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Welcome to the final installment of RotoBaller's midseason rankings for fantasy baseball. We'll cover the top 25 outfielders today, and the rest of the top 60 will be released tomorrow.
The outfielder tiers for both rankings will be named after television dramas. The invitation to berate me on Twitter (@amoralpanic) for either set of rankings remains open.
Editor’s Note: You can check out all of RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball midseason rankings and analysis, which has been updated over the past few days.
More rankings: Starting Pitchers (Part 1), Starting Pitchers (Part 2), First Base (1B), Second Base (2B), Third Base (3B), Shortstop (SS), Outfield (Part 2), Catcher (C), Relief Pitchers (RP)
Tier 1 - Breaking Bad
Well, duh. Trout is never going to steal 49 bases again like he did as a rookie, but he's on pace for his first 40 homer season and triple digits in both runs and RBI. Ho hum, just another transcendent season for a guy who doesn't even turn 24 until next month. Meanwhile, Harper has morphed into the monster everyone expected when he burst onto the scene as a 19 year old phenom three years ago. His OPS is almost 100 points higher than anyone else's, and he's got a real shot at the Triple Crown. It's going to be a real treat to watch these two dominate for the next decade-plus.
Tier 2 - The Wire
Jose Bautista
J.D. Martinez
Nelson Cruz
A.J. Pollock
Ryan Braun
Giancarlo Stanton
Bautista has been excellent as usual, albeit a bit of a BA drain. Given his .230 BABIP, however, it's reasonable to expect some positive regression there. There's obviously no way he can keep up this insane pace, but Martinez has clearly proven that last season was no fluke. Cruz has fallen off a bit from his own otherworldly stretch, but remains an elite source of power. Pollock has built on last season's success and become a true five-category contributor with an outside shot at a 20/40 season. After two injury-plagued seasons and a rough start to 2015, Braun has re-established himself as an elite fantasy outfielder. As for Stanton, even losing a month of the second half to a wrist injury can't keep him out of the top 10.
Tier 3 - Mad Men
Andrew McCutchen
Joc Pederson
Justin Upton
Starling Marte
Charlie Blackmon
Brett Gardner
McCutchen's slow start is a distant memory, but his surprising lack of category juice puts him just a cut below elite status from a fantasy standpoint. Pederson has been a revelation as a rookie, showcasing the best blend of power and patience this side of Harper. If he starts stealing bases in the second half and recovers from a recent slump, he could move up into the next tier. Upton has hit the skids since the calendar flipped to June, but could secure his first 30/30 season anyway. Marte, Gardner, and Blackmon are all having excellent seasons, contributing across the board.
Tier 4 - The Sopranos
Yoenis Cespedes
Adam Jones
Mookie Betts
Hanley Ramirez
Cameron Maybin
Lorenzo Cain
Despite walking less than ever, Cespedes is headed for the best season of his career in his first year with the Tigers. On the flip side, Jones has nearly doubled his anemic 2014 walk rate but is racking up lesser numbers in the counting stats. Betts struggled early but has bounced back in a big way, showing surprising power to supplement his speed and contact ability. Ramirez couldn't sustain his early dominance after suffering a shoulder injury, but may still hit 30 homers for the first time since 2008. Both Red Sox outfielders also retain MI eligibility this year. Maybin has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves, turning in top-20 outfielder numbers to this point. Cain is having a similarly excellent all-around season.
Tier 5 - The Shield
George Springer
Steven Souza
Billy Hamilton
Billy Burns
Ben Revere
Jacoby Ellsbury
Springer was red-hot and on his way to a potential 30/30 campaign before having his wrist broken by an Edinson Volquez fastball. He would have certainly been higher on this list if not for the injury. Similarly, Souza was supplying a useful power/speed combo before his own health issue, albeit with a terrible batting average. If Hamilton ever learned how to hit, he'd be an elite fantasy asset. As it stands, he's too much of a liability in non-SB cats to rank any higher. Burns and Revere don't offer the same gaudy stolen base totals, but they do hit for average and get on base enough to be more reliable sources of runs. Ellsbury has more pop than those two, but is coming off a leg injury that could limit his steals.
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