Joe Mauer was perhaps the most discussed player among the fantasy baseball community at this time last year, coming off a season in which he blasted 28 HRs (after hitting just 29 HRs in his previous three seasons).
We predicted a regression in the power department, but Mauer failed to even live up to our conservative projections, as the Twins’ catcher reverted back to single-digit power last season.
While Mauer did play 22 games at DH in 2010 (allowing him to pick up some extra at-bats), he failed to dodge the injury bug again, missing several games last September with a knee injury. (Mauer did have minor surgery to fix the problem in December, and should be ready for spring training.)
So what should we expect from Mauer in 2011?
According to The Hardball Times Glossary, the exact formula for BABIP is: (H-HR)/(AB-K-HR+SF).
The major league average for BABIP is usually around .300. In 2009, it was .299. The 2010 season saw the average BABIP fall slightly to .297.
Generally, if a player’s BABIP is well-above the major league average, we can conclude he has experienced some amount of good luck.
However, this is not always true. Some players such as Ichiro Suzuki (career .357) and Joe Mauer (career .344) have a knack for finding holes in the defense, which results in an inflated BABIP...
As part of our journey to watch and score 162 games this season, Tuesday night featured the Orioles/Rays opener in Tampa.
Game No. 3 - Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Adam Jones went 3-for-5 with a single, double, and HR.
Matt Wieters went 2-for-4 with a HR to lead off the sixth. In his first at-bat of the game, the soon-to-be 24-year-old crushed a ball that forced B.J. Upton to the wall in straight away center. I’ve been saying this since last April, Wieters will be a top-25 fantasy player by the end of this season...
In the coming weeks, I will attempt to create the most accurate 2010 big board available. This draft guide will be released 10 players at a time until my top 50 have been revealed.
These lists will take into account past, present and future values based on standard 5×5 H2H settings. As I introduce each player one-by-one, it’s my goal to reveal something you didn’t already know. Feel free to agree or disagree with my rankings, as I’m always up for a healthy debate...
The 2007 season saw breakout campaigns from the likes of Ryan Braun, Carlos Pena, and Fausto Carmona. 2008 brought us the unlikely stories told by Josh Hamilton, Dustin Pedroia, Nate McClouth and Cliff Lee.
2009 was no different, as many players out played their draft day value, making them worthy of this year’s all-surprise team.
Monday, February 7, 2011
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