Fantasy Baseball Top 15 First Basemen for 2011

It’s been quite some time since we have looked at my Top 15 first basemen for standard five-by-five leagues.

There are quite a few players who I am concerned about as we head towards Opening Day, though unfortunately we don’t quite have all the answers yet.

That makes these rankings a little bit tenuous, but let’s take a look at how things currently stand:

1. Albert Pujols – St. Louis Cardinals
2. Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers
3. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
4. Adrian Gonzalez – Boston Red Sox
5. Mark Teixeira – New York Yankees
6. Prince Fielder – Milwaukee Brewers
7. Ryan Howard – Philadelphia Phillies
8. Kevin Youkilis – Boston Red Sox
9. Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels
10. Justin Morneau – Minnesota Twins
11. Adam Dunn – Chicago White Sox
12. Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals
13. Paul Konerko – Chicago White Sox
14. Victor Martinez – Detroit Tigers
15. Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants

Thoughts

• After his arrest for DUI there was justifiable concern that Miguel Cabrera could miss some time early in the season. When it was announced that he was going to be entering professional behavioral counseling, those fears got worse. At this point, however, there doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about. He’s already playing in spring games and should continue to be among the elite players in the game. There’s no reason to downgrade him in the least.
• There are concerns that Kendry Morales may not be 100 percent ready for Opening Day. Mike Scioscia was recently quoted in the Los Angeles Times (click here for the article) as saying, “He has some work to do as far as running, but there’s enough time to get through this process and have him ready for the season. We’re very comfortable with him being with us on opening day.” While that sounds good, he has yet to appear in a spring training game. He won’t need a full slate of ABs, but he could be limited early on. Be cautious, but for now there doesn’t seem to be reason to worry.
• Like Morales, Justin Morneau has not yet appeared in a spring game. He is taking batting practice, but the doctors have yet to clear him to play due to the concussion he suffered in 2010. How long will it last? Time will tell, but like Morales, there is reason to be cautious with him, though there doesn’t appear to be reason for concern at this point. I’d be a lot more concerned if he wasn’t participating at all.
• Adam Dunn, moving to a hitter’s paradise, could be the biggest benefactor if the injuries to Morales and Morneau linger into the start of the season. If Morales and Morneau were healthy, it’s a lot easier of a decision, so I wouldn’t do anything dramatic at this point.
• Adrian Gonzalez in Fenway Park? We all know that the results could be scary. This isn’t a prediction of any sort, but would it surprise anyone if he hit 40 HR with 120-plus RBI in ’11?
• While he falls just outside our Top 15, there certainly is a good chance that Gaby Sanchez holds value in 2011, especially for those in leagues that require a corner infielder. To view my projection for him, click here.
• Will 2011 finally be the year that Billy Butler puts it all together? It’s not like he was “bad” in 2010, hitting .318 with 15 HR, 78 RBI and 77 R, but he certainly needs to take another step forward to justify using him at a deep position. He’s shown flashes of power (21 HR in ’09), and at 25 years old, it shouldn’t be a surprise if he improves in that regard.

What are your thoughts on the rankings? Who’s too high? Who’s too low?

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Make sure to check out our 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• Top 15 Second Basemen
• Top 15 Shortstops
• Top 15 Third Basemen
• Top 30 Outfielders
• Top 30 Starting Pitchers
• Top 15 Closers

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