17. Florida Marlins

Big Leagues- Going into 2011 the Marlins are looking for a gap year, not only for their young players, but 2011 also marks the last season in their old ballpark that they share with the Miami Dolphins. The Marlins are hoping that a new stadium will allow them to keep their top young players and not have to trade them away, like they have always done. This year's team though, will be very similar to every other year. They went out and signed free agents John Buck and Javier Vazquez but they should not make the huge impact that they need to get into the playoffs. From the fantasy perspective, outside of Hanley Ramirez and Michael Stanton, they pitching staff is what you want to draft. Josh Johnson showed last year that he is a stud, and should be drafted in the top 3 rounds of every draft. Even coming off injury Ricky Nolasco should be a solid starter, and Javier Vazquez could be a good sleeper finally coming back to the National League.

Catcher- John Buck
1st Base- Gaby Sanchez
2nd Base- Omar Infante
Shortstop- Hanley Ramirez

3rd Base- Wes Helms/ Chris Coghlan
Left Field- Logan Morrison
Center Field- Chris Coghlan
Right Field- Michael Stanton

Pitching- Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Javier Vazquez, Anibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad
Relief- Leo Nunez, Randy Choate

Top 5 Prospects
3B Matt Dominguez- Dominguez was the Marlins first round pick in the 2007 draft, and look to be the Marlins third basemen of the future. Last year he struggled with his batting average as a 20 year old in Double A, but he showed great defense and a solid power bat. The Marlins say he could win the 3rd base job out of spring training, but look for this youngster to start in Triple A.

OF Christian Yelich- Yelich was the 23rd overall pick in the 2010 draft, and he signed early enough to play in 12 games for the Marlins minor league clubs. Yelich impressed there with a .362 average in 50 plate appearances. The high school draftee is still very raw and it should be at least 3 years before we see him in the Majors.

LHP Chad James- The Marlins 1st round pick in 2009 struggled mightily in his first full year in Single A going 5 and 10 with a 5.12 ERA. James struggled with his control while walking 65 batters in only 114 innings. He's not an overpowering pitcher, so when he walks batters, it really takes a toll on his ERA. James is still way too young and raw to give up on him as a prospect and the Marlins hope he can put together a better year in 2011.

SS Osvaldo Martinez- The shortstop had a very solid year in Double A last year as a 22 year old. He batted .302 with 28 doubles. He lacks power, and is blocked by Hanley Ramirez in the Marlins lineup, which limits his potential. Look for him to virtually end up as a utility infielder whether it's with the Marlins or another team.

OF Marcell Ozuna- The Marlins signed the Dominican and as a 19 year old he showed great power in Single A. In only 74 games he batted .258 with 22 home runs and 11 doubles. Ozuna will need to work on his plate discipline to succeed at higher levels. He struck out 104 times compared to only 19 walks. He has a long way to go, but we'll keep an eye out.

Payroll and Direction-The Marlins payroll last year of 52 million ranked them towards the bottom of the league, but this team is moving in the right direction, mostly because of their pitching staff and the fact they are getting a new stadium in 2012. With Hanley Ramirez locked into a long contract and Michael Stanton emerging last year, the Marlins have the young talent to be able to surround them with free agents to help them contend. Give the Marlins a couple years, and if their payroll increases with the new stadium they could be a team to reckon with in the NL East.

18. Washington Nationals

Big Leagues- The Nationals have put together quite the young roster, and added two great free agents in this off season in Adam Laroche and Jayson Werth. Even after losing Adam Dunn they replenished the lineup with a power righty and lefty. Ryan Zimmerman continues to improve and their middle infield of Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond continue to improve. There pitching staff needs work with Livan Hernandez leading the group and the injury to Stephen Strasburg sets the Nationals back a few years but they weren't looking to contend next year anyways. When Strasburg and Bryce Harper get to the Majors the Nationals will be ready to roll in the NL East.

Catcher- Pudge Rodriguez, Wilson Ramos
1st Base- Adam Laroche/ Mike Morse
2nd Base- Danny Espinosa
Shortstop- Ian Desmond
3rd Base- Ryan Zimmerman
Left Field- Roger Bernadina/ Rick Ankiel
Center Field- Nyjer Morgan
Right Field- Jayson Werth

Pitching- Livan Hernandez, Jason Marquis, Jordan Zimmerman, John Lannan, Yunesky Maya, Stephen Strasburg
Relief- Drew Stroren, Sean Burnett, Tyler Clippard

Top 5 Prospects
OF Bryce Harper- What could I possibly stay about Bryce Harper that you haven't already heard? The 1st overall pick in the 2010 draft was the most hyped draft pick in history. He left high school early and went to Junior College just so he could be drafted in the 2010 draft when he was just 17. Harper has gigantic power and a cannon of an arm that he will show off in the outfield for the Nationals. The Nationals will try to push Harper through the minor leagues and have him in the big leagues by 2013. He'll debut at Single A and I'm sure every sports television station will let you know what happens.

C Wilson Ramos- Ramos was acquired by the Nationals from Minnesota in the Matt Capps deal, and the Nationals may have snagged their catcher of the future. He spent the last year between AAA and the big leagues. He will never develop into a 20 home run kind of catcher, but he will play solid defense and could develop into a consistent .300 hitter. Ramos should have one more year backing up and learning from Pudge Rodriguez and it will definitely help him in the long run.

2B Danny Espinosa-The Nationals 2nd basemen of future got his first glimpse of the big leagues last year. He struggled with his average but had a very solid 6 home runs in 28 games. He's an excellent defender and did not make 1 error at 2nd base in 23 starts. He should be the Nationals opening day 2nd basemen.

RHP A.J. Cole- The Nationals 4th round pick in 2010 was suppose to go in the first round, but dropped because of signability. When the Nationals drafted the high school righty, they planned on giving him a nice bonus, and getting him into their minor league system, and that is what they did. The righty passed up his scholarship to the University of Miami, and took the 2 million dollar signing bonus. He should take a while to develop, but he could potentially be a steal.

C Derek Norris- Norris is a powerful young catcher, who struggled with his batting average as a 21 year old. He had 12 home runs and 19 doubles in 94 games. The highlight of his year was his plate discipline. Even though he struck out 94 times, he had 89 walks. He's a long term project and other prospects Wilson Ramos should contribute before he does.

Payroll and Direction- The Nationals are headed in the right direction, especially with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in their near future. They don't have the top prospects besides Bryce Harper, but they are finally throwing some money around signing Adam Laroche and Jayson Werth. They only had a payroll of 67 million last year, but it will be considerably higher now that Jayson Werth is making 18 million a year. Give the Nationals 2 or 3 years and they'll be fighting for the NL East pennant.

19. New York Mets

Big Leagues- The New York Mets share some startling comparisons with the Chicago Cubs. Both teams play in big markets in the National League, both teams have the means to be successful and yet, some how, neither team can even make a stand in their division as of late. As far as fantasy is concerned, the Mets have some players that will make noise in any style of league. Jose Reyes is a former top 3 pick, but he has fallen to a mid to late first round shortstop and a five tool player that will give numbers in most categories. David Wright is also a first round pick in most fantasy leagues and will positively contribute to your teams power numbers. Jason Bay is another player who used to be high end draft pick, but his first year in Citi Bank Park brought his power numbers to a screeching halt. Beltran is also a once great outfielder who went to die in New York, but he could produce average numbers this year and is a consideration in the middle rounds of your draft. Johan Santana is a former Cy Young winner and was being discussed as one of the greats before his transfer to New York where he also seemed to have lost his talent. The Mets organization has been a black hole for once great players.

Here is the Mets opening day lineup for 2011:

Catcher- Josh Thole/ Ronny Paulino

1st Base- Ike Davis

2nd Base- Luis Castillo

Shortstop- Jose Reyes

3rd Base- David Wright

Left Field- Jason Bay

Center Field- Carlos Beltran

Right Field- Angel Pagan

Pitching- Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Johnathan Niese, R.A. Dickey, Jenrry Mejia

Relief- Francisco Rodriguez, Manny Acosta



Top 5 Prospects

RHP Jenrry Mejia- One of the top pitching prospects in the majors is one thing the Mets have to look forward too. Mejia dominated the minor leagues going 2 and 0 in 9 starts with a 1.28 ERA over 42 innings. Mejia flew through 4 minor league levels before getting the call up. He did struggle a bit with a 4.62 ERA, but that is expected from a 20 year old in the big leagues.. The Mets could start him in Triple A for more seasoning, or in the bullpen or starting rotation for the Mets. The Mets have them a pitcher who projects very similar to Neftali Feliz of the Rangers.

RHP Matt Harvey- Harvey was the Mets first round pick in 2010, but it was definitely reach pick. He has a power arm and a nice sinker, but he struggled mightily before his Junior year at North Carolina. He is definitely a hit or miss 1st rounder, but without developing his offspeed pitches he could never develop.

SS Wilmer Flores- The young shortstop had a very solid year in two lower levels. He batted .289 with 11 home runs and 36 doubles. But he shows little speed for a shortstop and made 26 errors last year in 132 games. He's not an elite level prospect but could develop into a solid starter.

OF Cesar Puello- Puello had a great year in Single A last year batting .292 with 45 stolen bases as a 19 year old. He is a true base stealer only getting caught 10, but his potential is limited because he shows little to no power. He could turn into a solid starter or a 4th outfielder and pinch runner off the bench.

OF Fernando Martinez- Martinez use to be the Mets top prospect before being given plenty of opportunities to win a starting job, and failing every time. He is still too young for us to give up on him like other people. He only hit .254 with 12 home runs, but we'll see what how this season treats him.

Payroll and Direction- The Mets payroll is close to 127 million dollars, and their team has missed the playoffs several times in the last few years. They have dug themselves a hole by spending money on players that simply have nothing left in the tank and their new park is too big for producers to produce. The Mets are in a sour situation and it's going to be tough for them to get out of this rut before 2015.

20. Toronto Blue Jays

Big Leagues- After trading away their franchise player in Roy Halladay, the Blue Jays have finally started to put something back together. We think it is directly related to J.P. Ricciardi no longer making their personnel decisions. The Jays have a solid base starting in the infield. Lind, Hill, Escobar, and Bautista form a very formidable infield and the outfield of Rajai Davis, Vernon Wells, and Travis Snyder is very underrated, especially Davis. Davis brings the speed to this lineup that I think they have lacked in the past years, especially playing against the Yankees and Red Sox 19 times a year, who always have problems throwing out runners. Their pitching staff has a lot of star potential with former top prospect Brandon Morrow and lefty Ricky Romero holding down the front end of the rotation. Kyle Drabek, who came over for Roy Halladay, should emerge as a full time starter at the beginning of the year and he should have a great season for a rookie. Like the Orioles, if the Blue Jays could get away from the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays they have a lot better results.

Here is their opening day lineup for 2011:

Catcher- Jose Molina/ J.P. Arencibia
1st Base- Adam Lind

2nd Base- Aaron Hill
Shortstop- Yunel Escobar
3rd Base- Jose Bautista
Left Field- Rajai Davis
Center Field- Vernon Wells
Right Field- Travis Snyder
Pitching- Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek, Jesse Litsch
Relief- Jason Fraser, Casey Janssen



Top 5 Prospects

RHP Kyle Drabek- The Blue Jays left Drabek in Double A all of last season and he looked every bit the top prospect he is. He went 14 and 9 with a 2.94 ERA in 162 innings. Drabek still struggled with his command with a 1.94 K/BB ratio. The prize get in the Roy Halladay trade should get a chance to earn a rotation spot in the spring and could be looking at a chance at rookie of the year honors if he gets a full season of work.

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RHP Deck McGuire- The Blue Jays drafted the 6'6 right hander with the 11th pick of the 2010 draft. McGuire was a stud at Georgia Tech winning ACC pitcher of the year in 2009 with an 11-2 record and 3.50 ERA as a weekend starter. Mcguire has 4 solid pitches but we wouldn't be surprised to see Toronto not rush him like Drabek.

RHP Asher Wojciechowski- The right hander was another 1st round pick in the 2010 draft by the Blue Jays. He was drafted out of the Citadel and signed quick enough to throw a couple games in Single A. In 12 innings he only allowed 1 earned run and struck out 11. He's a little less polished than McGuire and Drabek, but he has the potential to be a solid starter.

RHP Zach Stewart- The Blue Jays continue to stock pile young right handers for the future, and Stewart is another. He had slightly a down year in 2010 with a 3.63 ERA at Double A as a 23 year old. Stewart could be converted into a reliever, especially with the power arms in the rotation ahead of him, and the Blue Jays weak bullpen. You could see Stewart in the next few years, probably in the bullpen.

OF-Anthony Gose- The 2nd round pick in 2008 had a very solid year as a 19 year old in Single A. In 130 games Gose hit .262 with 20 doubles, 13 triples and 7 home runs. He does not project as a power outfielder, but he stole 45 bases. He did get 32 times though, and needs to develop more of a technique. He could develop into more but it looks like he'll be a average starter to 4th outfielder.

Payroll and Direction

With a payroll around 80 million dollars and talented pitchers in the big leagues and farm systems, the Blue Jays are headed in the right direction. They have a very solid, young base, and if the young pitchers continue to develop they could make noise in the AL East in a few years. Unfortunately, the Yankees and Red Sox will always be able to outspend the lower market teams, and it will be tough for them to win in the toughest division in baseball.

21. San Diego Padres

Big Leagues- This Padres team is one of the interesting teams I have come across in my baseball research. They aren't going to contend for a World Series right now, but I really like how this team is put together, even without Adrian Gonzalez. The team has a lot of solid mid level free agents, who are better for a real team than they are for fantasy. Brad Hawpe, Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett, and Ryan Ludwick won't be first on your draft boards, but they are going to win games for the Padres. Throw in former, and still young, top prospect Cameron Maybin and the power hitting Kyle Blanks, who is coming off injury, and this team has a lot of potential. Matt Latos established himself as a top of the line ace last year, and we expect another year can only help. The addition of Aaron Harang rounds out the rotation, and the always consistent Heath Bell will again close games.

Here is their lineup for opening day 2011:

Catcher- Nick Hundley
1st Base- Kyle Blanks/Brad Hawpe
2nd Base- Orlando Hudson
Shortstop- Jason Bartlett
3rd Base- Chase Headley
Left Field- Ryan Ludwick
Center Field- Cameron Maybin
Right Field- Will Veneable
Pitching- Matt Latos, Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer, Cory Luebke, Aaron Harang

Relief- Heath Bell

Top 5 Prospects

RHP Casey Kelly- You'd expect the Padres to have good prospects after trading away Adrian Gonzalez, and they do not disappoint. Kelly use to split time between shortstop and pitching his first two seasons, but the Red Sox finally got him to focus on pitching and he struggled in Double A. He had a 5.31 ERA in 21 starts, but he still has top of the rotation stuff and is only 21 years old. The potential and youth is what keeps him as the number 1 prospect in the Padres system.

RHP Simon Castro- The 6'5 right hander really impressed last year in Double and Triple A. The 22 year old throws his fastball 97-98 and a hard slider from 91-94. After watching him pitch in the Futures game last year he reminded me of a right handed Aroldis Chapman, minus a few miles an hour on the fastball. For a youngster he doesn't walk many batters, but sometimes has control problems because of the action on his fastball and slider. The Padres should start him in Triple A next year but don't be surprised if he gets the call up if a starter gets injured.

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OF Jaff Decker- The former 1st round pick could not stay healthy over the full season last year, and it was reflected in his stats. His batting average struggled and so did his plate discipline. He batted .262 and struck out 80 times in only 79 games, but showed great power slugging 17 home runs. If Decker can stay healthy and even out his swings he could be in ready for a breakout.

1B Anthony Rizzo- After beating cancer the 2007 sixth round pick became a slugging first basemen for the Red Sox minor league teams. Last year as a 20 year old he batted .260 with 25 home runs, 42 doubles, and 100 rbis. He was the main prize along with Casey Kelly in the trade for Adrian Gonzalez and he projects to be Gonzalez's long term replacement. He should start next year in Triple A and we could see him in September.

OF Donavan Tate- The 3rd overall pick in the 2009 could not stay away from the injury bug last year and only appeared in 25 games. The games itself weren't enough to get a fair look at Tate, but his predraft hype and draft position keeps him on our list of top prospects.



Payroll and Direction- The Padres have the young talent and pitching, they have top prospects, now if they can ever get the money to pay top free agents they can be a team to contend with for a very long time. Last year they only had a payroll of 37 million dollars, and that just won't cut it when you want to win a World Series. The Padres got their new stadium and now it's time to start spending some money. They will have a lot of young guys under contract for cheap, but if they won't be able to keep young players like Matt Latos, then they future will be a lot like their past.

22. Oakland Athletics

Big Leagues- The Oakland Athletics may rival the Houston Astros with the most boring lineup in the league.  With names like Daric Barton, Mark Ellis, Cliff Pennington and Kevin Kouzmanoff, the Athletics are not really fantasy relevant. The only people in their lineup worth going out of your way to grab would be Kurt Suzuki or newly acquired right fielder Josh Willingham.  The A’s would be a lot lower on our list if it wasn’t for their young and fast improving pitching staff.  With Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill the A’s have three young starters that could rival the Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder days.  They are making a run at Adrian Beltre and if they somehow sign him they should be moved up on the list. They play in division where no team really dominates, and that could allow them to make a push at the playoffs.

Here is their starting lineup for 2011:

Catcher- Kurt Suzuki

1st Base- Daric Barton

2nd Base- Mark Ellis

Shortstop- Cliff Pennington

3rd Base- Kevin Kouzmanoff

Left Field- David Dejesus/Conor Jackson

Center Field- Coco Crisp

Right Field- Josh Willingham

Pitching- Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy, Rich Harden

Relief-  Michael Wuertz, Brad Ziegler, Andrew Bailey

Top 5 Prospects

SS Grant Green-  The Athletics selected the USC shortstop 13^th overall in the 2009 draft, and he did not disappoint in his first full season in the minor leagues.  Green hit .318 with 20 bombs and 39 doubles last year in high class A.  He has shown great power throughout his collegiate and minor league career, and should continue to develop.  He will start the year in Double A and is the A’s shortstop of the future.

1B Chris Carter-The big first basemen with elite power had a down year for the A’s last year when they wanted to employ him as their everyday first basemen.  He only hit .186 with 3 home runs in 24 games.  More concerning was he had 21 strikeouts compared to only 7 walks.  He has an outside chance to start the season with a job, but it will take a big preseason.

OF Michael Choice- The 10^th pick in the 2010 draft played in 30 games after signing.  He showed impressive power hitting 7 home runs and 10 doubles in only 109 plate appearances. He did have a tendency to strikeout with striking out 45 times. He’ll start the year in Single A for more seasoning.

OF Michael Taylor-  The former Phillies prospect failed to impress last season and found himself stuck in Triple A as a 24 year old last season.  Disappearing was the power he showed in previous years as he only hit 6 home runs.  Taylor is still a good prospect, but now lacks the youth to be considered a top prospect.

RHP Tyson Ross- Even with missing time with injuries the 23 year old impressed when he pitched in Triple A last year.  He had a 3.55 Era while striking out 30 in 25 innings.  He should begin next year with Triple A trying to stay injury free.

Payroll and Direction

The Athletics never spend a lot of money and never make a big splash for free agents, so that’s why last year they only spent 56 million on their big league payroll.  But with Billy Beane in charge of the farm system the Athletics will keep producing young pitchers.  If they ever get the money to sign their young pitchers to post- arbitration contracts while picking up a couple free agents, instead of trading them away, the A’s could become a contender for years to come.

23. Chicago Cubs

Big Leagues- Where to even begin with Chicago Cubs? This team has all the necessary resources to win a World Series, and yet they haven't done so in over a century. The Cubs are historically one of the most disappointing teams in the league, and this year won't be an exception. The Cubs pay out a ton of money to their players and they have great fan support. Their stadium is legendary and they have gone through some of the greatest managers that baseball has to offer in the last few years, but for some reason they just can't seem to put it all together. Their problem doesn't reside in competition like the Orioles, but rather self destruction from the inside. I don't expect the Chicago Cubs to do anything too exciting for at least another 100 years or so.

Here is their opening day roster for 2011:

Catcher- Geovany Soto

1st Base- Carlos Pena

2nd Base- Blake Dewitt

Shortstop- Starlin Castro

3rd Base- Aramis Ramirez

Left Field- Alfonso Soriano

Center Field- Marlon Byrd

Right Field-  Kosuke Fukudome

Pitching- Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Garza Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny, Carlos Silva

Relief- Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood, Sean Marshall

This roster has very few fantasy prospects worth looking at. Alfonso Soriano was once a 30/30 man, but his numbers have progressively dropped in the last few years. Kosuke Fukudome will remain an average outfielder and Carlos Pena may find success in the National League. Starlin Castro is a young shortstop that could develop, but as long as he's in Chicago it'll be tough to develop enough to win them games. The best fantasy prospect on this roster is Matt Garza. His ERA is normally below 4 in the AL East and he is famous for saying that he only needs one run to win a ball game. Garza could stay in All- Star form this year and could make a big impact on fantasy rosters as a middle round selection.

Top 5 Prospects

OF Brett Jackson-  Jackson was the 31st pick in the 2009 draft reached Double A in his first season.  He does not have the all start/MVP potential that you'd like from a top prospect, but he does project into a 20/20 outfielder.  When we look at Jackson would see a lot of current Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd.  He could be a constant in any lineup but always under appreciated.  Jackson will spend next year in Double A and Triple A and we'll see how his game progresses.

3B Josh Vitters- Vitters is the Cubs former top prospect, who has yet to develop.  He was the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 draft, and the Cubs probably wished he would have made it to the majors by now.  But the 20 year old struggled mightily last year only hitting .247 in Single A and Double A.  He also only hit 10 home runs and 20 doubles, which is not impressive for a slugging third basemen.  Vitters finally lost his top prospects label to Brett Jackson and maybe he'll loosen up a little bit and produce.  

RHP Trey McNutt- McNutt came out of nowhere last year to amass a 10 and 1 record over three levels and emerge as the Cubs top pitching prospect.  The 20 year old was a 32nd round pick in 2009 and the Cubs looked at him more as organizational depth.  But his 2.48 ERA over 25 starts last year and his 3.57 K/BB ratio has really impressed the Cubs.  Look for him to start the year in Double or Triple A and continue to progress.  

RHP Chris Archer-  Traded to Tampa Bay in Matt Garza trade.  Archer is a lot like McNutt and the 5th round pick of 2006 came on strong with a 15 and 3 record over 2 levels.  He had a 2.34 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 142 innings.  His control does become an issue at times, but it is not an uncommon problem for young starters.  Look for him in the next few years to fill in the Cubs always revolving rotation.

RHP Chris Carpenter-  The Cubs wish they had the Cardinals Chris Carpenter, but this one will have to do.  He is a little older for most prospects, at 25, but he had a very solid at Double A.  He is not overpowering and does not have great control, but he knows how to pitch.  He had a 1.96 k/BB ratio but could constantly work out of jams sporting a 3.41 ERA.  He will be nothing better than a low quality starter and shouldn't be on any fantasy radars.

Payroll and Direction

The Chicago Cubs have the third highest payroll in the Majors at just over 142 million dollars. The only two teams with higher pay rolls are the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, who have won a combined 3 World Series since 2004. The Cubs highest paid player is Soriano at 19 million dollars a year. They have dumped far too much money into failing players and it's going to take years for the club to rebound. They are not a playoff team for the 2011 season and they will continue to disappoint some of the best fans in professional sports. The Cubs need to get a lot younger, and quite frankly, a lot better before they make any noise in NL Central division that is gaining more and more respect by the day.