Lineup Preview For Every MLB Team!

We Preview Every Single Lineup!

There is nothing more maddening than watching a baseball team that can’t score runs. While teams win a World Series based on the strength of their pitching and defense, we all know you can’t win a game if you don’t score runs.

A strong offense can bail out a weak pitching staff many times over the course of a season. So how do we judge the potency of a lineup? Looking at the famous 3 (Avg, RBI, and HR) rarely tell the whole story. So much of RBI’s are based on the strength of the guy’s that bat before him. It’s all about timing.

So in order to judge we had to look at on base percentage, slugging percentage, batting average, games played, career averages, and of course a little of the eye test. So let’s see where they rank.

30. San Diego Padres – Everyone likes Adrian Gonzalez. It’s the reason so many teams have inquired about him and it’s the same reason the Padres are likely to trade him this season to a team like the Boston Red Sox. Still, beyond Gonzalez this is as unappealing a lineup as baseball has to offer. They have one player (the aforementioned Gonzalez) with an on base percentage over .350 and not one single .300 hitter. While the pitching staff of San Diego should be decent, they won’t be good enough to make up for what is the worst lineup in baseball.

29. Cleveland Indians – Just like their pitching staff, this team used to be far more attractive. But the times have changed and their lineup is a shell of its former self. Grady Sizemore is coming off an injury plagued year and there isn’t another guy on that team that you would even consider a threat. Even the formerly big, bad Travis Hafner has looked washed up the last couple of years, becoming the David Ortiz of his division. They had some power behind the plate in Victor Martinez but they traded him last year and his replacement, Lou Marson, is a rookie with a lot to prove. It should be a long and agonizing year in Cleveland.

28. Kansas City Royals – This is team that at a glance appears better than it really is. The names Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Jason Kendall, and Jose Guillen are names most fans know to be pretty good players. Add that all up and you have a pretty good lineup, right? No. Podsednik is injury prone and inconsistent. Ankiel, the former wild thing pitcher turned outfielder, is a feel good story that doesn’t feel so good anymore. Kendall and Guillen are both formerly good players who both sport OBP’s in the lower 300’s. Billy Butler is a solid first baseman and Chris Getz is young and could be good but there isn’t a really solid part of this lineup. Too many things need to go right for this to be a good lineup all year.

27. Toronto Blue Jays – You’d have to like this team more if Vernon Wells, the Blue Jays former centerpiece, was playing better. But he’s not. And this team is going to have lots of problems. Let’s be clear here: the guy everyone likes, Aaron Hill, has an OBP of .330, not that impressive. Lyle Overbay was a solid contributor last season, but it’s the other guys that bring that lineup way down. Travis Snider, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, and John Buck all hit below .250 last season. You can’t expect to scare anyone with production like that.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates – Terrible lineup. Jeff Clement and Andy LaRoche are your first and third baseman respectively and neither one of them have the power you expect from your corner infield positions. Garrett Jones is the only outfielder who you really have to respect. Lastings Milledge isn’t giving them production they need from the left field spot. This is a team that ranked 14th in the NL last year in team batting average. The only debatable thing is whether they should be ranked lower.

25. Cincinnati Reds – It’s a shame their lineup is likely to stink this season because they have one of the surprise staffs in baseball. This team ranked in the bottom four of every important statistical category last year. This year doesn’t look to be much better. Their two most productive hitters are Joey Votto and Scott Rolen, but Rolen is on the downside of his career and isn’t a sure bet to equal his career production. The outfield is a collection of low average, high power hitters who don’t get on base nearly as much as needed.

24. Oakland Athletics – Billy Beane loves his Sabremetrics but it appears in the last couple of years his system has broken down. He loves the high on base guys but there aren’t many to speak of on this team. This team ranked 11th in OBP and 14th in slugging in the American League last year. This is a team with serviceable players at best. Cliff Pennington, Mark Ellis, and Kevin Kouzmanoff make one of the poorest infields in baseball. Jack Cust has some pop but also sports a 240 average. Rajai Davis is a nice piece but I’m finding little else to be excited about.

23. San Francisco Giants – I know numbers don’t always tell the whole story but when your team ranks in the bottom five of the entire league for avg, obp, and slg, that says something significant about your lack of production at the plate. There is but one guy on the whole team who had on obp higher than .350. I know it doesn’t tell the whole story but something has to give. It’s a little disheartening. Still, there is reason to be optimistic as there are some very solid pieces to this lineup. Mark DeRosa, Aaron Rowand, and Edgar Renteria are capable of having high caliber years and that would certainly drive them up in the rankings and the division.

22. Washington Nationals – This is a bad team but it’s their pitching that really does them in. There are some nicer pieces on this team. Josh Willingham and Nyjer Morgan two high on base guys. Adam Dunn will provide some power and Ryan Zimmerman is arguably their best hitter. So why isn’t this team ranked higher? Because this team sported a .258 batting average which ranked 24 in the majors and 20th in slugging percentage. Do those numbers earn them a hire rank?

21. Houston Astros – The Astros will struggle this year for sure. Their lineup will not serve as a bright spot. As with every team there are a couple of people you might want to have on your team(Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman) but beyond that there is a host of low on base guys whose slugging percentages barely pass the 400 mark. Last year they ranked 18 in all of baseball in average and 24th in OBP. This is a team that needs Berkman badly if they hope to win games this year because they won’t have much help.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks – Where do you put a team that was in the bottom 10 in MLB last year in batting average and on base percentage? The bottom 10 of this list? This is a wish and a prayer team. IF Connor Jackson can live up to expectations, IF Chris Young can live up to expectation. IF Justin Upton takes another step forward. IF Mark Reynolds and Adam LaRoche can give them power from the corner infield positions they should have a solid team. But that is certainly a lot of IF’s.

19. Chicago White Sox – Welcome to the team in the middle ten with the biggest upside. Ozzie Guillen decided to skip the DH in favor of more speed on the basepaths. What that leaves is a gaping hole in the lineup where the DH should be. This is a team that struggled to get on base last season. This is a team that has been feast or famine for some years now as the long ball has been their best friend. If Alex Rios and Andruw Jones can rebound and be the players they were a few years ago, this lineup can easily creep up near the top 10, but the White Sox are resting their season on a lot of IF’s. Too many if’s to move them up in these rankings.

18. Baltimore Orioles – I’m not sure if this is a popular place to put the Orioles because I’ve seen sights where there hitting is listed as a strength, but I’m not convinced. Let’s agree that Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts are very good. But we should also agree that Garrett Atkins with his nine homers and 28 RBI’s last year looks like a Coors Field creation. Let’s agree that Matt Wieters .288 average would be more to brag about if he had done it in more games. Let’s agree Tejada is a shell of his former self and Cesar Izturis is bad. Let’s also decide that Luke Scott’s 25 homers are deceptive because he was useless the second half. Let’s agree that those things do not make for an intimidating lineup.

17. Texas Rangers – We know that people love the long ball and Texas certainly has a lot of that. After all when they did make contact it went a long way. It’s why they were 4th last season in slugging percentage. But what they lacked was the ability to get on base consistently, ranking 24th in OBP. I’m sure some of that had to do with the injuries to Josh Hamilton. There entire lineup is filled with low on base guys and even the addition of Vladimir Guerrero doesn’t help their cause. This is a typical feast or famine team and you need to be more than that. They long ball won’t save you every time.

16. Detroit Tigers – This is a lineup that would be higher if they didn’t have a couple of key question marks. What does Johnny Damon have left in the tank? That’s a question that will need to be answered by the everyday Left Fielder. Carlos Guillen has an injury plagued year. Can he come back to be a force in the lineup again? And was last year just a poor power year for Magglio Ordonez? The tigers are going to need Ordonez to be a long ball threat if they expect their outfield to produce. And with the departure of Curtis Granderson, it leaves the door open for Austin Miles, a true rookie, to take control. But is he ready?

15. Seattle Mariners – Thank god for an off season of retooling and deep pockets. This is a Mariners team that ranked 29th in OBP in 2009. But adding two high on base guys like Milton Bradley and Chone Figgins will certainly help them this year. Bradley should be much better in Seattle this year. It’s far less media pressure and far less rowdy fans to get on him if he does struggle. Those two players are going to give a lot of help to staples like Ichiro Suzuki and Jack Wilson. If Griffey can provide just a little bit of pop in the lineup, this team should have no problem crossing home plate.

14. Chicago Cubs – I seriously debated putting them this high. This team ranked in the latter 15 of the avg, obp, and slg. So why put them in the upper 15 of this ranking system? Because there were a lot of factors that shouldn’t be there this year. Milton Bradley had a dismal and controversial year but he’s gone and in his place is the less flashy, but more stable Marlon Byrd. Fukudome seems to have found his grove near the top of the lineup. And another full year of Soriano in an RBI spot should help things. This team has a lot of guys who had particularly bad years last year but who have good career numbers. This lineup with make noise in the NL central this year.

13. Atlanta Braves – Everyone is expecting big things from Jason Heyward but even if Heyward struggles in his rookie season the Braves should still have a formidable lineup. Troy Glaus was injured most of last year but when healthy he can be a big bat in the lineup. Chipper Jones also had an uncharacteristic year last year so you have to assume he’ll rebound from that. Martin Prado is in line for a big year and with Melky Cabrera coming off the bench, this team should have a heck of a good lineup.

12. Milwaukee Brewers – So will this team. The Brewers boast a lethal combo of Braun and Fielder and some really nice role players to play around them. Rickie Weeks and Gregg Zaun are too notables. Carlos Gomez and Corey Hart are young but full of potential. This team finished in the top ten for OBP and SLG in baseball last year and as long as Braun and Fielder stay healthy, they should finished close to that this year.

11. New York Mets – There rotation won’t do them any favors but if their lineup stays healthy this team can win some games and stay competitive in the NL East. The addition of Jason Bay is going to add a huge bat to a lineup already stacked with Carlos Beltran and David Wright. Jose Reyes isn’t expected to spend any significant time on the DL this year and when healthy he is one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters in the league. The Mets know how to get on base and with the addition of Bay they’ll be one of the best at getting people in too.

10. Florida Marlins – What this team lacks in its homerun power, it makes up for in its sheer ability to get on base consistently. This lineup has some of the best young names in baseball. Dan Uggla, Chris Coghlan, and Cody Ross are a few of those names. Of course it would be insane to mention the offensive prowess of the Marlins without talking about their best asset, Hanley Ramirez. With an OBP of 386 and a career slugging percentage of 531, he is easily the best shortstop in baseball and one of the best 3 hitters in the game.

9. Minnesota Twins – How can you not like a team that has Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer? How can you not like a team that hit .274 as a TEAM last year? How can you not like a team that had 5 players with a .350 OBP last year? How can you not like a team that seems to bring up young talent with ease? This team is going to keep the Twins in a lot of games this year. If their pitching staff can come together like they have in years past the AL Central will be chasing the Twins again.

8. Colorado Rockies – It’s the curse of Coors Field. This team, with the numbers they’ve put up, should be a top 5 lineup. But it’s hard to discount the field they play in. Six of their 9 hitters have an OBP higher than .350. Helton and Tulowitzki are the real deals so it seems and this team can slug it out with the best of them. But you can’t discount the amount of success teams seem to have at Coors field which gives Rockies hitters an advantage playing half their games there. Still they managed to make the playoffs last year so you know they can’t be winning all their games at Coors Field.

7. Tampa Bay Rays – With Evan Longoria leading the charge the Rays are a dangerous team one through nine. Unlike their pitching staff, their lineup does boast some superstar power in the aforementioned Longoria , Carl Crawford, and the rising star that is Jason Bartlett. This team is solid through and through. They can slug it out with the best in the American League. They’ll certainly have trouble in the salary heavy AL East but it will have little to do with the product they are putting out onto the field.

6. Boston Red Sox – This is a hell of a lineup. You have to wonder how good Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz are gonna be, but beyond that they’ll get good production out of Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedrioa. Victor Martinez is the best hitting catchers in baseball not named Joe Mauer. Marco Scutaro will get on base and give guys like J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis a chance to drive in runs. Boston will do what they always seem to do: hit.

5. St. Louis Cardinals – What do you do when you have the absolute best hitter in baseball? You find one of the best young hitters in baseball and lock him up with a long term deal. That’s what the Cardinals did when they gave Albert Pujols the gift that is Matt Holliday. If you take those two and add Ryan Ludwick you have one of the fiercest parts of any lineup. I know that St. Louis fans are wondering about how long Tony LaRussa is gonna be staying in St. Louis, but with a lineup like that, why would he ever leave?

4. Los Angeles of Anaheim – The Angels lose Chone Figgins and Vlad and they shouldn’t miss a beat in 2010. Tori Hunter is still at the top of his game and Bobby Abreu was the value of the free agent market in 2009. They are replacing the power of Vlad with former Yankee slugger Hideki Matsui who hit 28 home runs for the World Series champs last season. The departure of Figgins allows the organizations top prospect Brandon Wood to get a chance at third base. The Angels may have lost some of the magic in their pitching staff but they won’t lose anything at the plate.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers – This team batted .270 as a team last year and that was with Manny Ramirez having a bad year. This team is absolutely loaded with talent. Their outfield with Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier is the best in the NL. They don’t have a weak position at all, and with newly acquired Reed Johnson spelling that outfield off the bench it’s going to be a team no one wants to face next season.

2. Philadelphia Phillies – If you take a look at this lineup there isn’t any wonder why the Phillies reached the World Series for a second straight year. This team had a slugging percentage of .447 which put them third in the MLB. They boast some heavy hitters in Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins. Complimentary players of Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez help round out such a strong lineup. These boys are fierce one to eight and you can guarantee that they won’t be folding as we get down to the pennant race in September and October. This team is battle tested and there isn’t much more important for that.

1. New York Yankees – This lineup is downright scary. In Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada, we have three bon a fide hall of famers. And Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson may have the makings of a hall of fame careers. This team was second in batting average and lead baseball in OBP and SLG last season. These boys are terrifying to face. Almost their entire lineup has career on base percentages of 350 or higher and four guys who slug over 500. They have big experience under their belt and Jeter is the best clutch player in the game. They say the Yankees are a love them or hate them team. Regardless of what camp you fall into, you have to respect them.

Mike Cahill

The Craziest Manager Explosions

Everybody Loves When The Manager Goes Crazy!

1/ This one is one of my all time favorites, as Asheville Manager Joe Mikulik goes bananas for nearly five minutes.

2/ Oh baby! This one is cash money. Another Braves manager Phillip Wellman goes ballistic for a little over three minutes. What is your favorite part?

3/ Now this guy is wild. Kash Beauchamp of the Wichita Wingnuts looks like a cartoon.

I love them all but be sure and vote for your favorite managerial outburst!

Yankees Ambidextrous Pitcher

Pat Venditte Is The Newest Yankees Sensation

Have you guys seen this yet?

Pat Venditte, seen above pitching for his alma mater Creighton, is now a Yankee farmhand and he is ambidextrous. Yup, dude can throw left handed, and right handed, and is quite good at it. He has a career minor league ERA of 1.53, with a .95 WHIP and it seems like we might see him in the bigs shortly.

Tuesday, Venditte saw his first spring action and allowed one earned run, walked one, and gave up two hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Braves.

“People are going to have their doubts when they hear something like this, and I’ve got to prove that I can do it,” Venditte told MLB.com.

I promise I will be there for his big league debut, and the last MLB player to do the damn was Greg Harris in 1995 for Montreal. I think me and my brother called him “The Butt Shower” because his ass was so big.

Below are a few videos of my man throwing, including an ESPN video when Joba “The Hut” Chamberlain has nothing but good things to say about the multi talented Venditte.

Watch from the 1:00 mark as major confusion happens when both hitter and pitcher are capable of going from both sides. Pretty amazing stuff.

E:60 Piece

I wish this kid all the best and hope to see him in the bigs ASAP. He could pitch for the Cubs right now.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya
Twitter.com/DugoutDoctors

Bryce Harper’s Latest HR

The Dugout Doctors Is Your Source For Everything Bryce Harper

Much like Souljaboytellem, Bryce Harper keeps on going and is not stopping anytime soon. This weekend the kid went 4-8, 3 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI and is now hitting .431, getting on base 54%, with 12 HR, 35 RBI, 6 SB, and more BB than K.

Sheesh! If there was any doubts about Harper being able to do what he is trying to do (play professional by the end of the summer), those are all but gone now. If all goes to plan Harper will be playing by the Arizona Fall League. Video below of his latest HR.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya
Twitter.com/DugoutDoctors

Hanley Ramirez’s Gift For Batting Title

Look At What The Marlins’ Owner Bought Hanley Ramirez

Last Saturday, Marlins owner Jefferey Loria handed all world shortstop Hanley Ramirez a shirt box and presented it to him. The only catch was there was not a shirt in the box, but an eight to ten carat diamond necklace.

“We don’t wear jewelry on the field, but I know Hanley wears it off the field,” Loria told MLB.com.

“It was a special accomplishment. I just feel inspired from time to time to do things that players deserve, and players appreciate. Hanley did something magnificent last year. I thought about it at the end of the year, and I wanted to do something for him.”

Hanley was shocked and ecstatic when he saw the million dollar pendant, “It means a lot. It’s something I never expected from him,” Ramirez also told MLB.com. “I’m going to keep it forever. I’m really honored. It meant a lot to him (Loria). From the first day, he showed me that love. Everybody loves him. We have a lot of respect for him. I think my whole family is going to be excited.”

Ramirez finished second in the 2009 NL MVP voting, meaning he was the best human in the NL because Albert Pujols is a robot, and Hanley reportedly gasped when he saw the chain.

Ramirez set a Marlins record with his .342 average and is being taken second in most fantasy drafts. He started his career as a leadoff hitter, but 2010 will be his second season as the club’s three hitter and expectations are high for Hanley.

“He’s got this amazing talent,” Loria continued. “There is really no telling what the limits are for Hanley. The sky is the limit, and he will determine his own future, obviously. But he’s a great kid.”

The necklace features 394 diamonds and has a special teal diamond representing the decimal point in his record setting .342 average.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya
Twitter.com/DugoutDoctors

Top 15 MLB Breakout Candidates

Which Players Are Ready To Breakout?

We love a good list here at the Dugout Doctors and we wanted to create awareness for some of our new favorite players. Take a look and let us know what you guys think, and we define ‘breakout’ as a player that will see a significant increase in playing time and production.

15. Cameron Maybin We can only hope this is the season the Cam Maybin breaks out, as we have all been waiting for three years. The Marlins 2009 No. 1 prospect will only be 23 on April 4, which means he still has plenty of time to prove himself, but he has already seen plenty of opportunities. He and Andrew Miller were the centerpieces in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade, but neither has produced at the big league level, and we think Maybin is much further ahead than Miller at this point in their professional careers.

14. Felipe Paulino HOU/SP – This guy reminds me a lot of Ricky Nolasco. He worked on his mechanics in the off-season to improve his accuracy. Last year, even with his inflated 6.27 ERA and ugly win-loss record, 3-11, his 93 K’s in 97 innings was more than encouraging. Paulino’s average fastball velocity was clocked at 95.4 mph, 2nd in the National League to only Colorado fireballer Ubaldo Jimenez. With the Astros leaning toward him as the No. 5 in the rotation, look for Paulino to be a good pick-up with his opportunity, neutral ground-ball rate and raw ability coming full circle in 2010.

13. Brandon Wood/LAA 3B – A well-known prospect, Wood will finally get his opportunity with the Angels this season. His disgustingly, gaudy minor-league numbers may be inflated by hitter-ballparks, but the 25-year-old has legit 25-homer power without a back-up in sight. If this isn’t the year for Wood, he may never have one.

12. Ricky Romero/TOR SP – This Johan Santana look-alike pitched himself onto the fantasy scene last year. While he isn’t a household name just yet, the former Cal State Fullerton ace is primed and ready to become one in 2010. His numbers won’t overwhelm anyone, but it’s his accuracy and ability to understand the strike zone that makes him vastly different. Before fading somewhat during the 2nd half of his first full major league season, Romero showed signs of being a legit top-25 starting pitcher. If the Blue Jays can offer some run support in 2010, I don’t see any reason why this guy shouldn’t be owned in all leagues.

11. Nolan Reimold/BAL OF – The lone fact that scares me off about this kid is his recently acquired achilles injury. That is one tendon no owner wants to mess with. He played with a 25% tear last season which could be contributing to his slow start this spring. However when healthy, Reimold is a force. All the talk the past few seasons about teammate Nick Markakis should have been aimed at Nolan Reimold. The 5-tool outfielder is a year away from annually being a 20-20 fantasy star. As for this season, don’t overpay with the injury, but don’t sleep on him either.

10. Brian Matusz/BAL SP – The Baltimore system seems to overlook Matusz. With Chris Tillman coming up first and Jake Arrieta taking most of the post-hype as the “next” big call-up, this young lefty somehow slips through the cracks. He actually has 2 change-ups which bodes well for him since he will be living in the AL East. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 draft reached the majors in his first pro season after going 11-2 with a 1.87 ERA in the minors. He held his own with a 5-2 record and 4.63 ERA in eight starts for the Orioles at 22 years old. His 159 K’s in 158 professional innings speak to Brian’s deceptiveness.

9. Brett Anderson/OAK SP – The talk of every 2010 Draft room. Mr. Anderson is the trendy pick among people desperate to make a splash in their leagues. The 21-year old southpaw phenom saw an increase of 2 K’s per inning to his K/9 ratio in the 2nd half of last season. Not to mention, his post-break 2.96 ERA, 1.1 WHIP, K/per inning and 3.3 K/BB rate in 17 starts was masterful. This spring, he is lifting weights for the first time in his life and since he entered the big leagues, his fastball has risen from 90 to 95 mph. You better grab this guy early, over-pay if you must.

8. Matt Wieters/BAL C – Wieters didn’t do much to impress owners last season into thinking he is the next Joe Mauer. But, he showed he is pretty good nonetheless. The Orioles prized-prospect is finally ready to take over on Opening Day. The catcher situation is his, along wth the fact he calls a great game for his pitching staff which will aide Dave Trembley if he must make late-game adjustments. Wieters is a powerful-lefty with 25 HR possibility just for 2010. I can’t imagine what his projections will be years from now, scary.

7. Wade Davis/TB SP – If you are looking for a young prospect who has the ability to come straight out of the miners into the majors without a hitch, hear is your pitcher. Davis has thrown for over an astounding 700 minor league innings, so he is more than prepared for his Rookie campaign. His call-up late last season was just a small indication of the dominance he is capable of on a daily basis. The 10 K, complete game shutout win at Baltimore last season was just the start. Joe Maddon recently named Davis the Rays No. 5 and with the Tampa Bay offense, runs support shouldn’t be an issue. Davis is the complete package who has been marinating in the Rays minor league system for far too long. He is beyond well-done and ready to go.

6. Jay Bruce/CIN OF – A few guys on this list seem like we have been hearing about them for years, but Bruce, like many others is looking forward to 2010 for obvious reasons. The .223 batting avg. last season is what scares most owners away. However, it should not. Bruce fractured his wrist, a notorious power-zapping injury, in mid-July. Upon return, he batted 326-4-17 with a 1.078 OPS in his final 18 games of 2009. It was not long ago, Jay Bruce was getting all the “Heyward-hype.” For what it matters, in 2010, I project Jay Bruce having a better season then Jason Heyward. Bruce will also be drafted much later. So, look for him in keeper leagues especially at a great value.

5. Carlos Marmol/CHC RP – Questions always arise when talking about the Cub super-reliever. He has never had a full-time opportunity to close going into a season. Yet, in 2010 with Kevin Gregg in Toronto, Lou Piniella has finally entrusted Marmol with the closer duties. Early on in his career, he drew comparisons to K-Rod. He has been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball the last few years nevertheless. If he eliminates the walks, he will be one the most dominant closers in the game.

4. Billy Butler/KC 1B – The big, strong right-handed hitter from Kansas City seems like he too has been around forever, like Bruce and Davis. But, he is only 23 years old and his talent is what seems endless. With a .336 batting avg. and .977 OPS along with the fact he is an extra-base machine is what makes him stand apart. Butler’s 21 HR and 93 RBI are just a small sample-size of the power he possesses. He has breakout written all over him at a deep 1st base position.

3. Carlos Gonzalez/COL OF – Let’s look at Car-Go’s 2009 stat line – .284-13-29-59-16(SB) in just 278 at-bats. Do you see where my excitement is stemming from? Gonzalez hit a HR once every 21 at-bats, stole a base once every 9.8 appearences and scored a run once every 5 at-bats. Those numbers are second to only top-10 draftee, Matt Kemp. You can get Carlos much later and for much cheaper. It’s all about opportunity. All signs to point to this guy being the Rockies everyday left-fielder and lead-off man.

2. Ricky Nolasco/FLA SP – I spoke of Nolasco comparisons earlier, but now it’s time for the real thing. The Florida Marlin No. 2 starter is being touted by fantasy experts across the country as this years pitcher to watch in the National League, and I agree. Throw out Ricky’s numbers last year before he was demoted to the minor leagues. His 3.82 ERA and 4-1 K/BB ratio upon return suggest Nolasco will be better in the years to come. His 195 K’s in 185 innings indicate he’s just starting to get it. In 2010, he may “get” the NL Cy Young award.

1. Ian Stewart/COL 3B – Two young, Colorado Rockie mashers in the top 4. This is what Mgr. Jim Tracy envisioned when he took over last season, just in time for another impressive Rockie-Run. A huge reason to the run, was the emergence of infield specialist, Ian Stewart. The 24-year-old took over for the declining Garrett Atkins at 3rd base and never looked back. His strikeout rate was once every 3.1 at-bats, but his 25 home runs in 425 at-bats definitely made up for it. With Atkins in Baltimore now, Stewart has the job to himself for what should be about 600 at-bats in 2010. He could be in line for a 35-100 this season.

Just missed: Scott Baker, Jonathan O. Sanchez, Jon Rauch, Rickie Weeks, Kurt Suzuki, Jon Niese, Sean Rodriguez, Johnny Cueto

Tony Piraro
T-Pain

The Baseball Samurai [Video]

Video: Watch Old Yankee Stadium Fall

Take A Look At The Old Yankee Stadium Crumble

Here is video of the last part of Yankee Stadium going down. Good riddance.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

MLB Power Rankings

Which Team Tops The Pre-Season Power Rankings?

1	New York Yankees Love the addition of Javier Vazquez, regardless of who wins the fifth spot the rotation will be strong
2	Boston Red Sox Probably the best rotation in baseball, without Bay, Ortiz can’t afford another dismal start
3	Philadelphia Phillies Great lineup and solid rotation, but the bullpen could be an issue all season long
4	St. Louis Cardinals Someone will have to step up behind the big stars (Pujols, Holliday, Carpenter and Wainwright)
5	Tampa Bay Rays Young pitching staff still looks great, would be the favorites in just about any other division
6	Atlanta Braves The pitching staff is going to dominate, a healthy middle of the order plus Jason Heyward could mean big things in Bobby Cox’s last year
7	Texas Rangers With added pitching depth, Texas could be great if Hamilton and Davis rebound after a down ’09 season
8	Chicago White Sox Jake Peavy headlines a great staff, rebounds from Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios could push this team to the top of a balanced division
9	Los Angeles Dodgers Lineup could be great, but pitching staff will be a question after Kershaw
10	Anaheim Angels Losses of Lackey and Figgins could be forgotten if Ervin Santana can return to form and Brandon Wood can finally break through
11	Minnesota Twins Mauer and Morneau again will lead the lineup, but Francisco Liriano (who has been dominant this spring) could be the key
12	Colorado Rockies What happened to Jeff Francis? If he returns to form the Rockies could have a strong, yet overlooked rotation
13	Seattle Mariners A big offseason brought in Lee and Figgins, but the team will struggle to improve record following extremely lucky (-52 run differential) in 2009
14	Detroit Tigers The Johnny Damon signing helps, but the lineup still has a couple big holes
15	San Francisco Giants Once again, Pablo Sandoval will have little help supporting an excellent starting rotation
16	Chicago Cubs The rotation could be solid, Soriano, Lee and Ramirez will have to stay healthy for the lineup to score
17	Florida Marlins The Marlins finally started to spend some money, but they could use a boost from the players they acquired in the Miguel Cabrera trade (Cameron Maybin or Andrew Miller)
18	Milwaukee Brewers Fielder, Braun and Gallardo are stars, but they don’t have the supporting cast needed to make the playoffs
19	Cincinnati Reds Once again Cincinnati has a ton of promising young players, but they still won’t be able to break through in the central
20	New York Mets With questions surrounding Reyes, Beltran and Santana, the Mets will could be headed for another disappointing year, especially since the rotation is a mess
21	Arizona Diamondbacks A potentially strong rotation needs a healthy Brandon Webb, but the lineup and bullpen have plenty of question marks
22	Baltimore Orioles The youth movement in Baltimore has begun, but the Orioles will struggle to finish higher than fourth in a loaded division
23	Oakland Athletics If the rotation reaches its full potential, it will be good, but this lineup will struggle to score no matter what
24	Cleveland Indians The rotation could be disastrous, but Valbuena, LaPorta and Marson all have potential in the lineup
25	Houston Astros With their trio of stars (Berkman, Lee and Oswalt) showing signs of age, the Astros will struggle to compete in 2010
26	Toronto Blue Jays Aaron Hill and Adam Lind were big surprises in 2009, the Jays will need a lot more surprises to have a chance in 2010
27	Pittsburg Pirates The Pirates will continue their string of losing seasons, but they have a young rotation and a few future key players who could eventually help turn this team around
28	San Diego Padres With another dismal season on the forefront, Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell might soon follow in Jake Peavy’s footsteps
29	Washington Nationals Steven Strasburg and Ian Desmond are ready for the show, but the Nationals will really start to take strides in 2011 when their rotation consists of Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, John Lannan and Jason Marquis
30	Kansas City Royals Greinke, Butler and Soria are all stars, but at just about every other position the Royals talent level is well below the league average

Clay Buchholz and Nick Swisher ESPN Commercial

A Kinda Funny ESPN Promo For Sunday Night Baseball

Here is the latest ESPN promo/commercial for Sunday Night Baseball. It is kinda funny, and might be funnier if I did not loathe the Bo-Sox and/or Nick Swisher. Swish is a good actor and someone tell me which one is Buchholz.

Ha!

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

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