[Editor’s note: With the fantasy baseball season fast approaching, SportsJudge continues its preseason positional preview. Please be sure to check back every Tuesday at 9 a.m. for a weekly positional analysis that will lead you right into your fantasy draft. In case you missed it; take a look at last weeks preview where SportsJudge focused on the First Base position.]
Welcome back to another edition of “The Buzz Around the Bullpen.” With most teams heading to Spring Training in the next week or two, baseball made a huge splash in the news this past weekend with the report that Alex Rodriguez failed a drug test in 2003 because of the use of two anabolic steroids. While others were quick to ridicule A-Rod, I actually felt bad for the guy. Please be sure to check out my article right here on SportsJudge.com.
For right now, let’s get back to some preseason projections. Last week we focused on the First Baseman and today we will move to the other member of the right side of the infield. Let’s talk about the Second Basemen.
Studs
1. Chase Utley (PHI): Although he had some off-season hip surgery and has a chance he’ll miss up to the first month of the season, Chase Utley has to be the first second baseman off of the board. He’s a career .298 hitter who has consistently shown the ability to hit for power and also steal some bases. In a position where power is at a premium, Utley has hit 28 or more HRs in three of his last four seasons. Similar to Pujols at the 1B position, there is not a whole lot of analysis needed to make Utley your starting second baseman.
2. Ian Kinsler (TEX): If I were the GM of a Major League Baseball team, I’d probably choose Dustin Pedroia over Kinsler. However, if I’m trying to draft a championship fantasy baseball team, I have to give the edge to Kinsler. In an injury shortened season, Kinsler hit .319 with 18 HRs, 71 RBIs and 102 runs. He also added in 26 stolen bases in 28 attempts. It is not out of the question that Kinsler could hit 25-30 HRs this season. His power potential puts him just slightly above our next second baseman.
3. Dustin Pedroia (BOS): Some guys can hit the ball 450 feet, some guys can run down any fly ball and then some guys are just baseball players. Dustin Pedroia is one of those guys that plays the game the way it is meant to be played. In only his second full season, Pedroia was named American League MVP. This came just a year after his 2007 campaign when he was named AL Rookie of the Year. It’s not that he does any thing spectacular but he just does everything right. In a season in which he hit .326 with 17 HRs, 83 RBIs, 118 runs and 20 stolen bases, I think it was most impressive that he only struck out 52 times in 653 at-bats. If Utley and Kinsler are off of the board, Pedroia is a no-brainer as the third 2nd baseman.
Wingmen
4. Brian Roberts (BAL): Roberts is one of those guys who’s draft position varies significantly from league to league. While some owners value his steady performance, other owners are looking for a “sexy” pick with a ton of upside. (see directly below) If you’re an owner in need of speed and consistency, definitely draft Roberts over our next second baseman. Although Roberts doesn’t hit a lot of homeruns or drive in a ton of runs, he’s a .284 career hitter that performs year in and year out.
5. Alexei Ramirez (CHW): Ramirez is young, raw and only going to get better. Considering he had 21 HRs, 77 RBIs and 65 runs in only 480 at-bats last year, he might not be a bad option after the first four guys are off of the board. Because of his youth and inexperience, he will have his struggles throughout the season. However, his upside is too much to ignore. If defensive plays could earn fantasy points, he might be the first 2nd basemen taken. It could be a rough year for the White Sox but I look for Ramirez to be a bright spot.
6. Brandon Phillips (PHI): If you are looking for a nice combination of power and speed, Brandon Phillips is a nice pick as the 6th second baseman. Although he did have a down year in ’08, he still projects to be at least a 25/25 guy in ’09. Over the past three seasons, his average has fluctuated but you can probably figure he’ll end up hitting around .270. Adding to his value, Phillips plays in a great hitter’s park and the Reds’ lineup around him will be fairly decent this year.
7. Dan Uggla (FLA): Last May Uggla was on pace to break just about every offensive record for a 2nd baseman. Unfortunately for his owners, he came back down to earth in a hurry. As someone that has owned him over the past two years, I can say this much about him. When you draft him, you know exactly what you are getting. He will hit for around 30 HRs and a bunch of RBIs but will strikeout a lot more than what you’ll be comfortable with. If you’re in a league that punishes hitters for K’s, you may want to consider another option at 2B.
8. Mark DeRosa (CLE): You can’t put a price on versatility and Mark DeRosa can play just about anywhere. DeRosa came out of nowhere in ’08 with 21 HRs in only 505 at-bats. I look for him to put up similar numbers in ’09. In Cleveland he will get a chance to play everyday and also hit in a lineup that features some of baseball’s young elite hitters. Don’t be discouraged about his age because his slugging percentage has actually improved as he’s gotten older.
9. Robinson Cano (NYY): Just when you think it’s about that time for Cano to have a break-out year, he puts up extremely average numbers that were the product of an awful first-half. My guess is that someone overdrafts him on draft day but if he does slip a bit in your league, you have to go get him. You never know when he could return to those ’06 numbers.
10. Jose Lopez (SEA): Lopez finally played up to his potential last season and I look for him to build off of that in ’09. He finally put together a year with a respectable average and a decent amount of power. I don’t expect .297 every year but .285 is definitely not out of the question.
The Best of the Rest
11. Kelly Johnson (ATL)
12. Freddy Sanchez (PIT)
13. Mike Aviles (KC)
14. Kazuo Matsui (HOU)
15. Orlando Hudson (FA)
Please be sure to check back next week when we take a look at Shortstops. As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.
Welcome back to another edition of “The Buzz Around the Bullpen.” With most teams heading to Spring Training in the next week or two, baseball made a huge splash in the news this past weekend with the report that Alex Rodriguez failed a drug test in 2003 because of the use of two anabolic steroids. While others were quick to ridicule A-Rod, I actually felt bad for the guy. Please be sure to check out my article right here on SportsJudge.com.
For right now, let’s get back to some preseason projections. Last week we focused on the First Baseman and today we will move to the other member of the right side of the infield. Let’s talk about the Second Basemen.
Studs
1. Chase Utley (PHI): Although he had some off-season hip surgery and has a chance he’ll miss up to the first month of the season, Chase Utley has to be the first second baseman off of the board. He’s a career .298 hitter who has consistently shown the ability to hit for power and also steal some bases. In a position where power is at a premium, Utley has hit 28 or more HRs in three of his last four seasons. Similar to Pujols at the 1B position, there is not a whole lot of analysis needed to make Utley your starting second baseman.
2. Ian Kinsler (TEX): If I were the GM of a Major League Baseball team, I’d probably choose Dustin Pedroia over Kinsler. However, if I’m trying to draft a championship fantasy baseball team, I have to give the edge to Kinsler. In an injury shortened season, Kinsler hit .319 with 18 HRs, 71 RBIs and 102 runs. He also added in 26 stolen bases in 28 attempts. It is not out of the question that Kinsler could hit 25-30 HRs this season. His power potential puts him just slightly above our next second baseman.
3. Dustin Pedroia (BOS): Some guys can hit the ball 450 feet, some guys can run down any fly ball and then some guys are just baseball players. Dustin Pedroia is one of those guys that plays the game the way it is meant to be played. In only his second full season, Pedroia was named American League MVP. This came just a year after his 2007 campaign when he was named AL Rookie of the Year. It’s not that he does any thing spectacular but he just does everything right. In a season in which he hit .326 with 17 HRs, 83 RBIs, 118 runs and 20 stolen bases, I think it was most impressive that he only struck out 52 times in 653 at-bats. If Utley and Kinsler are off of the board, Pedroia is a no-brainer as the third 2nd baseman.
Wingmen
4. Brian Roberts (BAL): Roberts is one of those guys who’s draft position varies significantly from league to league. While some owners value his steady performance, other owners are looking for a “sexy” pick with a ton of upside. (see directly below) If you’re an owner in need of speed and consistency, definitely draft Roberts over our next second baseman. Although Roberts doesn’t hit a lot of homeruns or drive in a ton of runs, he’s a .284 career hitter that performs year in and year out.
5. Alexei Ramirez (CHW): Ramirez is young, raw and only going to get better. Considering he had 21 HRs, 77 RBIs and 65 runs in only 480 at-bats last year, he might not be a bad option after the first four guys are off of the board. Because of his youth and inexperience, he will have his struggles throughout the season. However, his upside is too much to ignore. If defensive plays could earn fantasy points, he might be the first 2nd basemen taken. It could be a rough year for the White Sox but I look for Ramirez to be a bright spot.
6. Brandon Phillips (PHI): If you are looking for a nice combination of power and speed, Brandon Phillips is a nice pick as the 6th second baseman. Although he did have a down year in ’08, he still projects to be at least a 25/25 guy in ’09. Over the past three seasons, his average has fluctuated but you can probably figure he’ll end up hitting around .270. Adding to his value, Phillips plays in a great hitter’s park and the Reds’ lineup around him will be fairly decent this year.
7. Dan Uggla (FLA): Last May Uggla was on pace to break just about every offensive record for a 2nd baseman. Unfortunately for his owners, he came back down to earth in a hurry. As someone that has owned him over the past two years, I can say this much about him. When you draft him, you know exactly what you are getting. He will hit for around 30 HRs and a bunch of RBIs but will strikeout a lot more than what you’ll be comfortable with. If you’re in a league that punishes hitters for K’s, you may want to consider another option at 2B.
8. Mark DeRosa (CLE): You can’t put a price on versatility and Mark DeRosa can play just about anywhere. DeRosa came out of nowhere in ’08 with 21 HRs in only 505 at-bats. I look for him to put up similar numbers in ’09. In Cleveland he will get a chance to play everyday and also hit in a lineup that features some of baseball’s young elite hitters. Don’t be discouraged about his age because his slugging percentage has actually improved as he’s gotten older.
9. Robinson Cano (NYY): Just when you think it’s about that time for Cano to have a break-out year, he puts up extremely average numbers that were the product of an awful first-half. My guess is that someone overdrafts him on draft day but if he does slip a bit in your league, you have to go get him. You never know when he could return to those ’06 numbers.
10. Jose Lopez (SEA): Lopez finally played up to his potential last season and I look for him to build off of that in ’09. He finally put together a year with a respectable average and a decent amount of power. I don’t expect .297 every year but .285 is definitely not out of the question.
The Best of the Rest
11. Kelly Johnson (ATL)
12. Freddy Sanchez (PIT)
13. Mike Aviles (KC)
14. Kazuo Matsui (HOU)
15. Orlando Hudson (FA)
Please be sure to check back next week when we take a look at Shortstops. As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.
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