Welcome. Hopefully you’ve been following our 2019 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. If you haven’t we hope these AL East Outfielder Profiles and Projections will help you in getting to know the 2019 player pool. Enjoy the read and look for links to our other profiles at the bottom of the page.
If you’re like us you can’t wait until spring to get the 2019 fantasy baseball season started? Well, you don’t have to. Leagues are already forming at Fantrax.com, so head on over and start or join a league today.
2019 AL East Outfield Profiles
Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox
He might not have had another 20/20 season like he did in 2017, but in many ways, the 2018 season was a better all-around performance from the one they call “Benny Biceps”. Benintendi raised his batting average 19 points, scored 19 more runs, and raised his OPS 54 points up to .830. Right-field at Fenway Park has been tough on left-handed power for mostly everyone not named David Ortiz, but Benintendi has proved he can be counted on for 15-20 homers annually with equal or better speed contributions. And with his spot in the top-third of the Red Sox order entrenched, banking on a third straight season of 170-plus R+RBI is a safe bet as well. With the solid five-category offensive production Benintendi offers without hurting you in any one area, he makes for a great early-round selection around the 3rd or 4th round in mixed league drafts. – Eric Cross
Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
Another year, another dominant season from Mookie. Betts led the league in runs scored, average, and slugging last season en route to his first 30/30 season and first MVP award. Yes, 5’9 Mookie Betts led the league in slugging. The uptick in home runs was due to a nearly 9% rise in his hard contact rate, as well as slight improvements to his fly ball rate and pull rate. Believe it or not, hitting the ball hard in the air to left field at Fenway Park usually means good things. Barring injury, Betts is a near-lock for another .300/25/25 season with 200-plus R+RBI hitting in the top-third of a loaded Boston lineup with guys like J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi, and Xander Bogaerts hitting around him. He’s the top draft pick in all formats this season after that Mike Trout fellow. – Eric Cross
Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston Red Sox
Unfortunately, it’s looking like 2016 is going to me the anomoly in JBJ’s career. That was by far his best season and he’s yet to really come close to any of the stats he posted during that season. The defense is top-notch, but that doesn’t help us in fantasy leagues. He’s settling in as a low-average hitter that can post homer/steal totals in the 10-18 range with modest runs and RBIs due to the lineup he’s in. It makes him a decent AL-Only outfielder, but not one that should be targeted in mixed league drafts. – Eric Cross
Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees
Remember him? This is the guy that had a 70-steal season in 2009, a .321/32/39 season in 2011 and two other 50-steal seasons in 2008 and 2013. Unfortunately, injuries have limited his playing time lately and cause him to miss the entire 2018 season. And with all the outfield talent in New York, it’s not likely that Ellsbury sees the field much in 2019, even if he is healthy. It’s best to leave him on the waiver wire in all formats. – Eric Cross
Clint Frazier, New York Yankees
Once a top prospect, now mostly a Triple-A fixture. No need to go in depth on this one. Unless Frazier is traded or there is an injury or two, his 2019 value is non-existent. Leave him on the wire in all formats as long as he’s a Yankee. – Eric Cross
Avisail Garcia, Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays just signed Garcia to split time between the corner outfield, first base and DH. There should be opportunity for him in Tampa, but he’s coming off a down year weighed down by a knee injury. After a BABIP-fueled productive 2017 season, Garcia cratered to a .236/.281/.438 line last year, albeit with a career-high 19 home runs. He had a career-high hard hit rate, he should be healthy in 2019, and he’s somehow still only 27 years old. You could squint and see 25-30 homer upside here, but he’s never shown the plate discipline to actualize his physical gifts. Maybe a change of scenery will help. – Anthony Franco
Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
The 2018 season marked Gardner’s 9th straight season (excluding an injury-shortened 2012 season) with 16-plus steals and his 4th season in the last five with both double-digit homers and steals.With Jacoby Ellsbury barely in the picture anymore, Gardner should once again receive everyday playing time in left field and hit leadoff more often than not which will keep his runs scored quite high. He’s not the most glamorous option out there, but Gardner is very consistent and can provide a little of everything across the board making him a solid under-the-radar outfielder in 2019. – Eric Cross
Randal Grichuk, Toronto Blue Jays
Grichuk has the power to be a viable option in all formats, while a lack of stolen bases and negative contributions in batting average limit him to AL-Only formats where 25-30 home runs can be enough to justify a roster spot. The Blue Jays outfield is crowded and they have every reason in the world to give everyone a look to see who will and who won’t be a part of their future. The Jays outfield will be a constant battle for at-bats, making them an intriguing place for Daily Fantasy values and a poor place for mixed league contributors. If full-time at-bats emerge then he could become a waiver wire addition, but he isn’t worth a pick on draft day. – Chris Mitchell
Guillermo Heredia, Tampa Bay Rays
Guillermo Heredia has his pros. He makes 85% contact. He whiffs very little. He swung at just 20% of pitches out of the zone in 2018. That’s elite! While he impresses with his plate discipline, he is otherwise unimpressive. He has a career .092 ISO and four steals in 293 games. He has a lifetime hard contact rate of 22.4% and a .244 average. He’ll play a utility role for the Rays in 2019, but he doesn’t hold any fantasy value outside of deep AL-Only leagues where you’re just looking to roster a warm body. – Nathan Dokken
Teoscar Hernandez, Toronto Blue Jays
Hernandez was a bit of a Fantasy darling at times in 2018 and 22 home runs in 134 games is enough of a morsel to tempt owners to wonder what “could” be. He has a .241 career batting average and hasn’t been a base stealing threat in the major leagues after flashing some speed potential in the minor leagues. Like many of the Jays outfield options for 2019, he doesn’t run enough to supplement his overall Fantasy profile and his batting average is a problem that even 25-30 home runs won’t solve in deeper leagues. If full-time at-bats materialize Hernandez will contribute enough home runs to be viable in AL-Only formats, but it will be a constant game of musical chairs in that outfield. The Jays outfielders, outside of Pillar, probably aren’t worth an investment until we know who is and who isn’t receiving consistent playing time. Its a team worth monitoring early in the year to see who emerges and who fades. Hernandez has a better chance than McKinney and Grichuk to emerge, but it’s a low-percentage bet. – Chris Mitchell
Aaron Hicks, New York Yankees
After showing glimpses of his upside year after year, Hicks finally put it all together and was able to stay on the field for 500-plus PA for the first time in his career. The end result was career-highs in everything besides stolen bases. Hicks even raised his already solid walk rate from 14.1% to 15.5 %, helping offset his lower .248 average with a much better .366 OBP. He’s always a risk to lose time due to injury, but if he can stay on the field for another 500-plus PA in 2019, the outcome is likely another top-40 OF season, making him a decent risk/reward pick in the middle rounds of mixed league drafts. – Eric Cross
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
After a rookie campaign where he led the league in home runs, Judge took a slight step back in 2018 and was limited to 112 games due to a fractured right wrist. And when I say he took a step back, a 40-homer pace and .919 OPS is still pretty damn good. Judge has cemented himself as one of the top power threats and run producers in the game, capable of making a major impact even while missing almost a third of the season. Luckily, that was a fluke injury and not something to worry about heading into 2019 where Judge should be one of the first 10 outfielders off the board in mixed leagues and a threat to post numbers similar to that of his rookie season. The higher strikeout rate will likely cause some peaks and valleys in his batting average, but at season’s end, it’s a good chance you’ll be quite happy with the stat line. – Eric Cross
Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays
Kiermaier is a multi-tool Fantasy contributor whose potential has been limited because of a lack of at-bats. He has only played 110 games once and he has stolen 20 or more bases or hit 15 home runs once, and he has never done all three in the same season. He has a career batting average of .254, but I expect him to hit somewhere in the acceptable range of .260-.270 along with 12-15 home runs and 15-20 stolen bases. If he can stay healthy and play something close to 140 games he can be a 20/20/.270 draft day value and a player owners should target late in drafts where steals can be found. He isn’t a player that owners should rely on, but he is someone to prioritized later in drafts. He has a chance to be a late-round steal and a breakout player in 2019. – Chris Mitchell
J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox
With one season in the books, you can certainly say that JD Martinez earned his paycheck. Martinez led the league with 130 RBI and 358 total bases while adding in 43 homers and a .330 average. Somehow, he didn’t even finish in the top-3 in AL MVP voting, but there’s no denying his value to the 2018 World Champion Red Sox and to his fantasy teams. Over the last four seasons, there haven’t been much steadier power producers than Martinez who is averaging 43 homers and 118 RBI per 600 AB over that stretch with a .305 average to go along with it. Another season in the middle of Boston’s lineup should yield another strong four-category performance from Martinez, making him a strong early-round selection. – Eric Cross
Billy McKinney, Toronto Blue Jays
Six home runs in 38 games in 2018 would be something to get excited about looking forward if he profiled as a prospect to have 25-30 home run power or it looked like he would receive full-time at-bats in Toronto’s friendly home-field comfines in 2019. The problem is that neither is the case and he doesn’t supplement his limited production with stolen bases. The Blue Jays outfield is crowded, McKinney doesn’t profile to have enough power or steal bases, which could elevate his floor if everything else fell just right. He is viable in AL-Only formats if full-time at-bats materialize, but lacks the overall potential to crack mixed-league rosters. – Chris Mitchell
Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Rays
Meadows had a solid 59-game debut in 2018, hitting .287 with six homers and five steals, making him a trendy sleeper pick for 2019. That is, before the Rays signed Avisail Garcia. Now, his playing time and 2019 fantasy appeal is quite cloudy. With Meadows offensive upside, he still garners intrigue in AL-Only formats after the Garcia signing as this Rays outfield hasn’t exactly been a beacon of health. But unless there’s an injury in Spring Training, he can be left off the mixed league radar to start the season until there’s an injury to one of the starting trio. – Eric Cross
Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles
There’s no way around it, the Baltimore Orioles are going to be atrocious yet again in 2019, but they have a bright spot in center field with Cedric Mullins. In 109 combined Double-A and Triple-A games, Mullins hit .289 with 12 home runs and 21 steals, earning him a promotion up to Baltimore in August. His on-base skills aren’t necessarily ideal for the leadoff spot, but that’s likely where he’ll remain in 2019 after starting 37 of 45 games there down the stretch in 2019 and Baltimore not really having any other options. He makes for a solid late-round mixed league target for his speed and runs scored potential. Expect some positive regression to his batting average too due to a lower BABIP. – Eric Cross
Tommy Pham, Tampa Bay Rays
Pham had an explosive breakout season for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017 and for whatever reason, the bloom came off that rose in 2018, resulting in the Cardinals traded him to Tampa Bay where he went on to have a 21 home run, 15 stolen base, .275 batting average Fantasy season. Pham supplements 20+ home runs and 15+ stolen bases with an above-average batting average at an undervalued draft-day cost. Pham is likely to be as good, if not better, than higher profile outfielders that I expect to be drafted earlier, such as Justin Upton, David Peralta, Charlie Blackmon and Cody Bellinger. Owners would be wise to spend their higher picks on high-inning starters and comparable players at other positions and allow undervalued five-tool talents like Eddie Rosario and Tommy Pham to fall in their laps. Owners won’t find many cheaper 25 home run, 15 stolen base, .270-.280 Fantasy outfielders in the 2019 draft. Make him a priority. And yes, I included Charlie Blackmon on that list. Pham will have comparable home run totals and batting average with more stolen bases at a fraction of the draft-day cost. – Chris Mitchell
Kevin Pillar, Toronto Blue Jays
Pillar is a poor mans four-tool talent who could receive full-time at-bats in a crowded outfield in 2019 because of his elite defense. There isn’t a lot of sizzle associated with owning Pillar and bad batting averages is a potential setback in his viability. However,15 home runs and 15 stolen bases is a reasonable expectation for 2019, making him a viable fifth outfielder in deeper mixed leagues and a solid AL-Only outfielder. – Chris Mitchell
Joey Rickard, Baltimore Orioles
Rickard is a limited player in all respects. He hasn’t played more than 111 games in a season or reached double-digits in home runs or stolen bases at the highest level and he has career batting average of .252. He strikes out too often and doesn’t walk enough, making it statistically unlikely that a breakout campaign is coming in 2019. If he finds a way to something close to full-time at-bats, which is very unlikely with the Orioles in a rebuilding phase, he could be a low-end AL-Only consideration. – Chris Mitchell
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees
In each of the last two seasons, Giancarlo Stanton has played in 158-plus games. Let that sink in for a second. Could it be that the oft-injured Stanton is beyond his injury demons? Well, playing DH helps a lot and that’s all we care about. As long as he gets enough games to continue to qualify as an outfielder, we’re good. Like with his slugging teammate, Aaron Judge, Stanton had a down season by his standards in 2018 and was unable to match his insane 2017 numbers when he nearly reached the lofty 60-homer club. Stanton’s OPS dropped 155 points and his strikeout rate climbed to a tick under 30%. Still, even with the higher strikeout rate, which has been around for his entire career, Stanton was able to keep his average respectable while eclipsing 100 runs and 100 RBI for the second straight season. The 2018 season was just his first in the Bronx, too. Something tells me that 2019 might be even better now that some of the pressure has worn off. Stanton’s power at Yankee Stadium makes him a 60-homer threat and a dynamite choice in the first couple rounds of mixed league drafts. – Eric Cross
D.J. Stewart, Baltimore Orioles
After a 20/20 season with an .859 OPS in 2017, Stewart followed that up with a lackluster 2018 in Triple-A but still got the call to Baltimore anyways during the second half of the season. There’s some AL-Only intrigue here due to Stewart’s ability to reach double-digit power and speed, but with the lower average and bad lineup around him, he can be avoided in mixed leagues to start the season. – Eric Cross
Mark Trumbo, Baltimore Orioles
Trumbo has tremendous power and seeing him go off for 47 homers in 2016 was not entirely surprising. It’d be nice if he’d approach 30 sometime soon. In 2018 we could blame injuries, but what about 2017 when he hit just 23 HRs in 603 plate appearances? At 33 years old, he’s still got time for another big year or two, but his surrounding lineup won’t help much. Look for mid-2- homers in 2019, but the counting stats will likely suffer. Not a bad utility play in mixed leagues and a decent power upside pick in AL-Only Leagues.
Enjoying these 2019 AL East Outfield Profiles? For more great rankings, strategy, and analysis check out the 2019 FantraxHQ Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. We’ll be adding more content from now right up until Opening Day!
Fantrax is one of the fastest growing fantasy sites of 2018. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.