1B Rankings

Coming up with the top ten 1B in fantasy baseball is a daunting task. It seems fairly simple. The first 8-9 are just a matter of putting them in the right order. Finding the last guy is very difficult. There are at least 3-4 deserving players that could fill out this list. The following is what we came up with after much debate, some screaming, and I think Flynn even cried a little bit. There will no doubt be people that disagree, and feel free to let us know. After all, as Hubert Humphrey once said, “Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent and debate.”

1. Albert Pujols-Should anyone be surprised at this one? He’s the unanimous choice at #1 and has been ever since he entered the league almost ten years ago. The guy gets it done and is the best fantasy baseball player alive right now. He’ll put up elite numbers in all categories with his only “weakness” being steals. The shoulder problems are a distant memory to boot.

2. Miguel Cabrera-How old is this guy, 30? Seems like Miggy has been in the league for ages now, but he’s only 26 years old and has never stopped hitting since he came up. It took him a little while to get used to the move to the AL last season, but after the break he finished with a line of 21 HR, 70 RBI, 42 R and a slash line of .302/.350/601 equaling a .951 OPS. So far this season he’s been very productive hitting 8 HR, 32 RBI, 27 R with a line of .381/.448/.599. He’s walking at about the norm for him (Last season he was a bit less patient) and is striking out far less than the normal. He’s also got a higher GB% and is still successful. Miggy’s BABIP is running slightly higher than normal for him, so look for a bit of a regression on the slash line, but still expect him to hit over 30 HR and have a very good chance of winning the AL MVP and leading in RBIs, while possibly even competing for a batting title. I’d say if there was any one player outside of Pujols and Hanley Ramirez that will absolutely live up to his first round pick, it’s Miggy. Is it just me or do all of this guy’s player photos look like his head is not fitting to his body size? Whatever, he’s still a fantasy monster.

3. Mark Teixeira-When the Yankees paid 180 million clams for Mark Teixeira, they were hoping for an impact bat to slot in the 3 hole ahead of Alex Rodriguez. Through the end of April they were disappointed to say the least. He was hitting a dismal .200 with only 3 HR’s and 10 RBI. What a difference a month makes. So far in May, Teixeira has 8 HR’s and 22 RBI while raising his average up to .250. I can’t say if it is the warm weather, getting acclimated to the Big Apple or A-Rod returning to the lineup, but something has lit a fire under Teix. Championships aren’t won in April, real or fantasy, and that is why Teixeira comes in at #3 in a tough group.

4. Ryan Howard-Ryan Howard is a big bat, no doubt about it. You know you are going to get 40-50 HR’s, and you know you are going to get 120-150 RBI’s. In fantasy these are numbers basically unmatched by anyone. The problem with Howard is that’s where his fantasy value ends. He won’t hit higher then .270 in a good year, his 250+ pound frame won’t steal any bases and he isn’t even a lock for 100 runs scored. Howard will help you in crunch time though. His biggest HR and RBI numbers in his career are in September. If there is any time you need your biggest power bat to come through, it’s playoff time.

5. Justin Morneau-I argued for Morneau at four, but my attempts came up empty. Morneau has started the season on fire. He’s hitting for average, driving in runs, scoring runs, and hitting the long ball at an extremely good clip. This season is shaping up to be a repeat performance of his 2006 season. In the two seasons since, Morneau had a hard time putting together elite average/power numbers hitting only .271 in 07 and only 23 HRs in 08. Don’t forget the man hitting in front of Morneau as well. Joe Mauer and Morneau, otherwise known as the “M&Ms”, form arguably the most potent 3/4 combo in baseball and this only bodes well for Morneau and his numbers as spring turns to summer. I will, however, point out that Morneau is playing over his head power wise. His nearly 20% HR/FB ratio is bound to decrease but he’s still good for 36-38 HRs. This guy is a BEAST.

6. Prince Fielder- This was a tough one for us for about 2.4 seconds. You’ve got Adrian Gonzalez who is hitting the shit out of the ball and you’ve got Prince Fielder who is putting up solid RBI numbers with a little less power than Yo Adrian! After a bit of research, Prince’s supporting cast and division play a big role in his being #6. He’s hit 9 dingers, 39 RBI, 22 R and .270. One could project a line of .270-.280 with 37-40 HR, 70-90 R and anywhere from 125-145 RBI. Prince’s BABIP is a wee bit higher than he’s used to and his GB% is also down a bit, so a regression is certainly possible but don’t expect him to decline too much. Either way, he produces fairly consistent number throughout the season and should be a safe bet from here on out.

7. Adrian Gonzalez – Otherwise known as “Gonzo”, Adrian has gotten off to a shmokin’ start. Some might say that it would be impossible for a player hitting in Petco Park to lead the league in HRs, but Gonzo has made his way to the top of that list, currently tied with Raul Ibanez. Petco is Shitco for hitters afterall! Unfortunately, Adrian is in one of the worst situations in baseball. He has absolutely no help in that lineup and has to deal with numerous pitches outside the zone. Why face Gonzo when you can just walk him and pitch to the likes of Kevin Kouzmanoff or Chase Headley? One thing one must note before jumping the gun and trading for him is that his HR/FB currently stands at a mind-boggling 33.3%. Just to give you some perspective, his career average sits somewhere between 15 and 20%. He’s also hit nine more HRs on the road then at home. Yes, he’s a great source for the longball, but just don’t expect him to continue at this pace. He’ll still be good for 120 RBIs and an average in the .275-.285 range. I’d almost suggest a sell high for him.

8. Kevin Youkilis-Despite the fact that Youkilis shows psychopathic tendencies when he makes an out, he has proven himself one of the steadiest hitters in baseball the last two years. His OBP, SLG% and BABIP are at unsustainable levels. He is reaching base over 50% of the time, but with the lack of a solid bat hitting ahead of him, he isn’t driving in runs at the same pace as last year. Youk should still hit 25 HR and drive in close to 100. If David Ortiz comes out of his slump, or the Sox move a better hitter into the 3 spot, then his RBI numbers could approach last year’s 115.

9. Lance Berkman-Despite having a massive, manly jaw, Lance Berkman has performed rather shit-tastically. He’s hitting a measley .233 but still has some decent power, having poked 8 knocks on the season. Yeah, he’s not driving in many runs and hasn’t stolen any bases (last year was a fluke) or scored much for that matter. You’ve gotta figure that hitting in the sketchy Houston lineup will hurt his RBI and run numbers, but he should hit around 30 HR. He’s got a super low BABIP (roughly .100 away from his career norm) and in order to finish with a line closer to his average, he’s going to put up some pretty fancy numbers in due time. For the month of May, Berkman’s hitting .327 with 3 HR, 12 RBI and a .995 OPS. Look for him to keep this streak up, just don’t expect RBI numbers around his norm.

10. Adam Dunn-Sure, he’s not the sexiest name out there, and yes, he and Ryan Zimmerman are the only good hitters in our nation’s capital, but Mr. Dunn gets it, well, DUNN year after year. Yes, he strikes out more then anyone outside of Ryan Howard, but that means nothing in fantasy and he still remains a guaranteed 40/100 every year. The average won’t be great, but he draws A LOT of walks. For leagues with OPS or OBP, his value is even better.