 80/23/100/.265/12
19. Curtis Granderson – If Upton was the dip in the road, Granderson and Gattis feel like the actual banging of the bottom of my car that makes me wince. Okay, that’s unfair. Granderson was sneaky good for where he was drafted, but sneaky good did not used to be top 20 outfielder material. Sneaky used to just be the sister in the Connect Four commercials. Preseason Rank #60, 2015 Projections: 68/22/72/.229/7, Final Numbers: 98/26/70/.259/11
20. Evan Gattis – Went over him in the top 20 catchers.
