Alex Gordon, 3B, Kansas City Royals

April 6, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Brad Berreman
Edited by Steve Ungrey

With the second overall pick in the 2005 amateur draft, the Kansas City Royals selected third baseman Alex Gordon from the University of Nebraska. Gordon was a first-team All-American in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He swept all the major player of the year awards in college baseball during his junior season, after which he was drafted by the Royals. 

Gordon won the starting third baseman job in spring training this year, which will push incumbent third baseman Mark Teahen to right field. At Double-A Wichita in 2006, Gordon hit .324 with 29 home runs, 72 RBI, a .426 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage. He made 16 errors in the field last season, but that seems to be the only chink in Gordon’s armor. 

As for Teahen, he got off to a miserable start in 2006, which resulted in a temporary demotion to Triple-A Omaha. After his return from the minors, Teahen was a different player than he had been earlier in the season. After coming back from the minors, Teahen hit .313 with 60 RBI in just 86 games. For the entire season (109 total games) Teahen hit .290 with 18 homers and 69 RBI. His season was cut short due to shoulder surgery.

Both Gordon (age 23) and Teahen (25) are young players that the Royals are looking to as cornerstones for their franchise for the long term. If the Royals Opening Day lineup is any indication, Teahen will hit third and Gordon fifth. Since both will be hitting in the heart of the batting order, RBI opportunities should come.

For 2007, from a fantasy perspective, temper your expectations for Gordon. However, it is reasonable to expect a .280 average, 20-25 homers and 80-90 RBI from him in his rookie season. Bigger things are sure to come for Gordon, making his value in keeper leagues higher than in single-season leagues.

As for Teahen, a season similar to 2006 is certainly attainable, with possibly a slight upswing assuming he plays in the big leagues all season. A .300 average, 20 homers and 80 RBI would be reasonable expectations for Teahen in 2007. He also has some value in keeper leagues because of his youth.

Teahen is best served as a third baseman because the outfield position is so deep. Hitting .300 with 25 homers and 100 RBI makes Teahen a top 15 to 20 outfielder. As a third baseman, that's potentially a top five rating. If you are in a keeper league, keep in mind Teahen may not qualify at third base next season, which will hurt his value. Therefore you may want to trade him.

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Brad Berreman
Brad Berreman has been a KFFL contributor since 2004.

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