Alexander Lee

News Editor

Spring: the season of love, rebirth, life, and triumph… but more importantly Fantasy Baseball.

This is my first post of a fantasy baseball series that will try to help you win your leagues.  My suggestions will be based on a standard 5 by 5 category league. These categories are: runs, homeruns, rbis, steals, AVG ——- WHIP,ERA, K, W, QS, Saves.

So without further ado… here are 5 guys that I absolutely love this year.

5. Adam Dunn

No player in the league has been a more consistent source of power than Adam Dunn. 46, 40, 40, 40, 40, 38, 38. What are those numbers? His home run totals from each year dating back to 2004. At just 31 years old, a power hitter’s prime, and playing at U.S. Cellular field, this guy could potentially hit 45 maybe even 50 homers. What’s not to love about him?

4. Derek Jeter

Enough with the talk about declining numbers. Hasn’t anyone considered that maybe Derek Jeter just had a poor season last year? Especially with the lack of depth at shortstop this year and Jeter batting at the top of the loaded Yankees lineup, I think we’ll see the face of baseball become himself again. Expect .301 BA, 112 runs, 13 hr, 68 rbi, 20 sb.

3. Billy Butler

Consider Player A’s 2010 stats: .327 BA, 88 runs, 9 HR, 75 rbi, 1 sb.

Now player B’s: .311 BA 77 runs, 15 HR, 78 rbi 0 sb.

Pretty even right? Well the first player was Joe Mauer and the second was Billy Butler. Butler is getting taken 89th in drafts and Mauer 27th. Butler is no fluke- career avg .299 and he’s only 24. Expect his numbers to improve and in the 9th round you’re getting a steal.

2. Shin-Soo Choo

Shin-Soo who? Shin-Soo the player in the league over the past two seasons has managed at least .300 AVG, 20 hr, 21 steals, 81 runs, 86 rbis… that’s who. Though the casual baseball fan may not know him, Shin-Soo Choo has been one of the most reliable 5 category producers over the past two years. At the beginning of last year I was skeptical. But since seeing him perform twice in a row, I am very much on the Choo bandwagon. At 35th overall, I will gladly take him. What a bargain.

1. Miguel Cabrera

Though some of you may not believe this, I honestly believe that the February DUI arrest will serve to help Miggy’s value. After being a unrefuted second overall in the draft, Miguel Cabrera’s postion fell to 13th and then slowly moved its way up back to 7th. I believe that the media has overhyped Cabrera’s alcohol problems. The league and his team haven’t taken action thus far, and thus will probably never do so. He is the best hitter on the tigers; it would be inane to sit him for more than a couple games. Except Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera has been the second most consistent fantasy producer in the league. The average numbers of his 8 year MLB career are: 34 HR, 120 RBI, .313 avg, 101 runs, 4 steals; shockingly, he’s only 27. Except Miggy to put up huge numbers just as he has done every year of his career.