MLB Tickets – Alex Rios Is Surprising Top Fantasy Outfielder So Far
As we get closer to the midway point to the season, the ebbs and flows of the early portion of the year have been surpassed, giving us a good point of reference for the rest of the season. Here's a look at the surprising top five fantasy outfielders so far this season (as of June 4th).
5. Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays. 13 bombs and 37 RBIs? Are you kidding me? Wells was supposed to be done, finished, buried, but all he has done this year is rake. With an average above .300 all season long and steady production, Wells has been a chief reason that the Blue Jays have been arguably the most surprising team in the league. Wells – and the rest of the team for that matter – can't keep this up all season long. Can he?
4. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays. If Wells is the surprise veteran putting up big numbers for the Jays, Bautista has been the prodigy. Bautista is among the leaders in the league in both home runs and RBIs with 16 and 42, respectively. His average isn't great (.247) but that doesn't really matter. He's producing and getting on base, which is all you need to help your fantasy team. I expect him to slow down at some point, but I also didn't expect this type of offensive outburst either.
3. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers. Braun is probably the least surprising player on the list of top outfielders this season and one who certainly helps sell plenty of <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/2580834');" href="/links/?u=http://www.stubhub.com/regular-season-mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a>. Many speculated that he could challenge Albert Pujols this season for the NL MVP, and so far he is living up to the billing for the most part. He has cooled off somewhat after a hot start but he still is one of the top fantasy players in the league due to his combination of power and speed. Braun has 34 RBIs this year but also has 11 stolen bases, which separates him from most of his peers. I expect his power numbers to pick back up as we get deeper into the season and he could very well finish as the top fantasy outfielder.
2. Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays. After stealing 60 bases last season, Crawford is up to his old tricks again this year. Crawford has 17 swipes this season and has also added 30 RBIs, making him a rare duel-threat that can definitely help you win your fantasy league. Crawford is also hitting in a very potent Rays lineup, which should help keep his production up all season long.
1. Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox. Rios was inconsistent at best in 2009, though he has clearly put that behind him. Rios has 12 home runs this season to go along with 16 stolen bases and a .317 average. His RBI total right now isn't anything special, but that's not really his fault. Still, Rios is the number one fantasy outfielder in most scoring formats and has only gotten better as the season has gone on. Rios was always touted as a player with a ton of talent; maybe we're finally seeing why.
Best of the rest:
Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers. You can't overlook how well Ordonez has played this season, making him an early candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. After very subpar 2008 and 2009 seasons, Ordonez seems to be back, combining with Miguel Cabrera to give the Tigers the best one-two punch in baseball.
Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves. The Braves have been one of the surprises of the year and were sitting in first place in the NL East as of June 4th. There have been a lot of key contributions, from Troy Glaus to Tim Hudson, but Heyward has been one of the most stable players in their lineup all year. Not bad for a 20-year-old.
5. Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays. 13 bombs and 37 RBIs? Are you kidding me? Wells was supposed to be done, finished, buried, but all he has done this year is rake. With an average above .300 all season long and steady production, Wells has been a chief reason that the Blue Jays have been arguably the most surprising team in the league. Wells – and the rest of the team for that matter – can't keep this up all season long. Can he?
4. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays. If Wells is the surprise veteran putting up big numbers for the Jays, Bautista has been the prodigy. Bautista is among the leaders in the league in both home runs and RBIs with 16 and 42, respectively. His average isn't great (.247) but that doesn't really matter. He's producing and getting on base, which is all you need to help your fantasy team. I expect him to slow down at some point, but I also didn't expect this type of offensive outburst either.
3. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers. Braun is probably the least surprising player on the list of top outfielders this season and one who certainly helps sell plenty of <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/2580834');" href="/links/?u=http://www.stubhub.com/regular-season-mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a>. Many speculated that he could challenge Albert Pujols this season for the NL MVP, and so far he is living up to the billing for the most part. He has cooled off somewhat after a hot start but he still is one of the top fantasy players in the league due to his combination of power and speed. Braun has 34 RBIs this year but also has 11 stolen bases, which separates him from most of his peers. I expect his power numbers to pick back up as we get deeper into the season and he could very well finish as the top fantasy outfielder.
2. Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays. After stealing 60 bases last season, Crawford is up to his old tricks again this year. Crawford has 17 swipes this season and has also added 30 RBIs, making him a rare duel-threat that can definitely help you win your fantasy league. Crawford is also hitting in a very potent Rays lineup, which should help keep his production up all season long.
1. Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox. Rios was inconsistent at best in 2009, though he has clearly put that behind him. Rios has 12 home runs this season to go along with 16 stolen bases and a .317 average. His RBI total right now isn't anything special, but that's not really his fault. Still, Rios is the number one fantasy outfielder in most scoring formats and has only gotten better as the season has gone on. Rios was always touted as a player with a ton of talent; maybe we're finally seeing why.
Best of the rest:
Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers. You can't overlook how well Ordonez has played this season, making him an early candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. After very subpar 2008 and 2009 seasons, Ordonez seems to be back, combining with Miguel Cabrera to give the Tigers the best one-two punch in baseball.
Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves. The Braves have been one of the surprises of the year and were sitting in first place in the NL East as of June 4th. There have been a lot of key contributions, from Troy Glaus to Tim Hudson, but Heyward has been one of the most stable players in their lineup all year. Not bad for a 20-year-old.
Source...