Who deserves Waiver Priority for in 2009?

If you are playing the Yahoo game in ‘09 – you’ve got to like the influx of young prospects they have added heading into the 2009 Fantasy Baseball season.

However, with so many Minor League Players already added to the game, there will likely be a lot less HOT waiver priority adds throughout the year.

Periodically, throughout the 2009 baseball campaign, we will look at some players who have still NOT been added to Yahoo Fantasy Baseball. None of these players are sure bets to make their MLB debuts this year, but if - and when they do, particularly if you play in a keeper league - we suggest you utilize waiver priority to try and land their services.

Rookie Cards - It’s been quite some time since we shuffled through a pack of baseball cards. Searching for our favorite player cards – especially scouring for valuable rookie cards. So, the nostalgic side of us thought we’d present these prospects to you throughout the year - accompanied with a pic of one of their baseball cards. It's a shame today’s card collectors will never experience the good ol’ days when you would forget that crappy cardboard pink stick of gum in your shorts. And of course, mom would inevitably choose to do laundry that day – passing them through the washing machine to create a lint covered ball of goo in your pocket for the remainder of the summer.

Gordon Beckham

Chicago White Sox (2B?/SS)

Georgia’s Top Dog has a bright future ahead of him.

In addition to being a very talented young ballplayer, “Bang it like Beckham” has the character that fans should fall in love with. The powerful middle infield prospect has done everything that could be asked of a player this spring. He’s been a doubles hitting machine, and has impressed White Sox General Manager, Kenny Williams - and Manager Ozzie Guillen to a point where they have some tough decisions to make.

With the human bean pole, Alexei Ramirez taking over duties at short this year, Beckham has been thrust into a competition with Chris Getz to play second base. It’s difficult to tell how serious the White Sox are about bringing Beckham North. Williams maintained the only way he'd join the club come Opening Day would be as a starter; rather than have him lose every day at bats, and inhibit his development in the Sox Minor League system. It wouldn’t come as a shock if Chicago sticks with their original plan – and begin the season with Chris Getz at second base – since he has faired quite well this spring as well, but ‘Gordo’ has proven his services could be a valuable commodity – should ‘Plan B’ become necessary in 2009.

If you havn’t watched this rather candid Youtube vid of Gordon Beckham – Check it out.

It’s time the Colorado Rockies – and several Fantasy rankers alike, stop treating Ian Stewart with all the affection of a red headed step child.

In 2008, Stewart combined to clout 29 homeruns, while splitting time between Triple A, and the fantasy promised land known to us as “Coors Field.”

Although the former Modesto Nut has long been touted as a future star – even before the existence of the term “post-hype sleeper” – we think the term fits him in this case, as the skilled batsman is still only 24 years young and his star potential very much remains.

The lack of fanfare/buzz being generated for the Rockies left hander is likely due largely in part to the fact that he still doesn’t have a specific starter's position in Colorado.

Let’s not worry about that too much. We think Colorado will carve out a substantial role for #24 in 2009. If given 500+ at bats, we project somewhere around .280/25/95, with maybe a half dozen steals to boot. 

In many leagues Stewart, who played 12 games at second base, will already qualify for the thin-on-power second base position. This eligibility would be a sweet bonus to Stewart owners, but just like leagues where Pablo Sandoval lacks the C-spot, he is still worthy of your fantasy attention - even without Mark DeRosa-like eligibility.  

Clint Hurdle can sometimes frustrate us more than Mike Shanahan did with Denver Broncos Backs, but with the departure of Matt Holliday to the Oakland A’s – there has even been some talk about putting the Rockies long time third base prospect out in left field. Or - will Garrett Atkins be traded to make room for Stewart at the hot corner? Or - will Clint Barmes, Jeff Baker or Seth Smith falter enough to allow Stewart a full-time gig? Lots of scenarios, but regardless, it certainly appears one will occur, which will allow the Rox to get Stewart's left-handed power swing into their line-up throughout 2009.

Projecting how at bats in Colorado will all go down is next to impossible the first week of February. Seth Smith, Ryan Spilboroughs, Carlos Gonzales and Dexter Fowler are other Rockies outfielders who will need playing time sorted out this spring. But, we think Ian Stewart, who could end up as a 2B/3B/LF eligible player - is worthy of some serious consideration once 2009 drafts head into the "Akinori Iwamura Territory".

For comparisons sake, lets assume Stewart qualifies at second base in your league. Akinori Iwamura is being ranked by many experts around 20th for 2009 second basemen. Slighty above a Felipe Lopez, or Mark Ellis, but below a Mark DeRosa or Kelly Johnson. And yet, Tampa’s #1 Aki will turn 30 years of age, and he only netted eight steals last season, while hitting a rather paltry six homeruns.

Sure, while batting leadoff for the American League Championship Rays, he should be a decent RUNS producer once again, but that’s about where the positives end.

Oh wait! Iwamura (we believe) is the only player currently in Major League Baseball who plays with an alligator skin baseball glove!

Careful Iwamura, your specially made mitt had a bitter brother - “see ya later”

Take notes Chase Utley owners, as we mentioned in our 2009 Second Base Rankings Check to see if "Stewie" does have 2B in your league. Plugging in a player with his upside for a month or so while Utley is on the mend - may not be too bad an option.

Spring Training should offer us a more concise game plan as to what the Rockies intend for Ian Stewart. But in a Modesto Nutshell: He can be drafted in many leagues for mere peanuts! Personally, we would rather snag an elephant with peanuts, than chase an aging alligator!

By: Adam Forsyth

WaiverSharks newest feature, headed up by analyst extraordinaire, Adam Forsyth, shouldn’t be confused with analytics by Google. Fantalytics name was inspired by the Google traffic analysis tool, but our articles intend to be stat driven comparisons. Our goal is to assist you with any challenging “Photo Finish Fantasy Baseball decisions!”

Read Adam’s introductory post for more. Or, since you’re here - jump right into Fanalytics' first tough call of the 2009 Fantasy Baseball season.

Fantalytics Volume 1

Josh Johnson VS Brandon Morrow

When it comes to comparing these two young-guns you may have to assume a couple of things. First, is that there aren’t any health concerns going into the season with Josh Johnson. The other is that you have faith in Seattle bench boss Don Wakamatsu’s commitment to Brandon Morrow being a part of the M’s starting rotation on a full-time basis.

The Case for Josh Johnson

After an impressive 2006 rookie season, an irritated ulnar nerve, followed up with Tommy John surgery, held up the development of the big 6 foot 7 inch righty. With only four starts over the course of the next season and a half, some wrote off the youngster. A mid-July 2008 return allowed Johnson to pay back fantasy slappy’s who didn’t prematurely write him off by going 7-1 and looking extremely sharp in the final 2.5 months of the season. Jo-Jo’s impressive K/BB ratio of 3.08:1 left owners salivating and imagining what could be if he were able stay healthy for an entire season. Perhaps 2009 is the year! Fantalytics certainly hopes so!

The Case for Brandon Morrow

After starting the season in a middle relief role, followed up with a brief but impressive 10-save stint as the closer when the reliable J.J. Putz fell to injury, Morrow ended the season by auditioning in a five game sting as a starter. The impressive thing about Morrow is that no matter what situation he was placed in, he handled with a calm, cool and collected approach and continued to frustrate batters to the tune of over 10.49 K’s /9 innings. Morrow has got the stuff to be a dominant starter and sure mid-level pick, (even on a weak Mariners’ roster) to win 10+ games in 2009 with great upside and an even brighter future ahead.

FANTALYTICS FINAL CALL

Even with the injury concerns, I still have to lean towards Josh Johnson being the guy that has the greater potential as a starter. The Marlins are a better team than the Mariners, and I have a bit of concern that the experiment with Morrow can easily be modified on the fly throughout the season, due to the fact that he was extremely effective as the closer. Expect a 14 win season from J.J. with 170+ K’s, respectable sub 3.00 ERA and a respectable 1.35 or lower WHIP.

Matilda:I became Bulimic.
Derek Zoolander:You can read minds?

You would almost have to be “bulimic” to know the answers to the following Fantasy questions – but here at WaiverSharks – we continue to give it a whirl.

Who will be this years Blake DeWitt? Where are you Mike Aviles? Is there a 2009 Starting Pitcher version of Edinson Volquez, or a 2009 Catcher’s equivalent to the shockingly good Geovanny Soto?

Where will this year’s Alexei Ramirez hail from? What player could emulate, in this coming Fantasy Baseball season, the unpredictable stardom one Nathan Richard McLouth enjoyed in 2008?

Every year, a handful (or more) players who NO ONE is pre-season hyping on their consummate CHEAT SHEETS goes on to enjoy productive – and in many cases, Fantasy relevant campaigns.

At the beginning of the 2008 MLB season, Blake DeWitt was behind both Nomar Garciaparra as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers ‘supposed 3B of the future’ - Andy LaRoche.

As we all know by now. Nomar and Andy (sounds like a bad sitcom) both fell to early season injuries, which in turn opened the door for Blake DeWitt. The Dodgers acquired Casey Blake from the Cleveland Indians to play third base, in addition to Manny Ramirez, which consequently led them to making the 2008 playoffs.

Looking ahead to 2009 - Blake DeWitt, who no one expected to play baseball at the Major League level so quickly, appears at the top of the Dodgers Second base options. Jeff Kent is presumably eyeing a retirement home. Casey Blake will return to LA, and a key component in the trade made with Cleveland, Carlos Santana – makes his way to WaiverSharks 2009 Edition of our Deepest Sleepers list.

C – Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians - How can we deny a guy who shares his name with the foremost Latin guitar legend? Victor Martinez injury riddled 2008 might be a thing of the past, and Kelly Shoppach emerged as a plausible everyday backstop. But, neither of them performed a full tour of duty behind the plate last season. If the injury bug strikes we could see Carlos Santana jammin’ with Kerry Wood down at Progressive field at some point in 2009. Break out the 'Oye Como Va' boys!

C – Max Ramirez, Texas Rangers - If you are looking for an equally Deep Catcher pick – but one with a bit more popularity buzz, consider the Texas Rangers Max Ramirez. Since Gerald Laird packed his bags for Detroit , Michigan (better bundle up Gerald!) everyone appears to be harping praises for Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden. Those two guys do have the more interesting surnames – but forgetting Max Ramirez’ existence would not be wise.

1B – Chris Marrero, Washington Nationals - We have shown the Washington Nationals plenty of love leading into the 2009 MLB season – and why not, someone has to right?

Marrero is a player who could very well be coveted quite highly – some day.

Will it be in 2009…Hmmm, not likely – but the Nationals are not exactly what we would call deep at first base, so a mid-season call-up is not out of the question. We can foresee a day when both big Chris Marrero and an outstanding outfield prospect by the name of Michael Burgess will allow Nat’s fans a bit more ‘National Pride’.

2B – Matt Antonelli, San Diego Padres - Antonelli took a step back in many eyes after a brutal 2008 Don’t throw in the towel on him yet – he still only turns 24 years old this April, and should still remain an important part of the Padres future. San Diego went out and got David Eckstein and also retained Edgar Gonzales to provide second base stop-gaps until Antonelli can re-energize and get back on track to looking like the player we all know he could be.

3B – Billy Rowell, Baltimore Orioles - Sooner or later Melvin Mora has to lose AB’s and give way to somebody in Baltimore doesn’t he? Will it be Scott Moore or this 20 year left-handed power hitter whose swing has occasionally been compared to Barry Bonds. (But, not in an a$$hole way) If he could ever get himself healthy - the 2006 Orioles draft pick could become a third base beast! As witnessed in this video, Mr. Rowell can certainly put a charge in the ball. Watch him put on an aluminum bat homerun clinic:

SS – Jason Donald, Philadelphia Phillies - WaiverSharks already made reference to both the “Beckham” (Tim and Gordon) Short Stop prospects in our SS Rankings - so man oh man, pretty soon we’ll be suggesting Short Stops from China !

We actually made mention of Jason Donald in our Bobblehead Daze blog a short time ago. The Reading Phillies have cooked up a cool duel Bobble that will feature Donald alongside Olympic Medalist, and fellow reading alumni Lou Marson.

Jason Donald is obviously blocked by Jimmy Rollins at Short in Philadelphia – so it’s plausible he’ll break in as a third baseman if he remains with the Phillies organization.

OF – Michael Saunders, Seattle Mariners - WaiverSharks mentioned Michael Saunders in our final OF - Outfielder rankings. This Canadian may not be the Evangeline Lilly of 2009 Fantasy, but not everyone’s highly touted, or “sexy picks” will pan out this season.

As we look over the Mariners roster we’re convinced we will see Saunders take some cuts at Safeco this year – with 2010 being an even better bet for regular duty.

Not all your 2009 draft picks will end up as pretty as Canadian ‘Lost’ actress, Evangeline Lilly – that’s why you need to keep checking back with WaiverSharks.com

OF – Nate Schierholtz, San Francisco Giants – The Giants certainly havn’t given this player many votes of confidence. Going out and signing Aaron Rowand prior to the 2008 season was a bit of a kick to the groin – and now the Giants have been linked to the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes this off-season.

Kayaks may not be required to retrieve Schierholtz homeruns, but he has some pop!

In the limited number of at bats he’s been awarded by the Giants, the young left handed swinger hasn’t looked out of place in the majors - batting .307 and .320 during his two abbreviated seasons. If the Giants finagle a way of signing “ManRam” – and I’m Schierholtz agent, I'd personally be requesting the first trolley car ticket out of San Fran.

Schierholtz also represented the American Olympic team when Colby Rasmus was injured last year. Perhaps the Rodney Dangerfield of the Giants organization will be rewarded some respect in 2009, and we could see yet another Fantasy player named ‘Nate’ develop into a solid 4th or 5th Fantasy outfielder worthy of our consideration.

OF – Jose Tabata, Pittsburgh Pirates - Acquired from the Yankees as part of the Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte deal, Jose Tabata is still a very young man – unfortunately he is still acting like it. He has been dubbed by some as a “Mini-Manny”, for sharing both ManRam’s quick bat speed – but also his fluctuations in attitude.

If he can get his act together he may get a cup of coffee chance this season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who we feel need to give guys like Andrew McCutchen and Steve Pearce legitimate shots this coming Spring.

C’mon Jose – Be ”like” Manny. But don’t “be” Manny!

SP – Aaron Poreda, Chicago White Sox - He’s a 6'6", 240 pound south paw who can hit 100 MPH on the radar gun. Do we have your attention now? Poreda will need to improve his secondary pitches if he wants to crack the major leagues as a starter, otherwise the White Sox may want to groom him into a relievers role. Either way, his ability is worth keeping tabs on.

Shhhh!

Revealing Sleepers this soon can lead to an internet frenzy - and thus kill one’s ability to snag a player in the later rounds.

So let’s treat Colby Rasmus kind of like Fight Club – recollecting the #1 rule Tyler Durden preached:

The first rule about Colby Rasmus is:
“You don’t talk about Colby Rasmus!”

Of course, since you’ve dropped by, we assume you are a card carrying member of the “Colby Rasmus Fight Club” so here are some Quick reasons why we like this kid going into the 2009 season:

If you are a fairly serious Fantasy Baseball junkie – you have probably already started to view various sites in search of the 2009 Sleepers.

For Catchers, we will be honing our fantasy radar on who might be this years Ryan Doumit, or even better - Geovanny Soto. When it comes to pitchers – the phrase “Next Edinson Volquez” will be bounced around more than "Career Opportunities" outtakes of Jennifer Connelly on a Target store riding horse.

And the Fantasy Baseball Indiana Jones in all of us will covet any similar discovery of last season’s Holy Grail of infielder finds – Alexei Ramirez.

Before we continue, let us once again remind you…

"The first rule about Colby Rasmus…"

Prognosticating breakout players obviously often entails some lucky breaks. But in some cases - like Geovanny Soto last season – there were Billboard sized signs for a possible breakout campaign going into 2008. The problem, unfortunately, when an apparent “Sleeper” has too much “writing on the wall” – as mentioned at the top of this article – word spreads like wildfire, and before too long, everyone knows about the player in question – thus diminishing one’s chances of truly capitalizing on drafting him in a later round.

Many who drafted Edinson Volquez last season got on board once the hard throwing Cincy Red began to show he might possess the “right stuff” during 2008’s edition of Spring Training.

Now again, it’s early – some of us may still be recovering from our New Years Eve hangover – I swear, never again. No really.But one of the reasons Colby Rasmus intrigues us here at WaiverSharks.com is because, up until now at least, he has not been preached about by the Fantasy expert elite. Like Alexei Ramirez, and to some extent Volquez – Rasmus remains hidden in the shadows of touted Fantasy 2009 Sleepers like the Reds Joey Votto, the Rockies Carlos Gonzales (Coors Magic?) and the Rangers Nelson Cruz.

This is not to say that all three of these Outfielders (Votto qualifies at 1B and OF) won’t possibly outdo Rasmus during 2009 – but we highly doubt, with the earlybird attention they are garnering, that any of them will be available to be drafted in as late of a round – or even plucked off of the consummate waiver wire, as young Mr. Rasmus will.

 Okay – so we’ve established that the St. Louis Cardinals uber-talented outfielder is flying under the radar somewhat? So is Sal Fasano – but that doesn’t make him worthy of our Fantasy attention now does it?

Why else should Fantasy managers tuck a Rasmus feather in their Cardinals caps going into the 2009 Fantasy Baseball season?

Opportunity is big here. If there is no hope for landing regular at bats at some point – hopefully earlier than late – we might as well move on. But in Rasmus' case, we DO see opportunity is knocking – and a hot spring may be all it takes to see him get the chance to head up to the club at the onset of the 2009 season.

To date - the Cardinals have certainly not been very involved in many offseason player additions. Adding Khalil Greene may alter their infield somewhat – but won’t change the complexion of their outfield.

So who else have they got out there manning left, center and right at Busch Stadium?

Ryan Ludwick – Although some are still scratching their collective Fantasy heads on how and why Ryan Ludwick rose so quickly in 2008 – even if there is some drop off this season, Ludwick, one can assume, has firmly established himself as a starter in the Cardinals line-up.

Rick Ankiel – a solid bat – but (and this would be key) there have been a lot of rumors. Imagine if Ankiel was sitting on one end of the St. Louis Arch – but instead it was a giant catapult – held back by a low grade fishing twine. With one giant "SNAP!", he could be headed clear over the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial – bounce off the top of the Edward Jones Dome – landing safely into the arms of another city. In other words – Ankiel could be traded.

Chris Duncan – Big Chris has yet to be a major factor in previous seasons that have unfortunately been laced with mammoth slumps and injuries.

Skip Schumaker – We like the NL’s answer to David DeJesus – but we don’t feel Skip has quite the upside potential of Colby Rasmus.

Brian Barton and Joe Mather – Of these two, we are actually more weary of Joe Mather squashing Rasmus’ chances of capitalizing in 2009, since he possesses some very solid power. If Rasmus is considered a Dark Horse in 2009 – Mather may be referred to as the horse galloping down the dark horses neck.

Where could Colby Ryan Rasmus fit in best?

We know we won’t get any answers from Tony LaRussa at this juncture, so lets hypothesize on our own.

How about center field and leading off?! (Let’s start lobbying NOW!)

Yes – it wouldn’t be the easiest place for the rookie from Columbus Georgia to begin his career – but we think he could truly thrive there if given the opportunity. A modestly projected 15 steal - 15 homerun season would certainly not be out of the question – and imagine the number of times he could potentially cross the plate batting ahead of Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick.

In addition to the Cardinals Busch Stadium being a decent hitter’s park, they play in the National League’s Central Division, which has a number of good hitting parks. Here’s a super quick breakdown:

Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field – yes the Cubs have some good arms, but we all know when the wind is blowing out in Wrigley – extra base hits can start to mount up.

Cincinnati Reds – Great American BallPark – Every Fantasy manager has got to know by now that this tiny ballpark's dimensions are a hitter’s dream!

Milwaukee Brewers – Miller Park – Rasmus certainly has the pop in his bat to drive some balls for extra base here – and just think, the 2009 ROY candidate we are so high on no longer has to face C.C. Sabathia when the Cards visit Milwaukee.

Pittsburgh Pirates – PNC Park – Certainly not cavernous by any stretch – and outside of a decent starting rotation core – the Pirates pitching can be hit on.

Houston Astros – Minute Maid Park – The right field wall is only seven feet high at Minute Maid Park, and if the left hand hitting Rasmus pulled the ball enough, you can envision him legging out a triple near the flag pole extending from Tal’s Hill.

“Tal’s Hill” was named after Tal Smith - Astros' President of Baseball Operations.

Well before we carry on to the point that you think we own shares in “Colby Stock”, or are Colby’s parents, we will close with this...

Rasmus most certainly struggled in a forgettable and injury plagued 2008 season. If he didn’t – he wouldn’t be a Deep Sleeper this season. Capitalize on the poor campaign he had last year and use this to your advantage WaiverSharks. If you play in a fairly competitive Fantasy Baseball league – many more risky picks will be flying off draft boards in 2009 faster than a flashing dick did in Fight Club. But just remember the first rule of Rasmus!

WaiverSharks 2009 Preseason

Fantasy Baseball Rankings:

Second Base - 2B

Don’t kill the messenger Utley/Phillies fans, but when we peruse phrases like “Out 4-6 months” “Possibly out until June” and “Arthroscopic Hip Surgery” – WaiverSharks tend to tread these shallow waters with a somewhat cautionary approach.

Ranking Fantasy Baseball Second Basemen is already a rather daunting task.

Okay, maybe “daunting” is a little strong – but the past few seasons Fantasy baseball managers at least knew – with without ANY doubt who the first 2B to be drafted should be – Chase Utley.

A No-brainer. A Lock. Put er’ in the vault - since in recent years he has down right dominated the 2nd base position. Now, having to factor in his hip surgery into the equation – Second base becomes a little more murky.

Sure - Utley could still be ready to play come opening day – but what if he’s not? Having this high a caliber player on one’s bench to begin the season could prove to be terribly frustrating. It’s comparable to if you were ready to draft Sidney Crosby in a Fantasy Hockey League – only to learn he would possibly miss the first 10 games of the NHL season.

Would you still draft him #1 in the hopes that since he is such a stud superstar player he would MORE than make up for the lost time upon his return? Or do you go with Ovechkin or Malkin instead?

Last season when the Anaheim Angels hurler John Lackey went down just prior to the start of the year – his stock fell, but he did go on to have a very respectable 2008 season. Often however, athletes recovering from serious injuries do not get out of the gate so well – and if we recall, Utley started 2008 with a serious bang!

Chase is known to be one tough cookie – but the fact remains - he will most definitely, by early prognosis – miss the start of the 2009 Season – and will not likely see any Spring Training games what so ever. So how much rust will be gathered on the Phillies World Series ring bearer’s bat when he begins play in 2009?

In Keeper leagues – Chase Utley would remain our 2B Top Dog – but in single season Mixed Leagues we got things ranked this way:

The TOP TEN

1) Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers - Had an injury not cut his season short last year – Well – let’s just wait and see, but there is NO reason he couldn’t be in store for another fantastic fantasy baseball season in 2009.

2) Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox - “Peds” kicked ASS in 2008 and should kick ass in 2009

3) Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles – And completing the Chase Utley snub we are keeping the reigning Second Base King out of the Top 3. We hope we are wrong Philadelphia !

4) Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies - Given the situation, slotting - Chase in the 4 spot is the best we could do – for now. Nervous keeper league owners may want to unload his services early – but if you’re a gambling man – gamble on his early return, and reap the benefits if you guessed right!

5) Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds – A guy doesn’t go out and have a 30 homerun/30 steals season (2007) without amazing talent.

6) Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins – Power like this is hard to find at 2B.

7) Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox – “Baby Soriano” or sophomore slump? The deceptive power of this stickman figure should garner positive results.

8) Robinson Cano, New York Yankees – 2009 will be better for Cano.

9) Jose Lopez, Seattle Mariners – High ceiling here for a player who just turned 25 years old – but the surrounding cast needs to improve.

10) Howie Kendrick, Anaheim Angels – “IF” Howie could stay off the dog gone DL he might end up competing for a batting title one year.

The Next 10

11) Mark DeRosa, Cleveland Indians – A Cubs uniform suited the versatile DeRosa well, but now he'll don a Tribe uniform and man the hot corner in Cleveland. He will still be eligible at several positions includinf second base (where he retains the most fantasy value, but we wonder if DeRosa who turns 34 in February/2009 possibly peaked offensively last season with the Cubbies?

12) Mike Aviles, Kansas City Royals – Should have 2b/SS versatility in many leagues – This guy dropped from the sky last year – careful not to overpay here – he is after all still a Kansas City Royal.

13) Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers – Last chance Rickie! S--T, or get off the pot! We’ve seen glimpses, but you continue to disappoint Fantasy managers and Brew Crew fans alike. The talent is there, but similar to Howie Kendrick – we need to see it come together in 2009 or it’s time we move on.

14) Ryan Theriot, Chicago Cubs – Fantastic 2008 campaign - just no power.

15) Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers – Possibly the biggest cranium in the game? The Detroit Tigers will look to avenge a dismal 2008 – and the bats seem to follow suit when the Granderson and Polanco firecrackers ignite the offence.

16) Kelly Johnson, Atlanta Braves – Both Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are expected to have very productive seasons. We’ll rank Yunel in our upcoming 2009 Short Stop SS Rankings.

17) Ian Stewart, Colorado Rockies – Since Stewart netted 12 games at Second base – 2B last season we are including him here. He’ll likely take over for at third base while Garrett Atkins moves over to first. Some talk has been rumored of him playing left field in place of departed superstar Matt Holliday – but that seems unlikely to us.

18) Orlando Hudson, Arizona D-backs – The O-dog generally puts up decent enough numbers to warrant a mid to late round draft selection.

19) Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians – Asdrubel had us drooling going into last season. We still feel this kid could be special – as we look to many of the Tribe’s key offensive players to turn in better years then the 2008 debacle.

Second Base Sleepers

20) Blake DeWitt, Los Angeles Dodgers – DeWitt wasn’t suppose to factor into the Dodgers plans in 2008 – but he made enough impression to have a legitimate shot at taking over the 2B duties in 2009.

21) Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays – Post concussion syndrome plagued Aaron Hill throughout the majority of 2008 – making him available for a song for the upcoming 2009 Fantasy season.

22) Mike Fontenot, Chicago Cubs – “The Snoz” hit 9 dingers in only 243 at bats last season. Sure, he’s never going to challenge Chase Utley for the 2B homerun crown – but that’s decent production for this position – and imagine what he could do if he earns the fulltime second base job for the Cubs!

23) Matt Antonelli, San Diego Padres – Digging into our Deep Sleepers and Prospects - we still like Matt Antonelli’s chances of making a splash in the big leagues – despite his forgettable 2008 minor league season.

24) Emilio Bonifacio, Florida Marlins – The Florida Marlins received speedster Emilio Bonifacio in an early offseason trade that sent the Nationals Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham. He could be a steals king if he was able grab a regular gig with the Marlins.

25) Alberto Callaspo, Kansas City Royals – Hits for Average – and has a strong chance of sewing up the second base - 2B duties for the Royals this coming 2009 spring – consider him as a deep sleeper.

Dynasty Leaguers – Here’s a few DEEPER SLEEPER Prospects to keep an eye on in the future:

Jemile Weeks, Oakland Athletics – (pictured above) A real longshot here Lets just hope Jemile Weeks can develop quicker than his brother –Milwaukee Brewers Rickie Weeks has. More of a line-drive hitter than Rickie, Jemile is a speed burner – Unfortunately he could see a move to center field in the future.

Adrian Cardenas, Oakland Athletics – Mark Ellis has enjoyed decent years recently that led to him signing a new contract – he also had shoulder surgery this offseason – which has us a bit concerned. The Athletics may need to dip into their minor league prospect pool if Eliss’ bum shoulder acts up during the 2009 campaign.

German Duran, Texas Rangers – Our final 2B Deeper Sleeper prospect has some pop in his bat – which is always tough to find from a 2B – and could translate nicely playing in Arlington . But the jury is still out where his (AB’s) at bats will come from - he may even see some time at third base.

Justin Smoak – 1B

Before moving on to our Rankings of favorite fantasy 2B Second Basemen for 2009 –
There’s one last First baseman prospect that intrigues the heck out of us – and we hope he gets a shot at the friendly confines of Arlington Ballpark in Texas real soon!

The Texas Rangers STOLE this switch-hitting first baseman in the First Year Player Draft – the video below talks about his comparisons to departed former Ranger Mark Teixeira, as well as future Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones.

Pretty nice company to be mentioned along with!

Imagine this kid in a line-up along with Josh Hamilton, Chris Davis, a healthy Hank Blalock and Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz - and Michael Young to name just a few.

The Texas Rangers are going to need to buy extra balls for batting practice if they keep landing these kinds of big boppers!

WaiverSharks 2009 Preseason

Fantasy Baseball Rankings:

Sponsored in part by Party Poker

First Base

The prognosticating bandits from WaiverSharks were left plenty of feedback on the FREE Preseason 2009 Fantasy Baseball Catchers Rankings we posted last week!

We thank those of you that commented on how we ranked Major League Baseball's leading 2009 Fantasy Catchers - and welcome suggestions for any players you feel we should have included in our 2009 Catchers list and/or the remaining 2009 Fantasy Player Ranks we post.

Keeping in mind that it's still only November - these lists will in all likelihood need some altering by Spring Training - once we are more privy to off-season signings, and know who will be heading to the "Bigs" - and who has more seasoning in the minors ahead of them to start the 2009 baseball campaign.

Now it's time to head to the BIG MEN - First Basemen are integral if you want to have ANY chance at capturing your leagues Fantasy Baseball title this coming season!

Top Ten First Basemen - 2009

1) Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

2) Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

3) Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

4) Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

5) Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres

6) Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

7) Lance Berkman, Houston Astros

8) Justin Morneau , Minnesota Twins

9) Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

10) Derek Lee, Chicago Cubs

Albert’s elbow is still a question mark – again we reiterate, it’s still only November – he should be fine by the start of spring training.

But we like the Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera enough to rank him at #1 regardless of what Albert’s elbow does in the next few months.

The Next 10…

Where we slated Baseballs TOP 10 First Base Fantasy options could obviously be argued – but the next tier is even more debatable.

Here we go looking for players with POWER, (A key necessity from your BIG MEN) who are on the rise – and who could potentially have Super Break Out years in 2009.

(Atari’s tacky game cover art has us day dreaming of the “Good ‘ol days” – when a few PB&J’s, a tall glass of milk, and 12 hours of painfully fun abrasions on a 2600 joystick made up our Sundays.)

11) Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds – Fantasy managers drafting the “Canadian Italian Stallion” may be so overjoyed with his results this upcoming season - they could start humming Styx covers! “Domo Arigato. Thank you very much, Mr. Joey Votto!” Okay, perhaps not. But, we see him having a potentially monster 2009 campaign - playing an entire season at Great American Ballpark.

12) James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers – If Sir James Loney increased his power only marginally – he’d be instant TOP 10 material.

13) Aubrey Huff, Baltimore Orioles – Aubrey Huff is coming off one of the best seasons of his career – were not convinced he’ll repeat yet another 100+ RBI season in 2009 – but, if the Orioles can improve his surrounding cast – this modest ranking (13th) is certainly appropriate.

14) Chris Davis, Texas Rangers – His power is scary. Fifty Homeruns is not out of “Crash” Davis ’ realm one year – especially while he employs his power stroke in Texas Rangers hitter’s paradise - Arlington Ballpark.

15) Jorge Cantu, Florida Marlins – Jorge’s comeback season in 2008 wasn’t a fluke. He showed sensational promise a few years back while playing for the American League 2009 World Series representative - Tampa Rays. The change in scenery to the National Leagues Florida Fish paid big dividends. With the departure of Mike Jacobs from the Marlins to the Royals - Dallas McPherson could move to the hot corner this year – while Cantu possibly takes over full time first base duties.

15) Conor Jackson, Arizona Diamondbacks – Conor Jackson may never drill forty homers in a year – but he’s coming off a breakout year in 2008, and tends to hit for a higher average than most – That, combined with 25 to 30 HR’s would be a solid welcome from the D-backs rising young stud.

16) Nick Swisher, New York Yankees – Nick’s 2008 season with the Chicago White Sox was as inconsistent as his facial hair. Now - what will “Swish” do in the Big Apple? Coming off a rather dismal 2008 – Swisher really has no where to go but up. His ultimate value will be somewhat dependant on what part of the order the hard hitting New York Yankees bat the zany switch-hitting Swisher.

17) Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays line up has continued to improve the past couple seasons – but Carlos had an off year in 2008. A higher average would shoot this ranking up a few spots - but his penchant for striking out so often, and cold starts frustrates us just enough to place him 17th overall.

18) Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies – The Coors splits are a real concern here. Considering Garrett could be following the Matt Holliday train out of Colorado – we can’t in good faith rank him any higher – until we learn he’ll remain the Rockies property to start 2009.

19) Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians – Where do you rank “Pronk” this year? Shoulder issues plagued the big guy for a major portion of 2008. And it’s difficult to predict how well he will bounce back from the arthroscopic surgery he had done this offseason – so we are approaching with caution – slating him in at No. 19

20) Hank Blalock, Texas Rangers – We may raise a few eye brows on this one – but in a word: COMEBACK!

Every year a handful of players enjoy fantastic comeback seasons – Predicting them can be as difficult as opening a pickle jar with wet hands, but here’s our reasoning:

No longer considered a third basemen in Arlington – Blalock is slated to be the Texas Rangers primary DH in 2009. His health appeared to be fine during the final month of the 2008 regular season – when he hit 8 homeruns, 23 RBI’s and had a .337 batting AVG. Assuming he’ll hit near the heart of a sweet hitting line-up that includes Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Chris Davis just to name a few – 2009 could be a super sleeper fantasy year for Blalock - who incidentally is still only 28 years of age.

AND IF THOSE ARE NOT REASONS ENOUGH! WaiverSharks Bobblehead fanatic, Scott Woodall has just recently purchased a Hank Blalock 2008 Bobble head from an ebay auction – hopefully this will be some helpful karma for the return to glory for “Hammerin’ Hank!”

First Base Sleepers

21) Matt LaPorta, Cleveland Indians - If it we’re April – and we knew LaPorta would be starting for the Tribe either at 1st base, Outfield or even possibly DH – we’d rank him 6 or 7 spots higher. LaPorta can flat out hit – and the Indians line-up has the ability to be VERY potent. Look for Matt LaPorta to be a big part of the Indians resurgence in 2009. This Youtube video below shows LaPorta's sweet swing in action - clobbering a Grand Slam in an early 2008 contest.

22) Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants – As mentioned in our Catcher Ranks last week, we don’t care so much WHERE Sandoval plays this up and coming 2009 season – just as long as he nets every day at bats. His value will obviously be raised upon earning Catcher status – but regardless – keep your fantasy eyes on this sleeper candidate as well as Nate Shierholtz during the Giants 2009 Spring Training.

23) Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox - Paulie had an off year in 2008 – he should rebound, and will be able to be selected for a deep discount.

24) Kila Ka’aihue, Kansas City Royals – The arrival of Mike Jacobs from the Florida Marlins further clouds how much playing time will be made for the giant Hawaiian.

25) Bryan LaHair, Seattle Mariners – The Marinerds sucked in 2008. But don’t spell my name “Brian” Bryan LaHair is a 6’5” left hand hitting prospect who stands a pretty good chance of seeing some First Base duty at Safeco Field in 2009 – depending of course on what moves the Mariners make during this offseason.

We wrap up with three First Base prospects Dynasty Leaguers should pay close attention to - it won’t be long before these three mashers - who we could have just as easily referred to as BIG Lefty, BIGGER Lefty and BIGGEST Lefty - are “going yard” at a major league park near you:

Cincinnati Reds –Yonder Alonso –  (Pictured Above) The University of Miami left handed power hitter has a discerning eye at the plate – and could be a future star. The question will be - where will he play? With Joey Votto seemingly settling in at First Base for possibly the next decade – And, when is the earliest over he could crack the majors? If we had to guess – looking over yonder (sorry) - we think more towards the middle, to end of 2010.

Boston Red Sox -Lars Anderson -  “Big Lars” may not have the same affectionate ring as “Big Papi” – but he could be next in line to take over the Red Sox first base duties when, and if, David Ortiz follows Manny Ramirez out of Boston.

NOTE: We didn't include "Big Papi" on our First Baseman list because in most leagues the Red Sox slugger only qualifies for DH.

Atlanta Braves –Jason Heyward –  6’4” left hand hitting Jason Heyward won’t celebrate his 20th birthday until August 2009, and may break into “the show” as an outfielder – but whatever the case may be – the Braves No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft has all the makings of a Fantasy Super Star!

On Deck: WaiverSharks Free 2009 Preseason Fantasy Baseball Rankings continue with:

Second Basemen – Check back soon to see how Chase Utley’s surgery factors into our Top 20 list of talented two baggers. And who do we have pegged for Super Breakouts and Sleeper Candidates?

Before we rattle off our First Base suggestions, we wanted to mention the intentional omission of San Francisco Giants fast rising catcher prospect – Gerald “Buster” Posey from our previously posted - Catchers rankings. Fact is - we made mention of the Giants possible long term catching solution in an article regarding “Baby Giants” just last month.

WaiverSharks is well aware of the multi-talented Buster! But we wanted to share the limelight with some OTHER up and coming back stops who may be heading to the big leagues as early as 2009.

The rising crop of signal callers is really wonderful news to Fantasy owners - who have seen a pretty dismal drop off the past few years once the Top 3- 5 players have been plucked from this position.

SIDENOTE: Another rising catching prospect you may want to tuck away in the back of your collective Fantasy minds is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s - Hyun Choi “Hank” Conger. We merely omitted him because we didn’t like having to type the words: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ! Just Kidding! Truth be told – we feel Mike Napoli deserves the “C” spot in 2009 - and Conger has battled shoulder injuries – so, consider him a “Deep, Deep” Sleeper!

Tim Lincecum - who has sometimes been referred to as “The Franchise” and more recently “The Freak” by Sports Illustrated - has won the 2008 Cy Young Award - receiving 23 of 32 first-place votes.

THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU NEED TO ALWAYS PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE UP AND COMING MINOR LEAGUE PROSPECTS - WAIVER SHARKS!

The diminutive San Francisco Giants ace was readily available on most wires when the 2007 season began – and now he’s taking home the most coveted individual award a MLB pitcher can obtain.

Brandon Webb placed second with 73 points, and Johan Santana placed third with 55 points.

C.C. Sabathia finished in 5th place in the voting, who - despite his dominance of the NL, did not have a very strong first half while pitching for the American League’s Cleveland Indians prior to last seasons trade deadline.