Editor's choice: Fantasy baseball predictions

by KFFL Staff on March 18, 2011 @ 17:59:40 PDT

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KFFL's staffers offer their favorite 2011 fantasy baseball predictions.

Keith Hernandez

The call

Jonny Venters will earn more saves than Craig Kimbrel and help Atlanta to its first NL East title since 2005.

Will Venable steals 40-plus bags with Dave Roberts as the new first base coach in SD. Improvements against LH helps him stay in the lineup consistently.

This year's Jose Bautista? Staying with the same team, too: Travis Snider. Well, maybe he won't hit 54 HRs, but 30-plus homers are coming.

Proponents of Drew Stubbs and Andrew McCutchen are rewarded as both put up 20-30 campaigns, heavily inflating their draft prices in 2012.

Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova and Bartolo Colon flop as rotation options in the Bronx. Manny Banuelos makes his debut and wins seven games to help NY to a wildcard berth.

Cory J. Bonini

The call

Josh Beckett returns to form and shines as a bargain pick for fantasy owners: 200 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 195 K's coming right at you!

Russell Martin sees 500 ABs, belts 15 homers and bats at least .275 while becoming the top fantasy catching option for the Yanks.

Kila Ka'aihue stays in the bigs all year and finally lives up to his potential: 25 HRs and 80 RBIs at the minimum. More importantly, he hits .260-plus.

Yunel Escobar rights the ship to provide fantasy owners with what they had hoped for entering the 2010 season. He'll hit around .295, drive in 75 and whack 15 HRs.

Matt Thornton puts a stranglehold on the closer job and proves to be a great value pick: 34 saves, 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 90 K's.

Nicholas Minnix

The call

SP Neftali Feliz posts 3.25 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.00 K/9. Texas Rangers are out of contention by waiver deadline, put him in 'pen - not CL - for final month to cap workload.

Joey Votto will finish outside top 50 fantasy baseball players, maybe more. No denying that he's a great hitter. Just a hunch, based on a few observations.

Manny Ramirez hits .300 with 25 homers and 90 RBI in 500 AB. Best offseason offer he gets is one year, $7 million.

This is THE year for Alex Gordon: .280-plus BA, 20-plus HR, 80-plus RBI. Really. Sheesh, running out of chances - for him to do it, for me to be hit on this one.

Matt Anderson will be Philadelphia Phillies' closer in 2012. Sound crazy? It's not. It could be sooner! (As long as Michael Stutes or Justin De Fratus don't have a say.)

Tim Heaney

The call

Joe Mauer's knee issues won't go away, and he'll have at least one DL trip, reminding us why investing heavily in C's is dangerous.

Rafael Furcal and Ian Desmond will out-earn Elvis Andrus, thanks to their better skills foundations that can actually complement SB and R.

He's in the perfect offense for it, after all: Edwin Encarnacion will hit 30 HR. He won't have to worry about that pesky thing called defense most days.

Jay Bruce will be in 2011 what Joey Votto was for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. Expect 30 HR, 90 RBIs and a .280 BA.

Drew Storen will spend more time on the farm. Crazier part: Todd Coffey will save at least 7 games for the Washington Nationals.

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