Third base has become surprisingly thin in recent seasons. While the elite players (Wright, Longoria and perhaps even Rodriguez, Youkilis and Zimmerman) offer fantastic production, the rest of the group offers nothing but questions.
Kevin Youkilis doesn’t have third base eligibility yet, but he’s worth the wait. After a week or two (depending on what site you play on), he’s the fourth-best player at the position.
Expected bounce-back seasons from Aramis Ramirez, Mark Reynolds and Pablo Sandoval could lend some depth to the hot corner by season’s end. An emerging Pedro Alvarez won’t hurt, either...
Over the past few weeks, we’ve announced the top 80 players on our 2011 big board. Click on each player’s name for a more in-depth analysis, including 2011 projections!
While the trade rumors have dissolved and Michael Young’s trade request has gone unfulfilled, there remains a lot of uncertainty in Texas this season. After handing Adrian Beltre a fat contract and dealing for Mike Napoli this offseason, the Rangers created a logjam of five players (Mitch Moreland, Yorvit Torrealba, Young, Beltre and Napoli) competing for at-bats at four positions (catcher, first base, third base and designated hitter).
Fortunately, Young’s versatility will allow him to spell Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Beltre if needed. Otherwise, he’ll DH most days, and should get plenty of at-bats presumably batting second behind Andrus and in front of Josh Hamilton. This should work in Young’s favor, as there’s nothing in his advanced stats to suggest a setback in 2011...
Today’s edition of Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight features not one, but two games scored by the Insider himself…
Game No. 26 – Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays
• Blue Jays’ starter Shaun Marcum continued his impressive comeback from Tommy John surgery, limiting the Twins to one run on five hits and two walks in seven strong innings Tuesday afternoon. Despite Minnesota’s best efforts, Marcum continually worked out of trouble to preserve his big lead...
America loves the underdog; it’s a fact. More importantly, fantasy owners love the underdog. Not only are they fun to root for, but they often come much cheaper than what they should.
If there’s one thing you’ve learned from me this season, it better be the importance of value. Lucky for you, this week’s Fantasy Focus is a perfect example of just that; players who produce above their market value.
So without further adieu, I bring to you the All-Underappreciated Team of 2009…
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
3 Comments