In The Fantasy Fix's newest series, 2011 Fantasy Baseball Great Debate, our writers discuss two positional players and try to convince you which player to pick first on draft day. In this article we compare the two big bats of Mark Teixeira & Adrian Gonzalez.
If Mark Teixeira were coming off either his 2008 or 2009 season, he would be the popular choice in this little Teixeira-Gonzalez debate. In those two seasons he averaged a .300 average with 36 HR, 102 R, and 121 RBI.
However, Teixeira’s 2010 season was a low BABIP fueled “down” year and as a result, many are not considering him the first round talent he has been in years past. His 2010 BABIP was 35 points lower than his career total, and his HR/FB rate was down three percent from his career average.
So, Tex’s batting average should rebound to at least north of .280 (if not higher), and his homers should top the 35 mark once again. Moreover, more hits means more chances to drive in runs and more chances to be driven in.
All that said to point out that the 2011 version of Teixeira is more likely to be closer to the 2008/2009 Tex than the 2010 Tex. That means .280 plus, with 35 HR, 100 plus R, and 115 plus RBI is a pretty safe expectation for the Yankee.
There is no question that moving away from Petco Park and a pathetic Padres lineup will be good for Adrian Gonzalez, but will it be enough for Gonzo to put out Teixeira-like production?
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