SP Last Year: OF this?

[BritSox]

Was just pre-ranking, and I noticed there seemed a complete dearth of reliable, decent outfielders of the sort who'd normally go in rounds 5-12 or so. I mean, Ordonez was almost certainly a double-figure round pick in 06, this year's he's probably going in the eighth or earlier. Raul Ibanez, OK he had a career year, but the guy went undrafted in a lot of leagues last year. This season, probably a no2 OF. Last year an outfielder as good as Jermaine Dye was sitting there at the end of drafts.

Seems to me like the OF positions could be primed for a new generation to come in and establish themselves as solid fantasy number two type guys, similar to how Hamels, Verlander et al did in 06. Thoughts?

[pope]

Interesting thought. I'm not sure if there is OF talent in the minor leagues this year comparable to the SP minor league talent last year.

I am not sure that Delmon Young, Andre Either, Markakis, and Chris B. Young will have the impact of: Felix, Jared Weaver, Hamels, Kazmir, Cain, etc etc etc.

Probably a few years away IMO, but you are correct, this could be the beginning of the end for the current "generation" of OF.

[Doughhead]

It's an interesting point. The young up-and-coming OF just haven't emerged as quickly as the corresponding starting pitcher class. The fact that guys like Sheff, Matsui, Damon, Dye, etc. are among the best second OF out there only seems to prove this point (and the drop-off from these guys is pretty big). Perhaps this is the year some of those young OF take the next step. There are definitely a number of qualified candidates for a breakthrough (Rios, Markakis, Teahen, Delmon, Baldelli, Swisher, Francoeur, Hermida, Duncan, etc.). I wonder which of these guys will take that big step (you know, the kind that Garrett Atkins took last year).