LestersLegends.com

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Playing on a team that finished with a Major League worst 56-106 record doesn’t get many people noticed. Neither does a .276-26-2-12-7 line. That said, Houston second baseman Jose Altuve is a player to at least keep an eye on.
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His numbers obviously don’t come out and grab you, but if you projected the numbers out to a 162 game schedule he would finish with 74 runs, six HRs, 34 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. There isn’t much there in the power category, but he can be helpful in runs, stolen bases, and possibly average.
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His minor league numbers suggest that he can be useful in those categories. He hit .324 in the minors, and the .276 average in the bigs is pretty impressive considering he jumped Triple-A ball. He scored three runs for every four games he played and stole one base for every three games he played.
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He will be turn 22 early in the season and given the way he handled himself in his first taste of the majors, I think he could be a bench option at second base or a decent option for your middle infield slot.
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What has me especially optimistic was his low BABIP for a player with his speed. It was just .309. He was at .438 in A+ ball and at .373 for Double-A Corpus Christi. If he can get that number up even into the .340s his average, runs, and stolen bases are sure to climb.
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Altuve has a Mock Draft Central ADP of 273, which puts him in the 23rd round of 12-team fantasy drafts. With the potential to hit .300 with 20+ stolen bases, he’s not a bad option there.
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Also check out:

• 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Options

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Full disclosure, I wouldn’t take Dustin Pedroia over Robinson Cano. I had Cano pegged as the top second baseman last year, and I’ll stand by that claim again this year.
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That said, it wouldn’t make anybody question your sanity too significantly if you opted to go with Boston’s little big man over his Yankee counterpart.
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Cano probably has a higher batting average ceiling than Pedroia, but you’re looking at a .305 lifetime average for Pedroia and a .308 average for Cano. In three of the past five years Pedroia actually finished with a better average. Cano is a more powerful hitter, but their OPSs (Pedroia .836, Cano .843) are nearly identical. Bottom line, that category is a wash.
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The remaining two categories are a split.
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Cano has the clear edge in  home runs and RBI, averaging 27.3 long balls over the past three years. He has also averaged 104 RBI, a number that is trending up. Meanwhile Pedroia has averaged 17.5 home runs and 81.6 RBI over the past 2.5 years. Obviously if you were looking for power numbers, Cano would be your guy.
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However , as I mentioned, they split the remaining four categories of 5×5 leagues. The run totals were fairly even last year, but Pedroia is averaging 110.9 runs over the past 3.5 years. Cano is 103.3. Pedroia has twice scored at least 115 runs.
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Where Pedroia really gains ground is in the stolen base category. He has averaged 21.4 over the past 3.5 years. The 26 bases Pedroia stole last year are only two less than Cano’s 28 over the course of his career. In the past three years he’s averaged 5.3 stolen bases.
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As I stated earlier, I still believe Cano is the top second base option, but if you are more interested in solid numbers across the board, and a bump in stolen bases, Pedroia could be your guy.
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Also check out:

• 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Options

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Robinson Cano was my top rated second baseman last year. The view hasn’t changed from the top of the Lester’s Legends 2012 fantasy baseball Second Base rankings. Here’s the initial list.
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1. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees:  No way he’s moving from the top of the class after posting a .302-104-28-118-8 line. Not getting the stolen bases you need from a second basemen? Make it up elsewhere.
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2. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox:  If Cano wasn’t sooo good, Pedroia could have a shot at number one. There is nothing to be ashamed of his .307-102-21-91-26 line. He was good for everything last year.
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3.  Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers:  The ultimate Risk/Reward option. When he can stay healthy he delivers. His .255 average makes you cringe, but his 121 runs, 32 HRs, 77 RBI, and 30 SBs more than make up for it.
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4.  Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds:  Phillips was Dustin Pedroia lite. His .300-94-18-82-14 line is solid across the board. Nothing elite, but he doesn’t harm you anywhere.
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5.  Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves:  Uggla was ugly for the Braves hitting .233. He did score 88 runs, slug 36 HRs, and drive in 82 runs though. He also hit .296 with a .948 OPS after the All-Star Break. Things are going to get better.
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6.  Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays:  Zobrist bounced back from an ugly .238-77-10-75-24 2010 to a solid .269-99-20-91-19 2011 season. As long as he isn’t one of those players that alternates good and bad year, you should be fine.
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7.  Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies:  Utley is 33 and has missed 106 games in the past two seasons. His health is clearly a concern. So is the fact that his OPS has decreased every year since 2007.
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8.  Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers:  Losing Prince Fielder and potentially Ryan Braun for fifty games puts a damper on Milwaukee’s offense. Weeks posted a .269-77-20-49-9 line. He’ll likely be in line to drive in more runs this year.
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9.  Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners:  Ackley had some high expectations and delivered for the most part. Despite a .219 September he finished with a .273-39-6-36-6 line in 90 games.
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10.  Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angeles:  His .285-86-18-63-14 was solid. Add Albert Pujols to the mix and he should be even better in 2012.
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11.  Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians:  Kipnis’ cup of coffee went very well as he hit .272 with 24 runs, seven HRs, 19 RBI, and five stolen bases in 136 at bats.
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12.  Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates:   Walker proved his .296-57-12-66-2 2010 line wasn’t a fluke by posting a .273-76-12-83-9 line last year.
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13.  Jemile Weeks, Oakland A’s:  Weeks is your stolen base specialist. In 97 games he swiped 22 bases in 97 games. He didn’t just steal bases though as he hit .303 with 50 runs. He’ll basically be a three category player, but there is value in that.
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14.  Omar Infante, Florida Marlins:  The re-made Marlins feature Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez. He had a down year by his recent standards, but should post solid numbers, especially in the batting average category.
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15.  Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals:  Granted his .236 average isn’t making anybody happy, but he was one of five second basemen with 20 HRs and 15 stolen bases last year.
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Also check out:

• 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Options

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After hitting .103 in the postseason for Mitch Moreland, one wouldn’t think he could have ended 2011 on a worse note. That is before he had wrist surgery. While it will eventually prove to help Moreland, it does put him a little behind on his preparation for the 2012 season. He’s expected to be ready for Opening Day, but he could be limited in spring training.
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The Rangers were rumored to be sniffing around at Prince Fielder, but every team should have at least considered adding the big slugger. I wouldn’t put too much stock in that. Obviously if Fielder was in the mix, that would be an issue considering they have Moreland, Mike Napoli, Michael Young, and Adrian Beltre to fit into C, 1B, 3B, and DH.
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Moreland was solid during the first half of last year. He hit .272 with 38 runs, 11 HRs, 24 RBI, and a .783 OPS in 264 at bats before the All-Star Break. Not rock star numbers by any means, but solid. In the second half, as he dealt with the wrist injury, his numbers trailed off. He hit .241 with 22 runs, five HRs, 27 RBI, and a .667 OPS in 199 at bats after the break. The numbers obviously took a hit, but it was nice to see the RBI numbers actually improve.
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So he’ll enter the year as the Rangers’ primary first baseman, which is a good position to be in. I guess after his first half of 2011 and his 47-game stint in 2010 when he hit .255 with 20 runs, nine HRs, 25 RBI, and a .833 OPS in 145 at bats, he deserves a shot.
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His current Mock Draft Central ADP is 323, which would put him in the 27th round of 12-team fantasy drafts. At that rate, he’s definitely worth a look.
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Also check out:

• 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Options
• Why Miguel Cabrera Should be the #1 Fantasy Baseball Pick 

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Perhaps the happiest fantasy baseball players out there are those that hold Miguel Cabrera’s rights in keeper leagues. Even prior to the Prince Fielder signing, he was a consensus top three pick. Suddenly, he just became even more attractive to fantasy owners, which is hard to believe could even be possible.
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For starters, adding a bat like Fielder’s means Cabrera is going to get pitched to more frequently. They form a 1-2 punch that is even better than the combination that he formed with Ryan Braun in Milwaukee.
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You know Cabrera credentials. He is a lifetime .317 hitter. He doesn’t give you gaudy HR numbers, with a career high of 38, but he is consistent, averaging 33.1 over the past eight years. He has also hit .320 during that span with averages of 101.6 runs, 115.3 RBI and even 3.6 stolen bases. Cabrera had his two lowest RBI totals during full seasons in the past three years, but Fielder’s presence should get him back 115+ RBI territory.
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It’s not just Fielder’s bat that likely propels Cabrera to the number one spot in most leagues. While Fielder and Cabrera will likely each take terms at designated hitter, it’s Cabrera’s return to third base that puts him over the top.
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When you compare his numbers to Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, and Joey Votto, there isn’t much difference. If Mark Teixeira could get his batting average figured out, he could enter the discussion as well.
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However, when you put him up against the likes of David Wright, Adrian Beltre and Evan Longoria, not to mention the quick, steep dropoff, you’re looking at the biggest positional differential in the league, and it’s not even close.
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Also check out:

• 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Options