Brandon Phillips

Fantasy baseball sees changes in position depth every year. What starts the season as a weak position may finish as the best, and vice-versa. Entering the season there were 11 second basemen ranked in the Top 100 players in mixed formats. 

Entering the 2010 season, the top second baseman in the National League included: Chase Utley (Philadelphia), Dan Uggla (Florida), and Brandon Phillips (Cincinnati).

At the mid-way point of the season, Phillips is making a case to be considered the best. Martin Prado is emerging as a superstar in Atlanta, but does not have all the tools Phillips has.

The chart below clearly shows Phillips is the most complete second sacker in the league.

Through 82 team games (324 at-bats) this season, Reds’ second baseman Brandon Phillips is tied with Boston’s Kevin Youkilis for the major league lead in runs, with 62.

Phillips also has 10 homers and 10 steals at the mid-way point, putting him on pace for his fourth consecutive 20/20 season.

When you are an uber-obsessed fan like me, who watches the majority of the games, you pick up on a few nuances along the way.  Obviously, we don't really know these guys, and who they are as people, but for me, Brandon Phillips has always been a guy with a megawatt smile who built up his career after nearly tearing it apart, but displaying some annoying, almost diva-like tendencies at the same time.

Hot hitting has been the reason for the Reds' success to this point. It may astonish you to know that four of the top 11 batters in the National League wear Cincinnati uniforms.

That is correct. Scott Rolen is currently fifth in the league at .309, Brandon Phillips is ninth at .304, while Jonny Gomes and Joey Votto are tied at 10th, both batting .301.

I haven't researched it but I bet it has been a good while since four Reds have been in the Top 10 in batting this far into the season.

In less than one month, on July 4, Major League Baseball will announce the starters for the annual All-Star Game in Anaheim. Voting from the fans has taken place, which leads to many fan favorites starting the game. However, the starters of the All-Star game should be the absolute best that the league has to offer.

Here is a list of nine players who should get an additional look, as well as some more votes, before the rosters get finalized.

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With the Reds in first place of the NL Central near the end of May, hope is back in Cincy. The only problem is that the Reds may be playing the best baseball they've played in years, but they are not the most complete team in the division. These 5 roster moves, in my opinion, are needed to make the Redlegs a better team. By trading away, trading for, or moving certain players into different spots, it would make the team better defensively, offensively, and chemistry wise. Otherwise known as....a complete team.

The most impressive play, or non-play, of the Mother's Day game at Great American Ball Park came immediately after Cincinnati Reds' rookie sensation, Mike Leake allowed his first legitimate hit in the top of the seventh—a two-out double to Cubs' outfielder Marlon Byrd.

After pitching hitless baseball through the front five, Leake gave up an infield single.  If the official score keeper were a cool dude or dudette they would have ruled it an error.  In reality, the hot grounder off the bat of Starlin Castro was a single.

Brandon Phillips is a good player, one of the best players for the Cincinnati Reds. Yet he continually disappoints fans with his lack of hustle.

Case in point: Tuesday night against the New York Mets.

Phillips laces a pitch off the left- center field wall that ended up taking a weird bounce. Had he been hustling, Phillips would have easily cruised into third with a triple. Instead he admired his hit and managed to only make it to second.

In no way is this a knock against Brandon Phillips. He's the best all-around player on the Reds' roster.

People fortunate enough to watch him regularly know he should be shipped the Gold Glove Award before each of the next 11 seasons.

Phillips easily deserves more than the one he has received, but playing in a small market will do that.

He's got pop. He's got speed. He's got a million-dollar smile, and Cincinnati loves him.

Simply put, he is one of the best second basemen in the majors.