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Fantasy baseball player profiles: NL - Outfielders
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Quick Jump: Fantasy Baseball Player Profiles
Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 583 | 102 | 182 | 34 | 104 | 26 | .312 | .384 | .564 | .948 |
Inflated BABIP not entirely unfounded; Ryan Braun increased line drives and groundballs. Consistent 30-homer bat also locking in stolen bases; not bad for first-round staple. Live with the hacks; increasing walks temper their pain. Bona fide stud.
Matt Kemp, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 568 | 88 | 163 | 27 | 90 | 26 | .287 | .356 | .500 | .856 |
Hard not to love upticks in flyball percentage, FB/HR, contact rate and BB/K. Absence of Manny Ramirez might have played part in Matt Kemp's scaling of the 100-RBI mountain for first time, but Man-Ram was present for Kemp's biggest month. Expect stolen bases to become tradeoff for power, but not alarmingly. Oozing talent plus last year's campaign put him on cusp of 30-30 season. Mixed first-round price tag and offseason limelight make him a little chancy.
Matt Holliday, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 556 | 94 | 161 | 26 | 95 | 4 | .290 | .378 | .505 | .883 |
Toiled in Oakland, shined hitting behind Albert Pujols. Matt Holliday willl stick there for awhile. Didn't show homer weakness in latter pitcher-friendly park. He'll cool off in full season there: He didn't attempt many steals in his lineup spot. Regenerated flyball count and sustained batting eye solidify top-30 rank.
Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 579 | 98 | 160 | 26 | 90 | 21 | .276 | .356 | .489 | .845 |
Justin Upton, an elite talent, made a leap last year. He smoked 26 homers, but flyball percentage and second half didn't necessarily agree. Average should come down (poor batting eye, not enough contact). No doubt his ceiling is sky-high, but don't overpay in non-keeper formats. Greater potential than his brother, but like B.J., not a lock to live up to weighty expectations yet.
Jayson Werth, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 548 | 85 | 149 | 17 | 66 | 17 | .272 | .362 | .449 | .811 |
Broke out in first year of full-time work. Ton of strikeouts but walks often to sustain Jayson Werth's midrange batting eye and line up stolen base attempts. His flyball rate is at slight risk of coming down, but that may be an establishment of his skills. 30-homer, 20-steal capability puts him in top-30 discussion and is a relatively safe commodity as long as you balance him with a batting average specialist.
Jason Bay, OF, New York Mets
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 211 | 28 | 52 | 8 | 27 | 5 | .246 | .325 | .403 | .728 |
Move to Citi Field from Fenway Park gives pause, but given a typical path of a Jason Bay ball in flight and some similar dimensions, it may not matter. Bay was a road homer warrior in 2009. New teammates won't be quite as good and have more question marks, but batting average should rebound a bit, assuming the dip in contact was an anomaly and liner rate continues slow climb.
Shane Victorino, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 564 | 85 | 153 | 13 | 62 | 35 | .271 | .340 | .440 | .780 |
Rising batting eye, line-drive rate and high contact rate show Shane Victorino's BA growth in the last two years is likely to stay. You can live with low-teens homers, as long as he gives you the elusive 100-run performance and approaches 30 swipes. Does enough elsewhere to make him worth grabbing in the mixed top 50 if speed is a priority.
Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 585 | 100 | 170 | 27 | 87 | 22 | .291 | .374 | .501 | .875 |
Lightning injection after call-up, with pleasing walk rate to boot. Andrew McCutchen bulked up a little; power increase coming? Might mean sacrificing average, though clip skills are his best bet behind steals. Didn't show high-level flyball skills in minors; count on a modest growth in homers but an improvement in contact-related skills. Buccos stretched out his development, so he'll read pitches better in a full season. Mixed leaguers shouldn't be afraid to overspend on him in the middle rounds of drafts because of his top-50 potential; acquiring his steals will give you an advantage at a cheaper price than other elite thieves.
Andre Ethier, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 528 | 74 | 148 | 19 | 78 | 1 | .280 | .351 | .455 | .806 |
A three-year upward trend finally saw Andre Ethier's power breakout. Appeared to sacrifice some of his near-.300 average for dingers (more K's, less contact, fewer hits but higher HR/FB); easiest correction for average could come if he improves lefty and road BA. He's done both in the past, only for short stretches; increased exposure to lefties should pay off. He's drafted toward the end of the top 20 mixed outfielders, but his potentially elite return in the non-steals categories could make it tough to snag him without reaching a bit.
Carlos Lee, OF, Houston Astros
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 196 | 19 | 51 | 4 | 28 | 1 | .260 | .323 | .388 | .711 |
Batting eye is leisurely headed downward, but contact rate is moving upward at about same rate. Days of .300 aren't over, but they're numbered. Carlos Lee's slugging percentage pattern looks similar to Magglio Ordonez's. Lack of speed contribution anymore makes him dependent on homers, RBIs for top-100 value. Keeper leaguers, if you get in at a good price this year, sell high.
Hunter Pence, OF, Houston Astros
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 609 | 83 | 167 | 21 | 95 | 8 | .274 | .339 | .442 | .781 |
Hunter Pence's ontact rate has remained not special, but solid uptick in BB/K says last year's BA isn't unreasonable. Batted-ball charts are where disturbance lies. Very low rate on line drives, low rate on flyballs from big-framed player who's not growing as a slugger since excitement-inducing debut. Upside remains, but your draft choice is based more on conjecture than evidence.
Manny Ramirez, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Not bad for a suspension-shortened season. Manny Ramirez became more selective, but his HR/FB points to fading power. Even with his improving batting eye, he's risky. He can perform as a No. 1 outfielder, but at this stage, there are options with more upside and equal or less downside.
Raul Ibanez, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 197 | 21 | 45 | 7 | 27 | 1 | .228 | .295 | .401 | .696 |
Raul Ibanez's power boost was even greater than expected after the move from the Seattle Mariners. Reality: first-half 2009 was about as magical a run as possible. He had offseason shports hernia surgery, and age is catching up. No question: He wasn't the same after returning from the DL. But how much of that contributed to fall-offs in line-drive rate and contact rate?
Carlos Beltran, OF, New York Mets
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 488 | 74 | 132 | 22 | 74 | 9 | .270 | .347 | .473 | .820 |
Whatever is going on in Carlos Beltran's right knee, it's not positive. Batting average skills are improving, but last year's hit rate was a big jump. Homer skills are not, with poor timing: Citi Field is for towering drives, not lined shots. Speed on a downward trend, too. Too much talent here, but long-term investment should be at a discount only.
Nate McLouth, OF, Atlanta Braves
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 392 | 50 | 93 | 12 | 29 | 13 | .237 | .326 | .390 | .716 |
Expect an average closer to .256 (2009) than .276 (2008), when Nate McLouth's contact and line-drive rates were highs. His HR/FB continued with modest improvement. He battled oblique and hamstring injuries last year, which can absorb some of blame for fall-off, too, at least on base paths. He's a 20-20 threat but, that's probably it. Factor that into his price if someone keeps bidding.
Michael Bourn, OF, Houston Astros
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 615 | 93 | 166 | 6 | 49 | 50 | .270 | .340 | .367 | .707 |
Took walks more frequently, but that frequency slowly regressed. Line-drive production helped to boost Michael Bourn's high hit rate. A walk rate approaching 10 percent and his diet of ropes make or break him. He has more sustenance than Willy Taveras, but Bourn's single-category contribution has driven up his draft stock. No such type is mixed top-100 material.
Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 577 | 85 | 153 | 36 | 101 | 9 | .265 | .345 | .527 | .872 |
Spend an extra dollar or three. Jay Bruce hit .223 last year, but Bruce had an atrocious .222 BABIP, and batted-ball rates, particularly in minors, are more conducive to BA success than that. He showed more patience and made more contact. In a full season, 30-plus homers are easily attainable. Upside may drive up what should still be an affordable cost, and return should be substantial.
Ryan Ludwick, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 449 | 55 | 113 | 21 | 84 | 0 | .252 | .322 | .457 | .779 |
BABIP and performance against righties normalized Ryan Ludwick's batting average, as expected. There isn't much upside to this late bloomer; '08 looks anomalous. But power remains, even if that was inflated, too. Flyball increase plays to that strength. Maintains RBI-happy spot in order, too. He resides outside the top 100, but he can suitably fill out five-outfielder lineups as long as power is your only expectation.
Chris Coghlan, OF, Florida Marlins
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 126 | 15 | 31 | 2 | 10 | 4 | .246 | .319 | .373 | .692 |
Chris Coghlan's premier farm eye helped his transition to the bigs. He steals a bit, and there's a good chance Florida's aggressiveness on the bases will help increase Coghlan's pace there. Coghlan's .365 BABIP will probably drop, but he kept high levels there throughout his farm career; he excels in line drives. Since his value stems mainly from batting average and steals, temper your excitement, but he's useful as a No. 4 or 5 outfielder in deep mixed leagues and can serve as a No. 3 in NL-only setups.
Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago Cubs
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 532 | 58 | 135 | 27 | 90 | 4 | .254 | .306 | .472 | .778 |
Alfonso Soriano was bothered by a knee problem for most of the second half before undergoing arthroscopic surgery. In the first half he was his usual self: low average, plenty of power and some steals. Refreshed health and new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo should help. Profit could be great if drafters undervalue him and you aim for a modest swipes rebound.
Corey Hart, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 421 | 65 | 113 | 19 | 63 | 3 | .268 | .338 | .482 | .820 |
Foot injury and appendicitis halted Corey Hart's midseason progress. Coaches wanted more patience from 20-20 threat but blamed that for his decreased power. Expect him to resume hacking; downward HR/FB trend worrisome but fixable with health and aggressiveness. Many forgetting about this late-round profit opportunity.
Lastings Milledge, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Showed revitalized contact ability after second-half call-up. Lastings Milledge ppears willing to improve attitude. Broken finger affected his power, so working that back into health improves his chances to rebound there. Second year with flyball increase puts him on the doorstep to a homer breakout. Add 20-steal capability and you have a slick late-round upside pick.
Brad Hawpe, OF, Colorado Rockies
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Brad Hawpe has seen his homers and flyball percentage drop in each of the last two seasons; last second half, his lift drastically faded. He's on the downswing of his prime years; how much longer can Hawpe prop up his struggles versus southpaws? He's in No. 4 outfielder territory for mixed; expecting 2007 numbers at this point will do you in.
Conor Jackson, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 151 | 16 | 37 | 4 | 17 | 2 | .245 | .324 | .384 | .708 |
Illness sidelined Conor Jackson for almost all of 2009. He's a safe target in 2010: He still makes good contact and has a great batting eye. That has translated into around a .290-15-75 line in the past. He's only likely to return value in NL leagues, but his missed year could leave him under radar.
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 544 | 96 | 160 | 27 | 95 | 22 | .294 | .363 | .513 | .876 |
Carlos Gonzalez learned how to take a pitch in Colorado and saw his power jump, somewhat earlier than expected. His high line-drive rate and BABIP are on shaky ground, especially with his iffy batting eye; can he succeed consistently against lefties? He's an expensive 20-20 threat - high risk, potentially high (but likely moderate) reward for 2010.
Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 451 | 69 | 113 | 19 | 59 | 6 | .251 | .321 | .443 | .764 |
Discovered elusive walks in second half, but everything else tanked. Perhaps fatigue- or illness-related; hiatal hernia weakened him midseason, possibly afterward. Still needs to solve lefties. Reports say he had trouble with his old bats coach; Mark McGwire could help him capture his power stroke. Late improvements in patience point to some growth. The now-healthy Colby Rasmus is worth a late gamble.
Josh Willingham, OF, Washington Nationals
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 485 | 72 | 125 | 30 | 96 | 3 | .258 | .358 | .503 | .861 |
Josh Willingham's playing time was spotty due to positional logjam and injury, but his frequent home runs will undoubtedly earn him more time this year. His walk rate has also increased in each of the last three seasons. This patient slugger unfortunately doesn't have a batting eye that suggests a clip improvement. Buy him for his late, cheap power.
Mark DeRosa, 3B/OF, San Francisco Giants
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Late-round positional versatility still drives Mark DeRosa's value. Power spike was bonus; sustained HR/FB and growing flyball rate means it isn't a total fluke. Offseason wrist surgery may return some line-drive life to his swing; with new home park, maybe he'll trade some power for batting average. Better served as mixed depth - more potential gain that way.
Marlon Byrd, OF, Chicago Cubs
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 250 | 23 | 64 | 5 | 18 | 0 | .256 | .292 | .336 | .628 |
Marlon Byrd joins hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, his aide in Texas last year. Fourteen of Byrd's 20 homers came at home last year. His new digs help dingers, too, but his flyball rate might return toward his career norms. He likely won't bring a great mixed return if he becomes anything more than your No. 5 outfielder or utility bat; he's streaky.
Nyjer Morgan, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Before broken hand stopped Nyjer Morgan's season, speedster returned to grounders, helping to preserve his average. Walk rate increase should help preserve it, too. Though grounders back up positive trend, his BABIP was still way too high, and he didn't improve against lefties. Expect his batting average and in-play clip to fall. If you can absorb regression in non-steals categories, he could pass as a No. 5 mixed outfielder.
Jermaine Dye, OF, free agent
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
A tale of two halves: first one from a 25-year-old, second from a 45-year-old. Jermaine Dye's back problems, age and post-break power failure should scare more folks. BB/K was best in years, but not highly positive. Maybe drafters think, We've seen this before. Yeah? Not this bad. But hey, a sale is a sale. Dye, 36, is likelier to succeed than others in mixed No. 4 or No. 5 outfielder range.
Cody Ross, OF, Florida Marlins
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 390 | 48 | 99 | 16 | 56 | 3 | .254 | .316 | .451 | .767 |
Though his batting average will take ample help to reach its '07 level, Cody Ross' skill set is stabilizing. Increased flyball rate will keep him at 20 homers, potentially sniffing 30. Improvement against righties helped. He's a decent late-round power option that should adequately fill out a deep lineup, as long as you don't reach into the middle stanzas.
Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 443 | 77 | 107 | 14 | 53 | 34 | .242 | .288 | .411 | .699 |
Still fooled by lefties, but the Brewers essentially handing speedster the center-field job; coaches want to focus on steals more this year. Poor batting eye doesn't predict much batting average growth, but Carlos Gomez was controlling strike zone better last year. You can pay late-round prices for his swipes potential, but suppress expectations of growth elsewhere.
Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 551 | 94 | 150 | 29 | 75 | 22 | .272 | .352 | .501 | .853 |
Consensus top prospect in baseball enters age-20 season expected to take right-field reins - maybe out of camp. Jason Heyward has skills for immediate success in batting average with at least modest power. He bulked up 20 pounds in span of one year. Adapted quickly to each level, but highest is Double-A, with limited time. Inexperience is only red flag. Worth a reach late in deep mixed affairs or before the final third in NL drafts. Expect inflation.
Elijah Dukes, OF, free agent
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Aaron Rowand, OF, San Francisco Giants
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Aaron Rowand's flyball increase was negated by AT&T Park. If you haven't figured it out, '07 is an outlier. He isn't even running anymore. There's too little he offers across the board to make Rowand anything more than an NL-only outfield filler.
Drew Stubbs, OF, Cincinnati Reds
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 458 | 65 | 105 | 10 | 49 | 29 | .229 | .301 | .343 | .644 |
'09 MLB stint gave Drew Stubbs a foundation. If he keeps the full-time center field gig, he could produce 40-plus steals, with a potential side of 20 homers. He'll need to improve his dismal batting eye to help in any other way. The risk is worth a late-round commitment in deep mixed; the ballpark could help him contribute outside of his speed.
Jeff Francoeur, OF, New York Mets
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 492 | 61 | 129 | 16 | 58 | 6 | .262 | .311 | .433 | .744 |
Join Mets, hit homers. Wish it were that easy. Detractors point to Jeff Francoeur's terrible batting eye as reason he'll never grow as a hitter. Pro Frenchy thought: too much tinkering. The line drive and contact rates are rising. He needs guidance, like he received from Gary Sheffield and Howard Johnson, not an overhaul. If Mets leave him alone, he may be ... adequate. Streaky, but adequate. Bargain-bin buyers could earn tiny profit. Swing away.
Kyle Blanks, OF, San Diego Padres
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 263 | 35 | 63 | 11 | 44 | 2 | .240 | .305 | .437 | .742 |
Kyle Blanks wasted no time proving power is his skills baseline. Walk rate is high, but unfortunately batting eye is not. His flyballs might not be that productive at PETCO Park long term, but he hit more out at home last year. Bench material in deep leagues due to his not-yet-developed plate discipline, with upside due to pop.
Chris B. Young, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 426 | 52 | 102 | 16 | 53 | 13 | .239 | .329 | .425 | .754 |
Chris B. Young's BABIP was unexpectedly low, and he has improved his batting eye two years running, but contact is going in opposite direction. Eight of his 15 homers came in September - sign of correction, or fluke? Playing time could be an issue if he struggles again. As a fifth mixed outfielder, Young could return value, but make it a wary investment.
Cameron Maybin, OF, Florida Marlins
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 487 | 59 | 132 | 12 | 54 | 32 | .271 | .335 | .413 | .748 |
Drastic improvements to batting eye at Triple-A New Orleans offers some hope for Cameron Maybin heading into age-23 campaign. Only stole one bag during his MLB trip; kept focus on hitting, perhaps? Speed is innate and should eventually arrive. Everything else is a work in progress, but he's worth taking a stab at in the late rounds of deep mixed. Pay a little extra in NLs without going overboard.
Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Chicago Cubs
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Kosuke Fukudome's high-level batting eye and decent contact ability make an average bump possible, but lefties still haunt him. A platoon in right field could be in Fukudome's future after the signing of Xavier Nady; that alone makes a mixed-league investment dicey. We may have already seen Fukudome's peak.
Melky Cabrera, OF, Atlanta Braves
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 526 | 84 | 153 | 15 | 68 | 13 | .291 | .332 | .451 | .783 |
Melky Cabrera's lofty contact rate may be climbing, but his BB/K and baselines show you that the ceiling remains limited. Nine of his 13 2009 homers came at Yankee Stadium; don't expect double digits again. No reason to draft for continued improvement or even maintenance of 2009 levels, but market might ask for it.
Chris Dickerson, OF, Cincinnati Reds
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Chris Dickerson's opportunities to run haven't differed much from minors to majors, but he has run significantly less often in bigs. Past performance doesn't support continual improvement in OBP, and 2009 BA seems luck-driven, but more contact and line drives. Modest steals upside tied to it for NL bidders, who may be reluctant to go double digits, understandably, given ABs uncertainty.
Will Venable, OF, San Diego Padres
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 399 | 57 | 103 | 12 | 46 | 26 | .258 | .331 | .441 | .772 |
Will Venable needs more exposure to left-handers, which give him trouble. Showed positive signs last season (AB/HR), but much of that came during a hot streak. Poor batting eye tempers hope for growth in strike-zone control for the near future. Keep tabs in deep mixed; he's an OK stab as a No. 5 NL outfielder.
Tony Gwynn Jr., OF, San Diego Padres
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Tony Gwynn Jr., expected to platoon with Scott Hairston, has seen his steals growth affixed to an increase in playing time - a great sign for NL-only outfield seekers. That's his most certain contribution, so plan accordingly if you need to use him.
Scott Hairston, OF, San Diego Padres
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 214 | 31 | 55 | 11 | 36 | 4 | .257 | .304 | .505 | .809 |
Normally a platoon-split commodity, the righty-hitting Scott Hairston clubbed most of his homers against his handedness. The BA divergence will keep him as a complement to Tony Gwynn Jr., but if the unstable Gwynn becomes replaceable, the Pads have seen what Hairston can do. A handy part-timer for NL drafters.
Gerardo Parra, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 455 | 65 | 127 | 9 | 45 | 20 | .279 | .345 | .411 | .756 |
Walk-to-strikeout ratio isn't encouraging, but Gerardo Parra's high average on balls in play was norm in minors. Homers were a fluke. Unexciting mixed league pickup given mild upside for steals. NL players have interest because of modest potential for playing time and, maybe, average, but don't feel like you're missing out.
Nate Schierholtz, OF, San Francisco Giants
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 251 | 25 | 66 | 6 | 26 | 4 | .263 | .320 | .410 | .730 |
Quad-A staple should receive chance to start in right. Adjusted swing in winter ball. Nate Schierholtz's flyball jump in limited time forecasts promising growth, but Schierholtz will need to improve his contact and line-drive rates to counteract his poor batting eye. Prime NL speculative pick that could have rental value during mixed-league season.
Xavier Nady, OF, Chicago Cubs
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2010 Fantasy Baseball Projections
| AB | R | H | HR | RBI | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Xavier Nady's second career Tommy John surgery interrupted positive year-to-year trends. Injury negatively affects slugging percentage, most notably. Nady will platoon in right, but some potential for increased playing time. He's a risky investment if others view him as buying opportunity. Some upside here, but it requires patience and doesn't warrant much, if any, overspending.