LestersLegends.com

Here’s my second look at the fantasy first basemen rankings.

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

1.  Albert Pujols:  My thoughts haven’t wavered on Pujols as the #1 first baseman. Nobody’s have.

2.  Ryan Howard:  I bumped him up a spot. His average isn’t going to kill you, but you simply can’t ignore the HRs and RBIs he brings to the table. Sure, Prince Fielder was toe-to-toe with him last year, and Tex and Miggy have the potential, but Howard has been doing it for four straight years.
(2006-2009):  .278, 102 runs, 49.5 HRs, 143 RBIs, 2.5 SBs

3. Mark Teixeira:  I rank Tex at three simply because of the ballpark and lineup he’s in.

4.  Miguel Cabrera:  I went into further detail with Cabrera (click to see article) to justify the #4 ranking. I think his average is more likely to be a competitive edge over Prince Fielder, than Fielder’s HRs and RBIs over Cabrera.

5.  Prince Fielder:  His #5 ranking is merely a reflection as to how deep the position is.

6.  Victor Martinez:  Technically a catcher, V-Mart has first base eligibility. That dramatically adds to his value.

7.  Kevin Youkilis: Same goes for Youk, but replace catcher with third base.

8.  Adrian Gonzalez:  Quietly, steadily a nice source of HRs and RBIs.

9.  Justin Morneau:  I bumped him down a few notches mainly because of his injury history and the uncertainty of Target Field. Weather could play a key role in the opening and closing months of his season.

10.  Joey Votto:  Another player we profiled (click here for the article). Potential for a .310 average with 25-30 HRs and 100-110 RBIs.

Here’s an early look at the 2010 First Base rankings.

1.  Albert Pujols – Simply the cream of the crop.

2.  Mark Teixeira – Could knock in even more Yankees with Curtis Granderson addition. I expect a better average in 2010.

3.  Ryan Howard – His average didn’t kill you last year, but it was still enough to keep him out of the two slot.

4.  Miguel Cabrera – Better average than Tex and Howard, but fewer RBI opportunities.

5.  Prince Fielder – He actually had better numbers than Howard or Tex, but  I think he has a harder time replicating those numbers.

6.  Justin Morneau – His numbers have varied the past four years, but as a whole have been solid. I expect something around the average of those four years with Morneau hitting around .290 with 30 HRs and 120 RBIs.

7.  Adrian Gonzalez – I’d like him more if he got traded, but he still should give you around .280 with 38 HRs and 110 RBIs.