MLB Top Comeback Players

Which players will be making a comeback this season?

In the words of lyrical poet LL Cool J, “don’t call it a comeback,” a bounce back season from these players will be critical for their team’s success this year.

Whether it was injuries, off the field distractions, or simply a bad year, these players hold their team’s fate in their gloves. In no particular order or importance, here are 5 players looking for a big 2010.

5. Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland Indians
From Opening Day 2005 through the final game of 2008, Sizemore established himself as one of the game’s pre-eminent players. He made three All-Star teams in Cleveland, won two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award and earned a reputation as a wall-defying human projectile. No game was too out of reach, no warning track too hard for him to sacrifice his body for the cause. According to baseballmusings.com, from 2005 to 2008 Sizemore ranked among the major league leaders in several categories. Sizemore was second in the majors in runs and games, sixth in doubles, eighth in triples, and eleventh in hits.

Last year was a different story for Sizemore as he struggled to stay healthy. He hit .248 in 106 games before two injuries prompted him to shut it down in September. Sizemore underwent surgery for an inflamed left elbow, and the anesthesia had barely worn off when he went back for a second procedure to have a lower abdominal injury repaired.

Maximum production will be required by Sizemore in 2010 in order for the Indians to have any postseason hopes. Manager Eric Wedge, pitchers CC Sabathia (New York) and Cliff Lee (Seattle) and several other established teammates are gone from a team that in 2007 was a win away from the World Series. Sizemore is now surrounded by a few old friends, some low-cost free-agent additions and a bunch of kids looking to make their mark (Brantley, LaPorta, Crowe) and Cleveland’s other position player prospects are looking for an example to follow, they could do a lot worse.

Sizemore, 27, will approach the game from a slightly different vantage point this spring. After making 673 of his 771 career starts in the leadoff spot, he’ll drop to No. 2 in the batting order behind shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

The change was a product of necessity. The Indians ranked eighth in the American League last season in runs scored (773) and OPS (.756), and they’re going to have to squeeze every drop out of their offense to prop up a pitching staff with lots of questions.

4. Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas Rangers
In 2008 Josh Hamilton slugged his way into people’s hearts with his brilliant Home Run Derby performance during the 2008 All-Star Game festivities. During that season, Hamilton played in 156 games, batted .304, with 35 doubles, 32 HRs, 132 RBI, and a .901 OPS.
Hamilton’s turbulent life got bumpier in 2009, and his production completely fell off from expectations. He played in 89 games and went to the DL three separate times. He finished the year with a .268 average, only 19 doubles, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, and a .741 OPS.
So the big question is which Josh Hamilton will show up in 2010?
“I feel like I’m ready to have a big year. I’ve put last year behind me and am well aware of what fans are expecting of me,” Hamilton said early in Spring Training.

A positive coming from Hamilton’s injuries is the emergence of Julio Borbon as the every day centerfielder. Borbon’s emergence allows Hamilton to move to left field where activity and pounding on his body will decrease, at least in theory.

Hamilton’s spring got off to a “bruising” start. The first week of Spring Training this year Hamilton fell during drills and bruised his shoulder. Hamilton was able to shake off the bruised shoulder and was batting .444 with a homer and two RBIs, when his hand was bruised when it was hit by a pitch. X-rays on the bruised left hand were negative, and Hamilton said he would be fine.

Now he has a toothache.

Hamilton arrived at the Rangers clubhouse Tuesday morning with a swollen face, and then went to the dentist for what is believed to be an infected tooth.

These injuries have added fire to Rangers fan’s concerns and frustrations. Words fragile, wimp, unreliable, even cursed have been said about Hamilton. When healthy though, Hamilton provides an offensive punch that will benefit from this off-season’s addition of Vlad Guerrero.

Hamilton has an incredibly sweet swing from the left side. He has a dangerous combination of speed, superb defensive ability with range and a strong arm. Outside of staying healthy, Hamilton must take better advantage of his speed, and unfortunately be under the microscope because of his past problems with substance abuse.

3. Rickie Weeks, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
Rickie Weeks provides speed, power, and tenacious base running for the Milwaukee Brewers, and gives them something they simply do not have, a lead-off hitter.

Rickie Weeks has never played a full season since 2003 when he became an every day player. Weeks was on pace to live up to potential in 2009, driving in 24 runs and hitting nine home runs in his first 36 games. A wrist injury ended his season.

Weeks can easily be a 20/20 guy, and sets the table for Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder behind him in the order. The Brewers tried several players at the lead-off hitter, and none of them could provide the assets Weeks gives them.

Weeks has long been known as a defense liability, and Willie Randolph, Brewers bench coach, has worked with Weeks on his defense. New hitting coach Dale Sveum has been working with Rickie to create a little space between him and the plate. Weeks loves crowding the plate, which in turn makes him a target for an inside pitch.

A healthy Weeks for the entire 2010 season makes the Milwaukee Brewers a playoff contender. If injury once again becomes a problem for Weeks, the Brewers become a .500 team with no postseason dreams.

2. Josh Beckett, SP, Boston Red Sox
John Lackey was signed this off-season and instantly became the Red Sox ace. One-time Red Sox ace Josh Beckett enters the 2010 season knowing he is in a contract year. Beckett knows he must have a solid year if he wants to sign a deal similar to former teammate A J Burnett signed with the NY Yankees last winter (five years, $82.5 million) and current teammate John Lackey signed this winter (five years, $85 million).

This year will be the 10th big league season for the soon-to-be 30-year-old and his fifth with the Red Sox. In his first four years with Boston, he is 65-34, with a 4.05 ERA and 1.205 WHIP.
Overall, his 2009 performance (17-6, 3.86) was better than his 2006 (16-11, 5.02) and 2008 (12-10, 4.03) campaigns, but nowhere near 2007 (20-7, 3.27), when he finished second in the Cy Young voting.
His 2009 splits really provide no hint as to what we can expect from him in 2010. He went 9-3, 3.86, in the first half, while going 8-3, 4.03 in the second half. The individual metrics are hopeful, as many were better in the second half of the season: ERA (3.33/3.19), WHIP (1.23/1.16), K/BB rate (2.9/4.8). He pitched a career-high 212 1/3 innings.

Regardless, the team and Red Sox Nation seem uneasy as they look towards the future with Beckett. He has been surpassed by Jon Lester as ace of the team. He has compiled a four-plus ERA in his four years in Boston—not exactly the kind of numbers you expect from someone widely considered to be among the best in the game.

Yet he remains a workhorse atop the rotation. He’s averaged 16+ wins and nearly 200 innings pitched, with 181 strikeouts, annually.

1. Russell Martin, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
All indications this week is that Russell Martin will miss most likely the first week or more of the season due to a strained groin. Not a real good start to the season.

This off-season Martin added 25 pounds of muscle to reach 231. “Like a linebacker,” he told the LA Times’ Dylan Hernandez. This might be an overreaction to his getting leaner and more flexible through yoga last off-season. Doing the exact opposite of what didn’t work isn’t necessarily the answer.

On the other hand, it makes sense for Martin to have addressed his most glaring drop-off: hitting for power. He had a career-high 19 HRs in 2007, but only seven last year, when, amazingly, his SLG was 23 points below his OBP. If Martin’s extra muscle doesn’t slow down his bat speed, the extra bases will certainly follow. But would added power come at the expense of endurance?

Martin, 27, is in desperate need of a bounce-back year. He batted a measly .250 last season with seven home runs and just 11 stolen bases in 588 plate appearances. In 2008 he swiped 18 bases, and in 2007 he nabbed 21. Martin is a .276 career hitter over four major league seasons.

All these players face questions and are looking to silence their critics with solid years. Another “off” year for any of these players will inevitably lead to more trade speculation. The ball is in their glove.

Jay Maguire