Tis the season for Fantasy Baseball Drafts and the countless amount of hours that you might, or might not, spend researching potential players to take. You're in luck if you're one of those that spends hours preparing for your fantasy league's draft as below I've highlighted five sleeper outfield picks that probably wouldn't come to mind when you're in the market for an outfield bat.
Usually when you think of outfield sluggers, you immediately think of Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, J.D. Martinez, and the best baseball player in the world, Mike Trout. While you are certainly entitled to chose those players in the draft and may chose anyone you would like based on various criteria, here are five that you might want to consider and five that you probably would have a good shot at landing even as you get into the latter rounds of your draft.
1. Lorenzo Cain (Brewers) - Lorenzo Cain will play this season in a new uniform with the Milwaukee Brewers after spending the past 7 seasons with the Kansas City Royals and continues to be an overlooked outfielder. Cain really made a name for himself with the small market Royals, but still doesn't get enough love from a national standpoint. To illustrate how valuable Cain was with the Royals and will likely be with the Brewers, look no further than his 13.1 WAR that he's put up over the past three seasons which ranks fourth among outfielders. In addition to being a defensive plus outfielder, Cain is a threat on the base paths as well with 127 stolen bases over his 8-year big league career. If you're in the market for an outfielder that can rake up stolen bases, then Cain would be an ideal option. Beyond those selling points, Cain comes with a career on-base percentage of .342 over 3,052 plate appearances and has 810 hits over that span as well. If nothing else, Lorenzo Cain has a World Series Championship under his belt so there's a winning pedigree here also.
2. Khris Davis (Athletics) - Khris Davis often gets overlooked even though he plays left field which typically isn't a very deep position considering how many players platoon at that position. However, it appears as though the A's might utilize Davis in more of a DH role this season, but nonetheless, don't discount him simply because of that factor. Over the past three seasons, Davis has a Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) of 124, which ties him with Andrew McCutchen, for 9th place among outfielders. If that's not good enough, he has a legitimate bat as well as illustrated by his career .511 slugging percentage over 5 big league seasons. Add to that, the 278 RBI that Davis has recorded, over the past three seasons in 1,513 plate appearances best for fourth place among outfielders, and you can really see the offensive value that he brings to the field everyday. Davis plays for the A's, a team that hasn't been relevant for a couple of seasons, which is probably why he doesn't get much attention, but don't sleep on him if you're in need of a proven bat.
3. Kole Calhoun (Angels) - Calhoun, a native of the Phoenix area, is easily one of the more underrated outfielders in the game today even though he has played in at least 155 games the past three seasons and has a career .426 slugging percentage over his 6-year big league career. Calhoun, who plays in the same outfield as the world's greatest baseball player, Mike Trout, might not always wow you with his glove or put up out of this world offensive numbers, but he knows how to get the job done when it's needed the most. Over 2,796 career plate appearances, Calhoun has recorded 654 hits, 120 doubles, 88 home runs, 320 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and 244 walks. His cumulative WAR over that span is 13.0 and he has an Offensive Rating of 12.2. You might not chose Calhoun with your first or second overall pick, but he certainly should be considered heavily come the middle-to-late rounds of your draft as you look to add more offense to your team. Since Calhoun has started so many games over the past three seasons, you know there's a good chance he will stay healthy and on the field this coming season.
4. Charlie Blackmon (Rockies) - Charlie Blackmon is coming off an amazing season with the Colorado Rockies in which he recorded a career high 213 hits along with 14 doubles, slugged 37 home runs, recorded 104 RBI, and finished the year with a career high .331 Batting Average over 725 plate appearances in the leadoff position of the Rockies lineup. If that doesn't capture your attention enough, how about the fact that he has started in at least 140 games during all four of the previous seasons which demonstrates his ability to stay healthy and on the field even though he plays in the toughest environment in baseball at Coors Field. From a league wide perspective, Blackmon has a 12.9 WAR over the past three seasons, tying him with George Springer of the Houston Astros, and putting him 5th among outfielders and a Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) of .385 over that span, good enough for 6th place on the list. If you're still not sold on Blackmon being a valuable addition, then keep in mind his nickname is Chuck Nazty which should be a huge selling point in and of itself!
5. Michael Brantley (Indians) - This one is a huge gamble considering the injury history that Brantley has, but if he is able to stay healthy and on the field this season, watch out. Over his 9-year big league career, Brantley has a cumulative slugging percentage over .400, .423 to be exact over the span of 3,852 plate appearances, along with 1,019 hits, 452 RBI, 106 stolen bases, and 303 walks. Right now, he looks to play a significant role in the Indians offense this coming season and is entering the final year of his contract with the team. If you still need further proof that Brantley would be a great addition to your team, how about his .302 Batting Average over the past three seasons putting him third among outfielders or the 10.6 strikeout percentage that he has over that time which is the third lowest among outfielders? If you're looking for a disciplined hitter, then Brantley might be more than worth the risk and could pay off big dividends if he's able to stay healthy all year.
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