2015 Outfielder Rankings

As has become an All-Star break tradition, here’s a peek ahead at some very, very preliminary 2015 player rankings. I’m only concerned with next year here, so these aren’t true keeper rankings; if I were factoring in 2016 and beyond, some younger players would be listed quite a bit higher. As always, I’m going position by position (trying to account for next year’s position eligibility) and including a top 300 overall.

This winter’s free agents are listed without teams. Players facing option years are listed as “opt” in the team column.

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Click to see other preliminary 2015 rankings:

Top 300 | SP | RP | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH

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2015 Outfielder Rankings

2015	Outfield	Team	2014
1	Mike Trout	Angels	1
2	Giancarlo Stanton	Marlins	8
3	Yasiel Puig	Dodgers	17
4	Billy Hamilton	Reds	19
5	Andrew McCutchen	Pirates	5
6	Bryce Harper	Nationals	6
7	Carlos Gonzalez	Rockies	3
8	Jacoby Ellsbury	Yankees	4
9	Jose Bautista	Blue Jays	14
10	Carlos Gomez	Brewers	11
11	Ryan Braun	Brewers	2
12	Adam Jones	Orioles	9
13	Justin Upton	Braves	10
14	Michael Brantley	Indians	27
15	Gregory Polanco	Pirates	127
16	Shin-Soo Choo	Rangers	7
17	Jay Bruce	Reds	12
18	Hunter Pence	Giants	15
19	George Springer	Astros	80
20	Yoenis Cespedes	Athletics	18
21	Jason Heyward	Braves	13
22	Matt Kemp	Dodgers	20
23	Mark Trumbo	Diamondbacks	10 1B
24	Kole Calhoun	Angels	29
25	Corey Dickerson	Rockies	84
26	Alex Rios	opt	24
27	Matt Holliday	Cardinals	16
28	Christian Yelich	Marlins	50
29	Wil Myers	Rays	21
30	Jayson Werth	Nationals	26
31	Starling Marte	Pirates	25
32	Leonys Martin	Rangers	35
33	Alex Gordon	Royals	33
34	Marcell Ozuna	Marlins	69
35	Josh Hamilton	Angels	30
36	Oscar Taveras	Cardinals	91
37	Nelson Cruz		39
38	Charlie Blackmon	Rockies	112
39	Carlos Beltran	Yankees	22
40	Desmond Jennings	Rays	28
41	Allen Craig	Cardinals	9 1B
42	Coco Crisp	Athletics	51
43	Brett Gardner	Yankees	57
44	Austin Jackson	Tigers	32
45	Mookie Betts	Red Sox	NR
46	Curtis Granderson	Mets	47
47	Avisail Garcia	White Sox	45
48	Joc Pederson	Dodgers	175
49	Nick Markakis	opt	41
50	Angel Pagan	Giants	54
51	B.J. Upton	Braves	48
52	Denard Span	Nationals	52
53	Michael Cuddyer		23
54	J.D. Martinez	Tigers	153
55	Melky Cabrera		53
56	Michael Morse		71
57	A.J. Pollock	Diamondbacks	55
58	Torii Hunter		37
59	Ben Revere	Phillies	49
60	Josh Reddick	Athletics	36
61	Carl Crawford	Dodgers	42
62	Adam Eaton	White Sox	62
63	Michael Bourn	Indians	43
64	Will Venable	Padres	38
65	Jackie Bradley	Red Sox	94
66	Shane Victorino	Red Sox	34
67	Lorenzo Cain	Royals	64
68	Oswaldo Arcia	Twins	60
69	Dexter Fowler	Astros	75
70	Khris Davis	Brewers	74
71	Marlon Byrd	Phillies	78
72	Andre Ethier	Dodgers	46
73	Dustin Ackley	Mariners	14 2B
74	Colby Rasmus		59
75	Norichika Aoki		44
76	Rajai Davis	Tigers	58
77	Dayan Viciedo	White Sox	70
78	Josh Willingham		72
79	Kevin Kiermaier	Rays	248
80	Domonic Brown	Phillies	31
81	Gerardo Parra	Diamondbacks	63
82	Matt Joyce	Rays	77
83	James Jones	Mariners	245
84	Juan Lagares	Mets	107
85	Cameron Maybin	Padres	100
86	Chris Young		56
87	Michael Saunders	Mariners	96
88	Seth Smith	Padres	98
89	Yasmani Tomas		NR
90	Grant Green	Angels	41 2B
91	Craig Gentry	Athletics	97
92	Justin Ruggiano	Cubs	90
93	Eric Young Jr.	Mets	89
94	Carlos Quentin	Padres	81
95	David Murphy	Indians	82
96	Jon Jay	Cardinals	106
97	Domingo Santana	Astros	246
98	Andy Dirks	Tigers	110
99	Drew Stubbs	Rockies	85
100	Chris Denorfia		95
101	Daniel Nava	Red Sox	76
102	Rusney Castillo		NR
103	Chris Heisey	Reds	68
104	Peter Bourjos	Cardinals	66
105	Alfonso Soriano		40
106	Alejandro De Aza	White Sox	79
107	Nate Schierholtz		73
108	Jonny Gomes		83
109	Junior Lake	Cubs	92
110	Darin Ruf	Phillies	118
111	Scott Van Slyke	Dodgers	136
112	Jake Marisnick	Marlins	154
113	Chris Coghlan	Cubs	144
114	Cody Ross	Diamondbacks	99
115	Jose Tabata	Pirates	88
116	Michael Choice	Rangers	124
117	Brandon Guyer	Rays	117
118	David DeJesus	Rays	93
119	Grady Sizemore		67
120	Nolan Reimold	Blue Jays	4 DH
121	James Ramsey	Cardinals	244
122	Byron Buxton	Twins	129
123	Jarrod Dyson	Royals	120
124	Abraham Almonte	Mariners	87
125	Michael Taylor	Nationals	NR
126	Aaron Hicks	Twins	65
127	Franklin Gutierrez		NR
128	Jordan Schafer	Braves	119
129	Steven Souza	Nationals	271
130	Kyle Parker	Rockies	165
131	Nate McLouth	Nationals	111
132	Ryan Raburn	Indians	103
133	Randal Grichuk	Cardinals	258
134	Anthony Gose	Blue Jays	116
135	Delmon Young		114
136	David Peralta	Diamondbacks	NR
137	Ichiro Suzuki		102
138	Tyler Naquin	Indians	NR
139	Bryce Brentz	Red Sox	188
140	Mikie Mahtook	Rays	NR
141	David Lough	Orioles	109
142	Ryan Ludwick		130
143	Michael Taylor	White Sox	145
144	Billy Burns	Athletics	214
145	Robbie Grossman	Astros	86
146	Jorge Soler	Cubs	256
147	Alex Presley	Astros	126
148	Kirk Nieuwenhuis	Mets	180
149	John Mayberry Jr.	Phillies	140
150	Chris Parmelee	Twins	157

Outfielders

• This winter’s outfield crop is very short on all-around players. Cruz, Cuddyer, Morse and Willingham all belong at DH or maybe first base in the case of Cuddyer and Morse. The Orioles will decline Markakis’s $17.5 million option, but figure to seek to bring him back at a more modest price. I imagine that Rios’s $13.5 million option will be picked up, though it’s possible he’ll be traded before that happens. Rasmus would seem to be the only legitimate starting center fielder in the bunch, which would seem to make for an interesting trade market.

• There are two Cuban defectors here in Yasmani Tomas (No. 89) and Rusney Castillo (No. 102). Tomas has at least 25-homer power, though he might be more useful at first base than in the outfield. It’s uncertain when he’ll be cleared to sign. Castillo is free to ink a deal and probably will sometime in the next month or two. He doesn’t have Tomas’s bat, but he can play center and might be talented enough to make it as a regular.

• Teams with expendable outfielders this winter include the Cardinals, Rays and Dodgers. With Matt Adams now settled in at first base, trading Craig seems like an obvious move for St. Louis. They could also put Bourjos back on the market. With Ramsey and Grichuk in the minors, they really have any number of options. Maybe they’ll trade Jay and keep Bourjos if they think Ramsey, a left-handed hitter, is capable of taking over in center.

• Kiermaier’s emergence could lead to Jennings’s exit. Kiermaier has been playing right field alongside Jennings, but he’s probably the better center fielder of the two anyway, and despite Jennings’ disappointing lack of progress, he’d still be an attractive piece given the barren center field market.

• The Red Sox will have to decide whether they can count on Victorino to contribute next year or if it will make sense to go get a bopper to play left field. Bradley doesn’t look like a future star, but his offense is picking up and he’s proving himself to be one of the game’s best defensive center fielders. Betts could settle in an as a legitimate right fielder if the Red Sox want to go that route, but a Betts-Bradley-Victorino outfield, with Nava in reserve, would be awfully short of power. If the Red Sox want to get back into the race next year, finding a 25-homer guy to play left would seem to be an easy upgrade.

• The Rockies are talking about re-signing Cuddyer, but they already have Justin Morneau under control for next year and their 2015 outfield should be Dickerson-Blackmon-Gonzalez, at least against righties.