Top 100
1. Albert Pujols- Number 1 on our list is Albert Pujols, as much as you try to justify drafting someone else at number 1, you're crazy if you do. He is the best pure hitter in the game, and in 10 seasons he has hit .331 with 408 home runs and 1230 rbis. Another added bonus to Pujols the past two years is his stolen base totals. In 2009 he had 16 steals, and 2010 he had 14. That is even more incentive to draft him number 1. Even though he is 30 years old expect another 10 years of production from the greatest player this century.
2. Miguel Cabrera- A lot of people will have Hanley Ramirez at number 2 on their draft boards, but after owning the shortstop last year, and watching a ton of his games, I couldn't do it. Miguel Cabrera is next on the list, and he seems to be underappreciated the past few years. The truth is he has absolutely raked since moving to Detroit 3 years ago. Last year was his best season when he batted .328 with 38 home runs and 126 rbi's. He has also never played less than 150 games in his 7 full seasons, and is as safe as pick as they come.
3. Roy Halladay- Last year we thought the move to the NL would benefit Halladay, and it resulted in an NL Cy Young award. Nothing has changed with Halladay and he will continue to produce over 200 innings, over 200 strikeouts and an Era fewer than 3. He should continue his success and win over 20 games. It might be tough for him to win the Cy Young this year with new teammate Cliff Lee also stealing votes, but it won't matter in fantasy.
4. Troy Tulowitzki- This was our first tough decision when deciding who to slot in at the number 4 slot. Not only did we need to battle over the number 4 spot, it was tough to decide if this player was even the best at his position. When we looked over the players Tulowitzki was the one who stood out. In only 122 games last year he put up the numbers to place him 5th in the MVP race, including an unbelievable late season surge to try and get the Rockies into the playoffs. Tulo hit .315 with 27 home runs and 95 rbis. Expect him to stay healthy and expect a .300, 30 home run, 100 rbi season to follow.
5. Hanley Ramirez- Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki may not put up the 4th and 5th best numbers in fantasy this year, but the difference between them and the other shortstops is so large it warrants drafting them this high. Fantasy baseball isn't about drafting the players with the highest stats, but drafting the ones who stand above the rest at their positions. Last year Hanley had a down year which justifies us keeping him below Tulowitzki. They should end up with very similar seasons, if you're looking for more power lean towards Tulo, if you want average and speed go for Hanley.
6. Carlos Gonzalez- After the 2008 season, the Oakland Athletic's traded Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street to the Rockies for Matt Holliday. Boy, are they kicking themselves now, especially after they had to turn around and trade Holliday when the A's struggled. Now Gonzalez has grown into arguably the best young outfielder in the game, and a sure fire first rounder in all fantasy drafts. Last spring I touted Gonzalez as a breakout candidate, but didn't expect the .336 average, 34 home runs, 117rbi, and 26 stolen bases season. It was his first full season in the majors and next season he'll be only 25. Expect his numbers to stay at those levels, especially if he can stay healthy for the entire season.
7. Carl Crawford- After hitting a career high 19 home runs and winning his first Gold Glove, Crawford signed a 7 year 142 million dollar deal with the Red Sox. He is now thrust into a potent lineup, whether they hit him 1 to 6 in the order, he's going to produce. He is a lock for 40 stolen bases every year, usually pushing 50 or 60, and is pretty close to a career .300 hitter. A player like Crawford is key in head to head leagues where he can win you steals versus an opponent by himself with a good week. Don't be afraid to draft Crawford in the 1st round and watch him produce against the board.
8. Joey Votto - In 2009 Votto had a great season, even with missing games due to injuries and an anxiety disorder. He fought through those anxiety problems to have an absolutely monster year in 2010, and won the NL MVP. Votto played in 150 games and had a .324 average, 37 home runs, and 113 rbi's while leading the Reds into the playoffs. He even walked 125 times and stole 16 bases. Votto will be 27 next year, coming into his prime. The Reds should still be a contender and he should continue to rake. He is a very safe first round pick with some solid upside.
9. Adrian Gonzalez- You usually don't see a player coming off shoulder surgery and switching league's top ten on many draft boards, but Gonzalez is the exception. Finally he is out of San Diego's very pitcher friendly park, and he makes the move to Fenway Park and into a great lineup. The past 4 seasons he was on a bad San Diego team in a lineup with no protection around him. Gonzalez still managed to hit at least .277, 30 home runs and 99 rbi's every season. He's a perfect fit at Fenway with his power the other way, and we expect his numbers to climb across the board. Luckily if you don't get to snag a 1st basemen in the 1st round, there are still many viable options in the 2nd.
10. Ryan Braun- For the lofty expectations most put on Braun last season, he slightly disappointed fantasy owners. But, when you look at his statistics from last year his .304 average, 25 home runs, 103 rbis, and 14 stolen bases still gives him a lot of value. I put a lot of Braun's struggles on how bad the Brewers were last year. By the end of the year Braun had nothing to play for, and that should change this year with the addition of Zack Greinke. With Prince Fielder in his last year of his contract Braun will soon be the man in Milwaukee, and he should be the same with your fantasy team.
11. Robinson Cano- Cano is another player who emerged last year and became the class of 2nd basemen. He finished with an .319 average, 29 home runs, and 109 rbis while finishing 3rd in the MVP race. Cano is a run producing 2nd basemen who only strike out 77 times last year. When there is a runner in scoring position, Cano was the man the Yankees wanted at the plate. Look for him to continue to put up MVP players as the Yankees will contend every year.
12. Evan Longoria- After having Longoria last year, and watching him struggle it was hard for me to even have him this high on my list. Last year he had a career high average at .294 but only hit 22 home runs with 104 rbis. The Rays will need to look to Longoria even more this year now that Carl Crawford has bolted to Boston. If you're league doesn't penalize you for the 120 strikeouts Longoria is guaranteed every year, don't be afraid to draft him as the first 3rd basemen off the board.
13. Felix Hernandez- Now we get to the Al Cy Young winner pitching for one of the worst teams in the Majors. Felix only won 13 games last year, but had an amazing 2.27 Era. He has made over 30 starts in the past 5 seasons, and now looks like he is durable as a rock. We are a little concerned that he threw his career high in innings of 249 last year, but his 232 strikeouts last year factors out that risk. It will be tough for Felix to pitch that well and still only win 13 games, so expect a bump in that.
14. Cliff Lee- The Rangers made a midseason trade for Cliff Lee and rode him all the way to the World Series. Lee had a 3.18 Era last year in 28 starts, and now he moves back to the NL away from the Red Sox and Yankees powerful lineups. We expect a full season in the NL will only help his stats. He should even rack up more wins now that he doesn't have to match up against other team's aces now that he pitches behind Roy Halladay. Don't be afraid to draft Lee in the first 2 rounds of your fantasy draft.
15. Josh Hamilton- Hamilton turned a career that looked like another 1st overall bust, and turned it into an AL MVP season. Even though the Rangers didn't win the World Series, the lasting image of the 2010 playoffs will be of the Rangers celebrating with Ginger Ale after the ALCS win in support of Hamilton who has struggled with addiction his entire life. Now the Rangers added more pop to the lineup with Adrian Beltre and Hamilton will look to improve on his MVP season. He only played in 133 games last season and remains an injury risk, but if he stays healthy he'll be in the MVP discussion once again.
16. Joe Mauer - Many look at Mauer's season of a .327 average, 9 home runs, and 75 rbi's a big disappointment after his MVP season. Even though his stats didn't match with last year, he still is the best catcher in the game. His statistics drop can be contributed to the adjustment to a new ballpark, and the lost of Justin Morneau for the entire second half of the season. Mauer still had 65 walks compared to 53 strikeouts. If your league rewards on base percentage and penalizes you for strikeouts, Mauer is an even better option.
17. Prince Fielder- Number 17 starts the run of the rest of the top first basemen, if you don't get one of the top 6 there is a big drop off in production. Prince had a down season by his standards with a .261 average, 32 home runs, and 83 rbi's. I expect that number to jump back up as he is in his contract year and the Brewers are looking like contenders this year. The thing that gets Prince above Howard and Teixeira in my rankings is his durability. Since 2006 he has played in at least 157 games every year, only missing 1 game in the past 2 years.
18. Ryan Howard- For a player who seemed like an absolutely lock for 40 home runs last year, Ryan Howard disappointed fantasy owners with only 31 homers last year. He and many contributed to his lost of power to the ankle injury that seemed to hamper him during the season and into the playoffs. He claims he is 100% healthy now and should return to his former self. If you can take the average hit, draft Howard as a 40 to 50 home run threat.
19. Mark Teixeira- Every single year Teixeira's early season struggles greatly decrease the monster numbers he could be putting up. Last year he struggled to a .256 average, his lowest of his career. Hitting next to Alex Rodriguez and in Yankee stadium keeps him in our second round value, how he finished last season keeps him below Howard and Fielder on our list. In the playoffs Teixeira suffered a grade 2 strain of his right hamstring that ended his post season; it's an injury that would usually keep a player out 6 to 8 weeks. Although he should he recovered, hamstring injuries are known to get reinjured, just ask Nelson Cruz who had 3 different trips to the DL last year with hamstring issues.
20. David Wright- Wright rebounded from his worst season of his career batting .283 with 29 home runs and 103 rbi's. He also stole 19 bases and had 36 doubles. Wright will never hit 40 home runs in the new ballpark, but around 30 dingers seems about right. His .283 average should increase since he's a career .305 hitter and is 20 stolen bases a year keeps him ahead of Alex Rodriguez on our list.
21. Alex Rodriguez- It's tough for us to say this, but it looks like A-Rod is finally slowing down. Next year will mark his 18th season in which he has played in the majors and he will turn 35 midseason. The past 3 years Rodriguez has failed to play in more than 138 games which makes it tough on fantasy owners. He'll still hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs but his declining batting average and injury risk makes it tough to have him ahead of youngsters Evan Longoria and David Wright at his position.
22. Chase Utley- The usually durable Utley missed the beginning of last season and only played in 115 games. He still hit .275 with 16 home runs and 13 stolen bases in those games. Utley did not have a bad year when he was in there, until the playoffs when he hit only .182. With the emergence of Robinson Cano last year it knocks Utley off his usual perch as the best fantasy second basemen in the game.
23. Buster Posey- Everyone expected Buster Posey to be good, but no one expected him to be this good during his NL Rookie of the Year in 2010. Posey got the midseason call up to play in 108 games, slugging 18 home runs and knocking in 67 runs while batting .305. He finished in 11th in the MVP voting and batted .300 and hit a homer in the Giants World Series victory. Another bonus is that Posey played 30 games at first base, making him first base eligible and allowing him to play more games than most catchers. He is quickly becoming on the same level as Joe Mauer.
24. Tim Lincecum
25. Adam Wainwright
26. Matt Holliday
27. C.C. Sabathia
28. Dustin Pedroia
29. Ryan Zimmerman
30. Jon Lester
31. Nelson Cruz
32. Kevin Youkilis
33. Ubaldo Jimenez
34. Brian McCann
35. Victor Martinez
36. Ian Kinsler
37. Jose Reyes
38. Justin Verlander
39. Josh Johnson
40. David Price
41. Justin Morneau
42. Jered Weaver
43. Justin Upton
44. Andrew McCutchen
45. Jayson Werth
46. Ichiro
47. Brian Wilson
48. Jose Batista
49. Shin- Shoo Choo
50. Clayton Kershaw
51. Adrian Beltre
52. Brandon Phillips
53. Matt Kemp
54. Jason Heyward
55. Roy Oswalt
56. Cole Hamels
57. Heath Bell
58. Carlos Santana
59. Rickie Weeks
60. Dan Uggla
61. Mariano Rivera
62. Jacoby Ellsbury
63. Clay Buchholz
64. Chris Carpenter
65. Paul Konerko
66. Zack Greinke
67. David Ortiz
68. Dan Haren
69. Mark Reynolds
70. Mat Latos
71. Neftali Feliz
72. Joakim Soria
73. Matt Cain
74. Yovani Gallardo
75. Jonathan Papelbon
76. Andre Ethier
77. Stephen Drew
78. Adam Dunn
79. Curtis Granderson- I was a firm believer in Granderson having a breakout season in the new Yankee stadium, unfortunately he missed big time. Granderson hit .247 with 24 home runs and 67 rbi's. He struck out 116 times in 136 games, and never seemed comfortable in the bright lights of New York. It is not uncommon for players to struggle in their first year in New York and we are looking for Granderson to rebound. He will go pretty late in drafts, and you could be looking at a steal.
80. Carlos Marmol- Marmol might not have the lowest ERA and he may walk too many batters, but his insane strike out ratio justifies him as a top closer. In 2010 he had 138 strikeouts in only 77 innings, that's more than a lot of quality starters, including Clay Buchholz who came in 6th in the AL Cy Young voting. Last year Marmol had his best year as a closer when he had a 2.55 ERA and 38 saves. His WHIP should stay around 1.1 and he will be a top 100 draft pick.
81. Billy Butler- Butler did not progress as much as everyone expected last year, but he still had a very good year. His home run, doubles, and rbi's decreased, but his batting average rose to .318. He will be 25 next year, and I still believe Butler will turn his doubles into home runs. It looks like he will continue to be a .300 hitter. He will always be underrated playing in Kansas City and will continue to be a good value.
82. Kendry Morales- A freak injury while celebrating a walk off home run with his teammates ruined Morales season. In 51 games he hit .290 with 11 home runs and 39 rbis. He was coming off a season where he was 5th in the AL MVP voting. Morales is supposedly fully healthy, but I'd like to see it before I spend a pick in the 1st four rounds on him. He is one player who will jump up a ton in the rankings after a healthy season.
83. Martin Prado- Prado is a .300 hitter who has added some pop to his bat over the last two years. Last season he had 40 doubles and 15 home runs while hitting .307 in 140 games. He has position versatility, and has 2nd and 3rd base eligibility. He's a great pick to play at 2nd base for your fantasy team, and he may also gain first base eligibility this year.
84. Aramis Ramirez- Ramirez has really struggled the past few years staying healthy, but third base has quickly become a position that doesn't have the greatest fantasy options. Ramirez still has power which is obvious with his 25 home runs in 124 games, but he only hit .241. We expect his average to rebound because he is a career .282 hitter. Don't expect getting 160 games out of him, but don't be afraid to take him for his power.
85. Vernon Wells- After having his first good season in 4 years, Wells gets a change of scenery being traded to the Angels. I think this will be a great move for the Angels and Wells. Before last season it looked like Wells was just going to play out his career in Toronto, and never be on a good team. This gives him extra motivation to impress his new teammates. Wells is usually overlooked in drafts so you should be able to snag him pretty late.
86. Aaron Hill- Hill has quickly become one of the best slugging 2nd basemen in the big leagues. He did hit .205 last year but has a combine 62 home runs in the past two seasons. Hill was a little nicked up last season and only played in 138 games. The average doesn't worry as much as it would with players like Chris Young, because Hill was a career .280 hitter before last season.
87. Alex Rios- This may be a little low for a player who had as good as season as Rios did last year, but there are so many quality outfielders, it's difficult to have Rios over some safer infielders who put up similar numbers. Last year he batted .284 and had 21 home runs and 34 steals, the steals were a career high. But this is only one season after he hit .247 and his stats could go either way. If you can draft Rios expecting .275/ 20 home runs/ and 25 steals go ahead and take him.
88. Derek Jeter- Another shortstop who going real old, real quick. Jeter was still an all star, and won a questionable gold glove, but he is no longer a fantasy elite. Jeter's numbers dropped across the board batting .270 with 10 home runs and 18 stolen bases. The position scarcity keeps Jeter in the top 7 or 8 fantasy shortstops, and we even expect a little rebound in Jeter's stats.
89. Chris Young- After coming off a season where he hit .212 a lot of fantasy owners lost hope for Chris Young. That's when he had a very good all star season. Young still only hit .257, his career high, but he smashed 27 home runs and stole 28 bases. If your team is loaded with players who will hit .300, draft young for a nice power outfielder who will steal some bases.
90. Andrew Bailey- Bailey is one of the most underrated reliever in the game, especially in fantasy. He plays for the Athletics who don't win a ton of games, but when they do they are usually close. They don't score a ton of runs to blow out teams which usually gives Bailey the opportunities to close them down. In his two big league seasons he has an Era of 1.70 and gets a strikeout an inning, don't be afraid to draft this Oakland pitcher.
91. Corey Hart- After struggling in 2009 having a .260 average and 12 home runs, he rebounded with an all star season. He batted .283 with 31 home runs and 102 rbis. Hart won't be a .300 hitter but if you can endure the rough average expect the power and rbis. He will be drafted from the 7th to 10th round and it all depends which type of outfielder you are in the market for.
92. Alexei Ramirez- We've been waiting for Alexei to breakout after coming in second 2nd in the rookie of the year voting in 2008. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten any better so far. That still keeps him in the second tier shortstops and in our top 100. Ramirez will be 29 next year, and with the addition of Adam Dunn to the lineup he could be looking at a little statistically boost. He will be around the same price as Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins but should have more upside if things go well.
93. Aubrey Huff- It's tough to rank Huff this high but it's very tough to discount his season for the World Series champions. Huff hit .290 with 35 doubles, 26 home runs, and 86 rbi's while coming in 7th in the MVP race. I would not expect him to duplicate these numbers but if you can draft him expecting .275/ 20 home runs/ and 80 rbis you will get a bargain for this overlooked veteran.
94. Tommy Hanson- In his first full season in the majors Hanson impressed with a 3.33 ERA in 34 starts. The only thing that worries me is it was the first time Hanson has eclipsed the 200 inning mark, and that he only won 10 games last year. Now Billy Wagner is gone for the Braves, and I'd like to see how Craig Kimbrel handles spring training before I bump him up my rankings. In our post spring training rankings he could be considerably higher.
95. Josh Beckett- Could this guy get any worse than last season? The answer is no. 95 could be too high for Beckett and he will go much lower in drafts, but he is worth the risk if he returns to form. The Red Sox will be very good this year and will give Beckett the opportunity to win a lot of games, especially since Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have assumed the 1-2 role for the Red Sox. Beckett is a low risk high reward which is uncommon for his career.
96. Ricky Romero- Romero is a youngster that is very underrated in most drafts. In ESPN's most reason expert mock draft they didn't have Romero going until the 19th round, which is ridiculous. I have him ranked at 96 because around the 8th to the 12th round you can get some very good and reliable pitchers for relatively cheap, Romero is in this group. Last year he went 14 and 9 and had a 3.73 ERA while striking out 173 batters. If he continues to progress and work on his walk ratio like last year, he will easily be a top 100 player.
97. Matt Garza- A lot of people think the move to Wrigley Field will hurt Garza's statistics, I feel like it could be the opposite. I always viewed Garza as an explosive type like Carlos Zambrano, but with better talent. For the past 3 seasons he has sported an ERA under 4 and started 30 games every season. Expect his ERA to lower now that he moves out of the AL East and starts to face pitchers in the 9 hole. Don't expect a ton of wins out of Garza, but expect good numbers.
98. Trevor Cahill- Another young pitcher who is very underrated by many experts. In ESPN's mock draft he went 163th overall in the 17th round, which is crazy for someone who finished 9th overall in the AL Cy Young race. As a 22 year old last year Cahill won 18 games while having a 2.97 Era in 30 starts. The Athletics quietly improved their team, especially their bullpen and we expect Cahill to put up numbers similar to last year playing in that big ballpark.
99. Jimmy Rollins- Jimmy Rollins got old, and got old very quickly on all of us. But the scarcity of the shortstop position in fantasy keeps him in our top 100. Last year Rollins struggled with injuries and only played 88 games. He batted .243 with only 8 home runs and 17 stolen bases. If he can stay healthy he will be fantasy relevant, but there are less riskier players.
100. Pedro Alvarez- When I made this list I had the Pirates third base masher at number 100, then came the reports that Alvarez is already 15 pounds overweight. This could turn into good news or bad news for people targeting Alvarez on draft day. I've seen Alvarez coming in on draft boards anywhere from 75 to 130, if owners in your league buy into Alvarez as having a Pablo Sandoval type falloff you can get him lower than 100. Spring Training will show us a lot on how in shape Alvarez will be for the season.
