X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

Top 10 Projected Runs Producers: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

It can be rather tricky in attempting to properly analyze and predict which players will score the most runs in the future.  Short of Tony Kornheiser playing the fortune teller on PTI, baseball predictions for individuals can be decimated by several factors.  Injury, well-placed defensive shifts and the failure of teammates to come through can all ruin a player’s individual numbers especially in run production.

 

How To Project Runs In Fantasy Baseball

After assessing the top ten finishers in runs in each of the last three seasons, it appears the best indicator of predicting who will finish in this year’s list is none other than plate appearances.  Certainly a player with a high wOBA will help, but that .410 wOBA means nothing if the player is hitting out of the seven hole.

Conventional thinking also dictates that a player needs to be surrounded and hit in front of high-RBI guys.  That also helps but still is not as high a factor as some would think.  Brian Dozier finished second in runs in 2014 for a Twins team that finished seventh in the league, while Hunter Pence completed his 2014 campaign fourth in runs for a middle-of-the-pack Giants offense that finished 12th in runs scored.

Both Pence and Dozier were two of nine players that finished 2014 with over 700 plate appearances.  Of the remaining seven, two (Mike Trout and Ian Kinsler) finished with 100+ runs scored and another two (Matt Carpenter and Freddie Freeman) crossed home plate over 90 times.  If you’re looking for a formula to mathematically predict runs, it may look something like (PA)(x)=R where “x” is the unseen variable that we will discuss further.  Without further ado, we unleash our prediction for the top ten finishers in runs for 2015, in no particular order.

 

Who Will Lead The Majors in Runs

1) Mike Trout - LAA, OF

Unless you have been living under a rock the last three seasons, this guy is a no-brainer.  He scored 115 runs in 2014, 109 in 2013 and a ridiculous 129 in 2012.  Preseason Steamer and Fans(46) predictions have him scoring 108 and 112 runs, respectively.  As the reigning AL MVP, Trout will probably be picked first in most leagues as he should be.

2) Miguel Cabrera - DET, 1B

Another no brainer.  Cabrera is a triple crown threat every year and guys that hit HR and for BA will always be threats to score runs.  He has scored at least 101 R in each of the last five seasons and there is no reason to think that trend cannot continue in 2015.

3) Andrew McCutchen - PIT, OF

Although Clayton Kershaw deservedly won the NL MVP last season, McCutchen is arguably the most important player in all of baseball and probably would have won the award if he did not miss 16 games due to injury.  McCutchen’s durability should not be in question as most of his missed time from last season stemmed from a freak accident after a plunking at the hands of Arizona reliever Randall Delgado.  The star centerfielder knows how to get on base and manufacture runs from nothing even if the bottom half of the Pirates lineup doesn’t drive him in conventionally.

4) Anthony Rendon - WAS, 3B

In just a season and a half, Rendon has made his mark as the most consistent hitter for a formidable Nationals lineup.  Most of the Washington starters have missed some time over the last two seasons but Rendon has played the most and seen the most plate appearances.  He finished first in the NL last season with 111 R while seeing only the fifth most PA.  Rendon will play third base this year but there is still an outside shot he is second base position eligible for fantasy teams in 2015.

5) Jose Bautista - TOR, OF/1B

The Blue Jays once again were big players in the offseason and have solidified a lot of question marks on the offensive end.  Even with the addition of guys like Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin, Joey Bats is still the guy up north.  Clearly the biggest question mark is health.  After watching his 2014 campaign, we are banking on Joey Bats returning completely healthy and fully rejuvenated from his injury prone 2012 and 2013 seasons.

6) Christian Yelich - MIA, OF

The chances that two guys from the same team both finish in the top ten in runs are slim.  Yelich is batting leadoff and will have plenty of more plate appearances than Giancarlo Stanton, which is the only reason the young outfielder gets the nod over the bruising Stanton.  Yelich’s 20.8% K rate is high for a contact guy but his .362 OBP is right where a young leadoff hitter needs to be.  His 94 R scored in 2014 tied him for tenth in the league and fifth in the NL.  Expect Yelich to continue to cross the plate at a high rate in 2015.

7) Troy Tulowitzki - COL, SS

Injury is the only reason to worry about Tulo not scoring.  In only 91 games and 375 plate appearances last season, Tulowitzki scored 71 runs which leads into an 18.9% runs per plate appearance rate.  (Note: I am not quite sure if this is a real stat or a statistic that I just made up, but I will use it for fun comparison.)  Had he not gotten hurt and instead saw 705 PA (the number of PA by Trout) last season while continue to score at that rate, Tulo would have scored 133 times.  Obviously this plays into a big “what if” game, but it should give you a clear representative scale of Tulowitzki’s ability to score.

8) Shin-Soo Choo - TEX, OF

In terms of monetary return on investment, Choo was awful last season.  He saw his lowest numbers across the board since 2009 and looked completely lost at times at the plate.  There is some hope.  History has shown us that players sometimes struggle or show less production when they sign with a new team.  Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Hanley Ramirez and Robinson Cano are all guys that showed less production in their first year with new teams as compared to their career averages.  Perhaps Choo’s problem last season was trying too hard to impress the Ranger fans.  Before he got hurt in August, Choo recorded a .295 wOBA at home as compared to a .350 wOBA on the road.  His 125 wRC+ on the road is a lot closer to his career 131 wRC+ and could be evidence of his real value.  In the daring prediction of the list, Choo is the bounce back run scorer of 2015.

9) Anthony Rizzo - CHC, 1B

Rizzo was one of the few bright spots of an otherwise terrible Cubs team last season.  Then came the splash of signings in the offseason and everyone in the Northside is excited.  Chicago may not be a contender (yet) in 2015, but they are certainly moving in the right direction.  Rizzo scored 89 runs for an awful Cubs offense that finished 26th in runs scored.  He accounted for 14.5% of all runs scored for the team which is an incredibly high number for a cleanup hitter.  Durability should not be an issue either, so Rizzo could hit the high 600s in PA.

10) Alex Gordon - KC, OF

It seems like every preseason Gordon is the guy that will break out.  Well, him and Eric Hosmer.  This season truly could be the year, at least in the runs category.  Despite an atrocious September, Gordon had an excellent second half of the season for the surging Royals while continuing the hot production into the postseason.  September, July and most of April were tough months for Gordon and he still finished with 87 R for 2014.  Of course even if he scores 100 runs, the one he did not score in game seven will still by talked about way more.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jorge López7 hours ago

Jorge Lopez Agrees To One-Year Deal With Mets
Diontae Johnson8 hours ago

Scores Again In Week 14 Loss
Ezekiel Elliott8 hours ago

Dominant While Earning 29 Touches
D'Onta Foreman8 hours ago

Practices In Full Again
Hunter Henry8 hours ago

Scores Two Touchdowns In Week 14
Bailey Zappe8 hours ago

Throws For Three Touchdowns In Week 14 Win
Harrison Bader9 hours ago

Giants, Padres Interested In Harrison Bader
Justin Jefferson10 hours ago

Gets In Another Full Practice
Ha-Seong Kim10 hours ago

Red Sox Interested In Ha-Seong Kim?
Pete Alonso10 hours ago

Mets, Pete Alonso Haven't Talked Extension
Kareem Hunt10 hours ago

Gets In Limited Practice Session
Juan Soto10 hours ago

Yankees Haven't Had Extension Talks With Juan Soto
Aaron Judge10 hours ago

Toe Injury "A Resolved Issue"
Jamal Murray10 hours ago

Considered Probable For Friday
LeBron James11 hours ago

To Play On Thursday
Malcolm Brogdon11 hours ago

Questionable For Friday's Game
Deandre Ayton11 hours ago

Unlikely To Suit Up Friday
Jalen Duren11 hours ago

Will Miss Next Two Weeks
Jordan Clarkson11 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Raheem Mostert11 hours ago

Sits Out On Thursday
Tyreek Hill12 hours ago

Picks Up DNP In First Practice
Geno Smith12 hours ago

Added To Injury Report With Groin Issue
Zach Charbonnet12 hours ago

Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet Limited Thursday
Tyler Higbee12 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Week 14
Puka Nacua12 hours ago

Practices Without Limitations Thursday
DeVante Parker12 hours ago

Ruled Out, JuJu Smith-Schuster Active Thursday
Najee Harris12 hours ago

Officially Active Thursday Night
Markelle Fultz12 hours ago

Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz Remain Out Friday
Mark Williams12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable Friday
Trae Young13 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday With Illness
Taysom Hill13 hours ago

Absent Again On Thursday
Jalen Duren13 hours ago

Out With Ankle Sprain Friday
Chris Olave13 hours ago

Rashid Shaheed Miss Thursday's Practice
Derek Carr13 hours ago

Practices Again Thursday
Tyler Herro13 hours ago

No Return For Tyler Herro Against Cavaliers
Lauri Markkanen13 hours ago

Back At Thursday's Practice
Kristaps Porzingis13 hours ago

Likely To Return Against Knicks
Bam Adebayo13 hours ago

Still Out With Bruised Hip
Dalton Schultz13 hours ago

Downgraded At Thursday's Practice
Bradley Beal13 hours ago

Grayson Allen Out Friday
Dallas Goedert14 hours ago

Another Full Practice For Dallas Goedert
Derrick Henry14 hours ago

Should Be Good To Go For Week 14
Kevin Durant15 hours ago

Sitting Out Against Kings
Malcolm Brogdon16 hours ago

Held Scoreless Before Departing
Jalen Duren16 hours ago

Reaches Double-Double Before Exiting
Zach LaVine16 hours ago

Gets PRP Injection Amid Recovery
Jordan Hicks17 hours ago

Being Eyed By Yankees
Evgeny Kuznetsov20 hours ago

Expected To Return To Lineup Thursday
DET20 hours ago

Patrick Kane Ready For Red Wings Debut On Thursday
Zach Hyman20 hours ago

Stays Hot With Second Hat Trick
Nick Senzel20 hours ago

Heads To Nationals
Evan Rodrigues20 hours ago

Matches Career High With Four Points
Jeimer Candelario20 hours ago

Reds Agree With Jeimer Candelario
Victor Hedman21 hours ago

Notches Two Assists Wednesday
John Klingberg21 hours ago

Out For Season
Luka Doncic21 hours ago

Rolls To 40-Point Triple-Double
Joel Embiid21 hours ago

Feasts Against The Wizards
San Diego Padres1 day ago

Jung Hoo Lee High On Padres' Wish List
Eduardo Rodriguez1 day ago

Agrees To Four-Year Deal With Diamondbacks
Kyle Higashioka1 day ago

Padres Acquire Michael King, Kyle Higashioka, Others From Yankees
Trent Grisham1 day ago

Yankees Complete Trade To Acquire Juan Soto, Trent Grisham
Eduardo Rodriguez1 day ago

Diamondbacks Are Finalists To Land Eduardo Rodriguez
Dylan Cease1 day ago

White Sox "Pulling Back" On Dylan Cease Trade Talks?
Aaron Judge2 days ago

Could Be Regular Center Fielder
New York Yankees2 days ago

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Expected To Meet With Yankees Monday
Dylan Cease2 days ago

White Sox Have High Asking Price For Dylan Cease
Trent Grisham2 days ago

Expected To Be Shipped To Yankees
Bryce Harper2 days ago

Hoping To Discuss Another Long-Term Deal
Craig Kimbrel2 days ago

Orioles Agree To One-Year Deal
Nathan MacKinnon2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Tomas Hertl2 days ago

Posts Sixth Career Hat Trick
Vladimir Tarasenko2 days ago

Shines In Win Over Rangers
J.T. Miller2 days ago

Grabs Three Points In Loss Versus New Jersey
Jack Hughes2 days ago

Continues Tear Versus Canucks
Matt Boldy2 days ago

Notches Three Points In Tuesday's Win
Connor Ingram3 days ago

Takes Winning Streak To Five Games With Second Shutout
Clayton Keller3 days ago

Records Hat Trick Of Assists
Travis Konecny3 days ago

Logs Two Assists In Monday's Win
Anthony Cirelli3 days ago

Nets Two Goals As Tampa Bay Ends Slide
Andrei Vasilevskiy3 days ago

Bounces Back In Style On Monday
Nikolaj Ehlers3 days ago

Takes Down Hurricanes
Beneil Dariush4 days ago

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss At UFC Austin
Beneil Dariush4 days ago

Arman Tsarukyan Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 64 Seconds
Jalin Turner4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bobby Green4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out In The First Round
Punahele Soriano4 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Submits Punahele Soriano
Punahele Soriano4 days ago

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Nathan MacKinnon4 days ago

Pushes Point Streak To Eight Games
Quinton Byfield4 days ago

Pots Two Goals Against Colorado
Alex Tuch4 days ago

Exits With Injury
Clay Guida5 days ago

Falls To .500 In The UFC
Joaquim Silva5 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Austin
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Submitted In Welterweight Return
Sean Brady5 days ago

Returns To Win Column
Rob Font5 days ago

1-4 In Last Five Fights After Loss At UFC Austin
Deiveson Figueiredo5 days ago

Wins Bantamweight Debut

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
C.J. Stroud - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Warning Signals for Week 14: C.J. Stroud, Tony Pollard, and Calvin Ridley

Week 14 of the fantasy football season is underway and while we may have drafted certain players at a premium, it is okay to consider benching them despite their name value. We often hear the phrase "start your studs" and it is a tried and true method, especially earlier in the season. When injuries, tough... Read More


Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 14 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back RotoBallers to our Week 14 matchups analysis and Start Em, Sit Em column for fantasy football. Last week knocked out more starting quarterbacks, headlined by Trevor Lawrence. The constant roulette at the position across the NFL makes it difficult to project how an offense will perform. That's not ending this week either because there... Read More


Brandin Cooks - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

The King's Week 14 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

Scott "The King" Engel issues his full Week 14 lineup rankings in PPR, Half-PPR, and Standard formats. He also includes insights on key players at each position, with chunks of relevant statistical indicators. Regular starting options are also included in the statistical highlights to show how well your best players might be performing. Much of... Read More


Lamar Jackson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 14 (Thursday Updates): Lamar Jackson, Aaron Jones, Isiah Pacheco, Trevor Lawrence, Christian Watson, Breece Hall, and more

The 2023 NFL continues racing along with Week 14 ready to get underway with the Patriots vs. Steelers on Thursday Night Football, fantasy managers are busy tracking injuries to their key fantasy studs. We have the latest notable injury updates as of Thursday, December 7, 2023. Fantasy football assets such as Aaron Jones, Isiah Pacheco,... Read More


Darren Waller - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Late-Season Heroes Returning From Injury

At this point in the NFL season, there aren't too many players out there on the injured reserve who stand to return this season and make an impact. It's already December and there's just not a ton of football left to be played. However, there are a few players who should return down the stretch... Read More


Diontae Johnson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Patriots vs. Steelers TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Ezekiel Elliott, Demario Douglas, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Diontae Johnson, and More

If the last three Thursdays have been the first three courses of some fantasy fine dining, Week 14's matchup between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers is the unappetizing platter to finish off the meal. After Bengals-Ravens, Thanksgiving, and then the epic Seattle-Dallas bonanza last week, this week we get Bailey Zappe vs. Mitch... Read More


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Rest of Season Half-PPR Rankings: Fantasy Football Top 200 for Week 14

Fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner and it is time to take stock of your FF pantry. Let us assist you in constructing a championship battle plan with our Week 14 fantasy football half-PPR rankings for the rest of 2023, as of December 7. Check where key players shifted, such as Kyren Williams,... Read More


Joshua Dobbs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 14 - Joshua Dobbs, Keaton Mitchell, Isaiah Likely, DeeJay Dallas

It’s the final week of the fantasy football regular season. I cannot believe I am typing those words already. The weeks have flown by, but that means it's been a very fun season. Thank you for reading my work and supporting RotoBaller all season long!  If you are still reading this, it means you are... Read More


Dalton Kincaid - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Is Dalton Kincaid the Next Travis Kelce?

If you're a fan of the NFL, you know that Travis Kelce is a beast. He's not only the best tight end in the league, but he might also be the best to ever play the position. His size, speed, route-running, and hands are a nightmare matchup for any defense. He's also a leader and... Read More


Minnesota Vikings Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Danielle Hunter Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 14, 15, 16, 17) - Defense Streamers and Starts

At this point in the season, streaming defenses in fantasy could be the difference in a playoff victory or not. If you still need to win in Week 14, prioritize a D/ST pickup for this weekend.  Despite the Cowboys and Ravens ranking as the top two fantasy defenses through 13 weeks, they have some tough... Read More


Cooper Kupp - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Updated Fantasy Football Staff Rankings

      Fantasy Football Rankings by NFL Position ALL - QB - RB - WR - TE - DEF Above you will find all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings, tiers, player news and stats for your 2023 fantasy football leagues. Our Ranking Wizard displays our staff's fantasy football rankings for various league formats, all in one easy place. Here's what you'll find: Fantasy Football... Read More


CeeDee Lamb - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Target and Downgrade - Week 14 (2023)

Welcome to Week 14 of the WR/CB Matchups article. For those who are not familiar, this is a weekly series looking at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. During the past three seasons, I have tweaked my process to make the chart more user-friendly and predictive,... Read More


CeeDee Lamb - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Targets, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 14

You are already aware that wide receivers will play a critical role in the success of your fantasy football teams. The undeniable volatility that exists with the running back position has also presented an increasing rationale for prioritizing wide receivers when you build your rosters -- both at the onset of your drafts and as... Read More