Best MLB Fantasy Hitters in 2007

1. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

A-Rod had a magnificent April, then he slowed down for a while, but he has been heating up again in the past week. For the year, Rodriguez is top fantasy hitter, batting .308 with a Major League leading 18 home runs and 43 RBI. Rodriguez also has scored the second most runs in baseball with 39. He has also stolen 4 bases and has an On-Base percentage of .400. Shoot, if this keeps up, Yankee fans may even start cheering the guy.

2. J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers

This guy has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners who took him in the draft. He's been a nightmare for everyone else. While Hardy was a fine player in 2006, and most thought that he had a bright future, it was hard to imagine before the 2007 season began that Hardy would be such a fantasy stud. But he is.

In just 45 games this season, Hardy is batting .311 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI (third in the Majors). He's also scored 31 runs. His only weakness: the man lacks speed, going 0 for 1 in the stolen base category.

3. Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers

With Gary Sheffield off to a slow start, both the Tigers and fantasy owners needed Ordonez to perform. He has. As of May 23, Ordonez is hitting .344 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, and 37 runs scored. He also leads baseball with 21 doubles, and sports an exellent .430 OBP.

4. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels

Year in and year out, Guerrero is a fantasy leader. This season is no different. He is hitting .342 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI to go along with his .448 OPB.

5. Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins

For years, the Twins have been hoping that Hunter would develop his hitting to match his Gold Glove defense. This year he has done just that. His stats: a .317 batting average, 11 home runs, 39 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. If Hunter could squeeze out a few more walks, then he would be able to raise his .351 OBP and perhaps even rise permanently to the upper echelon of fantasy hitters.

6. Carlos Lee, Houston Astros

The Astros' huge investment in Lee is paying off so far this 2007 season. The big man is batting .314, and he has hit 9 home runs to go along with his 41 RBI.

7. Jose Reyes, New York Mets

The 23-year old shortstop just keeps getting better and better. His combination of speed, defense, and his ability to hit for average and power has not been seen since Rickey Henderson was in his prime. Jose's well-balanced attack is evidenced by his .321 batting average, 25 stolen bases, 13 doubles, 7 triples, 2 home runs, 23 RBI, and 37 runs scored. It is conceivable that Reyes could someday have a season where he tops .300, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 100 stolen bases. Wouldn't that be something?

8. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

This kid is the son of a legend, but by the looks of things, Prince Fielder could be working on his own myth right now. The first baseman just turned 23 years old, and is only in his second year in the National League, but he is certainly making his mark. Through the first 46 games of the 2007 MLB season, Fielder is batting .294 with 14 homers, 36 RBI, and 30 runs scored.

9. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

Last year's American League MVP is having another great season, hitting .285 with 13 home runs, 32 RBI and 32 runs scored.

10. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

Rounding out the top 10 is Big Papi of the Boston Red Sox. He's batting .325 with an OBP of .439 and a Slugging % of .607 to go along with his 9 home runs and 37 RBI.

Biggest Fantasy Surprise Hitters

1. Sammy Sosa. The once legendary slugger who took a big hit during the steroid scandals is back and smaller than he has been in years, but he's hitting well: a .268 BA, 10 HR, and 36 RBI.

2. Chipper Jones. After a couple of injury-marred seasons, Chipper is off to a great start, hitting .301 with 12 HR and 27 RBI.

3. Ken Griffey, Jr. Another Hall of Fame level player who many thought was on his way out of the game, Griffey has been a very tough out this season, hitting .311 with 10 HR and 29 RBI.

4. Jorge Posada. The Yankee catcher is showing that he is still a force to be reckoned with among fantasy catchers. Although the Bombers have had their problems this season, it is not Posada's fault. He is batting .371 with 6 HR and 26 RBI, making him the best fantasy catcher through the first quarter of the 2007 season.

5. Aaron Rowand. The Phillies centerfielder has done more than just run face-first into outfield fences this year. He is picking up the slack on offense created by Ryan Howard's power outage, hitting .331 with 7 home runs and 23 RBI.

Biggest Fantasy Disappointments

1. Ryan Howard. The defending NL MVP has gotten off to a slow start, hitting a miserbale .204 with a well below par 6 home runs. He does have 23 RBI, but he will need to produce a lot more once he comes off the Disabled List.

2. Alfonso Soriano. Sure, he's hitting .284, which is in line with his career average. He also has scored 25 runs, which is acceptable at this point in the season. But fantasy owners bought Soriano for home runs, RBI and stolen bases. So far, he has been a huge disappointment, hitting 6 homers and driving in just 9 runs while stealing only 6 bases.

3. Vernon Wells. The Blue Jays outfielder is not having a bad season. It's just that he's not having a great year, which was what most fantasy experts predicted for him. He's hitting .278 with 5 HR and 22 RBI, which does not justify the high price that so many fantasy owners shelled out for him.

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