2. Davis Wright - Mets
3. Alex Rodriguez - Yankees
4. Ryan Zimmerman - Nats
5. Adrien Beltre - Rangers
6. Kevin Youkilis - Red Sox
7. Jose Bautista - Rangers
8. Mark Reynolds - Orioles
9. Aramis Ramirez - Cubs
10. Michael Young - Rangers
11. Casey McGehee - Brewers
12. Pedro Alvarez - Pirates
13. Martin Prado - Braves
14. Pablo Sandoval - Giants
15. Ian Stewart - Rockies
The Whys:
- Longoria was ROY and may soon be MVP. Yes he has lost some of his supporting cast but he will put up 30HR 100R 110RBI and 16SB and he is only 25 years old.
- Wright may be on an island by himself this year. There is really no one besides Reyes who I think is a true threat on this team. I see big sweeping changes ahead for the new management in NY. His numbers could be similar to Longoria if the team can compete but if they fall way behind in May he will start pressing then the average will drop and the trade rumors will increase.
- Rodriguez has been a perpetual 1st round fantasy pick since Yahoo started Fantasy Baseball. Getting older and more injury prone he will only play 130 games. I expect him to get more days off when playing on the artificial surfaces (Toronto, Tampa both in his division). He may also move to 5th in the batting order behind Cano. You can say goodbye to any stolen bases this year.
- Zimmerman will be the best player on an below average team. Unfortunately he has only Werth to protect him or vice versa depending on who is hitting 3rd or 4th. Zimmerman does have 30HR power but for him to reach 100 RBI this team needs some more help.
- Beltre just signed the big 6 year deal and will be batting cleanup in that potent lineup. Vlad put up this stat line last year .300 29/115/83 and they got rid of him for Beltre. Expect similar numbers for the new Ranger.
- Youkilis will gain 3rd base eligibility mid April and was covered earlier here Top 15 1st Basemen
- Bautista never had more than 16 HR or 63 RBI in a season before last year. Then this happened...54HR 124RBI plus he walked 100 times for an OPS of .995 at years end. He is definitely a gamble. Was he the Dexy's Midnight Runners of baseball last year? It may cost you a 4th round pick to find out but there could definitely be gold at the end of that rainbow again in Toronto.
- Reynolds will get a new change of scenery in Baltimore. I actually like the new lineup Showalter has to work with. Again with Reynolds its high risk high reward. 40HR and 200K again this year.
- Ramirez will be in a contract year in 2011 so if he can stay healthy look for a good year. This is a guy whose average jumps 20 points in either direction every year but the power has always been consistent. Look for him to push 30HR and get one more multi year contract secured.
- Young will be an interesting player this year. He will start the year being the Rangers DH but word is he will be a super utility man and play all 4 infield positions. Can we say Mark DeRosa with a better bat. Young will become valuable as the season progresses and he keeps gaining eligibility at 2B and SS.
- McGehee is the ex-Cub throw away that has made a name for himself in the Beer City. Take away his worst month last year (June) and he hits .293 for the year. Pitchers will be pitching around Braun and Fielder getting to McGehee so he will have RBI opportunities. He does have top prospect Mat Gamel (3B and 1B) lurking so if the Brewers do not contend McGehee or Fielder could be on the move to a contender.
- Alvarez is one of the best young players at the hot corner. Many have him projected higher than I do for the upcoming year. 22HR 80RBI and .260 seems to fit a guy of his ability on a really bad team.
- Prado has many positions to be eligible at this year and that is why I have him ranked. Here is my previous post Top 15 2nd Basemen .
- Sandoval is here because of his 2009 output and the strict conditioning program the Giants have him under. Expect him to report to camp 30 pounds lighter. He has that smooth stroke and great gap power. He could be a 50 doubles guy with an OPS over .900 this year. The conditioning is the key. If he can't keep the weight off look for a platoon come summer.
- Stewart has the raw power and plays in my favorite hitter's park. The only question is his average and that the Rockies brought in Jose Lopez and Ty Wiggington this year. Colorado, year in and year out, has one of the best benches in baseball. Currently they have Lopez backing up 2B and Wiggington backing up 1B but that could change if Stewart struggles. I truly see him breaking through this year and showing why he was a 1st round pick out of High School in 2003.
You must be expecting huge per game averages from Arod. I can't justify him being in the top 3 at third. You mentioned that you don't expect him to play every day. If that is the case, why not put Zimm ahead of him. I think Zimm is very under appreciated.
ReplyDeleteZimm is a top player at 3rd but he has no supporting cast. His RBI will be well below ARod. Lets compare who is setting the table for each. Zimm has Morgan, Desmond and Werth. ARod has Jeter, Swisher, Teixeria, and maybe Cano. Advantage in RBI ARod, thus a slight increase in value in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteAroid is a bust. He is getting old. I like Zimm and Beltre ahead of him even though they may not have the hitters ahead of them that Aroid does.
ReplyDelete