Second is a position with many average players and only a few standouts. There is a few later picks with power that would make good MI choices though.
2009 Second Baseman Rankings in 5x5 leagues
1. Chase Utley – I don’t care if he doesn’t start until May. He is still the best second basemen by a long shot. Knowing his work ethic and ability to play in pain I think he will be back in April and only miss ~20 games at the most. He might miss 30 homers, but will provide in all categories. Make sure your MI, if needed, is a 2B to fill in for any missed time.
2. Ian Kinsler – Another injury risk, but he was on his way to at least a 20/30 season and could have probably exceeded that. He might fight Utley for the top value this year since Utley could miss a few games and he will supply 5 categories.
3. Dustin Pedroia – I wrote an article about Pedroia’s chances of getting 3000 hits and I think following next year this topic will gain more steam if he hits 200 hits again. He worked hard on his power and speed and truly became a five-category player. He isn’t a dominating force for any one stat, but he has become a top 3 second baseman.
4. Dan Uggla – We know what to expect by know from Uggla. 30/100/90/5/.260. Anything more or less would be a surprise. Drafting him here is expecting power at second and knowing what you are going to get.
5. Brandon Phillips – How does a player with a 16% K rate have a career .262 average? His LD% is low, but his BABIP should be above .288. I don’t have a full answer for his limitations, but it’s there. I think he could have a slightly better average in 2009, but don’t count on a jump much above .270. He still is a 20/20 player though as I don’t see his HR/FB being enough to hit 30 homers again.
6. Brian Roberts – I wish we could get the 18 homers back, but he is still on his way to 40-50 steals and 100 runs. I wouldn’t overvalue the steals at MI so don’t grab him to high as he is poor at power and RBI’s.
7. Alexei Ramirez – I love Ramirez and next year he will get a full season of starting at SS for dual eligibility. He should go 20/15 and have good counting stats with an average around .290. I only rank him 7 due to his limited experience and no minor league comparison numbers.
8. Robinson Cano – Could someone have had a worse first half than Cano in 2008? I think the average will return to .300 in 2009, but he won’t reach 20 homers as he has yet to show that level of power and probably will not grow it. He has no speed, but playing for the Yankees should supply plenty of runs and RBI’s.
9. Mark DeRosa – We’re now reaching the average 2B players who aren’t flashy, but will fill your lineup with enough to hold a spot.
10. Howie Kendrick – Injuries and power/speed limitations are the problem with Kendrick. He has yet to reach 10 homers and yet to reach 15 steals. The average will surely be over .300, but can he get his first 400+ PA season.
11. Jose Lopez – We are now truly in the grouping of average 2B. He is not going to get you better than average in any category. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get him.
12. Kelly Johnson – Another consistently average 2B, but with a few less RBI to limit him behind Lopez.
13. Mike Aviles – Talk about an unknown out of nowhere that pleasantly surprised in 2008. He is again average in all categories with a bit of uncertainty after only one season. He is one of the better “five-category” guys this late.
14. Placido Polanco – It’s all about the average when you draft Polanco. If you need to make up some help for a Dunn or Cust you get Polanco for your 2B/MI to even out, but he does not help in much else.
15. Rickie Weeks – He won’t drive in many runs and the average is going to be poor, but he still has that 20 homer power in him somewhere. He will probably go before he is a value, but keep him on the radar.
16. Kazuo Matsui – He should be back to full speed this year without the hemorrhoid problems. I would be surprised if he doesn’t reach 30 steals. He is your typical speedster without power or RBI numbers.
17. Orlando Hudson – Should be a strong bench or MI choice in 2009 as a rare injury struck in 2008, but he won’t dominate and not a huge sleeper.
18. Aaron Hill – Was 2007’s power burst a reality? I don’t think he will reach 17 homers again, but he should reach double digits. His lack of speed is disappointing and keeps him out of the top 15.
19. Freddy Sanchez – He is a lock to be above .290, but his power and speed are empty. He does fill up the runs and RBI’s. He can help when you draft a Dunn or Cust.
20. Mark Ellis – I truly can’t explain his lack of average with a 15.5% career K rate, but he just seems to always have a BABIP that under performs his xBABIP. If his average could reach expected levels he would be worth much more with 15+ homer power and a solid OBP lineup for runs and RBI’s.
21. Jeff Kent – We are entering the final years for Kent and the power is waning, but we could see one more 20 homer season. Middle of the road in other stats though.
22. Akinori Iwamura – We have now reached the grouping you don’t want. This is your last hope and ones you should be grabbing of the waivers for injury uses. No real power or speed here.
23. Felipe Lopez – Lopez once stole 44 bases and hit 23 homers in different seasons. Could he ever put that together in one season and be a 20/40 guy or at this point could he even be a 10/20? I doubt it, but this late he could be someone to keep an eye on.
24. Ronnie Belliard – He has a bat, but enters spring as a possible reserve infielder. I wouldn’t expect him to top his numbers from last year, but he is average across the board.
25. Mark Grudzielanek – I put him here only to get 25, but if you are forced to play Mark then you should draft a new team. He is only a fill-in for the worst scenario.
2009 Catcher Rankings
2009 First Base Rankings
2009 Second Base Rankings
2009 Shortstop Rankings
2009 Third Base Rankings
2009 Outfielder Rankings
2009 DH Rankings
2009 Starting Pitcher Rankings
2009 Closer Rankings
2009 Draft Cheat Sheet 1-100
2009 Draft Sleepers
2009 Draft Busts
I think Alexei Ramirez is due. 20/15? He hit 21 HRs in 480 ABs last year. Sure, there's a possibility of a sophomore slump or pitchers figuring him out, but that guy is for real and still under the radar (as much as a fantasy player can be).
ReplyDeleteYeah I have gotten higher on him, but the lack of track record is always a concern.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see an improved walk rate before I push him any higher and if pitchers give him less to hit will he take the walks or swing at less hittable pitches?