Troy Tulowitzki

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Here’s an early look at the N.L. only 2011 shortstop rankings.

1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies: It’s really a toss-up between Tulo and HanRam. They are both five-category players. I prefer Tulo because of his ballpark and lineup.

The 2011 Colorado Rockies have a lot of potential firepower in their mostly very young lineup.  Jim Tracy has yet to make a final decision on an opening day roster, but in looking at his spring training games so far, piecing a projected lineup together is getting a little easier.

The Rockies have a couple of the game's hottest bats right now and this could be a breakout year for them, which in turn could lead to a very good year for the Rockies.  A few questions remain, but let's take a look at what the Rockies lineup might look like on opening day.

Before we get to my subject for the article, we’re going to take a look at Rockies stud shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

In 2007, he broke out and put his name on the map by hitting .291/.359/.479, 24 home runs, and stealing 7 bases. He battled injuries and a nasty slump in 2008, playing just 101 games and managing a .263/.332/.401 line with eight homers and 46 RBI.

No doubt that all of us who have been playing fantasy baseball for at least a few years have heard of position scarcity.

Over the last several seasons, I think the popularity of this theory has become even greater.

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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Jimmy Rollins hasn't been the same player since his 2007 NL MVP year.  He's struggled to stay on the field.  Before 2008, Rollins played in 154 plus games in each of his first seven seasons.  He's missed the 154 game plateau in two of the last three years.  He played in 137 games in 2008, 155 in 2009, and 88 last season.   

The great thing for the Phillies is that this is Rollins' contract year; money is motivation.  Rollins is 32, so this could be his final opportunity to get a multi-year offer. 

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.

In 2010, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez had what—by his own lofty standards—could be considered a down year.  Hanley "only" batted .300 after hitting .330 or better two of the previous three years.  He "only" hit 21 HRs, the lowest total since his rookie campaign. 

The Colorado Rockies have played baseball for 18 seasons.

It is interesting how many players in their early 30′s are receiving long-term contracts. Relievers in their mid-30′s are getting two year deals, and in some cases three.