Kuzul

A few seasons ago, the Boston Red Sox had the most dangerous one-two batting punch in the majors with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. With the addition of Adrian Gonzalez and the resurgence of the 35-year-old Ortiz, the Red Sox, once again, have the most potent one-two batting combination of any team.

Ortiz is batting .320 with 15 home runs and 36 RBIs. Gonzalez is doing even better, hitting .338 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs.

The Red Sox have just completed their second consecutive sweep of New York’s other team, the New York Yankees, at that team’s new home. Three-game Boston sweeps didn’t happen too often in the real Yankee Stadium.

Adrian Gonzalez tripled home one run and Ortiz blasted a two-run home run to help the Red Sox to a 6-4 win in the first game of the series. After hitting the mammoth blast, Ortiz flipped his bat, which angered Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Perhaps Mr.. Girardi prefers that a hitter only flips his bat after striking out, as the great Alex Rodriguez did in the seventh inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 6, 2009.

The next night, the Yankees held Ortiz and Gonzalez to one hit in eight at-bats, but the one hit was another Ortiz two-run home run, this one in the first inning, coming off former nemesis A.J. Burnett. It helped Boston to a three-run first inning.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman demonstrated his baseball acumen when he signed Burnett for five years at $16.5 million a year. The fact that Allan James almost always beat the Red Sox was a major factor in the signing.

Much to Cashman’s chagrin, the former farmhand of New York’s most beloved team, the New York Mets, has not won in his last nine starts against the Red Sox, the last eight with the Yankees.

Burnett is 0-4 with an obscene 8.01 ERA over that span.

Brian Hock of Major League Baseball reported that, after the game, Joe Girardi provided the media with his usual sagacious comments.

“It’s not what you want,” Girardi said. “The book is not closed on A.J. here and what’s ahead of us, that’s for sure. He struggled tonight, but that book is not closed—that book is wide open—and he’s going to have another opportunity.”

The final game of the series was delayed for about three hours by rain, but the Yankees management, always putting the fans’ interests first, realized that the reason fans paid to get into the ball park was to see a game, even if it didn’t start until about 11 PM.

C.C. Sabathia started against Yankees nemesis Josh Beckett. The Yankees hadn’t scored a run off Beckett in either of his first two starts against them, but this time, they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. They wouldn’t score again until the ninth inning, when it was much too late.

Sabathia cracked in the seventh inning. Who got it started? Why, David Ortiz of course.

Ortiz singled to right field. Jed Lowrie tripled him home with the first Boston run. After Carl Crawford grounded out, former Met Mike Cameron doubled home Lowrie with the tying run, but the Sox were far from finished.

Jason Varitek, an old catcher who still gets a hit once in a while, singled Cameron to third. Jacoby Ellsbury, who is the kind of player that Brett Gardner would like to be, singled home the lead run.

With two outs, Gonzalez singled home Varitek, and before the inning ended, Boston had scored seven runs.

Ortiz had two hits in four at bats, while Gonzalez had two hits in five at bats.

For the three games, Mark Teixeira had one hit in eight at bats and the great A-Rod had a hit in 12 at-bats.

The Red Sox have the top one-two punch in baseball despite the protestations of the St Louis Cardinals fans, who prefer Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. By the end of the season, they may be proven correct, but Yankees fans should remain silent.

A-Rod and Teixeira won’t top either.

References:

Baseball Reference

Red Sox Beat Yankees 11-6

A-Rod Flips Bat

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the MLB season heads into the dog days of summer, we all sit in anticipation to see what big names will be moved at the deadline.

Will the New York Yankees get their top of the line pitcher? Will the Milwaukee Brewers make another surprising splash like they did in acquiring C.C. Sabathia in 2008?

We will find out soon.

At this point, we can just sit back and hold out hope that our respective teams can keep winning ballgames—pleading that they are in position to make a bold move at the deadline.

On the other hand, it doesn’t always work out as planned—as no one wants to be on the losing end of a bad deal.

We’ve seen many lopsided deals over the last 20 years—although in most cases it takes years to determine the winner.

Here are the 13 Most Lopsided Deals Since 1990.

Begin Slideshow

It’s been 93 years since the Cubs played in Fenway Park. I bet they wish it was longer. 

On the first night of the week without rain, Boston poured it on the Cubs starter Doug Davis with eight hits and seven runs in 3.2 innings. The barrage continue with relief pitcher Scott Maine immediately giving up a two-run bomb to Kevin Youkilis. Maine lasted one-third of an inning while giving up two home runs, five hits and three runs, all earned.

Lefty reliever James Russel came on and put the fire out for three innings, allowing only two hits. If only he could have finished things up for the Cubs. Righty reliever Jeff Samardzija finished things off giving up five runs, three earned with two walks.

Boston starter John Lester scuffled some, allowing 12 hits and five runs, with two walks and five K’s. Scott Atchison pitched the three perfect innings with three K’s to close things out for the Sox. Save for Mike Cameron, all the Sox starters had at least one hit, with Adrian Gonzalez leading the way with four hits and four RBI. Kevin Youkilis (8) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2) homered for Boston.

Saturday will be a prime time affair with Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 2.60) making the start for Boston. He will be opposed by Cubs righty Carlos Zambrano (4-2, 4.89). Tonight’s game will  feature a stab at nostalgia with both teams wearing replica uniforms from the Cubs’ last visit to Fenway, the 1918 World Series.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The roster I am proposing for this article is not a prediction of what I think the final roster will look like.  History has shown that fan voting and other hidden agendas tend to slightly skew the final roster from what it truly should resemble.  Instead, this will focus on who truly deserves to go to the 2011 MLB All-Star game as of right now.  Why right now?  We are almost halfway to the halfway point of the season, that’s why.  All selection rules will apply (i.e. one player from every team, etc.).

Begin Slideshow

On October 4, 2005, the 2010 Texas Rangers took steps to becoming the first team in franchise history to win a playoff series.

Tack onto that another playoff series win, advancing to the World Series for the first time in franchise history and instilling a long-lost hope for baseball in North Texas.

This is the day that general manager John Hart stepped down from his position, leaving 28-year old Jon Daniels in charge of a team that had not reached the playoffs since 1999.

Daniels was given a team with arguably the most talented young infield in the game in  Alfonso Soriano, Mark Teixeira, Michael Young and Hank Blalock.

However, only one of these promising players was on the Rangers World Series roster in 2010.

Let’s take a look at how Jon Daniels’ trade success (and failure) led to a team that came out of nowhere to capture the imaginations of fans across the country.

The Alfonso Soriano Trade

Days after being handed the team, Daniels made his first big trade as GM. It was also one of his worst. Daniels shipped off Soriano to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Brad Wilkerson, outfielder Termell Sledge and pitcher Armando Galarraga.

Wilkerson’s time in Texas was incredibly unfulfilling, leaving Texas after two years with a batting average for the Rangers of .228 while playing in only 214 games out of a possible 324.

Sledge is most remembered in Texas as being involved in another bad Daniels trade, one we’ll discuss later.

Armando Galarraga, unlike Sledge, did find success in the majors, throwing a near perfect game in the summer of 2010—for the Detroit Tigers. Galarraga finished his career in Texas with a 6.23 ERA and was traded to Detroit in 2008 for Michael Hernandez.

All Soriano did for the Nationals was hit 46 home runs while also stealing 41 bases, finishing third in the MVP balloting.

He then went onto a good career as a Chicago Cub being of the select few that can combine plus power and plus speed.

Strike out.

The Adrian Gonzalez Trade

Texas Rangers fans have played the “what if” scenarios over and over again in their heads over this one. A month after the Soriano trade, Daniels got the itch again and dealt the incredibly talented first base prospect Adrian Gonzalez to San Diego along with starting pitcher Chris Young and the aforementioned Termell Sledge. Texas received in return (get ready to cringe) starting pitcher Adam Eaton, relief pitcher Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian.

Adam Eaton had a career ERA of 4.34 with the Padres, never winning more than 11 games in a season before being sent to Texas. As a Ranger he made 13 starts with a 5.12 ERA, leaving after the season.

Billy Killian has been a career minor leaguer for the Rangers, White Sox and Orioles.

The one success from this trade for the Rangers was Otsuka. Otsuka pitched for the Rangers for two seasons, recording 36 saves and owning a miniscule 2.25 ERA. He has not pitched in the majors since 2007.

On the other hand, San Diego found success in Young, who won 33 games over five years, owning an ERA of 3.60.

What happened to Gonzalez? He is now considered one of the best all-around first basemen in the game. He mans first for the Boston Red Sox and has hit over 32 homeruns four of the past five seasons while also hitting for a high average.

Swing and Miss.

The Nelson Cruz Trade

The trade that started to turn things around for the Daniels administration occurred in July of 2006. The Rangers acquired Nelson Cruz, the starting right fielder for their World Series run. Yet Cruz was not the acquisition ranger fans were most excited about.

On July 28, and in the thick of a playoff push, Daniels pulled the trigger on a deal that would send Francisco Cordero, Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench and Julian Cordero to the Milwaukee Brewers for Cruz and highly sought-after Carlos Lee.

Lee was expected to come in and lead the Rangers to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

It was not to be, and Lee bolted south after the season to the Houston Astros. The trade appeared to be destined for disaster early.

After a few years of struggling between AAA Oklahoma City and the big league club, however, Nelson Cruz finally put together all the pieces to his enormous potential at the end of the 2008 season.

He then became an All-Star in 2009 and carried that over into the rangers’ memorable 2010 run. Cruz batted in the heart of a potent Rangers offense and delivered time and time again, with the numbers to back him up.

Although not apparent at first, the Cruz trade contributed overall to the Rangers’ incredible run about as much—if not more—than the next few (higher profile) trades.

The Mark Teixeira Trade

This trade, at the end of Daniels’ career, will be the one he is most remembered for. On July 31, 2007, amidst high speculation, Daniels traded superstar Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves for a group headlined by Jarrod Saltalamacchia signaling to Ranger fans that the team was in full-on rebuilding mode.

Teixeira’s career, before and after the trade, has been one that makes you wonder whether the trade was a success or an epic failure. Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, All-Star appearances, and a bevy of other awards are those owned by Teixeira.

Why trade arguably the best young hitter and defender in baseball at his position for any amount of prospects. The stats show that many high profile prospects fizzle out in the pros and never amount to anything.

Daniels knew that the entire organization needed an overhaul, and the chance to acquire five top prospects for Teixeira was a risk that needed to be taken. If just two of the prospects flourish in the majors, you can count the trade a success. So who was it going to be to succeed and make Daniels look like a genius?

Saltalamacchia? The centerpiece of the deal? If you had to put your money on someone to be the superstar, it would probably be the one that gets the most recognition at the time of the trade.

Well, Salty’s career has been nothing short of disappointing; he has failed to live up to the hype. As a Ranger, he owned a .243 batting average with 19 homers over four seasons. He is now currently residing on the Boston Red Sox roster.

Beau Jones hasn’t seen the majors since the trade and is currently playing for the Rangers AAA affiliate in Round Rock.

Matt Harrison was a highly touted Braves’ prospect at the time of the trade and has had an up-and-down career. He is the Rangers’ No. 3 starter and started the 2011 season 3-0 while going at least seven innings and not allowing more than one run a game.

Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus were both just 18 at the time of the trade—Feliz, a rookie-level right handed fireballer, and Andrus, a shortstop in High-A ball. These names, just prospects at the time, have turned into the crown jewels of the trade.

Andrus was ranked by Baseball America as being the Braves No. 2 overall prospect before the trade and was heralded as a possible Gold Glove defender. Jamey Newberg, noted blogger for the Rangers, made this comparison between Andrus and floundering Rangers prospect at the time Joaquin Arias:

“Andrus shows the plus range, plus arm, and fluid hands that Arias has always shown, not to mention the athleticism and promise of offensive productivity as his body matures. He exhibits an advanced ability to use the entire field with the bat, his walk rates are unusually good, and he’s an instinctive player in all phases.”

While Arias, who was chosen over Robinson Cano by the Rangers in the Alex Rodriguez trade, has failed, Andrus has fulfilled much of the promise at a very young age.

Andrus has developed into one of the more exciting players in the game with his incredible range and arm at shortstop. He gets to balls up the middle that have never been gotten to before from other Ranger shortstops. He is a Gold Glove winner waiting in the wings for the baseball community to stop their obsession with Derek Jeter.

Feliz, the 2010 American League Rookie of the Year, has fulfilled all the promise—and then some—for the Rangers. Newberg also wrote this about Feliz at the time of the trade:

“In 29 innings last year, Feliz used a mid-90s fastball that reportedly touches 98 with late life, plus a still-immature slider and change, to hold hitters to a .192 average — and no home runs — issuing 14 walks and punching out 42 hapless opponents. He was at his best down the stretch, logging 11 scoreless innings in four August appearances, scattering four hits and one walk while fanning 15 hitters. At the conclusion of the season, Baseball America judged his fastball to be the best in the entire Braves system, despite just 39 innings of work in his two pro seasons combined.”

Taken from the same article by Newberg, Baseball Prospectus said, “”This is a teenager with a lightning arm who could turn into a frontline starter or a dominant closer, but right now, he’s a teenager with a lightning arm.”

Nail on the head. Feliz has been a lights-out, shutdown closer and set-up man for Texas since his call up in 2009. He owns a .232 ERA and 47 saves while striking out over a batter an inning.

The future is bright for young Feliz, whether as a shutdown closer or future ace of the staff.

The Cliff Lee Trade

The 2010 season was unlike any other in Rangers history. Coming into the season, the Mariners were the talk of the American League West by boasting two of the best pitchers in baseball in Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, and the best defense on paper. The A’s were young and talented but still seemed a year away, and the Angels were the incumbent west champions and favorites to repeat.

The Rangers, full of young talent in Andrus and then-setup-reliever Neftali Feliz, were ready to take the next step in their rebuilding process—which began with the Teixeira trade three years prior.

Coming off a scorching hot June, The Rangers found themselves in first place in the west with a growing fan base. All of a sudden, the Rangers had gone from a cellar-dwelling franchise to a playoff contending team—seemingly over night to the rest of the baseball community.

Jon Daniels, however, was not happy with just a playoff contending team, and neither would the emerging fan base. Enter Cliff Lee.

Approaching July 9, it was all but assured that the Yankees would trade top prospect Jesus Montero—along with others—to the Mariners in exchange for Lee. But with the Mariners coveting Rangers first-base prospect Justin Smoak, Daniels and the Rangers come out of nowhere to land Lee and immediately turning the Rangers into serious World Series contenders.

Daniels sent Smoak along with pitchers Blake Beaven and Josh Lueke and infielder Matt Lawson to the Mariners in exchange for Lee and Mark Lowe. Newberg responded to the trade with:

“That Texas landed baseball’s best left-handed pitcher, a proven big game warrior on a short list of the league’s best pitchers, period, without giving up Perez or Scheppers or Holland or Hunter or Ogando is sort of stunning. I understand that Seattle was targeting a young hitter. But I’m still having trouble getting my head wrapped around a deal for a pitcher like this where you part with a young blue-chip position player but don’t have to dip into what is a very deep top tier of your pitching prospect stable – and that’s without even considering that you had to have the Mariners put cash into the deal, something other teams wouldn’t have insisted on.”

In the future, Justin Smoak will be an All-Star for a long time as a Mariner. Everyone in the Rangers organization knew this. But when you feel you’re one piece away from competing for a title, these are the risks you take. There will be many-a-game when Rangers fans will watch Smoak trot around the bases and think about what could have been. But the goal was to reach the playoffs and win a series for the first time in franchise history.

Mission accomplished.  

Jon Daniels has overcome ugly trades early-on in his career to become one of the most talented general managers in all of baseball. Through these trades, Daniels landed Andrus, Cruz, Lee and Feliz while also making room on the roster for second baseman Ian Kinsler.

This is not a concise list of all of Daniels’ successes and failures though. 2010 MVP Josh Hamilton was not even mentioned. Nor was the inability of Daniels to pull the trigger on a trade that would have sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to the Rangers instead of the Red Sox.

Whether he remains in Texas or moves on to other opportunities, Daniels has engraved a winning attitude on this team and this community and will forever be remembered as the architect of the first American League champions in franchise history.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn’t won a game for the Boston Red Sox in a long time.

In his first start of the 2011 season, the Red Sox were defeated Wednesday night by the Cleveland Indians, 8-4. Matsuzaka pitched five innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs.

His last winning start was on September 2, 2010, against the Baltimore Orioles.

Matsuzaka’s struggles are consistent with those of his team, as the Red Sox are winless in their first five games of the 2011 season.

Coming into the 2011 season the Red Sox made headlines with the signings of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. It was suggested the team would’ve made the postseason last year if not for the multitude of injuries they suffered.

Boston’s lineup looked poised to make a deep run into the postseason this season, and the Red Sox were considered the favorites by many to win the AL East and the World Series.

Rosters don’t win baseball games.

Carl Crawford isn’t quite living up to his $142 million contract. He has a miserable .211 batting average and six strikeouts. He has attributed his hitting slump to a lack of timing and plans to get in the batting cage to work it out.  

The Red Sox have had a disastrous start, losing all five games so far this season, but Adrian Gonzalez has been worth the money. He’s batting .350 and slugging .600 with five RBI.

Gonzalez hit his first home run of the season against the Indians, but it wasn’t enough for Boston to get their first win.

The bullpen couldn’t keep the game within reach.

Matsuzaka left the game with the Red Sox trailing 3-2. Dennys Reyes and Dan Wheeler gave the game away in their relief appearances.

Reyes had a 16.20 ERA allowing three earned runs on only 12 pitches. Wheeler made it a full inning before being pulled with an 11.64 ERA after giving up a sixth inning home run to Asdrubal Cabrera.

The season is far from over, and Boston has plenty of time to rebound from their early struggles. Although it is still possible for them to win the AL East and eventually win the World Series, it isn’t probable.

No team has started a season 0-5 and went on to win a World Series.

If the Red Sox don’t win a game soon, it may be worth it to have Gonzalez come out of the bullpen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Although the Red Sox began the 2011 season with an embarrassing three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers, the Sox still have plenty of time to validate the media’s enormous expectations and secure a playoff spot.

However, in order to emerge victorious from a competitive American League East, the Sox must step back from the spotlight and focus on winning each individual game.

With a healthy and rejuvenated group of veterans, two superstar free agents acquisitions in Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, and a newly bolstered bullpen, the Sox are loaded with talent and can compete with any team in the league.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if the Sox can combine their enormous talent with the camaraderie and focus it takes to win the division. 

Begin Slideshow

Well, now that most of our NCAA brackets resemble the Libyan Air Force, we can move onto something that can provide some much needed optimism: fantasy baseball. What would the start of the season be without a rankings list?

There will be some familiar faces, but also some surprises. In the interest of brevity and fairness, the list will include just 20 players, (10 position, 10 pitchers) in rank order. That will probably only account for the first two rounds in most leagues, but this list will aim to help you avoid becoming message board fodder.

(Those dismayed by the absence of their favorite players on the, please contact your state legislator or Devan McClaine at devo1d@yahoo.com. We can talk/hug this thing out…) On to the list.

1. Albert Pujols, 1B St. Louis Cardinals

Shocker. I’m sure collective minds have just been blown. It isn’t a sexy pick, but how can you go wrong with the three-time N.L. MVP? Not only is he durable, but remarkably consistent. Take a look at Pujols’ stats over his career. He has had an OPS over 1.000 in all but two of his 10 major league seasons, (when he managed a woeful .955 and .997 in 2002 and 2007 respectively), has averaged 40 home runs and 123 RBI over that span.

If that isn’t enough, we’re talking about a guy who has never missed more than 20 games in a season, had 30 steals over the last two years, is in a contract year, and just turned 31 years old.

Again, sexy like Will Ferrell’s body, but easily the most reliable and consistent player available. The Machine is a bona fide number one pick. Don’t downplay the contract year. We have never seen Pujols in this situation and weird things (like 50 bombs and 140-plus RBIs) happen when people feel like they have something to prove. I wonder what Charlie Sheen would do in a contract year? Wait…

2. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B Boston Red Sox

Gonzalez moves from cavernous Petco to a park that is tailored for his opposite field power. Gonzalez relied on the likes of Will Venable and Scott Hairston to drive in and Yorvit Torrealba to protect him. In 2011, those names will be replaced by Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youiklis in front of him and a revitalized David Ortiz protecting him. This should add up to a monstrous 2011 for Gonzalez.

In his five-year career, Gonzalez has never missed more than six games in a full season and, despite playing home games in a park that could host a NASCAR race, managed more than 100 HRs over his last three seasons. The 27-year-old’s patient approach (93 BBs, .393 OBP in 2010) is a perfect fit for the Sox and could spell trouble for A.L. pitching staffs. While he is an unproven commodity in his new league, moving from Petco to Fenway and the surrounding talent should pay dividends for fantasy owners.

3. Hanley Ramirez, SS Florida Marlins

Probably the most gifted of any player in the top 10, Ramirez can do anything on the field. Although he ran into questions about his attitude and desire last season, the 27-year-old has a 30-30 season and a batting title in his five year career.

Ramirez will be asked to carry the offensive load in Miami, the fish lost slugging double-play partner Dan Uggla to division rival Atlanta. It remains to be seen how much help phenom Mike Stanton will provide in the middle of the order. In any case, the only thing stopping Ramirez is himself. Despite the questions, Ramirez is good for an average above .300, 25-30 HRs, 100-plus RBIs, 100 runs and 25-30 steals. Nothing wrong with that.

4. Joey Votto, 1B Cincinnati Reds

Votto realized his full potential last year, capturing the NL MVP with a fantastic season. The Reds first baseman posted a .324 BA, 37 HRs, 113 RBIs, 1.024 OPS and a surprising 16 stolen bases at first base. While Votto plays in a hitter-friendly park, some may be surprised to find that the Canadian hit 52 points higher and slugged 19 of his 37 home runs on the road in 2010.

Votto still has protection in the lineup, and could receive more if talented Jay Bruce continues the pace he set after the break last year. If Votto can maintain the stolen bases and improve his already impressive patience at the plate, he could vault even higher on the list. The 27-year-old has entered his prime and should stay there for a while. Draft high and enjoy.

5. Carlos Gonzalez, OF Colorado Rockies

Gonzalez exploded last year, much like the head of every Oakland A’s fan after reviewing the trade that brought him to Colorado. Whether it is Coors Field or not, Gonzalez flirted with the N.L. Triple Crown last year with a .336 BA, .974 OPS, 34 HRs, and 113 RBI. Oh, he also swiped 26 bases, all while missing 17 games.

Some prospective owners may be scared off by Cargo’s road splits, which would be totally understandable, if he didn’t hit .380 with 26 HRs with a 1.161 OPS at Coors, where he still plays 81 games. Well, hopefully.

The biggest concern for Cargo may not be his record away from Coors, but his all-out style of play, which cost him some time last year. That said, Cargo’s massive upside still makes him a top 10 pick.

6. Miguel Cabrera, 1B Detroit Tigers

You drink, you drive, you lose…unless you can hit 30-plus bombs and drive in 100-plus runs perennially. Despite a Lohanian spring training, Cabrera still ranks in the top 10 because of his age (27, there seems to be a theme developing…) and consistency.

Let’s get real, it’s not like Cabrera’s drinking problem has hindered him in the past. Since breaking into the bigs in 2003 and helping the Marlins to a World Series, Cabrera has averaged 30 HRs, 109 RBIs and a .939 OPS. In 2010, Cabrera posted career highs in HRs (38), RBI (126), BBs (89), OBP (an A.L. leading .420) and OPS (1.042).

Cabrera is still the main cog in Detroit’s lineup, which now features Victor Martinez and uber-talented Austin Jackson in his second season.  If he continues to produce the way he did last year, Cabrera will have fantasy owners volunteering as designated drivers. It’s a win-win for everyone!

7. Troy Tulowitzki, SS Colorado Rockies

Tulo is a reluctant addition to the list. Like his teammate in Colorado, Tulo is a streaky hitter, injury prone, and has limitless potential. A notoriously slow starter, Tulowitzki caught fire in September, mashing 15 of his 27 HRs in the last month of the season. The downside? He also missed 40 games. However, it’s that September performance, and his second half splits in general that will keep the former Long Beach State star in the top 10 of most drafts.

If he can stay healthy, and that’s a big if, who knows what Tulo is capable of. In 2009, one of two seasons he has played at least 150 games, the 26-year-old shortstop had 32 HRs and 20 SBs with a .930 OPS. If anything, try to trade for him in the second half, he can be invaluable to a championship push. If you can stomach the streakiness, injury risk and propensity for mullets (for the kids), Tulo is the man for you.

8. Carl Crawford, OF Boston Red Sox

Crawford isn’t exactly a stranger to most fantasy owners, but his new perch at the top of the Sox lineup will undoubtedly raise his profile and fantasy value. Crawford has always been a speed demon and should continue that role in Boston’s stacked lineup.

In addition to stealing 45-plus bases in seven of his eight full major league seasons, Crawford has managed over 200 doubles, 100 triples and 100 HRs over that span. Expect Crawford’s power numbers to rise in Fenway. Couple the power surge with his stolen bases, and you have a premium player batting second in one of the most potent lineups in baseball.

As stated before, Crawford’s new teammates will help him anchor a spot on this list. No disrespect to Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton, but I will take the likes of Youkilis, Gonzalez and Big Papi behind the 29-year-old left fielder. Barring injury, you can sign Crawford up for a .300-plus BA, 120-plus runs, 45-50 SBs and an OPS in the .850 range. 

9. David Wright, 3B New York Mets

The face of the franchise adjusted nicely to the dimensions of Citi Field last year. After a punchless 2009, in which Wright hit 10 home runs in 144 games, the 29-year-old third baseman matched his age in dingers last year. Add to the fact that Wright is usually good for about 20-25 stolen bases as a corner infielder, and there is no reason this side of Jason Bay missing 57 games, to keep Wright out of the top 10.

If Wright can get any help his teammates, particularly the overpaid Bay, he should have similar numbers this year. If not, Wright may press like he did in 2009, when he posted career lows in slugging (.447) and OPS (.837). Jose Reyes’ return to health should also spell more RBI opportunities for Wright. In any event, the fact that Wright hit more home runs (12) at home last year than he did in all of 2009 is encouraging.

10. Ryan Braun, OF Milwaukee Brewers

Braun gets the nod over Rays‘ third baseman Evan Longoria and Yanks’ second baseman Robinson Cano because a) his track record, b) we already have a mullet aficionado on the list and, c) anytime you can take a swipe at the Yankees, you do it.

The Hebrew Hammer has had a DiMaggio-like beginning to his career. In four seasons, the 27-year-old (there it is again!) has hit 128 home runs with a .918 OPS. Braun will also be locked in because he knows friend and celebratory sparring partner Prince Fielder may be gone at the break.

There is an incentive for both to keep the train rolling as long as possible. Fielder is looking for a big contract before he eats his way out of baseball and Braun wants to keep the only help he has around until he can ditch Milwaukee in 2016. Isn’t it weird how 2016 still looks like it belongs in Blade Runner or a Terminator sequel? I digress…

Bottom line, Braun had an “off year” last year and still managed a .304 BA, 25 HRs, 14 SBs, 100-plus RBIs and an OPS of .866. Expect him to return to 2007-2009 form. His patience at the plate has steadily improved and he has cut down his strikeout rate in each of his four seasons.

1. Roy Halladay, SP Philadelphia Phillies

If you like pitchers that throw 220-plus innings with 200 Ks and an ERA below 3.00, then Doc is your Huckleberry. After a stellar 2010, in which Halladay captured the NL Cy Young and threw a perfect game, Halladay anchors the best rotation ever put on paper in 2011.

Although Halladay is entering his 14th season, he is only 33. Despite the wear and tear of nearly 2300 innings, Doc appeared to be getting stronger last season, posting an otherworldly 8-to1 K/BB ratio and a WHIP just above 1.0. Halladay had the best season of his career despite playing in Philly. His approach has remained the same; dominating hitters with pinpoint control of a nasty two-seam sinker, four-seamer, cutter and knuckle-curve.

It’s no secret that Halladay doesn’t beat himself (30 BBs in 33 starts), however, his win total could be hurt by the Phillies offense, which is past its prime and struggled last year. Needless to say, we know Doc will be among the league leaders in nearly every peripheral stat across the board.

2. Tim Lincecum, SP San Francisco Giants

After the first rough spell of his career last year, The Freak was lights out in October, helping the Giants to their first World Series title in 56 years. Although his velocity has dropped, Lincecum has learned how to pitch. When he entered the league in 2007, Lincecum relied heavily on a 95-plus mph fastball and power curve. Since, he has added a lethal changeup, (maybe the best out pitch in baseball), and an above average slider that vacillates between mimicking a slurve and a cutter.

He still throws the curve to keep hitters off balance, which he has done well, leading the league in strikeouts the last three seasons. The 26-year-old righty can throw four legitimate pitches in any count and get you out with all of them.

While some may point to Lincecum’s regression last year as a true indication of where his abilities lie. Let’s keep in mind he had half a year with rookie catcher Buster Posey, added a slider and showed up to spring training  this year with some added muscle.

Any pitcher listed at a generous 5’11” and 170 lbs. needs all the bulk he can get. Despite his diminutive stature, Tiny Tim has pitched over 210 innings in each of his three full seasons.

The league finally adjusted to the two-time N.L. Cy Young Award winner last year, and he adjusted right back. We know Lincecum is good for 230-plus Ks, but look for his ERA and WHIP to return to 2008-2009 form, when he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

3. Felix Hernandez, SP Seattle Mariners

While there was some debate (Read: MLB Network) about handing the 2010 AL Cy Young to a pitcher with 13 wins, there was no argument about the season King Felix had last year. The 24-year-old right hander led the league in ERA (2.24), innings pitched (249.2), while finishing second in WHIP (1.05) and one strikeout (232) from the American League lead.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Harold Reynolds, but if you have a season like Hernandez’ 2010 campaign, I don’t care if you go winless, you still deserve the Cy Young. I can actually feel myself digressing…gross.

Everyone knew that Hernandez had great stuff; an electric fastball in the 94-96 mph range, a plus curve, slider and changeup. What people forget is that The King is only 24. He could claim the number one spot on the list if “he learns how to win,” or if his team “learns” how to put up more than 0-2 runs in nearly half of his starts, as the sagging M’s did last year. Remember that this is a guy who went 19-5 in 2009, maybe he forgot how to win, Harold.

Hernandez is as durable as he is nasty, making at least 30 starts in each of his five complete campaigns. King Felix is hopeful that the M’s offense won’t be as bad as they were last year. One thing you can count on is the strength of Hernandez’ peripherals, along with the statistical ineptitude of a former Seattle second baseman.

4. Jon Lester, SP Boston Red Sox

While pitchers are as comfortable at Fenway as Newt Gingrich at a transgender cabaret, Lester managed an excellent 2010. The 6’4″ 240-pounder matched his career best in strikeouts (225), WHIP (1.20) and led the A.L. in K/9 (9.7). Lester also surrendered a paltry 14 bombs to opposing batters. We know his win total will be bolstered by a speedy outfield and solid infield who are equally capable at the plate, making him an early favorite for the 2011 Harol…A.L. Cy Young.

The 27-year-old southpaw has already overcome lymphoma, endearing him to The Nation forever, but he came into his own as a dominant frontline starter last year. The scary thing is he could get even better. Lester improved his K/9 ratio and WHIP in the past couple of seasons. The only concern may be Lester’s increased walk total (83) compared to the previous two seasons (130 combined). Lester works off his four-seam fastball and features a plus curve and cutter, all of which can be swing-and-miss type pitches.

5. Cliff Lee, SP Philadelphia Phillies

Lee was dominant in the 2010 postseason until his ERA ballooned to nearly seven in the Fall Classic. Prospective owners should not be scared off by the postseason performance. Keep in mind that Lee surrendered a total of 18 walks between Seattle and Texas last season. The strike throwing machine also led the A.L. in WHIP (1.00), BB/9 (0.8) and K/BB per 9 (10.28). The latter stat may be more indicative of Lee’s control than strikeout ability, but the 32-year-old lefty also set a career high with 185 stakeouts last year.

Lee joins Roy Halladay at the top of The Phils’ formidable rotation, but the concerns are the same for both: support from the Phillies position players, both at the plate and in the field. Lee attacks the strike zone with an array of six pitches, but works predominately off his two-seam fastball. He also has a filthy cutter, and mixes in a curve and changeup, a plethora that even El Guapo would appreciate.

6. Clayton Kershaw, SP Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw is coming off breakout season, in which the 23-year-old lefty posted career bests in innings pitched (204.1), strikeouts (212) and WHIP (1.17).  Kershaw’s walk total remained relatively high (81), but opposing batters only managed to hit .214, while he surrendered only 13 home runs.

The Claw will again seek to grab the spotlight in the pitching-heavy N.L. West and will do so with a repertoire that features a fastball in the mid-90s and a devastating 1-to-7 curve. Kershaw lived up to the hype last year and there is no reason he can’t build on it this year.

7. Josh Johnson, SP Florida Marlins

Johnson just looks like a pitcher. Last year, he acted like one. Johnson missed the last month of the season due to back problems, but finished with an N.L. best 2.30 ERA. Johnson also compiled 186 strikeouts, a 1.10 WHIP and allowed just seven home runs. The 6’7″ 250-pound horse has improved his ERA and WHIP each of the last four seasons.

The primary concern for the 27-year-old righty has always been health. Johnson has only made 30 starts twice (28 last year) in the last five seasons. However, it’s Johnson’s upside and overpowering four-seamer, (94.9 mph on average), improving slider and changeup make him worth the gamble. If you can bolster a staff with other reliable starters in later rounds, Johnson may be worth the reach.

8. C.C. Sabathia, SP New York Yankees

If Johnson presents an injury risk, then Heavy-C is anything but. Both are 6’7″ (with slightly different dimensions), but the similarities end there. The 30-year-old lefty has made at least 30 starts in nine of his ten seasons, his career-low is 28.

While C.C. may never recapture the strikeout form he had in 2008, when he had 251, he will log innings and give you around 200 punch outs every year. Sabathia can also help you in the Harold Reynolds Win Metric (the best around for judging the true performance of pitchers). Sabathia is backed up by a lineup that puts runs on the board, so 20-plus wins are never out of the question.

Sabathia tied his career-high in home runs allowed (20) last year, but that may be due more to Yankee Stadium and the A.L. East than a decline in stuff. C.C.’s durability and consistency make him worthy of a top spot on any fantasy staff.

9. Justin Verlander, SP Detroit Tigers

Although Verlander wasn’t as strong as he was in his previous season, 219 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP are nothing to sneeze at. Verlander is one of the game’s true power arms, throwing a four-seam fastball that can reach triple digits and averages 95 mph. The return to form erased all concerns of arm trouble when Verlander’s velocity dropped in 2008.

Despite the overwhelming fastball, Verlander has remained remarkably healthy, logging at least 30 starts in every one of his five complete seasons. Despite the dip in strikeouts, Verlander lowered his home run total and improved his WHIP over 2009, when he finished third in the A.L. Cy Young vote.

Verlander works primarily off the four-seamer, but can also come at hitters with a solid curveball and changeup. Verlander also added a slider in 2009.

10. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP Colorado Rockies

There is no denying that Jimenez’ second-half regression last year is a concern. But if you start the season 15-1, with a 2.20 ERA and, most importantly, a .252 BABIP, there is nowhere to go but down. Jimenez fell in love with his fastball in after the break, which is understandable, anything that reaches 100 mph and averages 96.1 is very likeable. You could easily be “more than friends” with such a fastball.

As a result, Jimenez actually upped his K/9 (8.0 to 9.6), but became more predictable in the process. The return to the league norm in BABIP didn’t help either. However, it’s that strikeout rate and velocity that kept the likes of David Price, Chris Carpenter and Roy Oswalt from this spot.

The truth is that Jimenez is probably somewhere in between his pre and post-break performances last year, and that’s fine. If he trusts his secondary stuff, he could resemble the guy we saw in the first half of 2010. Those secondary pitches include a splitter that falls off the table and a changeup that resembles most pitchers’ fastball. The guy has no-hit stuff, literally.  If he can mix his pitches better, Jimenez could easily rise on this list.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Without question, first base is the deepest position for everyday players, and you should expect the top seven or eight first basemen to be drafted in the first two rounds of your 12-team league.

Some players on our list played 10-19 games at first base in 2010, which means the player may or may not qualify as a first baseman in your league. For example, Yahoo! leagues require a player to appear in at least ten games at that position in the previous year. Whereas for ESPN leagues, the requirement is 20-plus games.

As a result, based on the lower eligibility requirements, first base is even deeper for participants in Yahoo! leagues than those participating in ESPN leagues.

Here are the top 20 fantasy first basemen for 2011:

1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals: Through ten seasons, Pujols has had career lows of .312 batting average (2010), 32 home runs (2007) and 103 runs batted in (2007). While that is the worst-case scenario, a typical (average) season for the career .331 hitter is 41 home runs and 123 runs batted in.

2. Joey Votto, Reds: While first base is loaded with talent, Votto finished no lower than top-five in all five standard rotisserie categories. The reigning N.L. MVP set career-highs in runs scored (106), home runs (37), runs batted in (113), steals (17) and batting average (.324) as well.

3. Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox: During his five years as a Padre, Gonzalez hit .267 and 57 home runs (one per 24.7 at bats) with 201 runs batted in at home. On the road, however, Gonzalez hit .307 and 104 home runs (one per 15.1 at bats) with 300 runs batted in. The change of scenery can only do Gonzalez some good despite finishing 2010 with an average of .298, 31 home runs and 101 runs batted in.

4. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: Over the past three seasons, only two first basemen have hit over .300 with 100 home runs and 350 runs batted in: Cabrera and Pujols. If it weren’t for his alcohol problems highlighted by his run-in with the law in February, Cabrera would have been ranked ahead of all first basemen not named Albert Pujols.

5. Mark Teixeira, Yankees: Teixeira, who hit a career-low .256 in 2010, hit .280-plus every season and over .300 three times from 2004 to 2009. With seven consecutive seasons of 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs, you know what you’ll get in the power department from Teixeira. But will Teixeira hit .256, .280 or .300?

6. Prince Fielder, Brewers: Last year, Fielder set a four-year low in home runs (32) and runs batted in (83) while hitting a career-worse .261. The year before, Fielder set career highs in runs batted in (141) and average (.299) while posting the second-highest homer total (46) of his career. Splitting the difference would be 39 home runs, 112 runs batted in and a .280 average. Sounds good to me.

7. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: Over the past five seasons, Youkilis has not played more than 147 games in any year. Provided he stays healthy for a full season, Youkilis could/should put up around or more than 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, 30 homers while hitting .300. His bigger value will come once he gains eligibility at the much more talent-scarce position of third base.

8. Ryan Howard, Phillies: Over the past five years, no player has more home runs (229) or runs batted in (680) than Howard. In addition, Howard leads the majors in strikeouts (922) during that span.

9. Adam Dunn, White Sox: From 2004 to 2010, Dunn has hit 38-plus home runs and driven in 100-plus runs six times (the ‘off’ season of 2006 was 92 RBIs). Trading in a half-season of games in Washington for U.S. Cellular Field can’t hurt Dunn’s power production and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Dunn lead baseball in home runs. However, will he hit .260-plus for a third straight season?

10. Justin Morneau, Twins: Although he hasn’t played a regular-season game since suffering a concussion in July, a full season from a healthy Morneau would make him a huge bargain at this spot. Morneau played exactly one-half of a season (81 games) last year and hit .345 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Before last season, Morneau drove in 100-plus runs for four straight years and hit 30-plus homers in three of those seasons.

11. Buster Posey, Giants: As one of the top three catchers in our fantasy rankings, however, you will more likely use Posey as your team’s catcher despite his eligibility at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy has stated that Posey will get full days off when he’s not catching, which means a season of around 135 games. That said, Posey should hit around .300 and 20 home runs in 2011.

12. Billy Butler, Royals: If there’s one thing you can bank on from Butler, it’s his strong batting average. Whether we see a power surge from Butler remains to be seen, but he’s only 24 years old and has hit the most doubles (96) in baseball over the past two years combined. If only he could turn a few of those doubles into homers…

13. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: With 11 games logged at first base in 2010, Sandoval may be eligible at first base in your league. He disappointed in the follow-up performance to his breakout season of 2009 (.330 average, 25 homers, 90 runs batted in). Sandoval, who is only 24 years old, could be primed for a bounce-back season after losing weight in the off-season and shortening his swing.

14. Paul Konerko, White Sox: It’s unlikely that Konerko will duplicate his 2010 numbers (.312 average, 39 home runs and 111 runs batted in). Then again, only five other players hit .300-30-100 or better last season. Three of those other five were first basemen: Pujols, Cabrera and Votto.

15. Kendry Morales, Angels: Morales, who will begin the 2011 season on the disabled list, hasn’t played a game since May 29th. In his only full season or close to it (152 games), Morales hit .306 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in.

16. Carlos Lee, Astros: Ending a four-year streak of hitting .300-plus, Lee posted a career-low batting average (.246) while hitting only 24 home runs (lowest total since 2001) with 89 runs batted in (lowest since 2002). Considering Lee also had his lowest BABIP (.238) of his career in 2010, an improvement over last season seems reasonable.

17. Aubrey Huff, Giants: Last year, Huff hit .290 with 26 home runs and 86 runs batted in. Huff, who is a career .283 hitter, should hit relatively close to .290 again although I would be surprised to see him exceed his home run total from 2010.

18. Carlos Pena, Cubs: The good news? Pena will go yard in one out of every 13.4 (or so) at bats, which was his average during his four years in Tampa. The bad news? He got a hit in less than every five at bats last season. (Take small consolation in the fact that only Aaron Hill had a lower BABIP in all of baseball than Pena last year.) The moderate news? He was tied for 11th in baseball in walks (87) last year so his on-base percentage isn’t horrible if that helps you.

19. Adam Lind, Blue Jays: After a breakout season in 2009 (.305 average, 35 homers, 114 runs batted in), Lind disappointed fantasy owners in 2010 (.237-23-72). Not only did he hit .174 and .156 last May and June, respectively, but he hit only one home run in 90 at bats during June. Perhaps his better second-half performance and solid spring (hitting .341 through 16 games) bodes well for Lind.

20. Adam LaRoche, Nationals: LaRoche is a career .295 hitter that hits a homer every 18.3 at bats. In the second half, that is. LaRoche is notorious for his poor first-half performances (career .252 hitter and homer every 24.8 at bats before the All-Star break) and his (relative) strong performances (noted earlier) after the break.

As we noted above, first base is exceptionally deep. Players outside our top 20, such as Gaby Sanchez (Florida), Ike Davis (Mets), Mitch Moreland (Texas) and Brandon Belt (San Francisco) as a few examples, of players with upside that are viable fantasy options.

Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In auctions, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and Joey Votto are all going to cost you a pretty penny.

Pujols has averaged a price tag of $58.2 throughout the Yahoo! universe, while Cabrera and Votto have found themselves on either side of $50. 

The following are a group of players who pack a solid and consistent power punch in the middle of their respective lineups: Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Marx Teixeira and Prince Fielder.

Depending on the auction, these four go anywhere from the low $40 range, to as high as $50.

For the cost, you’re paying for some of the few players in baseball who consistently generate 35+ home run, 100+ run and 110+ RBI seasons. Batting average potential and slight counting stat variances account for their minute price differentials.

Solid production out of your first base slot is almost a necessity for winning a fantasy title.

Other than sacrificing batting average and taking Adam Dunn, going after a first baseman below the top seven is a risky proposition. 

What follows is a breakdown of these so-called “second tier” first basemen. 

Data Courtesy Of:

Ron Shandler’s 2011 Baseball Forecaster

Yahoo Fantasy Draft Analysis

Fangraphs

Begin Slideshow