FANTALYTICS – VOLUME 6

Welcome back for another round of FANTALYTICS.

This time we will be reviewing a pair of middle infielders with oodles of upside, in their own unique way. One is a big fish in a small pond, er…market, the other a lanky sock in a drawer full of power?  What the heck does that mean?

Anyways, both bring a different approach to the game, both to the plate and on the field for that matter and I am here to provide you with the positives and negatives to make the choice that fits your fantasy line-up best.

The Case for Dan Uggla

Hitting out of the five spot in a decent Marlins line-up may not seem lucrative to most, but Uggla has thrived and has definitely found a niche in the sunny state.  Uggla has become a reliable power option at a position with few power options to pick from.  He has shown that he can be depended on for around 100 runs, 30 dingers and 90 RBI’s consistently ranking in the top-three among major league second basemen since becoming an everyday player.

While his average is nothing to get excited about though he isn’t a .282 hitter like his rookie season, nor is he the .245 hitter in his follow up season. He is more like the one from last season, settling in at around the .260 mark. Please take note that due to his aggression at the plate (3.85AB/K) the knock in his average is in fact just part of the deal in owning him.

The Case for Alexei Ramirez

This White Sox sophomore has taken a hold of the SS position and while he struggled to get his first hit this season, (singled in his 15th AB) lately he has been showing signs that he is able to battle his way out of a slump (hitting .352 in his last 5 games). This awakening is great news for the White Sox, as a sophomore slump was the last thing that their anemic at times offense needed.

One note of concern is that it took 56 at-bats to hit his first long ball of 2009 after hitting 21 in last seasons’ breakout.  While he may not be expected to hit 20+ HR’s at the major league level every season, the drastic power outage can be considered worrisome to fantasy owners worldwide.  Even in his struggles to this point of the season, he hasn’t been striking out at an alarming rate which gives me the confidence that he will continue to work out of his slump and get back on track for better overall numbers.

FANTALYTICS FINAL CALL

While Ramirez has found a home at short this season, he still boasts multi-position eligibility from last seasons’ shuffle ‘round (2B, SS, 3B and CF), which makes him even more appealing. On the other hand many believe that owning a player like Uggla, who brings a dangerous K rate, forces the addition of a pure hitter to compensate for his low AVG., and can even scare away many of owners.

Don’t be too harsh because Ramirez probably won’t be a career plus .300 hitter either, and while both have above average power, Uggla will provide better physical numbers by leaps and bounds. Even with the boost in speed, Ramirez is still a second fiddle to the rare power contribution from a middle infield position.

With that being said, I personally am not sold on Alexei Ramirez yet, and while I may regret the decision…my personal vendetta against believing in Ramirez must be heard. Even though I find his position flexibility appealing, the power numbers of Uggla are just too tempting. Add to the fact that the White Sox depend on the long ball too much, and hitting 8th in a line-up full of power will affect his peripherals.

LUCKILY FOR UGGLA, DEFENSE ISN’T TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT…

On the other hand Uggla is a sneaky run producer (both scoring and driving them in), who has successfully scored an average of 105 runs on an always underestimated Marlins offence. Uggla is creeping his way up year after year in homers and could eventually be a 35+ HR per year type, which would put him in the elite of the games’ all-time second basemen.