MLB Draft Kit

The MLB positional rankings we give to you are our own thoughts on where we

think each player will be at years end. We realize that some players will be coming into the season with an injury (Ryan Howard among others), and we have adjusted their ranking because of this. Please note that we didn’t put every player at every position he is eligible at. Most players that have more than one position we just put at the position they have the most value at. In some cases, like Miguel Cabrera, we only put him at 1B because he isn’t yet eligible at 3B.

1.Mike Napoli TEX: Napoli had a breakout year last year. Hitting 30 home runs and hitting .320 is what we like to call in the business as “straight cash homie.” Do we expect this again? No. Do we expect another 30 home runs and a batting average around .290? Yes. If that’s not top 3 catching material I’m not sure what is. He’ll be DH’ing when he doesn’t catch. Hitting in this explosive offense definitely bolsters his stats, although seeing only 75 RBI and 30 home runs is truly amazing. He has always been a power hitter, so draft him at the top of your catcher’s list and know you’re getting 28-30 home runs.

2.Brian McCann ATL: When you’re drafting McCann, you know you’re going to get 20 home runs and a .270 average at worst. With this Braves’ lineup slumping last year he saw his RBI numbers go down dramatically from years past and his IBB numbers go up. Don’t expect to see that this year as we expect rebound years out of Heyward and Uggla, which will solidify the middle of that order. This should result in McCann getting back to his usual numbers of about 90 RBI and 25-30 doubles.

3.Alex Avila DET: Avila was voted 12^th in the AL MVP race last year and it was clear why. With a stat line of .295/19/82 from this position there is nothing to hate about this guy. The Victor Martinez injury, in our opinion, helps Avila. With V-Mart out, the Tigers will be more willing to put Avila at the DH position and therefore keep his legs fresher during the month of August and September where he slowed down tremendously last year. Don’t expect to see Avila hitting 7^th or 8^th much this year either. Leyland knows the force he is and will lock him into the 6^th spot in a potent offense that will have plenty of opportunities for RBIs.

4.Buster Posey SF: Posey’s injury was crippling for the Giants and fantasy owners last year. Many people took him fairly early and he only played in 45 games. He hit at a .284 clip with 4 home runs in that small sample of a season. He equates out to about 15 home runs, 18 doubles, and 75 RBI. That’s a pretty solid second full season out of him, but we are expecting more. With a couple of nice smaller offensive additions, expect the Giants to not as terrible of an offense this season. With a full season, we think Posey could easily hit 25 home runs, 25 doubles, and 90 RBI. Posey is one of the guys we think should bounce back from a big injury this season.

5.Carlos Santana CLE: Santana is a very interesting guy to look at this year. An OBP machine, he struggled to get hits this past season. Hitting .239 is nothing to be proud of, but in his sophomore season he did hit 27 home runs. With over 800 at bats under his belt now, we expect a little more consistency in that batting average and for him to get it back over .250. Pair that with 25 home runs, and a ton of walks and you’re looking at a great fantasy catcher this season.

6.Joe Mauer MIN: This is a hunch pick here. In about half a season, Mauer hit 15 doubles, but only 3 home runs. He hit for a nice average (.287) though. Mauer is a pure hitter and we expect him to be back over .300 this season. Do we think another season of 25+ home runs is possible? Not a chance. We like Mauer’s home run ceiling to be 15. This is one of the more riskier picks, but if you’re not extremely excited about your team by the time catchers start rolling around then this is a risk you might want to take. Wait a couple of rounds, and then pick Mauer later than the other 3-4 guys.

7.Miguel Montero ARZ: In 2 of the last 3 years Montero has had over 400 at bats. In those 2 years he hit over .280 with at least 30 doubles and 16 home runs. We expect Montero to stay healthy and be the top guy behind the plate giving him another 400 at bat season. At the age of 28 entering the season, we expect Montero to hit his stride and perform well enough to be a top 5 catcher this season.

8.Matt Wieters BAL: In 2010, he took a minor step back from his 350 at bat rookie campaign. His slugging percentage went down and so did his average. In 2011 though, he had the best numbers of his short career. There is a lot of potential in this player as he was a stud in college, the minor leagues, and his rookie year. We could easily see him as the 4^th best catcher by year’s end if he builds on his past numbers,

9.Yadier Molina STL: A consistent producer behind the dish, Molina is a lock for .280 and 8-10 home runs this year. That’s not a great stat line for any other position, but with consistent production, you know what you are getting. He has played in at least 120 games the last 4 years and has hit over .275 in four of the last five. His extra base numbers went up big time and if he can hit another 30 doubles and 14 home runs he will be locked in as a top 10 offensive catcher.

but it is safe to put him here. A .260 average to go along with over 20 home runs and 25 doubles is a great stat line for a now 4^th year catcher.

10.Kurt Suzuki OAK: Suzuki is nothing special when it comes to fantasy stats. He is one of those players who is a better team player than fantasy player. He is going to hit around .250 every year. He is going to hit around 15 home runs, and he isn’t going to strike out much. Is this worthy of reaching for him when you see not many catchers left on the board? No. There are going to be 8-10 catchers picked before Suzuki based off of the top guys being gone, and then guys like Jesus Montero being picked based off of unknown breakout status. If you’re looking for consistency later in the draft, you know what you’re going to get out of him.

11.J. P. Arencibia TOR: One of the top young catchers in the game, J.P. was off and on a great fantasy catcher last season. More consistency is needed to validate a top 8 ranking at catcher.

12.Russell Martin NY: Hitting in the lower third of the order is usually a bad thing, but not when you’re playing for the Yankees. Martin could easily become a top 10 option if a couple more hits fall his way.

13.Jesus Montero SEA: One of the most interesting players to watch this season. He is a big time prospect that should be thrusted into the lineup on a consistent basis. The only problem is that he hits at Safeco Field, a pitcher’s park.

14. Wilson Ramos WAS: Solid hitter that will have the job all to himself this season. Will he keep progressing from season to season?

15.Chris Iannetta LAA: An interesting player to watch because of the change of scenery. Known as a power-hitting catcher, will he still crush the ball outside of Coors Field? Will Jeff Mathis and Hank Conger allow him to even get enough at bats to be relevant?

First Basemen:

1.Miguel Cabrera DET: We aren’t going to waste anyone’s time with this pick. He has hit over .300 in 6 of the last 7 seasons. He has hit over 30 home runs in the last 5 seasons. He has hit an average of 42 doubles in the past 6 seasons. This is a no brainer. Miggy is in his prime and will soon be 3b eligible. Either way he is our top pick overall. With Prince Fielder hitting behind him he will still have plenty of protection. Draft and enjoy.

2.Albert Pujols LAA: Easily could be considered the best hitter in baseball and fake baseball. Mr. Consistent he is called. This past season was his first season EVER where he hit under .300 and he hit .299 because of his terrible slump at the beginning of the year. His 162 game season numbers are ridiculous. There really is no knock on him. People can talk all they want about the couple of minor injuries he has had in the past, the slump he had last season, and his age getting up there, but we aren’t scared at all by any of this. The Machine is easily the second overall fantasy pick this season.

3.Adrian Gonzalez BOS: The rankings for our first basemen ranked 3-5 really are interchangeable. Really, just pick your favorite of the 3 and go with him. Can someone really get mad at you for picking Gonzo over Prince/Votto or vice versa? No. Gonzo is a pure hitter who loved being away from Petco Park this past season. Expect him to keep up with his high batting average and to increase his power numbers. Gonzo is such a great hitter he will be able to work that big green thing in left field to his advantage.

4.Joey Votto CIN: Votto has had an incredible MLB career since he broke into the league. It’s not every day you can say someone is a lock for 35 doubles, high 20s home runs, and a .400 OBP. Well, Votto is one of those guys. Granted he did have an amazing 719 plate appearances, expect his offensive numbers to still be high with around 650. Easily a top 15 overall fantasy player, Votto is someone that you’ll enjoy rooting for all season.

5.Prince Fielder DET: Prince has always had haters because of his size, but what proof do they have that it affects him in a negative way? He has played in at least 157 games since ’06 and hits for major power and RBI numbers. Moving to Comerica Park could slightly affect his home run numbers slightly, but we fully expect his doubles numbers to go up. Right center at Comerica is so spacious that we expect many doubles to be hit that way. Hitting behind Brennan Boesch and Miguel Cabrera will keep his RBI numbers over 100 and he will maintain his high walk numbers. Don’t expect the change of scenery to hurt his stats in a negative way.

6.Paul Konerko CHW: Konerko has been one of the most underrated players in fantasy the past 3 years. In that time period, he has hit over .275 with 30/30/25 doubles, and averaging over 30 home runs. He will never be picked in the top 25-30 fantasy picks because of position scarcity, but Konerko is a great value pick later in the draft. We don’t expect him to falter too much going into his 16^th season. We like him to hit around .290 with 25 home runs and another 30 doubles. 

7.Eric Hosmer KC: What’s not to like about this young slugger? His first season stats included a .293 batting average to go with 27 doubles and 19 home runs. He doesn’t walk much, but his strikeout numbers weren’t huge. I’m sure the Royals wish he were more patient, but at least his strikeout numbers are low. That is a good sign for him not to combat a sophomore slump. We expect the same if not some better numbers out of him. It wouldn’t surprise us to see 30 doubles and 25 home runs as a minimum.

8.Mike Morse WAS: Over the last two season Morse has come out of nowhere really to be a productive player in the OF and at 1b. He isn’t elite by any means, but he has had some great numbers the last season and a half. With 31 home runs, 36 doubles, and a batting average of .303 how could we possibly rank him below Hosmer? Well, considering he has no real track record we like to look at some other numbers to determine a slump after such a breakout season. Morse had as many walks as Hosmer, but 45 more strikeouts. Hosmer has always been a top prospect, and really there is no reason to think he won’t build on his last season and for Morse’s numbers to drop.

9.Billy Butler KC: Butler is a pure gap hitter who has always hit for a .300 average. 45 doubles is the norm for this guy and now he is hovering around 20 home runs each year. Mix this in with a consistent .300 average and you have yourself a sneaky good first baseman that many people don’t talk about. If you miss out on one of the top 5 first baseman it would be a smart move to wait it out for Butler rather than take a couple of guys with questions.

10.Michael Young TEX: Young has been the same type of hitter that Butler has been over his career. Last season he broke out for an impressive .338 average even with all of the spring training speculation that he might be traded. 35 double and around 15 home runs are to be expected from Young, but with a little bit better average than Butler. Really, Young and Butler are interchangeable depending on your previous picks. If you’re in need of some more batting average points go Young, but if you want more power go Butler.

11.Lance Berkman STL: Aging hitter who showed last year that he still had some gas left in the tank. Will he have enough for a full season?

12.Freddie Freeman ATL: A young promising hitter. Don’t look for much power, but a solid batting average and a good shot at his RBI numbers getting higher this season with a Heyward and Uggla hopefully not struggling so much.

13.Ryan Howard PHI: Obviously Howard used to be a premier first basemen, but his injury questions not to mention he won’t be playing until end of May at best drops him this low.

14.Ike Davis NYM: Another promising player, Davis should benefit from a healthy offseason and staying healthy the whole way thru this season could show solid numbers.

15.Gaby Sanchez MIA: One of my favorite players of the group. Going off pure numbers last season and realistic projections he fits this rank, but we like Sanchez to hit career high numbers and go above what people expect out of him. He is one of our underrated players of the year.

Second Base

1.Robinson Cano NYY: This pick is about as easy as they come. Consistently a .300 hitter in one of the best lineups in baseball, Cano is the top dog of second basemen. His power numbers have hit a max, but a very nice one to say the least. 28 home runs and 45 doubles are very desirable from the second base position. We like him as a top 5-6 fantasy player overall largely because of position scarcity.

2.Dustin Pedroia BOS: .300 hitter with 20 home runs and 30-35 doubles production isn’t bad for a second basemen. Ok, actually it’s a great stat line for this position. Pedroia might be worth taking earlier in the draft than desired, but it’ll be worth it for his production at such a bad fantasy spot position. If you don’t grab Pedroia then you might be waiting a while for your second basemen. The top tier for this position is only two deep.

3.Ian Kinsler TEX: When healthy, Kinsler is easily a top tier player at this position, but can you really say he will definitely play 140 games? He has only done it twice in his 6 years in the MLB. In those two years though, he hit over 30 home runs and doubles not to mention stealing over 30 bags. He also had his two lowest batting averages of his career. Not sure how that relationship works, but we don’t care. If a healthy Kinsley gives me 30 home runs, 30 doubles, and a .250 batting average I’ll take it. Throw in the stolen bases and you have yourself a great second base option. Rank him below the top tier only because of injury questions.

4.Brandon Phillips CIN: Last year Phillips hit a career high .300, but we don’t expect him to do that again. We do expect him to consistently put up 20 home runs, 30 doubles, and 70 RBI though. This model of consistency is what makes him a top 5 second basemen.

5.Ben Zobrist TB: Zobrist had a breakout year last season hitting almost .270 with a great 46 doubles and 91 RBI. If he could even put up numbers similar to that he is worth a top 5 ranking at this position. We don’t expect the same numbers, but it isn’t unrealistic to think 35 doubles, 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 75 runs batted in. Lock him in here at this spot for this reason.

6.Chase Utley PHI:INJURED: Please take notice of the update here.

7.Dan Uggla ATL: It is truly amazing that Uggla ended up hitting .233 this past season with the way he started. His power numbers even increased in such a down year for him. 36 home runs is what puts him in the top 10 and really we could see him ending up as the 4^th best second basemen after the season is over. For now though, we would rather be on the safe side and slot him here. 36 home runs was a career best, and if he slips a little bit down to 30 then he doesn’t have much else when it comes to value. Uggla will be an interesting player to watch this season.

8.Rickie Weeks MIL: A healthy season could prove to make Weeks a great second basemen. His power is big time, but without Prince you never know what might happen. Braun’s suspension being lifted definitely impacts Weeks in that he will probably be right before or after Braun. This should result in plenty of runs batted in or runs scored.

9.Michael Cuddyer COL: Utility man by trade qualifies for many positions. He is a good hitter that is aging, but has 20 home run power at least now that he is in Colorado. Are we really going to invest a higher pick on a 33 year old player that is going to max out at 20 home runs and a .275 batting average this season? No, but because he will qualify for a few different positions he could be a solid later in the draft guy to pick up.

10.Howard Kendrick LAA: It is safe to say that Kendrick had his best season yet last year. He hit a career high triples, home runs, stolen bases, and walks. Kendrick is hitting his prime at the age of 28 and 2 full seasons in a row with the Angels. We definitely see him repeating last season’s numbers and being a top 10 second basemen.

11.Danny Espinosa WAS: Lots of strikeouts and a low batting average but some flashes of power. Depending on where he is on the lineup, he could be the benefactor of a strong middle of the order that the Nationals have.

12.Neil Walker PIT: A younger second basemen that doesn’t really provide a whole lot of power or a spectacular batting average. If you’re looking for a .280 hitter and 10 home runs then he’s your guy. Not much of ceiling though compared to the guys in this range.

13.Dustin Ackley SEA: A great young hitter who doesn’t hit for monstrous power. Usually a bad thing, but at Safeco it’ll help that he shoots for the gaps.

14.Jemile Weeks OAK: A speedy leadoff type, Jemile won’t replicate who well he played last season, but with all those stolen bases he is a solid pickup hoping for a great second season.

15.Ryan Roberts ARI: The Tat Man could move up in rankings to 11 spot easily, but having really only about half a season worth of great stats isn’t enough.

Shortstop:

1.Troy Tulowitzki COL: 30 HRs, 100 RBI, and a .300 batting average are what you’re going to get out of Tulo. That’s a top pick in your fantasy draft. The fact that he is a shortstop makes him so valuable. Besides the top 3 shortstops in the MLB right now, there is no one else really as consistent and as guaranteed to be atop this list.

2.Hanley Ramirez MIA: Ramirez is not only a great hitter he will also have 3b eligibility thru 3 weeks. This raises his value like it does Miguel Cabrera (although we would most likely pick him first if he was only a 1b). Expect all of Ramirez’s stats to return to their usual studness. His steals, HRs, RBIs, and batting average should all shoot back up.

3.Jose Reyes MIA: Reyes is going to be atop a solid offense in Miami. Barring any hamstring setbacks, he is a surefire top 3 fantasy shortstop. A high average, and 35-40 stolen bases is what you’re getting out of him.

4.Asdrubal Cabrera CLE: Many people are down on Asdrubal this season after the power numbers he put up last season. They just don’t see him to repeat 25 home runs. While we would agree we don’t see 25 home runs out of him again, we do think 20 home runs is a realistic number to go along with a .275 average. He’s also going to grab you around 15 bags and a solid amount of doubles.

5.Starlin Castro CHC: Castro is a fun shortstop to watch. He is clearly going to be in the top 3 of shortstops 5 years from now, but for now he is just outside that ranking. We love his .300 average, his 20 stolen bases he’s going to have, and 85-90 runs scored.

6.Jimmy Rollins PHI: His numbers are fading from the career years he put up 2 and 3 years ago, but he is still a solid fantasy shortstop. He is going to put up just enough home runs and RBIs to go along with a .270 batting average. Who knows, maybe he goes out and gets one more great season under his belt before really declining.

7.Elvis Andrus TEX: Andrus will be at the top of a potent lineup. He will be 23 this season and will have over 1,800 at bats on his resume. We like this kind of experience, and think he has a lot of room to grow from the stats he has put up in his career. That being said, right now we only see him at a .275 average with no real power or RBI numbers to boast about. He will steal 35+ bags for you though and give good value in runs scored.

8.Alexei Ramirez CHW: Ramirez is always a nice player to have on your team because you know what you will be getting out of him. He is a consistent hitter and should net you about 70 RBI, 15 HR, and around 10 stolen bases. All of this is pretty average to go along with a .270 batting average. Andrus has a higher ceiling while Ramirez has a higher floor. Think of the Cuban Missile as the safer pick of the two, but Andrus as a guy that could have high reward.

9. Derek Jeter NYY: Jeter won’t hit like he used to, but he still will be a top 10 shortstop in fantasy this season. We think his average will drop to about .275-.280 all while piling up mid teens in stolen bases, single digit home runs, and average runs/RBI numbers.

10.Jhonny Peralta DET: Peralta had a great season last year with the Tigers and although we don’t think he will do as well, we do think he should do only a little worse. We don’t think his average will remain the same and we think it’ll drop to .270. With that being said, we like him to hit 15-20 home runs and have 80 RBI.

11.J.J. Hardy BAL: A 30 home run hitter ranked outside the top ten, we like Hardy more than this ranking shows. We easily see him moving up the spots if his numbers can compare to last season. He obviously hated hitting at Target Field (who doesn’t besides Jose Bautista).

12.Erick Aybar LAA: Should be hitting leadoff for the offensively talented Angels. Should provide great runs scored numbers.

13.Yunel Escobar TOR: Played better in his second season in Toronto than his first. Will he build on the past two years and improve again?

14.Dee Gordon LAD: An interesting guy to look at. Should only give you steals and a decent batting average. Will provide you zero power whatsoever.

15.Stephen Drew ARI: A disappointing player year in and year out. Does he finally turn it around and become a legitimate shortstop this season or does he continue to be average? Note that Drew is coming off injury and will be back end of May/Early June.

Third Basemen:

1.Jose Bautista TOR: Bautista is a stud. There is no way around it. In our own fantasy draft, if he reaches to us at 5^th overall then we will be taking him. He qualifies at third base and outfield which makes him that much more valuable. 3B is a weak position and honestly, so is outfield.

2.Evan Longoria TB: Longoria should be reaching his prime this season and finally finish top 10 in the overall players list. He’ll hit you 30 home runs, hit for a .280 average, and get you 100 RBI. There’s nothing wrong with that especially at his position. We like him a lot and are thinking early second round with him.

3.Adrian Beltre TEX: Beltre will hit for a higher average than Longoria, but will probably post just a tad lower in the home run and runs batted in categories. There’s no reason not to pick him after Longoria in the third or fourth round. 

4.David Wright NYM: Someone looking to draft him: beware! He tore an abdominal muscle and it’s unsure when exactly he will be back. It doesn’t look like he’ll miss a significant amount of time, but fantasy owners should be weary of how it’ll effect his swing. Wright is a .300 hitter with 20 home run potential every year. Even in a huge field like he hits in 81 games each year, he has pop that’ll be a nice addition to your squad.

5.Pablo Sandoval SF: Kung Fu Panda ended the last season with 23 home runs and a .315 average. Those are some great numbers for a slimmed down Sandoval. There is no reason to think he can’t repeat those and even increase his RBI and runs numbers. With better offensive players around him, Sandoval should be better.

6.Ryan Zimmerman WAS: Many people are down on Zimmerman thinking that he didn’t deserve his long contract extension, but we aren’t on of them. We don’t think he’s a top 3-4 third basemen in baseball, but we like the numbers he will put up. In terms of how he rates compared to Sandoval and Wright, he will record just lower numbers when it comes to average, but his runs, RBIs, and home runs should be about the same. 

7.Michael Young TEX: Michael Young is a great hitter. He put up career numbers last year hitting .338 and driving in over 105 runs. Those are great numbers that we don’t think he’ll be quite able to put up. We love the lineup he is in, the fact that he’ll probably be right in the middle of it , and that he isn’t a hitter that relies on pulling the ball. Young should be a safe pick among 3B this season.

8.Aramis Ramirez MIL: Ramirez should have another solid season this year. In terms of numbers, we like him right around Sandoval, but we just aren’t completely sold on his power numbers. He hit a lot of his home runs last season at Wrigley Field, and really we would try and stay away from that if we could. Would we say you have to take Young/Sandoval/Zimmerman before Ramirez? Yes, but we would understand if you didn’t.

9.Alex Rodriguez NYY: Arod is getting to the age of major decline. Yes, there might be a chance of finding some extra juice late in his career, but the chances are very slim (unless he goes the Barry Bonds route). Look for a .250 average and about 20 home runs this season out of Arod. His RBI numbers will be solid though hitting in the great Yankees lineup.

10.Brett Lawrie TOR: Lawrie has been hyped up on most fantasy websites. And honestly, we think the 3B position is one of the weaker spots for hitters, we aren’t quite ready to spend a higher pick on this unproven young talent. Take him too early, and you ruin any profit on the pick, and wait to long and you might not get him.

11.Kevin Youkillis BOS: This isn’t the Youk of year’s past. His last season’s numbers were very uncharacteristic of him, and we don’t expect him to repeat them. We also doesn’t think he’ll return to his great self.

12.Ryan Roberts ARI: Roberts is 31 years old, and just now coming into his own as a baseball player. This scares us in terms of his chances of repeating his numbers. They weren’t amazing to begin with, so maybe take a chance on someone before settling with him.

13.Mark Reynolds BAL: Power hitter to the max, Reynolds has a real talent for hitting the long ball. He’s also amazing at striking out. Take the good with the bad here.

14.Mike Moustakas KC: Moustakas had a small sample size last year, but we liked what we saw. He could be a nice late round pick that could have high reward.

15.David Freese STL: If only all of his games were playoff games we would have Freese as a top 5 3B. Unfortunately, he’s just an average hitter with not a lot of power. 10 home runs and a nice .280 average is what you should expect out of this pick.

Outfield:

1.Jose Bautista TOR:  Maybe the only guy in the outfield that can hit 40+ homeruns, 100+ RBIs, and bat .300.  Post-steroid era, these numbers are unheard of.  Sure the guy struggled after the all-star break last year batting .257 with 12 homeruns, but we see Bautista carrying the Blue Jays again this year, and a for sure front runner for the AL MVP.  After all, chicks dig the long ball, right?

2.Matt Kemp LAD: The 2011 NL MVP winner?  We will never know if Braun was really clean, but Kemp is a five category guy who can be a 40 homerun 40 stolen base guy.  The only thing holding us back from putting him in the #1 spot is his 2010 struggles.  He needs to prove himself one more year to be considered the best outfield fantasy player.  Kemp says after his offseason workouts, he is in the best shape of his life.  Can he repeat his 2011 performance?  We believe so.

3.Ryan Braun MIL: Braun could arguably make a case to be the #1 pick this year in the draft. He is another 5 category guy similar to Kemp.  But he drops on our board because of two BIG questions: 1. How will the steroid scandal affect his play this year?  We aren’t so sure he will be able to keep it together mentally for a full season after what he had to go through this offseason.  2. How will his numbers change since Prince is now gone?  Braun might have to carry the entire offense which could add a lot of pressure.  Either way, Braun has established himself as one of the best players in the MLB, so it wouldn’t shock us to see him plucked off the board in round one.  

4.Carlos Gonzalez COL: Another player who digressed from his 2010 performance, but still a top 5 outfielder.  After all, he plays at Coors.  Hitting in the middle of the lineup with Tulo helps as well.  We see 30 homeruns and 100 RBIs from the Rockies outfielder, and if he can stay healthy, it is not too bold to predict a 30/30 year from him.

5.Justin Upton ARI: What he has accomplished at such a young age is truly remarkable.  He led the Diamondbacks into the playoffs this year, and if the Diamondbacks want to be in the postseason again, he will need to repeat his performance from 2011.  We expect almost identical numbers from Upton this year: 30 homeruns, 90 RBIs, and to hover around the .300 mark all year.   

6.Jacoby Ellsbury BOS: In 2011 Jacoby came out of nowhere.  Everyone knew he had all the potential in the world, but 32 homeruns and 105 RBIs as a leadoff hitter who is known for his stolen bases?  We don’t think he can repeat these numbers, but we expect 25 homeruns and 90 RBIs along with him being in the top 3 in stolen bases in the AL.  He is as healthy as he has ever been.

7.Curtis Granderson NYY: A very tricky player to figure out.  If he puts up the same numbers as last year with a .300 batting average, he would be taken early in the first round, but Granderson does not hit for average.  We don’t see 41 homeruns and 119 RBIs happening again, but look for somewhere in the mid 30s in homeruns and 100 RBIs.  If he could just hit .280 he would crack our top 3, but he strikes out too much and will hover around the .250 mark this year.

8.Josh Hamilton TEX: Maybe the biggest question mark going into this year is how will Josh Hamilton hold up this season.  His whole career has been plagued by injuries, but when he is healthy, he could put up monstrous numbers.  Don’t forget he won the 2010 AL MVP award, but who knows if he will have another alcohol relapse or a significant injury and miss time.  He is a high-risk high-reward guy.  Could he put up close to 40 homeruns and 120 RBIs?  The answer is yes, but could he also play only have the season, the answer is yes again. 

9.Andrew McCutchen PIT: The speedy center fielder for the Pirates has really come into his own over the past few years since his call up to take the place of Nate McLouth.  He is another consistent 20/20 guy who hits in the heart of the order.  Last year had some late season struggles at the plate that led to his .259 batting average, but we see this as a fluke.  Expect close to .300 with 20-25 homeruns and about 90 RBIs. 

10.Giancarlo Stanton MIA: Maybe the strongest guy in the MLB.  When he squares balls up, he can hit 450 foot homeruns with ease.  We are looking for him to use the experience he gained last year to put up even bigger numbers this year.  35-40 homeruns with 100 RBIs is not a stretch for the young Stanton.  He is a hit or miss guy though; .260-.270 batting average with lots of strikeouts.

11.Matt Holliday STL: Dealt with unlucky injuries last year including the moth that got stuck in his ear.  He will have to pick up some slack for the loss of Pujols.  If he can stay healthy and play in 150 games, he could easily be a 30 homerun 100 RBI guy.  And historically Holliday always hits around .300. 

12.Shane Victorino PHI: The “Flyin’ Hawaiian” had a down year in 2011.  He played only 132 games due to an injury.  We are expecting him to return to his ’09, ’10 form where he hit .300 and swiped 30+ bags.  In 2012 we expect 15-20 homeruns, 100 runs scored in that potent offense in Philly, and 60-70 RBIs. 

13.Hunter Pence PHI: The probable 3 hole hitter for one of the best offenses in the MLB, Pence can do everything except help you in the stolen base category.  The high energy Pence is a very consistent player.  Always putting up 20-25 homeruns, 85-100 RBIs, and a .290-.300 batting average. 

14.Shin-Soo Choo CLE: Playing only half the season last year due to a fractured left thumb, we expect Choo to put up numbers similar to his stats from ’09 and ’10: 20 homeruns, 90 RBIs, .300 batting average, and 20 stolen bases.  He’s a consistent outfielder who shouldn’t disappoint after struggling last year.    

15.Nelson Cruz TEX: Another strong high power hitter in the Rangers potent

offense.  He has all the tools in the world, but every year he finds himself on the DL for an extended period of time.  If he stayed healthy for an entire season, the sky is the limit for Cruz.  If he could play 150 games, he would certainly hit 40 homeruns, but that is a big “if.”

16.Ben Zobrist TB: After belting 27 homeruns, 91 RBIs, along with a .297 batting average in 2009, Zobrist has not been able to repeat those numbers in the past two years.  We keep looking for him to breakout again, so could this be the year?  Zobrist has a lot of upside and could pan out being a nice draft pick.

17.Jay Bruce CIN: Bruce is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball.  He will slug 4 homeruns one week and then the next week bat .100 frustrating his fantasy owners.  But when it’s all said and done, we expect his 2012 stats to be 30-35 homeruns, 100 RBIs, close to 90 runs scored, and a .255-.260 batting average.   If you are patient enough to weather the cold streaks, Bruce will reward you in the end.

18. Michael Bourn ATL: You know exactly what you are getting from Bourn.  He’s a speedy leadoff hitter who gets on base and will steal 60 bases.  You have more of a chance winning the lottery than Bourn producing 5 homeruns this season, but he will bat around .300 this year as he does almost every year.

19.Ichiro SEA: The consistent 200+ hits and the .300+ batting average took a huge hit last year as he hit only .272 with 5 homeruns.  Could age be catching up with him?  Eric Wedge has already said Ichiro will hit 3^rd in the lineup.  Ichiro could be a sleeper pick if he has a nice bounce back year.  The good news is you can still expect 40 stolen bases from him no matter how he swings the bat this year.

20.Carl Crawford BOS: We had the most difficult time ranking Crawford.  A couple years ago, Crawford was taken off the board in the 1^st round, now no one knows what to expect from him.  Will he stay healthy?  Can he still swipe 50-60 bags?  Will he be the .255 hitter from last year, or the career .293 hitter?  If you can grab him in the later rounds, he is definitely worth the risk.  Maybe last year was just a fluke.

21.Lance Berkman STL: After struggling mightily in Yankee pinstripes in 2010, Berkman put up solid numbers in 2011 (.301, 31HRs, 94 RBIs).  At age 36, he is beginning to reach the end of his career, so we aren’t sure if he can put up similar numbers.  Someone has to pick up the slack with Pujols gone.  Could it be Berkman?

22.Adam Jones BAL: One of the most athletic players in the league, Jones put up career bests in power numbers last year with 25 homeruns and 83 RBIs.  A career .275 hitter, you know what you’re getting from him on a yearly basis: 20-25 homeruns, 80 RBIs, and a .280 batting average.

23.Chris Young ARI: Here’s the good news, Young was a 20/20 guy in 2011, and in 2010 almost recorded a 30/30 season.  But, he is a career .240 hitter and this can be very frustrating.   

24.Desmond Jennings TB: Jennings has not had a full season in the MLB yet, but in 63 games last year, he stole 20 bases, and hit 10 homeruns.  Scouts say he has all the potential in the world.  A .270 batting average, with 25 homeruns, 75 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases is not a stretch for Jennings.  He’s a very low risk pick that could give you a very high reward.

25.Michael Morse WAS:  In his first full season in the MLB, the 6’5” 230 pound Morse did not disappoint.  He hit .303 with 31 homeruns and 95 RBIs.  Whoever took Morse last year obviously got away with a steal.  Expect big numbers again this year from Morse.  Also, he has eligibility at 1^st base.

26.Corey Hart MIL: With Price gone, Hart must produce this year to keep the Brewers in playoff contention.  He’s a career .277 hitter, who has flirted with the .300 mark a couple of times.  If he can avoid a trip to the DL, Hart should slug 28-30 homeruns with 90 RBIs.  

27.B.J. Upton TB: in 2007 Upton batted .300 with 24 homeruns in 129 games.  Since then, Upton has struggled.  Even with his struggles he will steal 40+ bases, but last year in 153 games he hit .243 which annoyed the Rays coaching staff as Upton was on the trading block.  With all the potential in the world, the athletic center fielder is expected to have a bounce back year this season. 

28.Brett Gardner NYY: What’s the first thing that comes to your head when you think of Gardner?  It’s speed.  In the past two season he is averaging 48 stolen bases, and in that potent Yankee line-up, he should score plenty of runs. 

29.Nick Markakis BAL: For his career, a consistent .295 hitter who plays about 160 games a year.  His power numbers have been down of late, but 20-25 homeruns and 90-100 RBIs in the 3 hole for the Orioles is expected from him this year.

30.Jayson Werth WAS: What a mystery.  With the Phillies in 2009 he hits 36 homeruns and then 27 homeruns in 2010, then signs a huge deal with the Nationals and hits 20 homeruns while batting .232.  What a slump.  He needs to start producing to earn the contract he signed last year.  After playing one full year with his new team, hopefully he can find his swing again this year.

31.Andre Ethier LAD: If you can recall, Ethier started out hot last year and even had a 30 game hit streak.  Then his knee began to nag him and finally land him on the DL.  In 2009, he exploded for 31 homeruns with 106 RBIs. If he stays healthy, maybe we can see a repeat performance.  At the worst, expect a .290 batting average with 20 homeruns and 80 RBI.

32.Drew Stubbs CIN: Cincinnati really likes this kid because of his speed.  He’s the Reds leadoff hitter who will score almost 100 runs and swipe close to 40 bags, but you will have to deal with his batting average.  He’s a .250 career hitter.

33.Howard Kendrick LAA: Could see some time in the two for new and improved Angels line-up.  Don’t expect anything special from Kendrick (maybe .290 batting average, 15 homeruns).  He will not give you any eye-popping numbers. 

34.Emilio Bonifacio MIA: Young speedster who is lightning quick.  He has eligibility as shortstop as well.  He could mesh very well at the top of the order with Jose Reyes, and Hanley Ramirez.  He is a must have if you want help with stolen bases.

35.Melky Cabrera SF: What a year he had last year.  He is in the best shape he has ever been in, and he looks to build off of last year’s success.  He is slated to bat 2^nd or 3^rd for the Giants. 

36.Austin Jackson DET: The speedy Detroit centerfielder had a huge slump in the 2^nd half of the season.  At one point near the all-star break in 2011, he was hitting close to .330.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a .300 batting average with 30 stolen bases from Jackson in 2012.

37.Michael Cuddyer COL: Cuddyer takes his talents to the friendly confines of Coors Field.  Could he explode at the new ballpark for 30 homeruns and 100 RBIs? 

38.Jason Heyward ATL: What a perplexing player.  Voted in to start the all-star game in 2010 as he sat most of the year around the .300 mark, then in 2011, in an injury plagues year, he was awful.  Scouts around the league predict him as a future MVP candidate, but Heyward needs to stay off the DL for there to be any chance of this.

39.Coco Crisp OAK: Besides having one of the best names in baseball, Crisp has very little power but last year stole a whopping 49 bases.

40.Matt Joyce TB: Has a tough time against lefty pitching so won’t play in every game, but he will still get you close to 20 homeruns and 80 RBIs.

41.Angel Pagan SF: After back to back great years in ’09 and ’10, Pagan sputtered in 2011.  He should still get 35 stolen bases, and Bochy has him in the leadoff spot to start the year.

42.Nick Swisher NYY: A great clubhouse guy.  A very consistent player for the Yankees who will hit 25 homeruns and drive in 90 RBIs in 150 games. 

43.Peter Bourjos LAA: The young Angels prospect who has a shot at hitting in front of Pujols.  His main asset is his speed, but don’t right off his power.  We see a possibility of 15 homeruns.

44.Jose Tabata PIT: After signing a 6 year extension through 2019 with the Pirates, it looks like the Pirates are committed to giving Tabata right field for a long time.  The 23 year old has a lot of speed, and in 2012 we are looking for Tabata to flirt with a 20/20 season.

45.Delmon Young DET: The former 2003 number one overall pick is not living up to his potential, but he could be a late round steal.  He has some serious power.  In 2010 he hit 21 homeruns with 112 RBIs to go with a .298 batting average. 

46. Brennan Boesch: Slated to bat 2nd in the new and improved Tigers’ batting order.  We project him to hit 18-20 homeruns this year with close to 75 RBIs and a .275 batting average.

47.Logan Morrison MIA: Probably known more for his tweets than his bat, Morrison is a very promising young player who put up 23 homeruns in 123 games last year.  He needs to do something about that .247 batting average from last year though.

48.Cameron Maybin SD: The 24 year old outfielder has not quite panned out.  Last year was his first full season in the majors.  He had 40 stolen bases in 137 games, but he has to improve his batting average from last year.

49.Lorenzo Cain KC: Lorenzo who?  Cain is having an unbelievable spring hitting .529 so far, and has won the starting job in centerfield.  He’s coming off a remarkable year in triple-A with a .312 batting average. 

50.Carlos Beltran STL: Pujols’s replacement for the three hole?  Seems like the logical option.  We all know the types of numbers Beltran can put up (41 homeruns and 116 RBIs in 2006), but is he 100% health whise?  The Cardinals are sold on him, but are you willing to take a risk and draft him?

Starting Pitchers:

1.Justin Verlander DET: The AL MVP and Cy Young winner, this is an easy one. The consistency isn’t as obvious as it is with Halladay, but to think he won’t be a top pitcher at the end of the year is crazy especially with Comerica Park and the weak Central Division.

2.Roy Halladay PHI: The Doc is a year in and year out great pitcher. We can’t remember a season really when he wasn’t a top pitcher. This season shouldn’t be any different. The only problem could come with wins seeing that the Phillies offense isn’t going to be as great as in seasons past.

3.Clayton Kershaw LAD: 248 K’s, 2.28 ERA, and 21 wins. That’s what we call in the business as unquestionably a top 2 pitcher in the NL. The Dodgers can score some runs with Kemp leading the way. He will also pitch in some pitcher friendly parks like San Francisco and San Diego.

4.Cliff Lee PHI: Lee’s stats last season were just barely worse than Kershaw other than wins. With an ERA of .2 and 10 less K’s than Kershaw, Lee isn’t far from the top 3 pitchers in baseball. Again, Lee won’t have the best offense behind him, but at least he’ll have himself in the lineup.

5.Felix Hernandez SEA: Dominant pitcher with great stuff, Hernandez pitches at Safeco Field, a great place to pitch. He should have a “bounce back” year from what many would love to call their own stats. Hernandez has been better than what he showed last year, and should get back to that level of greatness.

6.Tim Lincecum SF: Still a young pitcher, Lincecum should get you strikeouts, a low ERA, and hopefully a couple more wins than last season. 13 wins was rather low for how great a pitcher he is, but the Giants have added Melky Cabrera to the lineup and hopefully this can improve their offense. Pitching in a great home park, Lincecum is a top 10 pitcher easily.

7.Jered Weaver LAA: While we don’t expect Weaver to replicate his 2.41 ERA from last season, we do expect him to keep up with the 17-18 win range and 200 strikeouts. The Halos have one of the best offenses in the American League, and even on bad days Weaver will have a great chance at getting wins.

8.Dan Haren LAA: For reasons like Weavers, we love Haren. The great offense and athletic defense that surrounds him should result in a great season. To go with a high win total, Haren should give you 185 K’s and around a 3.00 ERA.

9.C.C. Sabathia NYY: C.C. isn’t going to be a leader in ERA, but he will have around a 3.00 ERA to go along with a great win total. That’s what happens when you pitch for the Yankees. It also means pitching in a hitter friendly park. Sabathia will remain a top 10 pitcher this season.

10.Cole Hamels PHI: Hamels will fall victim to an average offense and probably not the best run support this season. An amazing stat to look at though is a batting average against of only .201 the last two seasons versus righties. If the Phillies can get Hamels to 16 wins you might be looking at a top 5-6 pitcher.

11.David Price TB: Price has been a great lefty pitcher the last few seasons. Compared to his stats last season, we expect his ERA to go down around 3.25 and for him to win 2-3 more games.

12.Matt Cain SF: Pitching in a great pitcher’s park is a great thing. Cain will exploit this and be one of the best pitchers in the NL West this season.

13.Zack Greinke MIL: Greinke will be hurt by the subtraction of Prince Fielder, but don’t expect too much of a drop off from his win total. Greinke is still a great pitcher and his stats will show this.

14.James Shields TB: Shields will be pitching against a tough division with Tampa, but there’s no reason to think he can’t pitch like he did last year.

15. Jon Lester BOS: Lester had two terrible months of pitching that skewed his numbers last season. If he could have righted the ship earlier in those months, you’re looking at easily a top 10 pitcher.

16.Ian Kennedy ARI: Great pitcher in a good division for pitchers, Kennedy should repeat last season. Diamondbacks offense will score some runs to help him out when he struggles.

17.Yovani Gallardo MIL: Gallardo is working on a change up this spring training to his repertoire. He could be an interesting guy to look at if he really nails it down.

18.Stephen Strasburg WAS: Do you remember how dominant Strasmania was when he broke in two seasons ago? It was quite the sight to see. Beware of the inning limit the Nationals will be giving him.

19.Matt Moore TB: A great playoff showing last season has hyped up Moore more than his astonishing minor league numbers. Moore reminds us an awful lot of David Price, and look how he’s done.

20.C.J. Wilson LAA: Honestly, we aren’t too crazy about Wilson, but you can’t beat the numbers he has put up the last two seasons. If it were us we would find some way to avoid taking Wilson. If there is anyone in the top 20 that we feel could have a bad season it’s Wilson. 

21.Madison Bumgarner SF: One of the most underrated young pitchers, Bumgarner has many plusses to him. He is in a great pitching park division and pitches in a great home park. Not to mention he should be building off of a solid rookie year.

22.Chris Carpenter STL: Carpenter is having neck issues right now, but if he really is healthy (you have plenty of time between now and your draft to determine this) we like him in the early 20s. A steady solid pitcher that plays for a good team is nice to have. Also, the NL Central should be average like most years especially with the Brewers losing Prince. OUT INDEFINITELY.

23.Ricky Romero TOR: Ricky plays in such a tough division, it makes you wonder how he would pitch in a division like the AL Central or in any NL division. In the AL East, he has shown he will post a low 3 ERA to go along with 180 Ks, and 15 wins. That’s still pretty darn good.

24.Daniel Hudson ARI: Hudson pitches in a great division and for a solid offense. Expecting a mid 3 ERA with 15-16 wins is very reasonable, and is something we consider to be very doable for him. We could even see him post a 3.20 ERA or so with the parks that he will pitch in this season.

25.Jeremy Hellickson TB: Hellickson broke into the majors last season and pitched very well. His strikeout numbers are low, while his walk numbers are middle of the road yet he posted a sub 3.00 ERA and posted 13 wins. Beware of his crazy low BABIP of .223 and error on the side of caution depending on how your team looks. If you can afford to take a risk then jump on this train, but if not, you might want to go with Latos.

26.Mat Latos CIN:

27.Michael Pineda NYY:

28.Adam Wainright STL:

29.Matt Garza CHC:

30.Ubaldo Jimenez CLE:

31.Tommy Hanson ATL:

32.Shaun Marcum MIL:

33.Josh Beckett BOS:

34.Jordan Zimmerman WAS:

35.Yu Darvish TEX:

36.Brandon Beachy ATL:

37.Josh Johnson MIA:

38.Gio Gonzalez WAS:

39.Max Scherzer DET:

40.Cory Luebke SD:

Relief Pitchers:

1.Craig Kimbrel ATL: Did you see how great of a pitcher he was last year? It wasn’t hard to miss. Kimbrel is the real deal on a good team. This shouldn’t be a hard one to understand.

2.Mariano Rivera NYY: The best closer of all time is nearing retirement, but he has one last great season in him. Don’t expect a lights out ERA, but do expect a lot of saves for a great team. There really shouldn’t be any convincing you here.

3.Drew Storen WAS: We love what the Nationals have done to help this team win. The additions of Gonzalez and Jackson to the rotation should give Storen many more save situations. This should also help with his ERA seeing that he always seemed to be pitching in games that didn’t matter last season.

4.Jonathan Papelbon PHI: A new city might be a great thing for Papelbon this season. One of the best closers in the last 5 seasons, Papelbon moves to a division with a bunch of good teams, but no great ones. The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins all have questions around them and they don’t have great offenses.

5.John Axford MIL: Axford came out of no where last season to put up great numbers. The NL Central should provide Axford with a good amount of save situations. Krod being the set up man should also help with getting tight ball games to him too.

6.Jose Valverde DET: Papa Grande had a great season last year not blowing one save. He did make some games very interesting though. Because of this, he isn’t going to put up a top notch ERA. We do believe he’ll get his saves though and put up around a 2.80 ERA.

7.Ryan Madson CIN:OUT FOR SEASON

8.Brian Wilson SF: Wilson comes into the season with many elbow questions. The most important being can he stay healthy a full season? His velocity also dropped last season because of it. We would consider him as someone that is either going to be a major steal or a major bust. A healthy Wilson should result in a very good year.

9.Jason Motte STL: Motte has electric stuff there is no way around it. He posted very good ERA and WHIP numbers last year, but wasn’t the full time closer. This season he’ll have the role all to himself and we like him to put up solid numbers.

10.Joel Hanrahan PIT: Hanrahan came out of nowhere this past season and posted an under 2 ERA with a near 1 WHIP. We like him to get to about 40 saves even on a team that will only win 75-80 games.

11. Huston Street SD: This is us playing a little bit of a hunch here. Most people won’t have Street this high, but we are going out on a limb. We love him pitching in San Diego. He is a closer that doesn’t throw as hard as some guys like Motte and Papelbon, but he has better control and movement. Street used to make mistakes in Coors Field and there would be balls off the wall or over the fence. Now these mistakes won’t do as much damage.

12.J.J. Putz ARI: Putz has had a lot of good seasons, and a lot of average seasons. Last season was one of those good ones. We like him to repeat because of his division and his stuff. We don’t think his ERA hovers around 2 like last season, but we definitely see him as a 2.75 ERA guy.

13.Heath Bell MIA: New city, but should still rack up the saves on what we think will be a good Marlins team. Moves out of Petco Park, or else he’d definitely be a top 8 closer.

14.Jordan Walden LAA: New great offense and a great starting staff are two things we like when it comes to the amount of chances Walden has at saving a bunch of games.

15.Rafael Betancourt COL: Never closed for a full season and it’s in Colorado. Wouldn’t be one of the top 10 closers we pick up.