James Loney's hitting skills are the real deal!
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Catchers-Russell Martin, Gary Bennett
Russell Martin has to one the best offensive catchers in baseball. Last season Martin hit .293 with 19 home runs and 87 RBI. Watch for Martin to improve on last season’s numbers as hits .300 with 20-25 RBI and 90-100 RBI. Martin will also steal 20-30 bags this season. Gary Bennett is a career back up catcher and will never have a starting job. Gary Bennett is best left untouched.
First Base- James Loney, Nomar Garciaparra
James Loney will be a great player at first base for any fantasy owner. He hit for a high average last season with a .331 average and he has moderate power hitting 15 home runs and 67 RBI. Loney is young and last year could have been a fluke, but it is unlikely. Nomar Garciaparra will be on the bench most of the year as back up to Loney and Andy LaRoche at third base. Stay Away from Nomar in the draft due to his reduced playing time and diminishing skills.
Middle Infielders- Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal, Tony Abreu, Chin-Lung Hu, Delwyn Young
Jeff Kent never ceases to amaze doubters with his continuous productivity at the plate as he ages into his late 30’s. Kent is a lock for 20 home runs, 80 RBI, and a solid .290 average. Kent will be one of the first second basemen taken in the NL only leagues. Rafael Furcal has speed and that about it. Furcal is not worth a draft pick or a roster spot in fantasy baseball. Tony Abreu, Chin-Lung Hu, and Delwyn Young will be non-factors as the bounce back and forth between the minors and LA.
Third Base- Andy LaRoche, Nomar Garciaparra
Andy LaRoche will become the new starting third baseman at the beginning of the season. LaRoche is not a draft worthy player due to the inexperience in the majors. Watch for LaRoche to hit .280 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI in his rookie year.
Outfielders- Juan Pierre, Andruw Jones, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier
Andruw Jones had an awful year last season, but he will turn it around and get back to his usual production. Everyone is entitled to at least one bad year, and he never been able to hit for a high average consistently. Jones’ career batting average is just .263, but his power is still there. Watch for Jones to hit .270 with 30 home runs and 90-110 RBI. Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp are high on my list of outfielders, due to Pierre’s ability to hit for average and steal lots of bases with his amazing speed. Kemp hits for average and will prove that he has the power to with his hitting ability. Andre Ethier should stay on everyone’s radar going into the season. Ethier should not be drafted but the Dodgers may trade for pitching to a team in need of an outfielder. Ethier was the odd man out when Jones came to town.
Starting Rotation- Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsly, Hiroki Kuroda, Jason Schmidt
Brad Penny had a great season last year and will have another 16-20-win season this year. He doesn’t pick up the K’s but he will keep his ERA around 3.50. Derek Lowe is a good pitcher but does not have the numbers to be a fantasy stud. Lowe induces a lot pf ground balls but he also gives up a lot of home runs. Chad Billingsly will have a break out year. Watch for Billingsly to win 15-20 games and strikeout 200 or more batters this season. Billingsly will be one of the top pitchers drafted this year. Hiroki Kuroda could be a sleeper this season. Kuroda has an electric fastball and the control to rack up some strikeouts. Take Kuroda late in the draft due to the risk involved in drafting a 32 rookie. Jason Schmidt is a high reward risk, meaning if he is healthy this year he could get lots of points for fantasy owners. It is best to leave Schmidt alone on draft day and let some one else take the major risk.
Bullpen- Jonathan Broxton, Joe Beimel, Scott Proctor, Jonathan Meloan, Eric Hull, Takashi Saito
Broxton has the potential to be a great closer in the big leagues. His ability to get the strike out and his relatively low ERA could make him a great keeper. Joe Beimel and Scott Proctor should be left alone unless your league allows middlemen. Proctor was used a lot in NY by manager Joe Torre and now that Torre is in LA Proctor will be over used once again. Saito is has another good season left in him and he will rack up saves for fantasy owners. Watch for Saito to save 35 games if he can stay healthy. The rest of the bullpen is too inexperienced and risky to even think about drafting.
Projected Lineup
Juan Pierre LF
Jeff Kent 2B
Andruw Jones CF
James Loney 1B
Russell Martin C
Matt Kemp RF
Andy LaRoche 3B
Rafael Furcal SS
Pitcher
Projected Rotation
Brad Penny
Chad Billingsly
Derek Lowe
Hiroki Kuroda
Jason Schmidt
Closer
Takashi Saito
Next in Line
Jonathan Broxton
Boston-raised and bred, and proud of it, John Cloutman tries hard to hide his Beantown homerism, but not too hard. Back from a tour of duty in the current Iraq war, John is in his first year as a columnist for Sports Grumblings but is far from a rookie in sports expertise.