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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 147  0 |
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Positives/Upside:
The AL batting champ 3 of the last 4 years and will give you a definitive advantage in that category. He throws in some quality numbers in HR, RBI and runs as well, making him, hands down, the best catching option on the board. .345-100-30-100-5 in 550 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Mauer may have trouble replicating his 2009 stat line, which was one of the best for catcher in the history of baseball. He won't contribute much in the speed department and, being a catcher, will play fewer games than the rest of the top-25 players. .310-90-20-90-3 in 490 AB |
Analysis:
Mauer missed the first month of the 2009 season due to a back injury and still hit a remarkable .365-94-28-96. If your fantasy team wants to have the #1 catcher, this is your man, but you'd better be looking to draft him late in the first or early in the second round or he will be gone. The problem is that there is no value in selecting him that high. He will clearly be the best catcher, but he will not live up to the draft spot where you take him. .330-95-25-95-3 in 530 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 13 |
Recommendation: Only at a discount |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 146 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Things couldn't have gone better for V-Mart in 2009. He bounced back from a disappointing 2008 and was dealt out of Cleveland to the Red Sox, where he'll have ample RBI opportunities and score a lot of runs. A full year in Boston could result in career highs in runs, home runs, and RBI. V-Mart is an elite option at catcher. .300-90-25-100-0 in 570 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Whenever a player has a down year like Martinez did in 2008, at least some concern exists that another poor season is a possibility. While Martinez's 2008 can be explained by the injuries he struggled with that season, the chance of another injury does linger, especially since Martinez will be play primarily behind the plate in 2010. .275-80-15-90-0 in 520 AB |
Analysis:
Martinez does qualify as an injury risk in 2010, but the reward of having a catcher that can produce like Martinez outweighs the risk. Filling one of your catcher's spots with Martinez is a smart move in 2010. .290-85-20-95-0 in 540 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 30 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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33 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 126 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Wieters ended the strong and should end up as one of the top catchers in home runs, runs, RBI, and average. He's a gamble that could take the next step into the elite at the position. .300-70-20-80-0 in 530 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
We saw two sides of Wieters last season. There's the possibility that we get more of the bad Wieters in his sophomore season. .275-60-15-70-0 in 480 AB |
Analysis:
Matt Wieters may have appeared to be a bust in 2009, but he really played well from August on. Wieters will hit in the middle of this line-up and will get every chance to succeed. Consider him a post-hype sleeper. .290-65-18-75-0 in 510 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 106 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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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:
In just 383 at bats last season, Posada collected 22 homeruns and 81 RBI. The fact is that the guy can still hit. Batting behind the Yanks big guns, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, is going to provide Jorge with plenty of RBI chances. He is entering the season at full health and has at least one more big season left in him. .288-65-25-85-0 in 400 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
There's n,o doubt that he can still hit, but at 38 he's one of the biggest injury risks in baseball. 16 years wearing the tools of ignorance has a way of tearing the body apart. Posada represents far too much of an injury risk to qualify as a the type of guy you can pick, place into your line-up, and forget about. Take a capable alternative if you do decide to draft Jorge. .275-55-15-65-0 in 300 AB |
Analysis:
The fact that the aging Posada still ranks fifth in the catcher rankings is testament to the poor quality of the position. Posada can still hit, and will produce if he can stay in the line-up. Of course staying in the line-up could be a problem. Calling Posada an injury risk is an understatement, as you can basically guarantee that he will miss time. The question is, how much time? .285-60-20-75-0 in 350 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 140 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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19 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 101 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
The tendency will be to project Suzuki by splitting the difference between his 54 RBI in 2008 and his 88 in 2009 and between his 7 and 15 home runs. The 2008 A's mounted a .318 team OBP "good" for third worst in the majors and .369 slugging which took home the roses for slugging futility. Not to say that their .328/.397 was wonderful in 2009, but the main difference was context and this season's context should be, for Suzuki, comparable or better. .280-90-15-80-8. 575ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
Suzuki is "that" good, but how good is "that?" Points for showing up, sure...but a .734 OPS in 2009. a .421 slugging? How long can a real team continue to bat him second or even third (29 games of .221 with a .643 OPS)?
Sooner or later doesn't this mean batting 8th and all those RBI disappearing? .270-60-10-60-3. 475Abs |
Analysis:
Several years ago someone asked me about Jeremy Brown, an Oakland A's #1 draft pick in the famous (or infamous) 2002 "Moneyball" draft as immortalized by Michael Lewis in the best-seller of that name. I replied that I thought the A's had another catcher. "Daric Barton?" he asked (the 2003 first-rounder then catching in the A's system) and I replied, no, Kurt Suzuki.
Suzuki is now the A's catcher and with 88 RBI in 2009 and for good measure 8 stolen bases, a darn good one. The question is not whether he is this good, because the former .400 hitter for Cal-State Fullerton clearly is this good and has been more or less the identical player the past two seasons. The questions are whether he can continue to catch 147 and 148 games and whether the A's will provide him with any context. The answer is barring some injury for the very durable Suzuki, yes and reservedly yes. .275-85-15-80-5. 550ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 146 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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18 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 95 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Power. Napoli will hit the long ball with the best of them, which should lead to some RBI as well. |
Negatives/Downside:
Despite a .272 mark in 2009, Napoli is a career .256 hitter. Look for his average to dip down closer to those numbers in 2010. |
Analysis:
Mike Napoli splits more time than you'd like out of a catcher, but he can bring the pain when it comes to the long ball. If you need your backstop to produce power, Napoli will help -- but he's not someone you should target for multi-category production. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 159 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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13 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 118 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
If you miss out on the more exciting catching options, Pierzynski isn't a bad guy to select. He'll be good for a double-digit HRs and decent numbers in the other non-SB categories. He's also extremely durable, making him especially useful in AL-only leagues where bulk ABs have a lot of value. |
Negatives/Downside:
Pierzynski isn't exciting and is unlikely to surprise anyone with significant improvement at this point. You can draft him as a safe choice, but you'll likely spend the season looking to improve. With Tyler Flowers on the way, it's possible Pierzynski could see his ABs cut later in the season. |
Analysis:
Everyone knows what Pierzynski brings to the party by now. If you want to focus your resources on other positions, he's worth picking up later in the draft as an acceptable starter or a stable backup for a riskier selection. .275-55-10-50-1 in 450 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 233 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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11 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 95 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
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Negatives/Downside:
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Analysis:
Sure, why not? .270-10-50 |
| Recommended Draft Position: 260 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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5 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 116 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
C eligible, Clement has slugged 22 homes run per 500 Abs in the minors, 7 in his 219 major league at-bats when he was overmatched. Check his health as there are reports he is not 100%, but he will given every chance to win the first base job (moving Garret Jones to the outfield. .280-60-20-75-1. 525ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
Clement was given an extended run by the Mariners in 2008 and was exposed by major league pitching to the tune of .227 with a .655 OPS, striking out nearly one in three. Clement had been scheduled to start September as the Pirates first baseman, but what had been termed just sprains kept out of even joining the big league club after call-ups. He has not had injury problems, but it's a situation to watch closely. He could very easily succeed, but his last failure was spectacular. .230-20-7-25-0. 150ABs |
Analysis:
Clement retains C eligibility and will be given a chance to win the first base job. That equals POUNCE. Even in an off year in 2009 that ended with a series of injuries (that prevented him from getting an extended September look at PNC Park), he still compiled 21 home runs, 90 RBI and 60 extra base hits in 119 triple-A games. Major league pitchers have consistently got him to chase outside stuff down and if that doesn't change, Clement's stay on the big club will be very short. But if he can close the hole in his swing (and it was hardly in evidence in the minors) he puts a near zero-cost 20 home runs into play for your fantasy team.
You probably don't want to roll this dice if there is no fall back, but the potential upside is intriguing to say the least. .260-50-18-65-1. 425ABs |
| Recommended Draft Position: 364 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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4 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 101 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Shoppach has accumulated 33 homers over the past two seasons, and his power stroke should be a welcome addition in Tampa Bay. He'll likely split time with Dioner Navarro, but should see plenty of at-bats. .260-50-18-55-1 in 350 AB |
Negatives/Downside:
Shoppach's power numbers dropped precipitously in 2009, and Navarro's superior defensive skills may relegate the former Indian to a relief role. .235-25-8-35-0 in 200 AB |
Analysis:
If Shoppach wins the starting job, he becomes a serviceable fantasy backstop in two-catcher leagues. .245-40-15-50-0 in 300 AB. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 300 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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4 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 110 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
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Negatives/Downside:
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Analysis:
He will rebound some this year. .250-15-50. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 270 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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4 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 118 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
With a tenuous hold on the starting C job in Detroit, Laird can offer some ability to produce bulk numbers, especially if you're playing in a deep league that, say, starts two catchers. |
Negatives/Downside:
Laird doesn't produce even average numbers in any category, and his poor batting average offsets any modest HR and RBI he might produce. Prospect Alex Avila is closing in on the starting gig, meaning Laird may only start the year with regular ABs. |
Analysis:
There's really no reason to draft Laird, unless you're playing in a unique league where just getting some bulk numbers at a shallow position will be advantageous. Almost everyone can safely ignore Laird. .240-25-2-20-0 in 200 AB |
| Recommended Draft Position: 413 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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2 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 110 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Incredible Power for itty-bitty price for an end game catcher. Mets are healthy, Barajas should get good PT, half the games are outside of Citi. .250-40-12-60-1. 425ABs |
Negatives/Downside:
Will lose time to Omir Santos and if Santos can prove that he deserves regular playing time he may be relegated to the bench. Barajas derives all of his fantasy value from his power game, precisely the thing Citi hurts the most. .235-20-8-25-250ABs. |
Analysis:
Barajas moves to the healthier (one hopes) Mets from a team that was powered by two guys (Adam Lind and Aaron Hill). It's true he moves to Citifield which suppresses home runs (Rod's primary fantasy skill), but he enters a situation with only limited competition for playing time (Omir Santos) and will get to play half his games on the road. Even if he hits half the 19 home runs he did last season that's worth a more than just a couple of bucks. .240-40-12-60-0. 425ABs
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| Recommended Draft Position: 412 |
Recommendation: Go the extra dollar |
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2 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 65 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Has the potential to score and drive in some runs in a potent Rangers line-up. |
Negatives/Downside:
Playing time. Being on the wrong end of a catching platoon makes him undraftable. |
Analysis:
Teagarden will start the year as the Rangers' back up catcher. Even if he can take over full time catching duties, don't expect too much offense. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 418 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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2 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 99 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
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Negatives/Downside:
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Analysis:
He was really bad last year |
| Recommended Draft Position: 270 |
Recommendation: Buy at cost |
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1 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 89 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
He could put up some servicable HR, R, and RBI number, but don't count on too much. |
Negatives/Downside:
playing time, speed and average. |
Analysis:
There's some upside here playing in the Rangers' line-up. Although he's the starter to begin the year, it's entirely possible that he loses reps to Taylor Teagarden as the season goes on. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 298 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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1 |
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0.0 (0) |
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Fantasy Baseball » Hitters
Hits: 67 0 |
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Positives/Upside:
Buck hit 18 HR in 2007, that's about the extent of his upside. |
Negatives/Downside:
Buck will kill your batting average, all while underproducing across the board. |
Analysis:
Even for a catcher, Buck has some pretty dismal stats. Even in two catcher leagues, you'll want to avoid Buck. |
| Recommended Draft Position: 383 |
Recommendation: Avoid |
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