Matt Kemp & Justin Upton ranked among top outfielders by MLB Network

MLB Network is ranking the best MLB players, by position, going into the 2015 season with their Top 10 Right Now! series. Two of the newest Padres have made the cut in their respective positions.

Matt Kemp was ranked ninth best right fielder by MLB Network, however Cliff Floyd and Brian Kenny both put him even higher in their individual rankings. Cliff Floyd placed him all the way up in the number 3 spot, pointing at his opposite field power (when healthy) as a major factor. And if Kemp can steal some bases, Floyd says, "then he changes the game; then he adds another dimension to the San Diego Padres lineup that they didn't have." Shots fired.

Meanwhile, Justin Upton ranked ninth among the left fielders. And like Kemp, the individual rankings put him even higher. Byrnes really gave Upton some love, placing him all the way up in the 2 spot, though he followed by saying any of his top 5 or 6 players could be interchangeable. Such a copout.

When was the last time the Padres had even one guy, let alone multiple players, who ranked so universally high among their MLB peers? Surely not in recent years. Of course, like any preseason rankings/projections, these are not meant to predict performance in 2015. But they do give us a good idea of where we can place our expectations for our players and what we can potentially look forward to in the upcoming season.