The day after July 4th can be a very difficult one. Other than the day after the Super Bowl, going back to work after Independence Day can be a very difficult ordeal as people are fighting hangovers, indigestion, and a poor night of sleep (I’ve never heard so many people complain about fireworks going off after 11PM). To those people, I have one word for you: “bummer.”
The following is the concluding installment of our “All-Patriotic Team” for the first half of fantasy baseball in Fantasy Points Leagues. Part I acknowledged the best pitchers and Part II gave props to the infielders. We will now do an overview of the best outfielders who have been racking up the points all season long.
The Rules: We will split the outfield into three parts: left, center, and right fielder. Two players will get special recognition at each position. This will also be the time to name our two designated hitters to our team; players that missed the cut at other positions, but still deserve special recognition for a great first half of baseball. Points are based on the scoring system we use in my Head-to-Head Fantasy Points’ Keeper League. All stats are as of July 3, 2013:
| ALL-PATRIOTIC TEAM: OUTFIELD & DH | |||||||||
| Player | Pos | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Carlos Gonzalez | LF | 23 | 61 | 36 | 97 | 15 | 0.295 | 0.363 | 0.604 |
| Domonic Brown | LF | 22 | 60 | 21 | 64 | 8 | 0.280 | 0.324 | 0.553 |
| Mike Trout | CF | 13 | 53 | 42 | 65 | 20 | 0.315 | 0.390 | 0.540 |
| Jacoby Ellsbury | CF | 1 | 29 | 31 | 46 | 33 | 0.298 | 0.361 | 0.404 |
| Chris Davis | RF | 32 | 83 | 36 | 92 | 0 | 0.331 | 0.406 | 0.731 |
| Jose Bautista | RF | 19 | 50 | 47 | 60 | 6 | 0.264 | 0.364 | 0.512 |
| Jason Kipnis | DH | 13 | 54 | 40 | 74 | 19 | 0.301 | 0.386 | 0.539 |
| Joey Votto | DH | 14 | 39 | 60 | 74 | 3 | 0.323 | 0.432 | 0.511 |
LEFT FIELD
There’s not denying the impact that Carlos Gonzalez (314.25) has made in fantasy baseball. I’m a harsh critic of Gonzalez because of the impatient approach at the plate, but I can’t be too rough on the guy when he’s producing these big time numbers.
The second LF has also been a good source of power with 22 dingers of his own. Domonic Brown (back in 2010) was unofficially listed as my number 1 overall prospect for fantasy baseball. His potential reminded me of the hype that surrounded Jason Heyward and not only did I deem him the best, but went out of my way to pick him up for my keeper league team. What followed was some serious growing pain issues and injuries as well as lack of playing time on Philadelphia Phillies’ team full of veterans. But it now looks like Brown is finally playing up to potential and has been a real find for keen fantasy players. His on-base% could use some improvement and like CarGo, Brown shows very little patience at the plate, but the difference is that he makes enough solid contact to not let it affect his game. Currently, he has 265 points.
Some left fielders that might overtake one of the top two spots:
- Allen Craig
- Gerrardo Parra
- Matt Holliday
CENTER FIELD
Technically, Mike Trout (322.25) qualifies at left field, but he will always be associated as a center fielder. Trout is living up to the hype he generated in his rookie year and has shown no signs of a “sophomore slump.” He’s on his way to becoming a 25/40 guy and he’s improving his approach at the plate. Although he’s not on pace to meet his gaudy numbers from last season, the improved plate discipline is a sign of a maturing player. And he’s still the top points’ leader at both LF and CF with 325.25.
I was down on Jacoby Ellsbury during the offseason as injuries played a role in dropping him out of my top tier list of center fielders. Now he sees himself in second place on this list with 276.5 points. The power is not there the way it was in 2011, but 33 stolen bases and possessing an on-base% of .361 will definitely make up for the lack of home runs.
Other names worth mentioning:
RIGHT FIELD
Chris Davis (334 points) is having a monster year. Just like Trout, Davis is the leading points-getter at two positions: 1B and RF. 32 homeruns and 83 RBI would be a good, end-of-the-season tabulation for a lot of players, but the fact that he’s posting these type of numbers in one half is beyond amazing. Like CarGo, his plate discipline could use some improving and it might be his downfall in the second half, but for now, he can take his 1.123 OPS into the All-Star Game.
After a slow start, Jose Bautista (273) is finally accumulating momentum. I always talk about the importance of having guys on your team with good plate approach in Fantasy Points Leagues because it helps owners deal with individual players’ slumps. Despite owning an unspectacular batting average of .264, Bautista finds himself at the 2-spot in this race. Owning a BB:K of .78 along with an on-base% of .364 will always help a player be relevant.
Right fielders that might start making a move in the second half:
- Allen Craig
- Michael Cuddyer
- Shin-Soo Choo
DESIGNATED HITTER
Jason Kipnis’ strong first half (270.5) has gone mostly unnoticed by fans outside of Cleveland. He’s not even a top 5 vote-getter for this year’s All-Star game at 2B. A guy that’s on pace to be a 25/35 guy should attract more attention. His BB:K has decreased slightly from last season, but he’s making it up by displaying more power. You would think that an OPS of .925 would get baseball fans’ attention, but apparently, based on the voting results so far, it has not.
I absolutely think the world of Joey Votto’s hitting prowess (268.5). The 39 RBI will definitely hurt him, but the fact that he’s still producing good numbers in Fantasy Points Leagues is truly a testament to his unique capabilities. Owning one of the best approaches at the plate, Votto’s discipline has helped him attain an on-base% of .432. Do not sleep on Votto!
Other DHs worth considering:
- David Ortiz
- Andrew McCutchen
- Matt Carpenter
- Josh Donaldson
- Adam Jones
- Prince Fielder
- Evan Longoria
Now for the fun part–for me at least. I’m going to split these players into two teams and create a virtual batting lineup:
FIRST TEAM
- Mike Trout (CF)
- Buster Posey (C)
- Robinson Cano (2B)
- Miguel Cabrera (3B)
- Chris Davis (RF)
- Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
- Edwin Encarnacion (1B)
- Jason Kipnis (DH)
- Jean Segura (SS)
SECOND TEAM
- Jacoby Ellsbury (CF)
- Dustin Pedroia (2B)
- Yadier Molina (C)
- Joey Votto (DH)
- Jose Bautista (RF)
- Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
- Troy Tulowitzki (SS)
- David Wrigth (3B)
- Domonic Brown (LF)
I have created two fantasy baseball lineups from a fantasy baseball perspective. Let that sink in for a bit.
