Best Of The Best - Outfielders

Who’s atop the list of best outfielding crews? It’s always hard to decide because some teams have two great players but not a third. Others have four pretty solid players but no stand out. I’ve put the Red Sox at number one in the American League.

1) Boston Red Sox: I’ve put the Red Sox at number one for a couple of reasons. The number one reason is depth. They have four Major League experienced players and one who hit well when he got called up. Jacoby Ellsbury’s sophomore season (technically rookie season under Major League rules) wasn’t a slump as he hit .280 with 50 stolen bases. He makes fantastic defensive plays to go along with the offense. J.D. Drew, when healthy, can be one of the most dangerous all-around players. He was named the 2008 All-Star Game MVP. Jason Bay played great since his trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rocco Baldelli pushes this team over the top. With that kind of depth, even if Baldelli or Drew gets hurt, the other is there to fill in. If both get hurt, the Red Sox have Jeff Bailey, who under limited playing time, hit .280.

2) Los Angeles Angels: The Angels have enough players to field two outfield groups that would be good enough to start in some places. Torii Hunter is the center fielder who takes control of the defense and hits in the middle of the order. Vladimir Guerrero came on strong in the second half, and says he has lost weight meaning he is in better shape for next year. Left field can go to any number of players: Reggie Willits, who didn’t get much of a chance to play last season; Gary Matthews, who struggled hitting only .242; or Juan Rivera, who has been a great pinch hitter and fourth outfielder on the team for a while.

3) Tampa Bay Rays: With the loss of talented but oft-injured Rocco Baldelli, one might think that the Rays would dip. But, with the signing of former Philadelphia Phillie Pat Burrell, the Rays won’t miss a beat. Coming off of a contract year, Burrell hit 33 home runs. B.J. Upton had a mediocre regular season, but the playoffs showcased his talents. He hit seven home runs in 16 postseason games. Carl Crawford, the longest tenured Ray, holds down the third outfield spot. The Rays have depth off the bench also. With the Gabe Kapler signing, the Rays have a very capable fourth outfielder. Gabe Gross, Ben Zobrist, Fernando Perez, and Justin Ruggiano will have to fight for the fifth outfielder spot—if the Rays want a fifth outfielder.

4) Toronto Blue Jays: Toronto has three solid, all-around outfielders, but not a good fourth outfielder. The leader is center fielder Vernon Wells, who bounced back this season, even though he was injured in the beginning. Alex Rios is an all-around threat with power, speed, and defense as he hit .291 with 79 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. Adam Lind is the third outfielder. The Blue Jays hope he can live up to his potential (a third round pick in 2004). He hit .282 last year and the job is his to lose.

5) Chicago White Sox: The White Sox could be a lot higher on this list if they can find a center fielder. The corner outfield spots feature two of the top talents in Major League Baseball. Carlos Quentin led this team with his clutch hitting until he went down at the end of the year and others stepped up. Jermaine Dye mans right field, and even though he can play lazy defense at times, he has a strong arm and a quick bat. Center field is the biggest question mark with a few players fighting for the job: Jerry Owens, Brian Anderson, and Dewayne Wise are all battling for the job.

Honorable mention for top outfielders:
Minnesota Twins: The Twins have good, young talent in the outfield and they need their players to develop. The postseason run (which fell short) will give the players good experience for next season on how to play down the stretch. With Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, and Delmon Young, this outfield could have the best outfield arms in all of the league. Denard Span will most likely get a lot of playing time in right field this year, so Michael Cuddyer might have to find another spot—third base or designated hitter.

Detroit Tigers: Magglio Ordonez has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last two seasons. Pair his power with the speed and defense of Curtis Granderson and good things will happen. Marcus Thames, who has raw power (25 home runs in 316 at-bats) will probably split time with rookie Clete Thomas. Clete played well in his first season hitting .284 in 40 games.

And the National League outfielders…

1) Los Angeles Dodgers: I love the young outfielders that the Dodgers have on their roster. Matt Kemp is an outstanding athlete who at 6’2”, 230 is quick enough to swipe 35 stolen bases last year. And at 24 years old, there is nowhere for him to go but up. Andre Ethier had his best season hitting .305 with 20 home runs. Juan Pierre might get a chance to play more now that Andruw Jones is off the team. Even if Pierre has lost a little of his stroke since his playing days with the Marlins, he still hit .283 last year and remains one of the fastest players in the league. The fourth outfield spot is up to Jason Repko and Delwyn Young. Both are solid fourth options, but both struggled last season when given the chance.

2) Philadelphia Phillies: Pat Burrell is gone. So the Phillies chose to replace him with 36-year old Raul Ibanez. Ibanez was near the top of the league in hitting last year compiling good numbers—.293, 23 home runs and 110 RBIs. He has been a consistent hitter throughout his career and the Phillies are fortunate to have him. Shane Victorino is a top center fielder who can play defense and hit. He knocked a grand slam off of CC Sabathia in the first round of the playoffs to finish off the Brewers. Jason Werth turned in a pretty good year, although he had some mental base running lapses in the playoffs. Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins are capable, veteran outfielders that give manager Charlie Manuel nice pinch hit options.

3) Chicago Cubs: The Cubs might have the most depth of any National League team. Alfonso Soriano, when healthy, can change a game. Newcomer Milton Bradley came off a career year with the Texas Rangers and made the All-Star team. Kosuke Fukudome is the final outfielder who will get substantial playing time. Kosuke had an up and down rookie debut but won the respect of the fans early on in the season. Joey Gathright and Reed Johnson are great fourth and fifth options for a team that is exploding with talent in the outfield.

4) Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers bring back a talented crew (no pun intended) of outfielders for the 2009 season. After originally seeing what they could get for Mike Cameron, when the offers fell through, the Brewers decided to keep him, rather than unload him in a salary dump. Ryan Braun is a fantastic hitter who certainly did not disappoint last season. The most interesting part was his defense improved. He did not have a single error in his first season in left field. Corey Hart is capable of being a five-tool player with speed, power, and defense. His second half slip (.289 in the first half, .239 in the second) will hopefully be part of the past as Hart is the everyday right fielder. Tony Gwynn Jr. provides a nice fourth option. The Brewers have not given Gwynn much of a chance to play every day, and as fourth outfielder, he might not get much playing time again.

5) Houston Astros: Another team that has a lot of choices to make for the upcoming season. Left field is set with All-Star Carlos Lee. The other spots aren’t entirely set and anyone can expect to play is they can perform. Hunter Pence is most likely looking at the most time in right field as he played pretty well in the second half of the season. Michael Bourn is the man that the Astros hope will play full-time. He is a speedster who needs to work on his offense to remain in the lineup every day. The Astros have very capable backups in Darin Erstad and newcomer Jason Michaels. Both will provide a spark off the bench if any outfielder’s production dips.

Honorable mention for top outfielders:
New York Mets: The Mets mix in veteran talent with youthful talent. Carlos Beltran is a great all-around player who patrols center field. Ryan Church will get a lot of playing time in right field. Fernando Tatis might get a shot to play a corner outfield spot next year as well. He enjoyed a nice season last year so he has a good shot to make the team. Nick Evans and Daniel Murphy are two young players who have a chance to start in left field. Both played pretty well after getting called up during the year. Finally, Marlon Anderson is a veteran player who can play all three outfield positions.

Arizona Diamondbacks: This group could be the fastest outfield in all of baseball. If Eric Byrnes can bounce back from an injury and return to his 2007 form (.286, 50 stolen bases) the Diamondbacks are even more dangerous. If the 21-year old Justin Upton is anything like this brother B.J. then he is primed for a big year this season, his 3rd in the league. Chris Young is also in his third season as starting center fielder for the Diamondbacks. He has all the tools to become a star, he just needs to be more consistent with his hitting. Alex Romero will most likely be the fourth outfielder.

The 5th and final portion of the positional breakdown of teams will be featured next. It covers the top catching units in baseball—looking at the starter and the backup.