Ramirez’s transition from the leadoff role to the 3^rd spot in the lineup didn’t cause him to skip a beat.  He won the NL batting title and totaled a career-high 106 RBI.  His HR total dropped and he’s been regressing in the stolen base category, but he’s still good for 20-25 steals.   Entering 2010, Ramirez is the most popular option after Albert Pujols is drafted.

After a tremendous rookie campaign in 2007, the sophomore jinx hit Tulowitzki when injuries limited him to 101 games.  Many wrote him off, and after a very slow start last year, his future was in doubt.  He came back with a vengeance, finishing with 32 HRs, 92 RBI, and 20 SBs.  Our analysis of Tulowitzki has always been the same- you simply can’t ignore that production at such a weak position.

By his standards, Jeter’s production in 2008 was sub par. – a .771 OBP and he finished below 100 runs for the 2^nd time in his career.  At age 34, talk of his demise quickly surfaced.  Last season, a move to the leadoff spot caused a renaissance and he landed as a top-3 fantasy SS with .334-107-18-66-30.  He’ll slow down eventually, but it’s unlikely to happen during this contract year.

It was a horrible first half. Rollins only hit .229 with a .355 SLG and had many owners cursing themselves for wasting a high-round draft selection.  He did his best to redeem the season, posting a .272 AVE with 14 HRs and a .495 SLG after the All Star Break.  We think the second half production is indicative of Rollins’ value, so we expect at least a .270 AVE with 20 HRs and 30 SBs.

A thyroid condition? Really? After a completely lost year where he played in only 36 games, this isn’t what fantasy owners wanted to see at all.   The timeframe for his return is broad anywhere from 2-8 weeks.  Thanks a lot Omar.  We originally thought he’d be a 3^rd rounder, but this news makes us think more 5-6.

Ramirez fell short on building his stellar rookie year finishing at .277-16-68-14-71.  He’s older than most rookies, but the former Cuban defector is only in his second Major League season.  We feel that he can at least finish “in between” his first 2 years’ totals, but the fact that he’s batting 9^th in Spring Training is a little troubling.

The Rangers forced the young 20-year old shortstop into the lineup and it worked out quite nicely.  Andrus certainly didn’t hurt you in the average category (.267) and he was a demon on the base paths, stealing 33 bags at an 84.6 % success rate. 

There’s a lot to like about Asdrubal Cabrera.  He displayed a tremendous amount of improvement over his first season, increasing his average to .308 along with 17 stolen bases and a .361 OBP.   True, he’s not flashy, but his career minor league .286 AVE and .344 OBP indicates that he has the potential to maintain his major League success.

Fortunately, Escobar improved in every major offensive category last year.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t the breakout some were anticipating.  He’s a little injury prone, managing 141 and 138 games over the past two seasons.  But, if he can stay on the field, his production can take another leap forward.  Go with tame expectations – double-digit HRs and a solid .290-.300 average.

Let’s get this straight.  A player hits a total of 11 HRs over 5 professional seasons and then busts out with 14.  Has he zeroed in on a newfound power stroke?  Likely not.  Sure, he can hit 10-12, but don’t pick him expecting a spike in power.  Draft him for his speed and position in decently powerful Rays’ lineup. – his value comes with his consistent ability to steal bases.