Fantasy Baseball Preview

MLB.com has their Fantasy Baseball preview up and running, and they list out the top 100 players that should be the top draft choices. Really, there are no surprises in the top ten.

Hanley Ramirez	SS	FLA	42	Prime power/speed option worth top dollar.
Albert Pujols	1B	STL	41	Already the best, now with a healthy elbow.
David Wright	3B	NYM	39	Five-tool stud poised to surpass A-Rod.
Alex Rodriguez	3B	NYY	39	Delivers outstanding numbers even in down years.
Jose Reyes	SS	NYM	39	Speedster offers all-category upside.
Ryan Braun	OF	MIL	35	Elite young slugger primed for MVP-caliber campaign.
Miguel Cabrera	1B, 3B	DET	34	Adjustment to AL complete, primed for career year.
Grady Sizemore	OF	CLE	32	Multi-talented stud reaching prime years of career.
Mark Teixeira	1B	NYY	31	Consistent slugger gets prime spot in Yankees lineup.
Josh Hamilton	OF	TEX	31	Could be in store for mammoth '09 numbers.

Maybe the one person who shouldn't be so high is Miguel Cabrera, who did not have that good of a year last year. Yes, he might have adjusted to the A.L. and the Tigers might be meshing better, but I think that his rank is certainly a product of his potential and not his recent production.

If the reports are true on Hanley Ramirez, then he certainly deserves to be #1, even over Albert Pujols, because he can hit for power, average, and can run well, much better than Pujols. Rodriguez certainly deserves to be in the top five despite recent admissions and post-season performances. He is still the all-around standard for season-long performance. Hamilton sneaks into the top ten by virtue of his outstanding 2008 season, including that MONSTER Home Run Derby performance, and he can run well, too. Texeira, well, I might be hesitant to pick him this high until he proves that he can handle the New York glare.

Of course, Grady is The Man in my eyes, and he deserves top ten billing normally, but he had a sub-par year last year, so maybe he shouldn't be so high up. However, should Hafner and Martinez recover their forms and Derosa add a new dimension to the Indians lineup, then he might challenge for the best fantasy acquisition this year.

A couple of good pickups down the list might be players like Ryan Ludwick who had a stellar break-out year in 2008 and benefits from being in the same lineup as Pujols; Chipper Jones, who fell in the rankings due to age and injury; Pittsburg outfielder Nate McLouth, who I've always liked as a catalyst for a young team; and newcomer Chris Davis, the Texas first baseman, who has the potential to be a big-time run producer.

I'm not sure I have the time or inclination to do a Fantasy league this year, but I certainly enjoy ranking the players, and seeing if I can't predict who might emerge as a star.