Player |
Pos |
| Buster Posey - San
Francisco Giants - The 5th pick of the 2008 draft
is likely to be handed the starting job coming into 2010
(the Giants did resign Bengie Molina, though) at age 23.
In his short time in the minors he batted .327 and hit
19 home runs with 459 at bats. It helps that he is a very
athletic catcher who could give you solid numbers in doubles,
triples and even steal a handful of bases. |
C |
| Scott Sizemore - Cleveland
Indians - He should replace Polanco as Detroit's
second basemen. Sizemore was named the Tigers’ Minor
League Player of the Year after batting .308 with 17 home
runs and 66 RBI between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo
last season. |
2B |
| Alcides Escobar - Milwaukee
Brewers - The minor league defensive wizard can
now swing a decent bat and steal bases and will be making
a fantasy impact for years to come. He should be this
years Elvis Andrus statistically, but you never know,
he could steal up to 40 bases and be better than Andrus.
He is just 23, so it will be a few yeas before we see
what he can do with a bat, but he is worth a roll of the
dice over some other vanilla shortstops. |
SS |
| David Freese - St.
Louis Cardinals - He has an excellent chance of
being the Cardinals' starting third basemen. He did get
the end of the season call and batted .323 with one home
run, but that was with a mere 31 at bats. In AAA Memphis
he batted .304 and hit 36 home runs with 664 at bats between
'08 and '09. He has the potential to be a .300, 25 home
run hitting third basemen, but that may not happen as
a rookie. |
3B |
| Ian Desmond - Washington
Nationals - He is just 24, but he has been in the
minor leagues for awhile, so he is ready for his crack
at the big leagues. He only batted .259 with his career
2,375 at bats, but did manage 50 home runs and 127 stolen
bases. In his short time up in '09 he hit four home runs
while batting .280 with 82 at bats. The Nats have patched
together an improved lineup and the hopes are Desmond
will be part of it and maybe he can hit 15 to 20 home
runs and steal the same number of bases. |
SS |
| Eric Young - Colorado
Rockies - The 5-9 speed-merchant can be a dangerous
player if he can start and hit for average in the explosive
Colorado offense. He is just 24, yet he already has 309
career minor league stolen bases with 2,219 at bats and
posting a .291 batting average. |
SS |
| Danny Valencia - Minnesota
Twins - The 25-year-old is expected to be in at
third base by seasons-end and will have a shot to win
the job in spring training (Brendan Harris is currently
the starter). He batted .299 with 54 home runs with 1635
at bats in his minor league career. He could be a a.290,
20 home-run-hitter once he is starting. |
3B |
| Alex Avila - Detroit
Tigers - The 23-year-old has pop, but still needs
to work on his hitting to become a starting catcher. The
good news he is playing behind Gerald Laird who can't
hit for power or average, though he is a nice veteran
defensive catcher. |
C |
| Michael Moustakas - Kansas
City Royals - He will not get a shot until later
in the season at best, but the 21-year-old, who is known
for his quick bat, is improving and has a nice combo of
power and speed to make him a future 25 to 30 home run,
15 to 20 stolen base infielder. |
3B |
| Justin Smoak - Texas
Rangers - He will likely spend much of the season
in the minors unless the Rangers get hit with injuries,
but Smoak, the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft, has
drawn comparisons to Mark Teixeira (also a switch-hitter)
by scouts and that is enough to put him on the fantasy
radar. In 2009 he had a great start in AA Frisco, but
then cooled off finishing with a .324 batting average
with 6 home runs before moving to AAA Oklahoma City where
he batted .244 with 4 home runs, so there is still a need
for him to grow. He has good bat speed and above average
power from both sides of the plate and so there is potential
to be a 30 to 40-homer-hitter. |
1B |
| Chris Carter - Oakland
Athletics - He is just 23, so he may not even make
the team, but he has big-time power and that will always
make fantasy owners drool. He bashed 39 home runs in 2008
A+ Stockton and followed that by hitting 26 and batting
.326 in 2009 AA Midland and popped four more home runs
in 2009 AAA. Another one to watch in Spring training and
maybe throwing your last pick at. |
1B |
| Allen Craig - St.
Louis Cardinals - He has is about as good as Freese,
but is about a year behind. In AAA Memphis he batted .322
and hit 26 home runs with 472 at bats in 2009. Finding
a place to start will be his problem, thus he is not draftable
in most leagues. but keep an eye him in NL-only and as
the season goes. |
3B |
