Rankings/List

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

As we head to Spring Training, all of the major MLB free agents are now off the board. But that doesn't mean we're done seeing big contracts handed out on baseball's Hot Stove.

No big names will be signing with new teams until next winter, but plenty of superstars, solid starters, and scrubs could still work out extensions to lock them up through their arbitration years and beyond.

With spring training having begun, some of the prospects will be trying to earn their spot on the starting lineup, or at least their spot in the 25 man roster. Yesterday we saw the Cole Hamels is due to start the spring training game against the Yankees in Tampa, FL, and Vance Worley is to be the long reliever for that game. With the rotation and bullpen stocked the way that it is, how likely is it that Worley will see major league play time during the regular season?

A well-built house needs two distinct aspects: a great foundation and quality construction.

And while that may be some pretty obvious information, every single major league team also has the same needs.

Can any one pitcher or hitter make a well-built team? Obviously not, but in the same vein, it all begins with the two top players on the mound and at the plate.

Today, let’s take a look at all of the National League teams and rank who has the best hitter-pitcher combo. Again, it takes more than one pitcher and one hitter to make a solid team.

Now more than ever, players are trying to extend their careers for as long as possible, but like everything else, it has to come to an end at some point.

Whether it be an injury, old age or an inability to find a spot on a roster, every player faces the inevitable day in which they file their retirement papers with the MLB commissioner's office.

With spring training right around the corner, a ton of speculation surrounding all 32 ball clubs still lingers in the balance.  

Will the new guys in the clubhouse fit in?  Will season-ending injuries from last year affect team's trying to rebound in a healthy way this year?  Will superstars on teams opt out of their contracts or demand a trade if a contract extension isn't offered? 

These are all questions that major league clubs are facing leading up to spring training.  

Let's take a look each MLB team's biggest worry.  

Spring training is upon us and the first games of the exhibition season are almost here. While the best position players and pitchers in baseball will use this next month to get back into the swing of things and work on their golf game, others will be competing for a job.

Without a doubt, the most interesting battles of the spring come out of the rotation. Because they play every day, the jobs of position players are less secure and the backup shortstop is much more likely to make the team - and play - then the odd man out of the starting rotation.

There's nothing better than finding a pair of favorite sweatpants with a perfect fit.

Albert Pujols needs that. He's done all the Cardinals have asked and exceeded all expectations. In my eyes, I believe he deserves $30 million a season.

Look at what Alex Rodriguez does, and look at what Pujols does.

(Note: Rodriguez's stats are from 2001-2010 because Pujols entered the league in 2001)

Every year, there are a bunch of players who break out during Spring Training and blossom into special talents seemingly out of nowhere to the ordinary baseball fan. Last year's example was Chris Johnson, who dominated during Spring Training, and went on to establish himself as a threat at third base throughout the regular season.

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison to the other players.

Today, the series continues with a look at the No. 2 starters in each rotation.