Washington Nationals Editorial: Where Does Bryce Harper rank among NL East right fielders?
Over the last week we have been ranking the NL East to find out who has the best player at each position. Today we continue our series by ranking NL East right fielders.
Throughout this week, we have begun our preview of the National League East in 2016 by seeing which team has the best players at each position. In doing so, we hope to determine the overall strength of each team in the NL East to get a sense of how the division will play out in 2016. Keep in mind, if a player is fifth on a list, the team gets one point and if the player is first, that team gets five points. The points will be used in our final NL East ranking.
We have already looked at third base, center field, and shortstop. Today we’ll continue our rankings with right field — one of the strongest positions for the NL East.
While the NL East was probably the weakest division in the NL last season and isn’t expected to be much better going into 2016, there’s no denying that there’s plenty of star power among the five teams in the division. Whether it’s starting pitching, young talent or explosive offense, the division has players at several positions that are as good as any in the game. Of the positions where the NL East shines, perhaps none is better than right field.
Without further ado, lets take a look at where the five teams rank when it comes to right fielders, starting with No. 5:
Next: No.5
5) Aaron Altherr (Philadelphia Phillies)
As the Phillies continue their long and frustrating rebuilding phase, there are several parts of the roster to be optimistic about. One of them is the outfield. While the Phillies lack the star power they had in the outfield not long ago, they have plenty of young outfield talent.
Right now, the outfield consists mostly of young players — talented, yet mostly unproven — who don’t even have a set spot in the outfield yet. In fact, as of now, it’s unclear who exactly will be the Phillies’ right fielder on Opening Day. For the purpose of this article, however, we’ll assume that Aaron Altherr is the Phillies right fielder.
Altherr, 25, finished his climb up the Phillies’ farm system last season and had 231 at-bats with the big league club. His stellar defense should help him earn a spot on the Opening Day roster in 2016, and if he can find more consistency at the plate, he should be able to have a better season in 2016.
During his time with the big league club last season, Altherr hit .241 with five homers, six stolen bases and 22 RBIs. Right now, Altherr’s focus is to have a strong Spring Training and make the Opening Day lineup in right field. But if he blossoms in 2016, he may have a chance to climb in these rankings next offseason.
Next: No.4
4) Nick Markakis (Atlanta Braves)
The 2015 season was a rebuilding year for the Atlanta Braves. The team finished in fourth place with just 67 wins and looked nothing like the club that won the NL East just a couple of years earlier.
Despite Atlanta’s struggles, there were several players who stood out in 2015 for the Braves. Right fielder Nick Markakis was one of them.
While he doesn’t crack the Top-3 on our rankings, Markakis put together a solid season for the Braves in 2015. He batted .296 with 38 doubles and 53 RBIs. He led all NL East right fielders with 181 hits and was one of the brighter spots of the Braves’ lineup.
Markakis, who signed a 4-year, $44 million deal with the Braves last offseason, had one of the best years he’s had since he dominated in Baltimore several years ago. His .296 batting average was the best he’s had since his injury-shortened 2012 season with the Orioles.
If Markakis can put together another solid season in 2016, there’s no doubt that he can climb a spot or two in this ranking next offseason. The Braves aren’t expected to do much in 2016, but Markakis should be able to have another solid campaign at the plate.
Next: No.3
3) Curtis Granderson (New York Mets)
Curtis Granderson’s career with the Mets got off to a slow start. The veteran outfielder saw his batting average hover around the .220 mark for much of the 2014 season, leading many to wonder if the 4-year, $60 million deal the Mets signed him to was a mistake.
Last season, however, Granderson began to turn things around. While he didn’t come close to the numbers he hit with the Yankees a few years ago, Granderson improved in almost every aspect of his game in 2015.
His batting average went up to .259 — his best since 2011. He also improved in OBP, slugging percentage, OPS, homers, hits and RBIs. Not only did Granderson have a better season individually in 2015, but he also helped lead the Mets to the World Series.
The case can be made that Granderson deserves the No. 2 spot on this list since he stayed healthy and productive all season long. But given Granderson’s decline in recent years, it’s hard to justify putting him ahead of the likes of Giancarlo Stanton and Bryce Harper.
Fortunately for the Mets, it looks like Granderson has overcome his struggles of 2014. And if the Mets want to continue to see offensive success in 2016, he’ll have to stay healthy and productive all season long again next season.
Next: No.2
2) Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins)
When discussing the best right fielders in baseball, it’s usually hard to justify not giving Giancarlo Stanton the number one spot. The Miami slugger has for years been considered one of the best players in the game and one of the most prolific hitters on the planet. Prior to 2015, there was little question that Stanton was the best right fielder in the NL East. This year, however, things have changed.
Stanton, 26, spent most of 2015 on the disabled list. The slugger was dominating at the plate through the first few months of the season but suffered a broken hamate bone that landed him on the disabled list June 27.
Originally, Stanton was expected to spend several weeks on the disabled list and then return to the Marlins’ lineup. But it quickly became clear that his recovery was taking longer than expected and Stanton spent the rest of the season on the disabled list.
Had it not been for the injury, Stanton might’ve been on his way to one of the best seasons of his career. Stanton belted 27 home runs and recorded 67 RBIs in just 74 games.
If Stanton can stay healthy next season, there’s little doubt that he’ll return to the dominant form we’ve seen from him for years. Stanton isn’t the No. 1 right fielder in the NL East this offseason — after the 2016 season, he very well might be.
Next: No. 1
1) Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals)
As good as Stanton can be when he’s healthy, there’s no question that the best right fielder in the NL East is Bryce Harper. In fact, he may very well be the best player on the planet right now.
Harper, 23, paced the National League in nearly every offensive category last season. He was the heart and soul of the Nationals’ offense and breezed to his first ever NL MVP Award.
Compared to other NL East right fielders, no one came close to Harper in overall offensive production. The MVP led the division’s right fielders in WAR, OBP, batting average, home runs, runs scored, RBIs and nearly every other offensive category.
Prior to 2015, most considered Stanton to be the King of the East when it came to right fielders. His undeniable offensive ability and his tendency to hit balls into the stratosphere placed him ahead of every other right fielder in the division.
Last year, however, Harper emerged as the right fielder to beat in the NL East. While Stanton’s injury problems didn’t help his cause, Harper simply emerged into one of the best hitters in the game — finally living up to the expectations that have been hanging over his shoulders since he was just 16 years old.
At just 23 years old and still growing as a player, Harper could be even better if he stays healthy next season and should once again be the best right fielder in the NL East — though a healthy Stanton would likely fight him for that distinction.