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.

During a four-year period from 2005 to 2008, Jose Reyes was one of the elite players in fantasy baseball, averaging 113 runs, 14 HRs, 66 RBI, a whopping 65 steals and a .287 batting average per season.

Every offseason, teams try to identify their biggest weaknesses and fill them with the best available players, whether it's through free agency or via trade. There were some big additions this year, but which players will have the biggest impact on their new teams?

It isn't always the dollar amounts that dictate talent and there were plenty of bargains to be had.

So let's take a look at who's going to give their respective team the biggest boost in 2011.

Since his debut in 2000, Jimmy Rollins has been the driving force for the Philadelphia Phillies both on and off the field. He's the rare type of ball player that doesn't come along all too often. He has been a vocal leader off the field, and has the talent on the field to back that up.

The Colorado Rockies have had a very productive offseason.  While most of the focus has rightly been on the retention of players like Tulowitzki, Gonzalez, and De La Rosa, the Rockies also brought in players like Ty Wigginton, Jose Lopez and Matt Lindstrom. 

The Rockies will be a dark horse to not only win the West, but also the World Series in 2011.

The question is, what will their everyday lineup look like?

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Last week, I wrote an article entitled MLB Predictions: Boston’s Josh Beckett and 10 AL East Stars Who Will Rebound in 2011, predicting 10 star athletes from baseball’s AL East Division who will fare better in the year ahead than they did in the 2010 season.

I anticipate a return to form for stars like Derek Jeter of New York and Josh Beckett of Boston—elite players who offered uncharacteristically mediocre contributions last year.

The title of the article says it all, Red Sox Nation.  Let's do this.  But first, a few quick ground rules:

Some of the players on this list played part of their careers for other teams, but only accomplishments in a Red Sox uniform will be considered.

The era a player played in will be factored in when considering all statistics.  Players' numbers will be compared to their contemporaries, not just to players from other eras who played the same position.

With all the dollars and little sense being thrown around in baseball these days, it's hard to fathom that a top player is playing at bargain price for a team.

Like youngsters Jason Heyward or Mike Stanton, or closers like Neftali Feliz and Andrew Bailey. Not to mention two top starting pitchers in the game.

But it does happen, and the teams that find themselves with a star player for chump change have good chances of making the playoffs, if not the World Series.

From "Mr. Mariner" to "The Bone," there have been nicknames.

From Arquimedez Pozo's one plate appearance to Edgar Martinez's franchise record 8,678, there have been different lengths of stays.

Since 1977, the Mariners have employed hundreds of players. While not every team has a history rich with players like the Yankees, they all have a large pool of players where you'll find interesting characters who defined the franchise.

This report will be a slideshow ranking each NL East team's best pitcher-hitter combination, so there will be a total of five selections here. The pitcher can be a starter or a reliever, and the hitter can play any position.

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A big market city, such as Boston, comes with big payrolls and even bigger expectations.

Year after year the front office, coaches and fans expect a certain level of excellence from their players. If they do not live up to their potential then it's the general manager's job to find someone who can.

It used to be that most players, especially stars, would start and finish their careers in the same uniform. However, since the introduction of free agency that is now rarely the case.