Fantasy

Selected in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Minnesota Twins, outfielder Ben Revere got his first taste of the Major Leagues in 2010 and could be in line to make an impact in 2011. 

The 22-year-old has shown tremendous speed since making his professional debut, and that could certainly make him an important cog in the Twins lineup.

Before we get into what he can bring to the table in 2011, let’s look at the numbers he posted at Double-A in 2010:

It feels like Howie Kendrick has been considered a potential sleeper for the past 10 years.  While it hasn’t quite been that long, as we enter 2011, his age 27 season, the time has finally come for Kendrick to either put up or shut up.

Known as a high-level average guy in the minor leagues, he has perpetually disappointed since making his debut.  Unfortunately for owners, 2010 was no exception:

As the fantasy baseball season has mercifully drawn to a close, I thought it would be the perfect time to dispense some wisdom and advice for those who are hopelessly hooked on this game.

Call it the Goldilocks Guide, if you will.

Too early for next year, too late for this year.

Just right for those who are wallowing in self pity because they made the playoffs riding Josh Hamilton to that last playoff berth.

Only to watch him break a couple ribs on the eve of the finals.

Prior to 2010 many people thought Billy Butler could take the next step in his development.  People hoped that the power, which was the one true drawback, would finally come around.  He had hit 21 home runs in 2009, with 51 doubles, so there was reason to be optimistic.

Unfortunately, he fell flat, regressing in both numbers:

Late last week the Tigers re-signed third baseman Brandon Inge to a two-year, $11.5 million contract (with an option for 2013).  He showed significant power in 2009, but the numbers just weren’t there last season:

The Reds got decent production from their catchers in 2010 with their trio of Ryan Hanigan, Ramon Hernandez and Corky Miller posting the following numbers:

First base is as deep of a position as any in baseball, though there are injury concerns hanging over a few of the best options in the game.  Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, Kendry Morales and Justin Morneau all have questions due to various injuries.  

How does that affect the rankings?  Let’s take a look at how we currently stand:

Zack Greinke certainly finds himself on the list of players who disappointed in 2010.  After posting a 2.16 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, while striking out 9.5 batters per nine innings in 2009, he was considered one of the elite pitchers in the game.  Unfortunately, his numbers ballooned in 2010:

10 Wins
220.0 Innings
4.17 ERA
1.25 WHIP
181 Strikeouts (7.4 K/9)
55 Walks (2.3 BB/9)
.314 BABIP

Prior to suffering a season ending knee injury, the Washington Nationals’ Josh Willingham showed that he is the same player that he’s been over the past few years.  Just look at the numbers to see how consistent he’s been:

370 At Bats
.268 Batting Average (99 Hits)
16 Home Runs
54 RBI
56 Runs
8 Stolen Bases
.389 On Base Percentage
.459 Slugging Percentage
.304 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Let’s take a preliminary look at the first-round of 2011 fantasy baseball drafts.  This is going to be an extremely fluid list, so don’t take the order as anything set in stone.  As I work on my progressions and really dig into my research, things are going to move, possibly quite dramatically.

With that said, let’s get to the list: