Selecting the top outfielders in the American League was a difficult process. I just ranked the top fifteen outfielders, regardless of where in the outfield they usually play, and took the top three as my All Stars.
15. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
Red Sox Nation has not gotten Ellsbury in the top 15 amongst outfielders so far, but I think he deserves it. Ellsbury is third on this list in runs with 52, and he leads this group in steals with 34.
14. B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays
B.J. Upton has been a big part of Tampa Bay’s success this season. The fourth-year player has a .399 on-base percentage, thanks in part to his ability to draw walks. He has 51 free bases this year.
13. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels
"Vlad the Impaler" is a player who you would really expect to see higher on this list. However, Guerrero hasn’t had as great of a season this year. Guerrero is a power hitter with 13 home runs and 42 runs batted in.
12. Bobby Abreu, New York Yankees
Bobby Abreu, like Guerrero, has been an RBI machine this year. Abreu has 44 runs batted in to complement his 79 hits and 16 doubles this season for the Bronx Bombers and All-Star hosts.
11. Jose Guillen, Kansas City Royals
Jose Guillen may come as a surprise to some as a member of this list. Guillen is not in the top-15 vote getters amongst outfielders, but he should be. Guillen is batting .291 with 12 home runs.
10. Carlos Quinten, Chicago White Sox
Carlos Quinten has been a valuable addition to the South-Side lineup this year. He is second on this list in home runs with 17. He also has batted in a total of 56 runs this season.
9. Nick Markakis, Balitmore Orioles
With a .283 average, Nick Markakis has been a bright spot in the Orioles' lineup. He has 79 hits and has been walked 46 times this season, leading to an impressive .387 on-base percentage.
8. J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
J.D. Drew has been stellar for the World Series champions this year. Drew, in the 10th year of his career, has a .318 average and leads AL outfielders with 54 runs this season.
7. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners
All is not well in Seattle, but you wouldn’t know it from seeing Ichiro’s stats. A native of Japan, Ichiro has 53 runs on 90 hits this year, and also he has stolen an amazing 32 bases, second on this list.
6. Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox
When it comes to hitting the cover off of the ball, it’s just Manny being Manny. Ramirez has 15 runs and 49 runs batted in this season. He is posting a .295 batting average with 78 hits.
5. Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
Grady Sizemore is having a whale of a season for the Tribe this year. He only has 41 runs batted in, but has posted 17 home runs. He also has 17 stolen bases this year to go along with his power.
4. Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox
With a .297 average, Jermaine Dye has been brilliant for the southsiders this season. He has 16 home runs and 42 runs batted in on 80 hits. He is also the only player in the top five with a perfect fielding percentage.
3. Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers
Magglio has been the diamond in the rough for the Detriot Tigers this season. Maggs has a .302 batting average with 85 hits. He also has 48 runs batted in while only striking out 40 times.
2. Johnny Damon, New York Yankees
Johnny Damon could arguably be the best outfielder in the American League this year. He has the best batting average amongst regular players, hitting .323. He also has 91 hits and 20 doubles.
1. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Josh Hamilton, to me, is easily the best outfielder in the AL. He leads the league outfielders in hits (97), home runs (19), and runs batted in (76). Hamilton is the real deal and joins two other Rangers on my list of All-Stars.
American League
C AJ Pierzynskyi, Chicago White Sox
1B Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox
2B Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
3B Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
SS Michael Young, Texas Rangers
OF Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
OF Johnny Damon, New York Yankees
OF Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers
P
National League
C Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
1B Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
2B Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
3B Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
SS Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
OF (Next
OF up
OF TBA)
P
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3 months ago
Where's Milton Bradley? He leads the league in OPS
from 3 months ago
You know, I actually wondered the same thing. Milton's stats weren't on MLB.com amongst the outfielders for some reason and I was running on short time. I was a bit upset because I wanted Bradley included, but c'est la vie, I guess.
3 months ago
This is a tough one to do Matt, and I'm glad you gave a lot of stats as support. You can;t argue Hamilton, obviously, and Damon has been on fire lately. I don't know about Magglio, he has been pretty quiet. Jose Guillen, Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin have each seen their hot streaks rise and fall. Ellsbury seems a legitimate candidate for his overall meaning to the team, and he leads the league in steals.
In the end, the fan vote most likely will be Ichiro, Hamilton, and then a battle between Damon and Manny.
3 months ago
I agree with Sam. The big names always seem to win out in the outfield battles, namely Ichiro, Damon and Manny. Nice article though.
3 months ago
Where is Joe Mauer? He leads the AL in batting average and is the most dominant catcher in the game!
You could also argue to vote Morneau instead of Youkilis, because Morneau is leading him in RBI and OPS. They have the same average, and You has more homeruns, but I still think I'd vote Morneau...
Great picks, though.
from 3 months ago
Besides batting average, in what ways is Joe Mauer the most dominant catcher in the game?
3 months ago
IMO, Carlos Quentin is #3 behind Hamilton and Damon. That guy has literally carried the White Sox's offense. Ordonez and Dye do not deserve to be ahead of him this season.
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