Starting Pitcher: Roy Halladay. He’s the second best pitcher in the game. Last year, he was 16-5 with a 3.19 ERA. He’s got a great track record and will give some lucky fantasy owner 18-20 wins, an ERA around 3.00, and close to 200 strikeouts. If Santana is off the board, go after Halladay.
Relief Pitcher: Mariano Rivera. Mo is still the best closer in baseball. If you think he’s getting old, you are wrong. Mo’s last four years have been his best, averaging 43 saves and a 1.67 ERA. He ranks behind K-Rod only because he doesn’t strike out as many batters as he used to. It’s too that bad broken bats aren’t an official fantasy baseball statistic.
Catcher: Brian McCann. Last year, this youngster hit .333 with 24 HR and 93 RBI. That was the best offensive year by a catcher since Jorge Posada went .281 with 31 HR and 101 RBI in 2003. Because he only has one full year under his belt, however, McCann just misses the First Team.
First Base: Ryan Howard. He may not hit 58 home runs again this year, but he will still post incredible numbers. If it weren’t for Albert Pujols, Howard would be the top first baseman, and maybe even the first pick overall.
Second Base: Robinson Cano. This kid hit .342 with 15 Home Runs and 78 RBI last year, and he missed forty games with a hamstring injury. Baseball folks keep saying he will win the batting table someday. Someday just might be 2007.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter. It seems like the Yankee Captain has been around forever. But he is still only 32 years old, and he is coming off his best season as a Major Leaguer. Jeter also hits between Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez (or Bobby Abreu). Any good hitter would excel in that situation. Jeter is a great hitter. He should hit well over .300 again this year, with 20 Home Runs, close to 100 RBI, 120 Runs and 30 Stolen Bases.
Third Baseman: David Wright. Rounding out the I-95 infield is the Mets fabulous Third Sacker. Wright hit .311 with 26 HR and 116 RBI last year, when he was just 23 years old. He will continue to mature this year and should deliver even better stats.
The Outfield:
Manny Ramirez. Ever since Big Papi started hitting walk-off homers every other day, Manny hasn’t gotten enough respect. Forget about his wacky attitude, and look at his career 162 game averages of .317, 42 HR, and 135 RBI. Those are Lou Gehrig numbers. Well, almost. Take him early; he will not disappoint.
Grady Sizemore. This kid is still on the way up. Look for him to excel this season. In 2007, he should be a 30-30 man with 130 runs scored.
Vladimir Guerrero. Another player who has been so great for so long that he seems much older. He is only 31. His lifetime 162 game averages are through the roof (.325, 38 HR, 117 RBI). There is no reason to believe that he won’t keep it up. Take him early; very early.
For more 2007 MLB Fantasy Projections, check out:
http://www.suite101.com/writer_articles.cfm/grahamgreene
