Second base is relatively deep this year, contrary to popular belief. The avg. second baseman hits around 10-12 hrs, scores 65-75 runs, drives in 53-59 runs, and steals 10-15 bases. The second base position is where you look for steals and runs basically.
1. Chase Utley- My first round pick last year. Got hurt by a fastball high and in that broke his hand and he missed 30 games because of it. He hit extremely well coming back from it and is an animal at the plate. he will score 110+ runs in the explosive Phillies lineup and hit 25 homeruns. He will also contend for the batting title. He is that good.
2. B.J. Upton- I can't say this enough, this guy is special. As the Fantasy Man at fantasybaseballexpress.com would say, he is the "poor man's Hanley Ramirez", he will hit 20+ hrs, steal 20+, score 90-100 runs and drive in 80 or so runs, he is also OF eligible.
3. Brandon Phillips- Finally lived up to the hype that he got in years past when he was in the minors. He will go for 30/30 again this year, but watch out for the poor BA, so draft a high BA guy to balance them out.
4. Rickie Weeks- was hurt last year, but put up respectable numbers coming back from the injury. He will hit atop the formidable Brewers lineup and score many runs. He has pop too, so don't be surprised to see15-20 hr's.
5. Robinson Cano- Cano has a sweet swing, very smooth and fluid. It's beautiful. He will blossom into a batting title contender and hit 20-25 homeruns, but thats still a few years from now. He will score 100 runs in the Bronx Bombers lineup. He will be one of the top 5 2nd basemen at the end of the season.
6. Ian Kinsler- Was amazing in the 1st half last year, but dropped off significantly in the second half. He showed major power and speed. He will hit 15-20 hr's and steal around 15-20 bases also.
7. Brian Roberts- Speed is this dude's game, he stole 50 bases last year. He will not hit you a ton of Hr's, so draft him for his steals only. He is a very streaky hitter on a terrible team, so tone down your expectations.
8. Dan Uggla- All or nothing, thats basically all I'm going to say on him.
9. Kaz Matsui- Will be in a very good Astros lineup this year. He'll steal you upwards of 25-30 bases and score 90ish runs.
10. Luis Castillo- singles, singles, singles. Will hit for a very good avg. and he'll never strike out. He'll score many runs this year and steal 20-25 bases.
11. Howie Kendrick- He's a very good average hitter and will climb up these rankings once he is able to stay healthy for an entire season.
12. Orlando Hudson- The O-Dog can get you 15/15 with a decent avg. this year
13. Ryan Theriot- This speedster has 2nd and SS eligibility and can easily steal 25-35 bases
14. Kelly Johnson- Huge drop-off in the second half last year, but I expect him to bounce back. He walks alot and will score a ton in the Braves lineup.
15. Placido Polanco- The BA specialist will not strike out and will score 90 runs, but don't expect even decent numbers in RBI's, HR's, or SB's.
Sleepers
Asdrubal Cabrera
Aaron Hill
Kevin Frandsen
Chris Burke
Felipe Lopez
Alexi Casilla
1st base is the position that commands a ton of power, but barely any speed. The average 1st basemen hits 20-23 home runs and drives in 75-90 runs and scores anywhere from 60-70 runs. 1st base this year is especially deep. I will list the top 15 first basemen and list some sleepers that you should keep an eye on.
1. Albert Pujols- He is a perennial Triple Crown contender. But pay attention to injury news about his elbow because he has said that if his elbow is bothering him the slightest bit, he will result to elbow surgery and sit out the rest of the season.
2. Ryan Howard- He will be among the league leaders in HR's and RBI's, he will bounce back after setting the record for K's last season. He posts solid OBP numbers so he'll add elite numbers in that category too.
3. Prince Fielder- Mr. Vegetarian is an elite bopper in the majors. Don't be afraid to project him for another gargantuan power season.
4.Mark Teixeira- Productive lineup and is in his prime. Watch out for a exceptional season.
5. Lance Berkman- Also has OF eligibility. Stacked lineup will produce many opportunities for him to drive in runs.
6. Carlos Pena- Carlos is finding Tampa to be the place where he is finally comfortable. This is what teams were imagining when they had him in the past, huge power numbers.
7. Derek Lee- It wasn't too long ago when Derek was contending for the Triple Crown. He's cut down his steal totals, but don't be surprised if he steals 10 bases or so, which is good for a 1st basemen. Expect solid numbers across.
8. Carlos Guillen- He'll bat behind Maggs, Miggy, and Sheff so he'll have plenty of runners on base for him to drive in. Also has SS eligibility.
9. Alex Gordon- The sweet swinging sophmore hit a lot better in the second half of last season. He'll could get you 20/20 which is rare at the firstbasemen's position. 3B eligible too.
10. Victor Martinez- RBI machine with solid avg's across. Potent lineup and also has C eligibility.
11. Justin Morneau- Really worried me with that terrible slump in the second half of the season. He'll have to gain my trust back.
12. Adrian Gonzalez- Puts up respectable numbers in a terrible lineup. Got to commend him for that.
13. Kevin Youkilis- has solid numbers across the board. Billy Beane's God of Walks has a tremendous OBP, which gives him many opportunities to score. He also has 3B eligibility.
14. Paul Konerko- He'll get you big power numbers, but his avg. is slipping the past fear years. He's still a force to be reckoned with though.
15. Nick Swisher- OF eligible, he'll find hitting in Comerica to be superb and expect a rise in power in the hitter friendly park.
Sleepers:
Casey Kotchman
Ryan Garko
James Loney
Joey Votto
Dan Ortmeier
Daric Barton
Nick Johnson
Here are my overall rankings, the top 30 players in fantasy baseball for the upcoming season.
1. Alex Rodriguez- Coming off a huge year; potent lineup; ultra-durable
2. Hanley Ramirez- Monstrous season last year; numbers will drop slightly due to loss of Miggy though
3. David Wright- Consistent; 30/30 potential; great lineup; high avg.
4. Miguel Cabrera- Elite numbers everywhere but steals; in a superb lineup
5. Chase Utley- Absolute beast despite missing 30 games last year due to a broken hand; superstar numbers at a shallow 2B position
6. Jose Reyes- Exciting as it comes; will will you the steals category single-handedly, however second half struggles worry me.
7. Albert Pujols- "Down-year" last year; he still had numbers people wish they could have. Only thing that concerns me is the fact that he admitted to the press that he will shut down this season if his elbow is flaring up. He has hid the fact that he injured it in past seasons and has played through the pain. Will get more days off, resulting in less AB's
8. Matt Holliday- Coor's field; stacked lineup; tremendous numbers the past few seasons
9. Jimmy Rollins- average OBP concerns me but had 30/40 last year and led NL in runs last year; the Phillies will be a force to be reckoned with.
10. Alfonso Soriano- 40/40 a strong possibility, but high K's
11. Ryan Howard- will hit 45+ hrs; absolute RBI machine
12. Prince Fielder- similar to Ryan Howard but slightly higher BA, but less RBI's....also just turned vegetarian...not sure of those effects but maybe he'll lose weight and steal like 5 more bases or so.
13. Ryan Braun- 3B/OF eligibility coming, will repeat....he is legit
14. Carl Crawford- SB's aplenty; score 100+ runs and hit .300; the Rays are looking sneaky good this year
15. David Ortiz- Healthy Big Papi spells big trouble for the rest of the league
16. Grady Sizemore- Grady's ladies will be happy with his production this year...possible 30/30 season with 110+ runs scored.
17. Carlos Beltran- Will be white-hot one month, but ice-cold the next. Can carry you to the title or the opposite; not for the faint of heart.
18. Ichiro Suzuki- 200 hits absolutely guaranteed, high volume steals, 100+ runs, not much power, but will hit .325+
19. Johan Santana- I'm not psyched about taking pitchers this early, but he is an exception. 225+ K's with 18-20 wins for the best team in the NL.
20. Vladimir Guerrero- Will put up big numbers, but injury prone
21. B.J. Upton- "The poor man's Hanley Ramirez", 2B/OF eligibility, 20/20 almost a guarantee, with the potential for 25/30
22. Jake Peavy- Carried my team to the championship last year; weak division in the NL West; Petco Park; will contend with Johan for the NL CY Young
23. Carlos Lee- "El Caballo", an RBI machine, expect 110+ RBI's
24. Brandon Phillips- 30/30 potential from the 2B position, but the averages bother me
25. Mark Teixeira- Looks comfortable in the NL, in a potent lineup
26. Magglio Ordonez- Addition of Miggy will improve numbers
27. Lance Berkman- Great OBP, will drive in 100+ and hit 30+ hrs
28. Victor Martinez- Best Catcher in an explosive lineup, will have 110+ rbi's and has 1B eligibility also
29. Josh Beckett- What we saw in October was how dominant he could be, 20 wins is within reach, Blisters a problem though.
30. Curtis Granderson- Leadoff for arguably the best lineup in the MLB, look for him to score 110+ runs, 20/20.
As seen in my team last year, I was all over the hot prospects, and was willing to pick them up to give them a shot. Some pickups failed (Homer Bailey), some were ok (Phil Hughes), and some were great (Tim Lincecum and Joba Chamberlain). I was also the one who struck it rich and got...the Hebrew Hammer...Ryan Braun.
Rookies are hit and miss. You should not draft them high or you will suffer the consequences. They are worth a late round flyer, but don't invest your early round picks on them. Choose safer picks in those earlier rounds. They should be taken as supplements, not as foundations for your team.
Ok, so now to the rookies to watch for:
1. Evan Longoria- 3B- Tampa Bay Rays: This dude is for real. He has great power, posting better H/AB ratios than Ryan in the minors, great plate discipline and eye, as seen in his high OBP.He had better numbers throughout brief minor league career than Ryan Braun and see what happened last year. He'll post similar numbers to Ryan, but toned down alittle. (I mean, come on, what else can you expect, Ryan was ridiculous last year). 20+ Homers, 80ish RBI's. He'll be a future superstar.
2. Clay Buchholz- SP- Boston Red Sox: As much as I hate to admit it, the kid is good. He has ridiculous stuff. He already has one of the best right-handed changeups in the game, and one of the better curveballs I've ever seen, it looks like one of those video game hammers in like those arcade style games. He has a low 90's fastballs that is sneaky fast. He'll put up a fair share of Wins and decent ratios with the Red Sox giving him plenty of run support. 12-14 Wins are within reach. 4.00-4.50 ERA
3. Joba Chamberlain- SP/RP- New York Yankees: Absolute beast. Starts the year off in the bullpen, settting up for Mo. Dirty stuff....100 mph heat....85-90 mph slider...developing curve and change...He will end up the season in the rotation as the Yankees will try to ease him in during the middle half of the season.
4. Geovany Soto- C- Chicago Cubs: Will assume the starting job this opening day. Solid minor league numbers. Disciplined at the plate...will walk...good sign for this young player. He's in a stacked lineup, so he'll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. 15-18 homers is within range.
5. Jacoby Ellsbury- CF- Boston Red Sox: Extremely fast, Gold-Glove caliber defense. Will steal 30+ bases. Don't expect power numbers though. .300 + Avg is within reach.
It's that time of year again. The grass is green...the skies are blue...stat geeks are starting to crank out projected stats. That's right....Fantasy baseball season is here.
In the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting fantasy baseball advice prior to your draft. I'll preview specific positions in each post and give overall draft strategies to help you in your fantasy baseball draft.
Then, I will conduct an interview with each member of my league after the draft, so I can breakdown their teams and introduce them to the readers. Fasten your seatbelts, folks, it's going to be a long season ahead of us
Hey, it's Mike Juan, your source for advice on anything and everything. I'm your average ordinary dude that loves sports. I love baseball, football, basketball, and occasionally soccer. I live in New Jersey, so my allegiance naturally lies with the New York Yankees. Need advice on fantasy sports? I'm your guy. I will post news on topics that you want, when you want. Also, in the upcoming weeks, I will post news on the fantasy baseball leagues I'm in currently and the high school baseball team I'm on. Look forward to hearing some responses. Have a nice day.
