TOP 20 FIRST BASEMEN
1. Albert Pujols -- St Louis Cardinals: Is there any doubt here? Pujols can do it all, including steal bases; he finished with 16 of those last season. He also finished with the most homeruns (47) and runs (124), topped baseball with a .658 slugging percentage, knocked in a third best 135 runs, tied for seventh with 45 doubles, and was in the top half dozen with a .327 batting average. Simply put, Pujols is the Adrian Peterson or Chris Johnson of fantasy baseball. He is hands down the best player.
2. Prince Fielder -- Milwaukee Brewers
3. Miguel Cabrera -- Detroit Tigers
4. Mark Teixeira -- NY Yankees
5. Ryan Howard -- Philadelphia Phillies
6. Derek Lee -- Chicago Cubs
7. Justin Morneau -- Minnesota Twins
8. Adrian Gonzalez -- San Diego Padres
9. Joey Votto -- Cincinnati Reds
10. Kevin Youkilis -- Boston Red Sox
11. Lance Berkman -- Houston Astros
12. Billy Butler -- Kansas City Royals
13. Kendry Morales -- Los Angeles Angels
14. Adam Dunn -- Washington Nationals
15. Carlos Pena -- Tampa Bay Rays
16. Adam LaRoche -- Arizona Diamondbacks
17. Jorge Cantu (3B) -- Florida Marlins
18. Todd Helton -- Colorado Rockies
19. Paul Konerko -- Chicago White Sox
20. James Loney -- Los Angeles Dodgers
TOP 20 SECOND BASEMEN
1. Chase Utley -- Philadelphia Phillies
2. Robinson Cano -- NY Yankees: Having Cano this high may look crazy on paper, but the fact remains that he has top numbers and is in the prime of his career at age 27. Last season the Yankees second baseman struck out in just 9.5 percent of his at-bats, hit .320, slugged .520, and slapped at least one hit in 72.3 percent of the games he recorded an official at-bat in. For comparison's sake the top ranked Utley hit .282, slugged .508, struck out in 19.0 percent of his at-bats, and recorded one hit in 69 percent of the games he had an official at-bat in. Cano is a prime example of an underrated star who holds much more value in the fourth round of mixed leagues than Utley holds in the first.
3. Ian Kinsler -- Texas Rangers
4. Brandon Phillips -- Cincinnati Reds
5. Dustin Pedroia -- Boston Red Sox
6. Aaron Hill -- Toronto Blue Jays
7. Brian Roberts -- Baltimore Orioles
8. Howie Kendrick -- Los Angeles Angels
9. Ben Zobrist -- Tampa Bay Rays
10. Jose Lopez -- Seattle Mariners
11. Dan Uggla -- Florida Marlins
12. Gordon Beckham -- Chicago White Sox
13. Rickie Weeks -- Milwaukee Brewers
14. Martin Prado -- Atlanta Braves
15. Orlando Hudson -- Minnesota Twins
16. Ronnie Belliard -- Los Angeles Dodgers
17. Alberto Callaspo -- Kansas City Royals
18. Adam Kennedy -- Washington Nationals
19. Clint Barmes -- Colorado Rockies
20. Kaz Matsui -- Houston Astros
TOP 20 THIRD BASEMEN
1. Alex Rodriguez -- NY Yankees
2. Evan Longoria -- Tampa Bay Rays
3. Pablo Sandoval -- San Francisco Giants: "Kung-Fu Panda."
It's the animated movie featuring Jack Black as the Panda bear who learns kung fu. It's also the nickname that was given to Sandoval by teammate Barry Zito after the 246 pound third baseman jumped over catcher Danny Adroin to score a run in a Sept. 19, 2008 game against the Dodgers.
Needless to say, Sandoval rolled with it in to 2009, and proved to be the hero of the Giants offensive attack. In 572 at-bats the multi-positioned 23-year-old smacked 25 homeruns, drove in 90 runs, and finished second in the National League with a .330 batting average. He's only bound to get better, and should come at a cheaper price than what I have him ranked as. However, because he still has major upside and can play third, first, and even catcher in a pinch he gets the nod over Wright, Reynolds, and Zimmermann as a top three player at his primary position of third base.
4. David Wright -- NY Mets
5. Mark Reynolds -- Arizona Diamondbacks
6. Ryan Zimmermann -- Washington Nationals
7. Chone Figgins -- Seattle Mariners
8. Aramis Ramirez -- Chicago Cubs
9. Michael Young -- Texas Rangers
10. Miguel Tejada -- Baltimore Orioles
11. Chipper Jones -- Atlanta Braves
12. Casey McGehee -- Milwaukee Brewers
13. Adrian Beltre -- Boston Red Sox
14. Casey Blake -- Los Angeles Dodgers
15. Placido Polanco -- Philadelphia Phillies
16. Ian Stewart -- Colorado Rockies
17. Alex Gordon -- Kansas City Royals
18. Brandon Wood -- Los Angeles Angels
19. Brandon Inge -- Detroit Tigers
20. David Freese -- St Louis Cardinals
TOP 20 SHORTSTOPS
1. Hanley Ramirez -- Florida Marlins
2. Jose Reyes -- NY Mets
3. Derek Jeter -- NY Yankees
4. Troy Tulowitski -- Colorado Rockies
5. Jimmy Rollins -- Philadelphia Phillies
6. Yunel Escobar -- Atlanta Braves: The next breakout shortstop? This is the questionable statement all fantasy owners should associate with the Braves' Escobar. In 2008 he hit .288 and smoked 10 balls over the outfield wall while driving in a total of 60 runs. In 2009 he increased his average to .299, and hit 14 homeruns while driving in 76 runs with just 14 more at-bats. See the trend? It's an upward one. Next up for Escobar and fantasy owners could be a .300-plus batting average, 20 homeruns, and possibly 85-plus runs batted in. The bottom line here is that he puts the ball in play, and if he can raise his fly-ball percentage from 41.1 to about 50, and keep his strikeout percentage around 11.2 like he recorded last season, Escobar will have a big 2010 season. The best part is that he can be had between rounds 13 and 15 in most mixed leagues.
7. Jason Bartlett -- Tampa Bay Rays
8. Alexei Ramirez -- Chicago White Sox
9. Asdrubal Cabrera -- Cleveland Indians
10. Erick Aybar -- Los Angeles Angels
11. Elvis Andrus -- Texas Rangers
12. Stephen Drew -- Arizona Diamondbacks
13. Orlando Cabrera -- Cincinnati Reds
14. JJ Hardy -- Minnesota Twins
15. Alcides Escobar -- Milwaukee Brewers
16. Marco Scutaro -- Boston Red Sox
17. Ryan Theriot -- Chicago Cubs
18. Rafael Furcal -- Los Angeles Dodgers
19. Cristian Guzman -- Washington Nationals
20. Edgar Renteria -- San Francisco Giants
RISING, FALLING, AND DEEP SLEEPERS
RISING
1B Billy Butler -- Must have. These are not the two words that have ever come to mind when it has come to anyone who has took the field for the Kansas City Royals since maybe George Brett wore the royal blue. But they could be the two words that best describe the Royals young first baseman heading in to the 2010 fantasy season.
Consider this: Last season Butler had 608 official at-bats, but still managed to hit .301. He also crushed 21 long balls, drove in 93 runs, and had an OPS (On-base + Slugging) of .854. His numbers have continued to trend up over the past few seasons, and fantasy owners should expect that trend to continue in to this season. Recently I was able to grab Butler in a mock draft around pick 105, so his value is considerably low considering his enormous potential.
2B Howie Kendrick -- Last season Kendrick averaged just over a hit per game in his on and off role at second base for the Angels. This season he has the spot permanently and will most likely bat second in front of the likes Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and breakout stud first baseman Kendry Morales. He'll need to improve upon his 18.5 percent strikeout rate if he wants to become an elite hitter. Either way, he should be good for about 160+ hits and 80-90 runs; a great value as a low grade starter in mixed leagues.
SS Asdrubal Cabrera -- He's a rising star, and he's the starting shortstop for the Cleveland Indians. Sure he has an interesting first name, but you should recognize his last, and much like Orlando and Miguel in past seasons, Asdrubal should be a major fantasy contributor in 2010. His .308 batting average from a year ago ranked him in the top 20 in all of baseball for players with at least 500 recorded at-bats, and his 68 runs batted in placed him second among American League shortstops. He also ranked first among AL shortstops with 42 doubles. You'll have to grab him between rounds 10 and 14 in mixed leagues, and between rounds five and eight in AL only drafts.
FALLING
1B Lyle Overbay -- The Blue Jays first baseman peaked in his first year with Toronto by finishing the 2006 season with a .312 batting average, 22 homeruns, and 92 runs batted in; all career highs. However, in the past three seasons his numbers have diminished, and his line of .265, 16 and 64 from last season is nowhere near where it should be for him to be considered a fantasy factor at a position that is polluted with up and coming talent and major pop. He's merely a low grade AL only first baseman at best at this point and falling.
2B Orlando Hudson -- Yes, Hudson is coming off one of his best seasons, but he has a few factors going against him heading in to the 2010 season. The first is the switch back to the American League where he once posted a .271 batting average when he played for Toronto. Since making the switch to the National League Hudson hasn't dipped below .283 in a single season. And the second and most important factor is that the position has evolved so much that the Twins new second baseman is getting shoved down the rankings. Hudson was once considered a top five player at his position, but his current (ADP) average draft position (MockDraftCentral.com) is outside the top ten, and overall he's a fantasy player on the decline. Don't be surprised if he finishes outside the top 15, which would make him a mere back-up in mixed league formats.
3B Scott Rolen -- Forget the fact that he's 34 years old, and always seems to be wearing the injury jacket every season; that's not even my biggest concern. What is? How about the fact that Rolen will most likely bat sixth in the Reds batting order in front of a lifetime .221 hitting left fielder. Unfortnuately for Rolen and his future fantasy owners he will not see the same kind of pitches that he saw in his prime, and even the early part of last season in Toronto. Unless you're in a NL only draft Rolen isn't worth wasting a pick on, especially at a position stacked with fantasy talent.
SS Rafael Furcal -- Since arriving in Los Angeles Furcal has not lived up to the hype or the numbers he produced while in Atlanta, and continues to fade in blue. From 2000-2006 Furcal averaged a stolen base every 4.3 games. Over the last three seasons he has increased that average to one every 7.2 games. Last season upon returning from a injury-filled 2008 campaign he increased that average even more to one every 12.5 games. Clearly he has lost a step or few, and it's carrying over in his overall production, especially his .270 and .269 batting averages from '07 and '09; the worst two seasons of his career. His current ADP indicates that he's being taken as the ninth best shorstop in mixed leagues; a far cry from his top three bid just a few years ago, and a ranking I suspect will continue to decline as spring training wears on. You could even make a case that his ADP so high, because of his name; a common reason many fantasy owners have a hard time looking past.
DEEP SLEEPERS
1B Russell Branyan -- It looks as though Branyan will be the Indians new regular first baseman as he just signed a contract to join his once former team. And until Cleveland decides if and when will be the appropiate time to move Matt Laporta to that spot on the diamond Russell the muscle should stay there and produce good numbers. Last season in 116 games at first base for the Mariners Branyan batted .251 with 31 homeruns and 76 runs batted in. He's a great value pick late in mixed league drafts for a fantasy owner looking for a pure power hitter.
2B Scott Sizemore -- There's nothing overly appealing about this Detroit Sizemore. However, his career on-base percentage of .383 and .296 batting average while in the minors shouldn't be ignored. And contrary to the statements recently released by manager Jim Leyland I truly believe Sizemore will be batting either first or second come opening day. The bottom line is that if he stays true to his minor league form he will score plenty of runs in front of one of best two-three-four combos (Guillen, Ordonez, Cabrera) in all of baseball. If you're looking for a nice back-up option late in your draft who will hit for average and score runs, then you may find what you're looking for in the Tigers rookie.
DON'T OVERLOOK ...
1B Paul Konerko -- Yes, Konerko will be 34 years old by the start of the season. However, after seeing him launch 28 in to the bleachers last season it's hard to overlook him in the late rounds as a productive back-up first baseman, especially in a lineup that is highly explosive.
FANTASY TIP
Don't feel pressured in to taking one of the top first basemen early. Guys like Lance Berkman, Kendry Morales, Derek Lee, Carlos Pena and Billy Butler provide plenty of value and can be had in the fifth round or later.
BREWERS WATCH
Even in the midst of Rickie Weeks returning to the lineup, the question mark in the dirt at third base, and the rangy star at shortstop in Alcides Escobar, the lead story of the Brewers infield heading in to 2010 has to be Prince Fielder.
It would be easy to say forget about all the Fielder contract and trade talks, after all this is fantasy baseball, but the reality is that his eventual status will have a ripple effect, especially if he does get traded. A Fielder-less team after the trading deadline could mean that Ryan Braun's numbers could take a hit once the pressure mounts. A Fielder-less team could mean Casey McGehee may move to first base while Matt Gamel lands in a permanent role at third. Most of all, a Fielder-less team could mean there will be more opportunities for others in the starting lineup to drive in runs.
While this is all just smoke and mirrors at this point, these are definite factors fantasy owners who plan on selecting any Brewers this season will need to consider before playing homer.
Speaking of homers, Fielder's 46 were only second to Albert Pujols last season; one of the reasons why he's quickly moving up rankings boards. The other is his league leading and tying 141 runs batted in from a year ago.
When Rickie Weeks left the starting lineup for good last season, so did the Brewers momentum. Rickie was a force at the beginning of the season as he finally started to show fans what he's truly capable of. Through 37 games Weeks batted .272, launched nine long balls, and drove in 24 runs while recording 40 hits and scoring 28 runs. If you were to string those numbers out for at least 150 games his stat line would look something like the one depicted below.
WEEKS -- .272, 162 H, 36 HR, 97 RBI, & 113 R.
Weeks' current ADP in mixed leagues is 201.12; a 16th round pick in a 12 team draft.
As Milwaukee women everywhere pick up their shattered hearts this spring when former shortstop JJ Hardy takes the field for the Twins of Minnesota (not again), Alcides Escobar will sprint on to the field as the Brewers new permanent field general.
Now, I'll be honest in that I won't be surprised if Hardy breaks out this season, and am a little disappointed the Brewers decided to part ways with the consistently good and strong-armed shortstop; his fielding percentages prove that. However, I do know that the Brewers do have something special with Escobar. The kid can flat out play, and will be a fantasy factor wherever he is positioned in Ken Macha's lineup as the season progresses. His current ADP in mixed leagues is 267.27; a great 22nd round value as a back-up option.
And finally, we get to 5 in the scorebook. Here, Casey McGehee will try his darndest to hold off Matt Gamel.
Last season, in 355 at-bats McGehee stayed just above .300 with his batting average, and hit 16 homeruns, while driving in 66, and coming just short of a .500 slugging percentage. He does have the potential to not only maintain a .300 average again, but hit 25-30 homeruns, and drive in 80+ runs this season. He's a great pick between rounds 18 and 20 as a high end back-up third baseman with the potential of starting, even in mixed leagues.
As for Gamel, well, he needs a lot of work yet, and it's not just in the field. He must improve his plate discipline as he averaged a strikeout per 2.3 at-bats last season, and finished with just 31 hits in 128 at-bats. Gamel does have the potential to be a force at the Major League level. It just may take some time for him to get to the level he's capable of reaching. He's projected out as a free agent in both mixed league and NL only drafts until he overtakes McGehee.
DID YOU KNOW?
Yankees back-up first baseman and top designated hitter Nick Johnson reached base 232 times last season, and since the 2005 season has had an On-Base Percentage (OBP) of over .400.
Next up: Catchers and Relief Pitchers
