Fantasy Insight: Top 10 First Round Picks

1. Albert Pujols- St. Louis- 1^st Base

2. Joey Votto- Cincinnati- 1^st Base

3. Hanley Ramirez- Florida- Shortstop

4. Robinson Cano- New York- 2^nd Base

5. Troy Tulowitzki- Colorado- Shortstop

6. Ryan Braun- Milwaukee- Outfield

7. Evan Longoria- Tampa Bay- 3^rd Base

8. Ryan Zimmerman- Washington- 3^rd Base

9. Carl Crawford- Boston- Outfield

10. Miguel Cabrera- Detroit- 1^st Base

1.    Albert Pujols: He’s the definitive first round pick. Prince Albert has been putting up record-breaking numbers for his entire career. Pujols is a shoe in for at least a .300 average, 30 homeruns, 100 RBIs, 100 runs, 10-15 stolen bases, and a 1.00 +OPS.  He’s the whole package, and the best hitter you could hope to have on your team.

2.    Joey Votto: Last year Votto actually had better stats than Pujols. However, that’s just one year. For him to become the #1 pick he’ll have to make those numbers his career norm. Usually this is where a shortstop would go, but if I have the first two picks I’m not worrying about position scarcity, I just want the best production; with Albert off the board that means Votto.

3.    Hanley Ramirez: The middle picks are where you try and cover up position scarcity and that starts with Hanley Ramirez. He’s good for 25 homeruns, 30 bags, a .300 average, and Florida finally has a capable lineup around him. He could put up a lot of RBIs and runs, but I’d love to see him tap into his power more; he could easily be a 35-40 player.

4.    Robinson Cano: Robinson Cano is the best 2^nd baseman on the market and shouldn’t go much later than this. He’s hit for average a lot in his career, and now he’s finally hitting for power. Not much of a stolen base threat, but he does everything else pretty well. Being in the heart of the Yankees lineup doesn’t hurt either.

5.    Troy Tulowitzki: Usually I’d place Tulo a lot higher. With his power, and Coors, he should be a top three player. However, he has had to fight through a lot of injuries in his career. All that missed time hurts in head-to-head leagues. However, he’s one of the best shortstops and shouldn’t go later than the top five.

6.    Ryan Braun: Braun is the best outfielder in drafts, and should probably go higher. His power dropped a bit last year, but he still hit for a high average. Milwaukee’s lineup gives him plenty of RBI opportunities. He’s only 27 and so I have no doubt the power and 30 bombs return this year, making him a bargain at six.

7.    Evan Longoria: Longoria had the same issues as Braun. He had a great season hitting, but seemed to lose a bit of his power. However, Longoria has massive upside and can easily gain that power back. He’s been doing it all in a weak lineup his entire career and so that’s no worry. He’s the best third baseman hands down, and only 25 years old.

8.    Ryan Zimmerman: Zimmerman is the second best third baseman. He’s a shoe in for 30 bombs and a .300 average. Before this season his biggest issue has been hitting in a weak lineup and getting RBI/run opportunities. Well, now he’s got Jayson Werth and some other young studs around him that’ll propel his numbers up.

9.    Carl Crawford: Crawford has tons of speed; he gets a lot of hits/walks, and is good for easily 100+ runs. A lot of his value is tied into where in the lineup he hits. If he’s in the middle of the Sox lineup that makes him even more of a threat, because he can also rack up a lot of RBIs.

10.  Miguel Cabrera: Miggy is a great hitter and you could easily argue he should be higher than tenth. I agree with that. However, with his off the field discretions he’s bringing a lot of pressure and negative limelight to himself. He should be a top five talent, so you might get a steal if others pass.

Notable Omissions:

Carlos Gonzalez- Colorado- Outfield

Car-Go had triple crown like numbers last year. However, after one stellar season I’m nervous. He gains a lot from Coors, and doesn’t draw a lot of walks (only a .376 OBP despite hitting .336). A year after their breakouts, drafters went nuts for Justin Upton and Matt Kemp, but both ended up flopping last season. The same thing could happen to Gonzalez, and I’d much rather have someone more reliable with my first round pick.

Josh Hamilton- Texas- Outfield

The biggest concern with Hamilton is injuries. Many fans know of his fantastic baseball story, and it’s incredibly inspiring. However, that inspiring story is the result of a past full of drug use, and those drugs haven taken their toll on Hamilton’s body. He’s a great player, but you can’t expect more than 130-140 games out of him, which limits his value in points leagues.

Roy Halladay- Philadelphia- Starting Pitcher

If you don’t know how I feel about drafting pitchers in the first round, go check out previous posts with my “Top 10 Tips to Fantasy Baseball.” Pitching performance is one of the most fluctuated pieces of baseball. Pitchers are also much more injury prone. Halladay is the best pitcher, but being a pitcher brings risk that is not worth the reward of a first rounder.