RomoBall Fantasy Preview - 11th Edition (101-110)

The Testing Era can only be viewed as a success. In an industry as corrupt and top heavy as any other, baseball’s belated drug testing policy has restored a pure environment on the field, which had become as skewed as team payrolls. When attempting to somehow quantify the impact performance enhancing drugs have had on the game, the usual thought is of Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire, sluggers who went from great to otherworldly at about the midpoint of their careers. Or maybe Roger Clemens, who racked up Cy Youngs after his athletic prime. What we must also consider is the pitcher who wasn’t juicing having to face Bonds, or the hitter who was playing it straight facing Clemens or Pettite. Every player’s performance was impacted during the decade-long Steroid Era. Now that players are tested and suspended for doping, talent rules once again, and whether it’s a direct result or not, this is the most talent-rich period in baseball history.

101. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B – AZ. Everything changed for the D-backs on August 1st, 2011 when they brought Goldschmidt up from double-A. Everyone noticed on August 2nd when he took Tim Lincecum deep for his first major league homer. An 8th round pick out of Texas State University, Goldschmidt is a diamond in the rough for the snakes. He clubbed 30 HR in the pitcher-friendly Southern League before his callup, launched 8 in August-September, and hit .438 with 2 HR and 5 RBI against the Brewers in the playoffs. Paul and Justin Upton will form one of the better duos in the National League; owners who take Upton early will do well to hold off on 1B and take Paul late.

102. Dustin Ackley, 2B – SEA. If you’re asking yourself why this guy reminds you of a lefthanded Pedroia, maybe it’s because his name is Dustin. Or maybe you’re on to something. The Mariners’ choice with the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley is already here and in a big way. Dustin west heads into the 2012 season with the second base job all to himself after a strong rookie half season. Ackley is a line drive hitter with 20-20 potential and the ability to hit well above .300 as a 2B.

103. Adam Wainwright, SP – STL. Adam Wainwright is all the way back from Tommy John surgery and is currently on track to be the Red Birds’ Opening Day starter. From 2008-2010, Wainwright dominated opposing hitters, holding them to a batting average while averaging wins and Ks.

104. Tommy Hanson, SP – ATL. Tommy’s amazing journey began in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1986. He didn’t become a rock musician, but moved to California and was a sensation at his high school. All extended Tommy metaphors aside, after getting caught looking too many times a rival college team made t-shirts about Hanson’s curveball that said “we’re not gonna take it.”

105. Drew Storen, RP – WAS. The Nationals selected Drew Storen 10th overall in the 2009 draft, the same year they drafted Strasburg number 1. Since that day, Strasburg amazed us, went away, then amazed us again. In that same time, Storen experienced the same meteoric rise in the Washington system, only without the injury. Drew was 43/48 in save situations last year, and a rotation with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and John Lannan will provide even more chances in 2012.

106. Andre Ethier, OF – LAD. Andre has been less than giant over the past two seasons, tallying 23 HR in 2010 and just 11 in 487 at bats in 2011. Now totally healthy following knee surgery, dinner with Andre should taste a lot better in 2012.

107. Josh Johnson, SP – MIA. With JJ it’s pretty simple. If he’s healthy, he’s an ace. Josh was on a Cy Young pace in 2011 before a shoulder injury shut him down after just nine starts. He’s now had 10 months to rehab and is looking strong early in camp, much to the delight of new skipper Ozzie Guillen.

108. Jesus Montero, Util – SEA. Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Doug Fister would have made a nice front three in pitcher- friendly SafeCo. Instead, Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik (pronounced Za-ren-sik) sent Mr. Fister to Detroit for Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, Chance Ruffin and Francisco Martinez, and parleyed Pineda into the Yankees’ top prospect Montero. The other players involved in the deal notwithstanding, a Pineda-for-Montero swap was great for both clubs. The Mariners are in desperate need of legitimate thump in their lineup and the Yankees have come up short in recent years due to pitching, not offense. Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said of Montero, “he may turn out to be the best player I’ve ever traded.” The Mariners plan to use Jesus at catcher once or twice a week, so he should gain eligibility behind the dish before May.

109. David Freese, 3B – STL. Mr. Freese got hotter as the year went on in 2011 and by the time he was done a World Series was in the cards. Freese knocked in a record 21 runs in 63 postseason at bats while hitting a cool .397 with 5 HR and sent LaRussa and Pujols out with a bang. At 28, David is a zygote compared with teammates Berkman, Beltan and Furcal, and is the best bet among them for a full and productive season.

110. Cameron Maybin, CF – SD. The Marlins loaded up in the offseason adding Reyes, Buehrle and Bell, but we can only wonder how stacked they might be if they had gotten any return for Miguel Cabrera. At the risk of sounding like someone saying “the Marlins got nothing back for Miguel Cabrera,” the Marlins got super-prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller for Miguel Cabrera. Andrew Miller defined the term bonus baby and was ultimately shipped to Boston for farmhand Dustin Richardson, and after falling short of expectations Cameron was dealt to San Diego for Edward Mujica and minor leaguer Ryan Webb. A pessimist would say the 2012 Marlins only have Mujica to show for Miguel (and Dontrelle Willis), and an even more negative view might be that given the fact that they were traded away due to their poor performances, the Marlins got less than nothing for Miguel. That’s the prospect game. They scored when they got Hanley and Anibal Sanchez for Beckett and Lowell and they bricked on Miguel. Meanwhile, after 3 years of Cameron Maybi in Florida, he had Padres fans saying yes, with a .264 average and 40 steals in 2012.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Tenth Edition (91-100)

Every year, a few former first rounders slip into the middle rounds for reasons other than their age or sharp and sudden decline. This year, owners have the ability to stock their shelves with former firsties like canned peaches. The question is, should they? Hanley and Reyes have surely been taken in the top 5 and will likely be drafted in the teens and 20′s, but both guys are big risks. A-Rod and Carl Crawford used to call the first round home and this year will go much later, but Alex gets tested now and Carl’s wrist is a lingering problem. The right side of the Phillies’ infield represents the last chance to snag a previous perennial and as the last two to go, Utley and Howard offer the most value among the former elites.

91. John Axford, RP – MIL. With a 2.48 ERA and .204 opponents’ batting average against him in 2010, Axford didn’t ask for the closer’s role. He took it. He followed his 24-save rookie season with 46 saves in 48 chances with a 1.95 ERA and 86 K’s in 73.2 innings and held opposing hitters to a .212 average. He’ll continue to get tons of hitters hacking, and starters Gallardo, Greinke and Marcum should produce a good amount of ninth inning leads again in 2012.

92. Mark Reynolds, 1B/3B – BAL. In his first year in Baltimore, Mark managed to keep his strikeout total under 200 for the first time in his four-year career. Just two years removed from hitting .260/44/102/24 for the D-Backs, Reynolds clubbed 37 HR in his first season in the pitching-heavy AL East. Still just 28, if he ever gets it together pitch selection-wise he goes from dangerous to scary.

93. Brett Gardner, LF – NYY. Gardner got off to a slow start for the Yanks in 2011, hitting .194 with four steals in April. He eventually got it going, snagging 28 bases over a three-month stretch while hitting .301, .317 and .289 in May, June and July. 47 and 49 steals in the last two years have made Gardner a constant in the Yankee lineup. Even without a move to the leadoff spot, Brett’s elite speed and knowledge of the metric system give him a legitimate shot at 60+ swipes.

94. Kevin Youkilis, 1B/3B – BOS. Kevin went from you kill us to you’re killin’ me at some point in 2008. In three years since, he has averaged 380 at bats, and last year his injuries affected his performance for the first time, as his average dipped to a career-low .258. If new skipper Bobby Valentine can get 1000 combined at bats from Youkilis and Crawford, he’ll still be managing ballgames in October.

95. Matt Wieters, C – BAL. We wish Matt had a Twitter account. If he did, we could gently point out, first that we’re big fans, and second that he happened to maul to a .339 clip with a 1.124 OPS batting righty last year, and hit just .237 from the left side with a .665 OPS. Plenty of righty bats are actually better facing RHP, which begs the question of how dominating Matt could be if he went to hitting righty full time.

96. Chase Utley, 2B – PHI. Every second baseman in the league used to chase Utley. From 2005-2009, Chase either hit .300, hit 30+ HR or drove in 100+ runs, and in his career-best 2006 season he did all three. Now 33, it’s possible that Utley has gotten old young, as he’s failed to top 425 at bats in each of the past two seasons. The Phillies plan is to go easy on him in spring training so he’s fresher during the year. Our plan is to wait on him until at least the 10th round just in case he returns to form.

97. Ryan Howard, 1B – PHI. Ryan Howard started out as a temp at the Scranton branch. He started the fire, invented a website, became the youngest VP in Dunder-Mifflin history, ripped off the company, hit rockbottom and eventually got redemption. While TV Ryan Howard’s rise, fall and resurrection may not be an exact analogy for the Phillies’ Ryan Howard, the parallels are there. While we’re at it, the creative minds at The Office must be baseball fans, specifically the 1986 NLCS. It’s all about Mike Scott bossing around Dwight and Darryl.

98. Jimmy Rollins, SS – PHI. For the last 11 years we’ve enjoyed watching Rollins band the Phillies together. In ten of those seasons Jimmy has gotten more than 550 at bats. Sure, .268/16/30 isn’t spectacular, but he should lead off again this year and will be followed by a string of proven RBI men.

99. Alexei Ramirez, SS – CWS. Things seem to affect Alexei. Winning baseball and, to a large extent winning fantasy baseball is about being good enough that you’re better than the weather. You’re better than the injuries. You’re better than the blown calls. You’re better than the bad bounces. Every team has those. Every player has those. Alexei has the natural ability to be one of the top offensive shortstops in baseball, we just don’t know what effect the departure of Ozzie Guillen and Joey Cora will have on him. Our guess is he’ll be more relaxed under new manager Robin Ventura, which is always a good thing for hitters.

100. Shane Victorino, CF – PHI. We know there will be good fantasy years to be had in Philadelphia, we’re just not positive who will lead the way. Of the Phils that will slip in drafts, Victorino may be the best value. He’s younger than Utley, Howard and Rollins, is on a contract year, and has 20-30 potential if he can keep himself on the field for 550 at bats.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Ninth Edition (81-90)

Over the course of the season, bounces and breaks will go for you and against you. Games get rained out. Players get tossed. Games go into extra innings. Umpires blow calls. Official scorers are biased. With so many pivotal moments of the fantasy season up to pure chance, the one thing we can ensure goes our way is the name of our team. As students of karma, we take the “walk softly and carry big sticks” approach to smack-talk, and recommend a similar kill-you-with-kindness approach when picking a team name. Points are scored at various levels and to various degrees among our peers, with the goal of securing a permanent residence at the corner of Humorous and Original. Variations of baseball team names are bran flakes on our scale; better to go with a play on players’ names, Bourn/Uggla, for example as both a Conan-esque self-jab and a thinly veiled Frost/Nixon reference. Ok, maybe not that thinly veiled. Film (Little Neddy Goes to War), music (Instant Shwarma), obscure television shows (Daktari) can provide some great team names, and any notion to reference WKRP in Cincinnati should be met with little resistance. Dr. Johnny Fever sounds like a great fantasy team name. It’s that easy.

81. Gio Gonzalez, SP – WAS. For White Sox GM Kenny Williams, Gio is the one that got away. Twice. He’s also the one he got. Twice. Williams snared Gio out of high school as a supplemental round pick in 2004, then traded him with Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome in 2005. Williams then reacquired Gonzalez from Philadelphia, along with Gavin Floyd in exchange for Freddy Garcia. Before he could make a major league start for Chicago he was dealt to Oakland in 2008 as the primary piece in the package that brought back Nick Swisher. Don’t let Gonzalez get away from you. Once. He’s posted nearly identical seasons averaging 200 IP, 3.18 ERA, 184K and 15 wins in the past two years and the move from Oakland to Washington will not prevent a three-peat.

82. Madison Bumgarner, SP – SF. The Giants’ southpaw pitched his way through a mad bummer of an April, in which he was 0-4 with a 6.17 ERA, and finished at 13-13 with a 3.21 ERA and 191 K’s in 204 innings. His 9-4 record with a 2.52 ERA after the break was more along the lines of what GM Brian Sabean had in mind for Bumgarner, who turns 23 this August.

83. Billy Butler, 1B/DH – KC. Butler has been productive since his arrival in KC back in 2007. A .297 lifetime hitter who turns 26 this April, much of Billy’s success has come in mediocre lineups. This tells us two things: he’s still young enough that he hasn’t yet hit his true hitting prime, and he’ll benefit from having Hosmer to share the load in the middle of the Royals’ order. Perhaps Butler’s greatest service to fantasy owners in 2011 were the 11 games he started at first base, granting him eligibility at the position in most formats for 2012.

84. Yovani Gallardo, SP – MIL. Gallardo has made 30+ starts in each of the past three seasons, increasing his win total each year. In 2012 he set personal marks with 17 wins, a 3.52 ERA and 207 Ks, and will look to build off those numbers in his age-26 season.

85. Zack Greinke, SP – MIL. Greinke rebounded from a 10-14 year in 2010 to finish at 16-6 in his first year in Milwaukee. His 3.83 ERA was better than 4.17, but lightyears away from the almost non-existent 2.16 of his magical 2009. While it’s likely 2009 is his ceiling, he’ll get closer than he got in ’10 and ’11.

86. Howie Kendrick, 1B/2B/OF – LAA. Throughout his career, Kendrick has been known as a “guy who just might win a batting title someday.” After hitting .321 and .306 in half-seasons in ’07 and ’08 that seemed to be Howie’s path, but he’s dipped to .285 over the past three years, adding power to his game in 2011 with 18 HR. We’ll take the swap.

87. Joe Mauer, C/1B – MIN. If fantasy is any indicator, and it’s not, the Twins are in for a rough year. The first Gemini off our board is Joe Mauer, and he comes with a healthy amount of risk. Unfortunately for Mauer, the risk has been the only healthy thing about him over the past three seasons. Back to full strength heading into his age-28 season, Mauer Pauer may be the only show in two cities, but it’s a good one.

88. Buster Posey, C – SF. In his short career, Posey has gone from Best in Show to Waiting for Guffman. No longer Dazed and Confused, the House of Yes should be open again in 2012. All extended Parker Posey metaphors aside, don’t miss out when Superman Returns.

89. B.J. Upton, OF – TB. At 28, some ballplayers are just getting their first shot in the majors. Some feel like they have been here for ages. B.J. debuted all the way back in ’04 and was up for good in ’07. He now has five full seasons on the back of his card, and last year regained his power stroke adding 23 HR to 36 steals for the Rays. His .258 lifetime batting average is actually flattering, as he’s hit .241, .237 and .243 over the past three seasons. If he can hit .260 he’s a value, if he can hit .280, he’s a stud.

90. Ichiro, OF – SEA. Ichiro’s incredible streak of 10 consecutive 200+ hit seasons ended in 2011. In his 11th season in Seattle, Ichiro endured the worst of his professional career. He hit below .303 for the first time, finishing at .272, got on base at less than a .350 clip for the first time with a .310 OBP, and slugged below .386 for the first time with a .335 SLG%. At 38, it’s certainly reasonable to guess that the decline will continue, but we don’t. 40 steals last year means his wheels are far from shot, and we’re betting it was just a horrid year for the Mariners and it finally had an effect on Ichiro. 2012 will be a better year for the M’s and is a contract year for the surefire hall of famer. “They say the Jet’s lost a step or two, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some fireworks here.” – S. Smalls