Paul Sporer’s 2022 OF Rankings
by Paul Sporer
January 10, 2022
The first run of ranking is about to done and then I’ll roll out the update at each position with comments added. I’m still reluctant to do a closer ranking at this point, but I know I have to bite the bullet and give y’all something. It is just such a mess at this point. Anyway, that’s later Paul’s problem. Today, it is time for the outfield. It is a really interesting class of outfielders with some really fun pockets of talent going in the mid-to-late rounds of drafts. If you have been reading my Roster Reviews, you will see some Bold Predictions tied to outfielders as I have definitely started to zero on some key guys in my early drafts.
These are for 5×5 15-teamers with a 20-game eligibility threshold.
Let’s discuss in the comments!
OF Rankings
Looks like you’re expecting another peak Mookie Betts season with that ranking. I’m not sure I buy him as the same five-category monster we’re used to. His barrel rate has been merely average for the last two seasons, well below his peak of 13.1% back in 2018, and he attempted fewer steals than Juan Soto last year. Still a fantastic player but more of a second-rounder for me. What am I missing?
Paul is certainly very high on Betts. A few months ago in a chat, he said he would be his favorite to go #1 overall this year.
mookie was on the field but there were indications that he wasn’t completely healthy for much of last season (some kind of nagging hip issue, etc). they kept saying that wasn’t why, but they always say that.
of course as he ages this is more likely to be the case more often, but i think the argument is that he wasn’t at the height of his powers last year for physical reasons, and therefore has room to go back up with better health after offseason rest
I really see it as more of a season where he has been down from his normal premium output, but I just can’t see 2020 and 2021 as 2 separate seasons, even if he hadn’t been limited to just 122 gms in ’21. I just see Betts as one of the strongest floors in baseball with his skills. I think ppl are looking for reasons not to take him and I’m not sure I get it. I’d take him in the 1st round any day of the week.
And yes, he may produce as more of a 2nd rounder, but there’s nothing wrong with that as a 1st round pick needn’t wind up as a top 15 player at the end of the yr to be worth the pick. His floor is a big selling point and there is still a ton of 1st round upside. If he continues to live on the turn of the 1st rd for an ADP, I’ll gladly live back there in my drafts.
But other guys close to him have similar floors, such as Harper and Soto