Panzram
03-15-2006, 04:11 PM
Miguel Cabrera, Marlins
The question to ask here is whether or not Cabrera can somehow drive himself in over 100 times this season. Essentially the lone holdover in the Marlins lineup after the offseason four-alarm fire sale, Cabrera will have to fight for everything he gets – both from the perspective of driving in runners and simply getting good pitches to hit. I am not doubting Miguel's talent in any way. In fact, on talent alone few players stack up to Cabrera. But when you go from being protected in the lineup by masher Carlos Delgado to being protected by, uh… (crickets) Mike Jacobs? Jeremy Hermida? Dan Marino? You get the point. Cabrera will have a tough time reaching 30 homers if he's constantly pitched around, and there's virtually no chance he'll approach his 116 RBI from a year ago. So…you'll have to decide where a .300 hitter with 30 homers and 90 RBI fits into your draft plans, but to me that looks suspiciously similar to the digits much less highly sought after corner infielders like Eric Chavez or Larry Jones might put up.
Melvin Mora, Orioles
While few believed he could repeat his brilliant .340 batting average from 2004, the decline of nearly 60 batting average points, 16 RBI, and 25 runs was a precipitous one. At age 34, Mora is no spring chicken, and his skills appear to be on the decline. Don't expect him to approach .300 again – 2003 and 2004 are clear aberrations in relation to his previous body of work, and the decline in 2005 can be traced to eroding plate patience and, well, erosion in a literal context (i.e. the aging process). Mora made a concerted effort to hit fly balls in 2005, which helped him slug 27 homers for the second straight season, but it's tough to count on another repeat considering all the downward trends and the lack of power in his not-so-distant past. In short, don't bid on Mora thinking he'll rebound to his All-Star numbers of 2004, as his best days are likely behind him.
Joe Crede, White Sox
While your opponents might remember the guy who came up big time-after-time in the playoffs, you'll take note that Crede is a career .255 hitter who has never driven in more than 75 runs in three full major league seasons. Crede batted .289 with a handful of huge postseason hits, but over the long haul he'll drive you crazy with his streaky play and uncanny ability not to drive runners in despite his obvious power. The lack of run production will continue as Crede will likely hit ninth in the order again this season, which essentially means he shouldn't be in your fantasy plans unless you're desperate for power very late in your draft proceedings.
Ryan Zimmerman WAS 3B Okay, so he did bat .397 as a late-season call up last year. That is a good reason he will be overvalued this year. He has little power and speed, but he does play good defense. So although he may hit for a .300 average, he does little else to help your fantasy team.
Vinny Castilla SD 3B Probably going to start in San Diego this season. People tend to remember his Colorado days, when he routinely hit 30 home runs. San Diego is a very tough park for hitters and Castilla has lost some bat speed. Pass on him this year, even as a bench player.
Sean Burroughs TB 3B Burroughs will probably enter 2006 as a starter at third base. He has no power or speed and does not even hit for a decent batting average. Once again, he should not even be considered as a bench player for your fantasy team.
The question to ask here is whether or not Cabrera can somehow drive himself in over 100 times this season. Essentially the lone holdover in the Marlins lineup after the offseason four-alarm fire sale, Cabrera will have to fight for everything he gets – both from the perspective of driving in runners and simply getting good pitches to hit. I am not doubting Miguel's talent in any way. In fact, on talent alone few players stack up to Cabrera. But when you go from being protected in the lineup by masher Carlos Delgado to being protected by, uh… (crickets) Mike Jacobs? Jeremy Hermida? Dan Marino? You get the point. Cabrera will have a tough time reaching 30 homers if he's constantly pitched around, and there's virtually no chance he'll approach his 116 RBI from a year ago. So…you'll have to decide where a .300 hitter with 30 homers and 90 RBI fits into your draft plans, but to me that looks suspiciously similar to the digits much less highly sought after corner infielders like Eric Chavez or Larry Jones might put up.
Melvin Mora, Orioles
While few believed he could repeat his brilliant .340 batting average from 2004, the decline of nearly 60 batting average points, 16 RBI, and 25 runs was a precipitous one. At age 34, Mora is no spring chicken, and his skills appear to be on the decline. Don't expect him to approach .300 again – 2003 and 2004 are clear aberrations in relation to his previous body of work, and the decline in 2005 can be traced to eroding plate patience and, well, erosion in a literal context (i.e. the aging process). Mora made a concerted effort to hit fly balls in 2005, which helped him slug 27 homers for the second straight season, but it's tough to count on another repeat considering all the downward trends and the lack of power in his not-so-distant past. In short, don't bid on Mora thinking he'll rebound to his All-Star numbers of 2004, as his best days are likely behind him.
Joe Crede, White Sox
While your opponents might remember the guy who came up big time-after-time in the playoffs, you'll take note that Crede is a career .255 hitter who has never driven in more than 75 runs in three full major league seasons. Crede batted .289 with a handful of huge postseason hits, but over the long haul he'll drive you crazy with his streaky play and uncanny ability not to drive runners in despite his obvious power. The lack of run production will continue as Crede will likely hit ninth in the order again this season, which essentially means he shouldn't be in your fantasy plans unless you're desperate for power very late in your draft proceedings.
Ryan Zimmerman WAS 3B Okay, so he did bat .397 as a late-season call up last year. That is a good reason he will be overvalued this year. He has little power and speed, but he does play good defense. So although he may hit for a .300 average, he does little else to help your fantasy team.
Vinny Castilla SD 3B Probably going to start in San Diego this season. People tend to remember his Colorado days, when he routinely hit 30 home runs. San Diego is a very tough park for hitters and Castilla has lost some bat speed. Pass on him this year, even as a bench player.
Sean Burroughs TB 3B Burroughs will probably enter 2006 as a starter at third base. He has no power or speed and does not even hit for a decent batting average. Once again, he should not even be considered as a bench player for your fantasy team.