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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 127  1 |
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Positives/Upside:
Very few players have Kinsler's multi-category potential. Ian Kinsler and Chase Utley are in a class of their own at second base, blending a perfect balance of speed and power into their games. Kinsler is one of baseball's only players that will challenge 30 HR and 30 SB. On top of that, he'll be an elite source of runs and contribute an above average RBI total. Kinsler will likely be a top-15 pick, and you can have a huge advantage at the position with him in your line-up. .280-105-30-90-30 in 580 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Painfully low batting average in 2009 (.253) will need to increase for Kinsler to be a truly elite fantasy contributor. Last year's 144 games was a career high, as he has historically been an injury risk. .255-85-15-75-15 in 520 AB
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Analysis:
Kinsler is the second best player at his position, with the ability to out-produce Chase Utley. If Kinsler can stay healthy all year, he could end up as the premier second baseman heading into 2011. He'll go a round later and about $7-10 cheaper in drafts, making him a better value. .270-100-25-85-25 in 560 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 16 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 97 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
No one in the majors does more with less than Pedroia. What Pedroia lacks in raw talent, he makes up for with effort. Hitting in the two-hole in the potent Sox line-up will help Pedroia keep pace with his 2009, during which he scored 115 runs and stole 20 bases. While his 2009 season wasn't on par with his MVP 2008 season, he really only saw a significant dip in average and a slight drop in RBI. To say 2009 was a true disappointment unfairly takes away from what was in actuality a very good season. .315-115-15-75-20 in 630 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
The 30 point dip in average Pedroia experienced in 2009 as compared to 2008 is concerning, even if he did finish at nearly .300. A drop from 83 RBI in 2008 to 72 in 2009 is also a concern. It looks like Pedroia will always chase that magical 2008 season, and his 2009 stat line is more in line with what to expect from him. .290-100-10-65-10 in 590 AB |
Analysis:
Perhaps it was a slight disappointment, but Pedroia's 2009 season was still extremely good. In fact, I like him more as someone to target this season since the inflated expectations from his 2008 season will no longer be hanging over him. .300-110-15-70-15 in 620 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 34 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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32 |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 92 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Roberts is one of the fastest second basemen out there, and he pairs that with an elite source of runs. In an improved Baltimore line-up, he could even improve on those totals. .290-105-18-75-33 in 625 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
At age 32, he's starting to get long in the tooth. Look for slight drop in power numbers and possibly stolen bases. .280-95-13-65-25 in 595 AB |
Analysis:
Brian Roberts is not quite an elite second baseman, but he's definitely close. Roberts will be close to the league lead in runs, and with 72 HR+2B, he'll be one of the top OPS performers among speedsters. He's a perfect compliment to a team that takes a lot of power early on. .285-100-15-70-30 in 610 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 41 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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30 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 124 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Hill is a contact hitter who was able to turn his doubles into home runs last season. Hill's power totals from last year put him at the top of the long-fly list for second basemen. If everything breaks right for Hill in 2010, he'll have a season that resembles his 2009 line. .285-100-30-105-5 in 650 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Hill is coming off a massive season, and a step back is more likely than a step forward in 2010. Expect a drop in home runs, runs and RBI this season. .275-85-20-85-5 in 600 AB |
Analysis:
Because of the shallow talent pool that is second base, Hill is pretty hot commodity. If he could replicate his monstrous 2009 -- 36 HR, 108 RBI -- he'll be worth all the attention. Problem is, I just don't see that happening. His bread and butter are those power numbers, which frankly, he won't replicate. Without those numbers, he's essentially Jose Lopez. Not bad, but not worthy of a top-four round selection. Hill had never eclipsed 17 HR before 2009, so it's hard to believe that he can keep up this torrid pace. If he can get to 25 this year, it will be an accomplishment. There are safer second basemen out there -- take one of them instead. .280-90-25-90-5 in 630 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 50 |
Recommendation: Only at a discount |
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29 |
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8 (1) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 105 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Zobrist's power surge continued last season, as the 28-year-old mashed 27 homers and plated 91 RBI. As an added bonus, he swiped 17 bases and drew 91 walks en route to a .405 OBP. While some might be leery of Zobrist's once-light stick coming to life, remember that his power numbers jumped sharply way back in the second half of the '08 season and may be traced to a tweak he made in his swing. Zobrist should once again bat in the middle of the Rays order, and he should keep running as long as Joe Maddon is his manager. He should also be eligible at shortstop, second and the outfield in most leagues. .295-100-28-100-20 in 570 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Tweak, schmeak -- Zobrist had hit just 15 homers and stolen only seven bases in 145 games prior to his breakout 2009 season. While he may be worth a later round pick, his current price makes him too much of a risk. .275-80-18-80-10 in 490 AB |
Analysis:
We think Zobrist will sustain his power numbers, and throw in a good amount of steals as part of the bargain. Check your league roster rules to determine whether Zobrist is eligible at a given position. .285-90-23-90-18 in 540 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 51 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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29 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 106 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Cano finally busted out in 2009, displaying the talent everyone knew he possessed. He's entering his 27-year old season, a magic number in fantasy baseball, so another huge step forward is a strong possibility. This could be the last year you don't have to pay through the roof for Cano. .320-105-28-95-5 in 635 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
While his 2009 season was a nice step forward, it's always nice to see a young player put together a couple of strong seasons before you feel completely comfortable with them. If that's the worst I can think of for negatives on Cano, you know he's someone to own in 2010. .300-90-20-80-3 in 580 AB |
Analysis:
Cano was helped by the Yankees’ new ballpark, a left-handed hitters dream, in 2009. The Yankees lineup always provides a ton of opportunities to score and drive in runs as well. Look for his 2010 season to be quite similar to his 2009 campaign. .310-100-25-90-5 in 615 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 49 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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29 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 95 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Although Ramirez' batting average took a hit going from .290 in 2008 to .277 in 2009, he more than doubled his walks. In 2008 Alexei walked an unacceptable 18 times over 509 plate appearances, and improved that to 49 times over 606 plate appearances. That's a much more fundamental change to his game than a loss of 13 points of batting average.
Although he is not terribly efficient base stealer (66%) Alexei does run and is unlikely to be stopped by manager Ozzie Guillen. With even a slight rebound in power that makes Alexei at least a 15/15 player in the middle infield and perhaps 20/20. .290-85-20-80-20 in 575 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Alexei's ISO dropped in 2009 to .115. For those not used to working with ISO (the difference between BA and SLG -- basically a good way to look at whether a player's batting is mainly singles), .115 is about as bad as it gets for a full-time player. And 2008's .185 wasn't that good either. And there's not much reason to think it will change. In 2008 he hit a total of 22 doubles, and weak as that was, followed it with only 14(!) in 542 AB in 2009. .270-65-13-70-13 in 500 AB |
Analysis:
When Alexei Ramirez joined the White Sox in 2008 and banged 21 home runs to go along with 13 stolen bases, there were high expectations that he would be a tidy 20/15 option in the middle of the infield or perhaps a little better over time. Last season, despite drawing enough walks to pull his OBP up, the Cuban Missile dropped most of his other fantasy stat categories.
What's more, all the danger signals of his 2008 campaign (no doubles and a weak ISO and inefficient base stealing) were confirmed when 120 of his 150 hits went for singles. Ramirez now loses his second base eligibility (a major plus last season), and while one would usually expect some bounce-back after his sophomore slump, there's little evidence outside of his walk rates that would give one a lot of hope.
Compounding this is the danger presented by a manager who, like the Lou Brown character in the movie "Major league" (ably played by James Gammon) might order Alexei to do push-ups every time he puts the ball in the air, exacerbating an unacceptable .115 ISO and really not helping him get on base that much more. .275-80-15-75-15 in 550 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 106 |
Recommendation: Only at a discount |
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21 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 98 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Lopez is entering his prime and can build on 25 home runs and 96 RBI from 2009. With Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman now batting in front of him, he should have more RBI opportunities. .280-85-28-105-3 in 640 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Lopez won't help you out in stolen bases -- that hurts. There's always a possibility that Lopez regresses this season, but it's unlikely. .270-75-23-90-3 in 590 AB |
Analysis:
ose Lopez represents the next tier of second baseman. He hit 25 HR last season, and with Figgins and Ichiro getting base in front of him, he should improve on his career high 96 RBI from 2009. If you miss out on the elite talent at the position (Utley, Kinsler, Philips), Lopez can be had at a better value than the likes of Hill and Pedroia, while producing similar stat lines. .275-80-25-100-3 in 620 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 115 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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20 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 68 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Kendrick should turn in a pretty good average and help out in runs and stolen bases as well. He'll be in double digits in home runs and drive in around 65-75 runs. .305-70-15-70-15 in 500 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Consistency. Kendrick ended up in the minors last season after an incredibly brutal start to the year. I find it hard to believe that one trip to AAA turned his fortunes around. .290-58-10-58-10 in 380 AB |
Analysis:
Howie Kendrick hits for average, but that's about it. If he ends up moving up in the order, he could end the year with an elite run total and even 10-15 SB. Some may call him a potential breakout player, but I call him a nuisance. He looks like he has all the tools but can never string it together. .295-65-13-65-13 in 450 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 152 |
Recommendation: Only at a discount |
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18 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 84 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
A poor man's Dustin Pedroia. Cabrera's actual value is going to be very dependent on the kind of year Grady Sizemore has and whether Michael Brantley is ready to hold a major league job. Although his resume doesn't immediately suggest his .308 average of 2009, he is only 24 and all of his secondary numbers (in particular his 85%+ contact rates) would certainly support that. He doesn't have the power that Pedroia brings for a middle infielder, but the same sort of speed. A .350-.360 on-base performer, Asrubal will need an improved context to reach the higher projections, but he's a quality hitter. .305-100-9-70-20SBs |
Negatives/Downside:
Given the construction of the team, Cabrera could be moved to the back of the batting order instead of the front and at a stroke this would make him 100 picks worse. His historical batting averages suggest that .280's is more likely than .300s despite the excellent contact rates. A .280 hitter with 80 runs is almost the definition of replaceable in most formats. .280-85-6-65-14. 525Abs |
Analysis:
One of the common ways for traditonal baseball people to deride a team's lineup and the game of Roto is to say "it's a rotisserie" line-up (or player). Experienced roto players find this a little amusing because the very lineups used to illustrate this (those terrible old and slow Orioles squads of years ago for example), are precisely the lineups that Roto players avoid - old, slow and injury prone are an anathema to fantasy players.
But if there is an area in which roto really doesn't appreciate real baseball adequately, it might be the cases of Asdrubal Cabrera and Yunel Escobar. No one is saying that this guys are more important to a team than a Grady Sizemore or Chipper Jones as the Indians and Braves found out last season (to their chagrin), but's almost certainly true that teams don't win championships without these kind of players at the tops of their orders. The Yankees stopped winning championships at the end of the 90's because of a lack of Derek Jeters, they started losing because Chuck Knoblauch wasn't getting on 40% of the time any more.
There's nothing in his production that makes Asdrubal "necessary" to a fantasy team - decent average and a few Stolen bases and if Size and Peralta bounce back and he is batting second, perhaps 90-100 runs. But for a real baseball team his skills are invaluable. He gets on base, makes good contact so is an aid to the running game. Hes' not going to be mistaken for Rickey Henderson, but you can't ignore him or he will steal over 80% as he did last season which makes the batters after him effective as well.
I wish our game reflected this value more, and it's not "intangible" the way announcers like to say, it leads directly and measurably to runs scored. Last I checked, the team that scores the most runs still wins. .285-95-8-65-20. 575ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 151 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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18 |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 89 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Scuatro is coming off a fantastic 2009 season in Toronto, and moves into the friendly confines of Fenway Park, and into a strong Red Sox line-up that will provide him with plenty of run scoring and RBI opportunities. 2010 should be another great season for Scutaro. |
Negatives/Downside:
Don't be fooled by Scutaro's 2009 season. He isn't that good. Plus he produced the career high filled statline, .282-100-12-60-14, batting out of the leadoff spot for the Blue Jays, but will hit at the bottom of the order in Boston. In 2010, we will go back to seeing the Marco Scutaro we got to know in his eight seasons before his big 2009. |
Analysis:
It will be interesting to see how Scutaro’s move to Boston effects his numbers. Scutaro produced his solid 2009 numbers hitting leadoff for the Blue Jays, but will hit at the bottom of the order in 2010 with the Red Sox. Comparing Scutaro’s 2009 season to his 2010 season will be an interesting analysis on the importance of where a player bats in the batting order vs. the overall quality of the lineup he bats in. .270-85-10-60-10 in 575 at bats |
| Recommended Draft Position: 219 |
Recommendation: Only at a discount |
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12 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 79 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Polanco posted a weak first half and came on to post an excellent second half, batting .315 and scoring 44 runs in 73 games after the break. He moves back to Philadelphia and to an even better lineup than when he left. Since he really doesn't run (seven steals each of the past three years) and 10 home runs was a stretch last season, he's not a threat to displace the best second basemen in fantasy circles, but a .300 season and 100 runs if he can bat second is not at all unlikely. .305-100-9-70-7. 625Abs |
Negatives/Downside:
Polanco is not exactly young and got off to a terrible start in 2009. Because he doesn't really run and has no power, his upside is extremely limited. If he gets off to a similar start as last season and starts batting in front of pitchers and catchers, his runs take a hit along with his remaining value. .285-85-7-60-7. 575ABs |
Analysis:
With a guy like Polanco, you probably know as well as we what to expect. 8-10 home runs, 55-75 RBI, 85-95 Rs. More R's and less RBI if batting #2 and vice versa if the Phils bat him lower. He's gotten exactly seven stolen bases each of the past three seasons, so all that is left is to "choose" his batting average.
Although we often complain about players ground ball rates going up (not that high ground ball rates can't work, see: Suzuki, Ichiro), it appeared that Polanco (three of whose four previous sub .300 full seasons previously had also been his highest ground ball rates) was trying to lift the ball. He posted his lowest groundball rate for which we have records and his highest home run total since 2004. It would be tempting to write a narrative on this wherein Polanco was "struggling to help the team" by hitting for more power and his batting average paid the price. Except, as often happens, the facts tend to dispel what would otherwise be a very nice story. Looking at the splits, Polanco's graund ball rate averaged about 47% through June and just over 40% after. But he batted .257 to start, and .306 with the lower grund ball rate....oh and his home run rate was higher with the higher ground ball rate (although not significantly). So for Polanco, again, ground balls tend to be a symptom of his doing less well.
Frankly, Polanco was great in the second half and he moves back to a place where he is very comfortable. We don't expect him to drop a beat moving over to third base. He's certainly not a plus offensive third baseman, but the extra eligibility helps and suggests an inexpensive way to cover a Chipper Jones for instance. .305-95-9-70-7SSB. 600ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 216 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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12 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 69 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
The Giants were desperate for offense this offseason, so they decided to take a chance on DeRosa. He has been a consistent source of offensive production the past two season, and should continue that trend while batting in the middle of the Giants' order in 2010. He pounded 23 homeruns last season, while collecting 78 runs and 78 RBI. |
Negatives/Downside:
DeRosa's late career power surge was a nice surprise, but don't expect it to continue. He's 35 and moving into a distinct pitcher's park. Furthermore, the Giants offense will be better, but still poor. Furthermore, after his career season in 2008, DeRosa started what is sure to be a swift decline in 2009. Expect that decline to continue in 2010. He has all the makings of being a bust. |
Analysis:
DeRosa's 2008 and 2009 seasons are a lock to be the two best of his career. I don't see him being a complete bust in 2010, but he won't match his 2009 totals, and certainly not his 2008 totals. .265-75-15-75-3 in 520 at bats |
| Recommended Draft Position: 228 |
Recommendation: Only at a discount |
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11 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 96 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Should increase his SB #'s after showing good speed in the minors
20SB |
Negatives/Downside:
Power was a fluke based on minor league stats
7HR will probably be a career high |
Analysis:
Considering Casilla hit 1 HR every 201 AB in his last 3 seasons, before hitting 1HR in every 55 AB last year his power is almost certain to drop. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 308 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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9 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 207 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Sizemore brings the ability to contribute across the board for fantasy owners. Last season he clubbed 17 HRs, while also swiping 21 bases at Triple-A, plus he batted over .300. As Detroit's full-time 2B this year, Sizemore figures to get the chance at replicating this performance at the big league level. |
Negatives/Downside:
Offseason ankle surgery could sap some of his speed, at least early on, and even if he recovers, he's not a burner. His BABIP has been consistently high throughout his tenure in the minors - it's possible he's simply established a high baseline, but it seems unlikely his true talent level is that of a .300 hitter. |
Analysis:
With Placido Polanco heading to Philadelphia, the job is Sizemore's to lose if the ankle continues to respond well in spring training. Barring a setback, Sizemore looks to be an intriguing play at 2B who can be an asset across the board in all formats. As someone who finds himself more in the middle of prospect lists, he may potentially be available at a nice value. .275-80-14-60-14 in 550 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 262 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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8 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 80 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
not to make any guarantees of course, but when Ellis returned in July, 2009, he played pretty much everyday (normal rest) for the rest of the season. .274-44-8-48-8 in 83 games, which is usable by any standard. It's no coincidence that both Ryan Sweeney and Daric Barton had fine second halves with OBP north of .380. The A's situation will be much more favorable in 2010. .275-85-17-75-15. 575ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
You don't often lose when you bet against a player "finding" durability at age 33. .255-60-13-55-10. 425ABs |
Analysis:
If you pieced together all of Ellis good stats you;d have quite the line. But you have to admire how he has spread them out over all these years. .316 average in 2005, Highs in HR's (19) and RBI (76) in 2006 and 14 steals in 2008. Of course in between these you've had .233 averages, 41 RBI and 9 HRs in various years. So who can tell what to expect except he is likely to miss time and a fair amount too. Ellis has managed 772 games since he became a "full time" player in 2003, so about 129 games per season and those are just the seasons he actually played, he missed all of 2004.
It's a shame really because if you were to take his career rates on this things you'd have a second baseman who hits 15-20 home runs and steals 10-15 bags over the course of 150 games and that would be usable. But he probably won't play 150 games and he might hit .233 again, which makes him hard to use.
The good news is that when Ellis is injured, he's injured and you can make other temporary arrangements and he does enough while he is playing to contribute. .270-65-13-60-14. 475ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 275 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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7 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 73 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Kennedy still makes amazing contact and is going dirt cheap for a 10/20 guy. Watch where he actually bats as the Nationals have half a good batting order and Kennedy could be the beneficiary. .280-75-10-60-15. 550ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
Although it was fun to see, it's been years since Kennedy has resembled the hitter that he was last season. Regression is the percentage play here. .265-65-5-45-10. 475ABs |
Analysis:
To be fair, we have seen this Kennedy before, in his age 27 and 28 seasons with the Angels. Forced into service due to . It wasn't exactly the Garden of Eden, but Adam is offering us an apple for 2010, do we take a bite?
Kennedy spent most of 2008 and 2009 batting 7th and 8th for the Cardinals, most of the time hitting in front of the pitcher (remember the Cardinals are one of the teams that bats the pitcher 8 now and again). He saw almost no pitches, but took his swings anyway. In 2009 he not only saw pitches, not only took some swings at them, but actually made contact with them, including a rather freakish 71% on pitches out of the zone. Which is to say you'll want to be seeing where he bats in the Nats lineup and not expecting him to maintain that contact rate.
Kennedy was, in many ways, a victim of his own success. After the good, if not spectacular, 2003 and 2004 seasons, he hit .400+ in May of 2005 and decided he was a .300 hitter. He started going for contact, which he achieved at the expense of actual hits, home runs, walks. .265-65-5-45-10. 475ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 309 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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6 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 101 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Valbuena adjusted immediately in double-A ball improving his 2007 mark of .239 to .304 the following season. He improved markedly over the course of the 2009 season. He possess a little pop and some stolen bases should come as the coaching staff gains confidence in his running abilities. .275-70-15-50-10. 550ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
Valbuena is likely to bat in the bad part of the Cleveland order and will get very little contextual support. With the signing of Russell Branyan, it will be possible for the Indians to play him at third at least occasionally with Jhonny Peralta and Asdrubal Cabrera shifting to the right and their natural positions. .255-50-9-35-5. 375ABs |
Analysis:
Valbuena was a pleasant surprise for The Tribe in 2009. Unexpectedly called into duty due to trades, injuries and ineffectiveness, He tallied 10 homes runs and 52 runs while manning the pivot for 103 games. Prior to that, the 23 year-old Valbuena had only 80 games at triple-A and a cuppa with the Mariners in 2008.
It looks like Valbuena will be the Indians second baseman in 2010, so what do we expect? Valbuena actually hit for a bit of average his second time through double-A and upon arrival in triple-A posting .300 averages and an on-base percentage greater than .380. And he hit for some power, posting 11 home runs in both 2007 and 2008. He's short, but strongly built and his fly ball rates and HR/FB were normal, so the power seems real.
Valbuena posted strikeout rates of approximately 1 in 6 most seasons in the minors leagues so his near 1 in 4 (combined with a low walk rate) is cause for concern. But Valbuena improved through the season, posting a .216 average with a worse and .661 OPS before the break and struck out better than 1 in 5 with .272/.752 after.
Valbuena was a double digit base-stealer in the minors but showed absolutely no inclination to stray off the bases in 2009. It would be a nice little bonus but you shouldn't expect it. .265-70-12-45-5. 525ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 308 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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6 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 71 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Sneaky speed and excellent baserunning skills. Decent on-base skills and good minor league contact rates. .275-75-10-65-25. 550ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
Major league strikeout rates much higher than minor league numbers. He adjusted well after the first month of 2009, but it remains a question whether he can hit major league pitchers. Little power and questionable average along with a weak context hitting near the bottom of the Oakland lineup. .255-50-5-45-10. 425ABs |
Analysis:
Because his number in 2008 and 2009 are split between different teams on different levels, a lot of people aren't aware that Pennington stole 31 bases in 115 games in 2008 and then 34 between triple-A and The Show last year. That's too bad because the former Aggie is a terrific baserunner if not a prototypical burner. He can also play all over the field and play well.
What is less good is that people may take away from Pennington's four home runs that he has some kind of pop in his bat and that, as of now, is unlikely to be the case. He's a smallish player and there are no secondary numbers to back up an immediate hope for additional dingers. He's probably not a tremendous on-base player, but he gets on base better than league average and should score runs if the context in Oakland allows.
Pennington loses his multi-position eligibility in most leagues, which hurts his value. But he is still usable in MI leagues and a low end SS in larger formats due to his speed. .275-65-7-50-25. 475ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 276 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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6 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 110 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Punto is in the game for his defense, which is no help in fantasy leagues. He can steal a few bases though.
20 SB with 500AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Everything but his speed.
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Analysis:
If your drafting Punto your either in a very deep league or very desperate for a few SB. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 411 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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$ |
5 |
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$ |
0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 91 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Izturis can help in all offensive categories, but needs the at bats to make an impact. |
Negatives/Downside:
Playing time. He can't put up the stats if he doesn't play. |
Analysis:
Izturis looks like he'll come off the bench this season but can have instant value if there's injury in the Angels' infield or Brandon Wood doesn't pan out. He doesn't have a ton of power, but with consistent playing time, could reach double digits while helping out across the board. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 357 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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$ |
4 |
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$ |
0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 81 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Bloomquist's entire value is wrapped up entirely in his speed. He's a threat for 30 SB with some consistent playing time. |
Negatives/Downside:
Everything else. |
Analysis:
Bloomquist can't even start for the lowly Royals, stay away. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 375 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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$ |
3 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 126 1 |
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Positives/Upside:
Showed good skills growth throughout minor league career, has double digit HR and SB potential. Dual position eligibility at 2B/SS.
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Negatives/Downside:
For starters, he's really not that good... there's a reason he plays for the Royals. He'll start the year on the bench and is unlikely to usurp the role. |
Analysis:
Aviles basically played himself out of a job last season and will start the year behind the terrible Yuniesky Betancourt. That should say it all. Stay away. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 410 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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$ |
2 |
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$ |
0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 108 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Decent AVG and OBP and could hit double digit home runs. |
Negatives/Downside:
Along with playing for the Royals, Callaspo could be splitting time with Chris Getz. |
Analysis:
Callaspo should start at 2B for the Royals but could be in a time share with Chris Getz. Only target him in the deepest of AL only leagues. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 409 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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$ |
2 |
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$ |
0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 76 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
speed. With regular playing time, Getz could challenge 35+ SB |
Negatives/Downside:
Getz has no power and will probably max out his average around .265. |
Analysis:
Getz will split time Alberto Callaspo but should still be a cheap source of speed when he does get in the line-up. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 408 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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$ |
2 |
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0.0 (0) |
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