Magglio Ordonez, OF, Detroit Tigers

June 8, 2007 @ 14:26:55

By Art Morath
Edited by KFFL Staff and Ryan Dodson

Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez has surprised everyone this season by putting up MVP numbers so far. The four-time All-Star has always hit for power but this season, he is hitting for average too. With roughly 60 games in the books, the 33-year-old Ordonez is fantasy baseball's second best performer after New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. 
An 11-year veteran, Ordonez spent eight seasons with the White Sox before signing with the Detroit Tigers before the 2005 season. His best seasons in Chicago were from 1999 through 2003, when he averaged 32 home runs and 118 RBI a season. After his 2004 and 2005 seasons were shortened by injuries, Ordonez appeared in 155 games last year. He batted .298 with 24 home runs and 104 RBI for the American League champion Tigers.

While Ordonez spent the offseason before the 2006 campaign rehabbing from injury, this winter, he says he was able to just work out. Ordonez says he began the season feeling the best he has since the 2002 season, and his performance at the plate indicates he is back to that level. Ordonez, who has a career batting average of .308, is leading the majors with a .368 batting average. He is second to Rodriguez in RBI with 54 and is tied for eighth in home runs with 13. He also leads the league in extra-base hits with 42 and in slugging percentage at .673. He is hitting an incredible .379 with runners in scoring position. He is tied for third in runs scored, trailing his teammate, designated hitter Gary Sheffield, and Rodriguez.

The biggest boost for Ordonez this offseason, besides feeling healthy, was the Tigers' acquisition of Sheffield from the Yankees. Sheffield is the one of the best fantasy players right now after Rodriguez and Ordonez. Ordonez remains in the cleanup spot in the batting order this season, but he is protected by Sheffield batting before him and shortstop Carlos Guillen after him. Manager Jim Leyland thinks that means Ordonez sees better pitches to hit, which helps explain the much higher batting average. The two hitters batting right before Ordonez, second baseman Placido Polanco and Sheffield have an OBP of .392 and .383, which gives Ordonez plenty of RBI opportunities.

While Ordonez may see the occasional intentional walk the rest of the season, the potency of the Tigers' lineup makes it difficult for teams to opt for putting him on base. Since Sheffield is more of a home run threat than Ordonez, opposing teams are more likely to walk Sheffield and test their luck against Ordonez. It would be overly optimistic to expect Ordonez to continue hitting for such a high average, but there isn't any reason to expect his power numbers to drop. The reason for the Tigers' woes this season has not been their offense. They are first in runs scored, averaging 5.9 runs a game.

Fantasy owners that were lucky enough to draft Ordonez should consider trading him straight up only for other top-tier fantasy performers. We don't think he will tail off considerably, but if the right offer comes take it. This is the highest his value has been in a long time, and owners should try to get as much as possible in return. For owners interested in acquiring Ordonez, there may be the fear that he will go into a prolonged slump or get injured. While he hasn't performed at this level in four years, there is not any reason to expect his pace this season to decline significantly. One drawback for Ordonez owners would be if Sheffield were to miss time this season. Ordonez would lose the protection in the lineup that he is enjoying right now. The 38-year-old Sheffield missed significant time last season due to injury, but he has shown he is 100 percent this year. 

The Tigers are an offensive juggernaut, so enjoy Ordonez's early season dominance.

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Art Morath
Art Morath has been a contributor to KFFL since 2007.

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