It’s the third week of November and that means Thanksgiving is around the corner. In this spirit, today I display the conclusion of my Fantasy First Base Rankings, listing the players at this position that are most likely to put up very large numbers for their owners in 2015.
First Base Rankings Part 3
6) Albert Pujols
Projection: .264/.324/.452 22 HR 105 RBI 85 R 6 SB
Pujols may be a bit past his peak and his performance may be several steps behind the numbers that he put up when he was with the Cardinals. With that being said, there is still enough power left in his bat and there should be enough opportunities to keep his RBI/R totals high for him to continue having Fantasy value for the time being.
5) Victor Martinez
Projection: .302/.371/.452 17 HR 90 RBI 85 R 3 SB
Expecting a repeat of his 32 HR outburst is likely too much to ask. His high HR/FB rate from last year appears to be very unlikely to be repeated. However, that isn’t enough to decrease his fantasy value. He has consistently displayed the ability to hit over .300 on a regular basis and also should have plenty of chances to pad his RBI total in the middle of a very strong Tigers lineup.
4) Freddie Freeman
Projection: .290/.373/.465 21 HR 90 RBI 90 R 3 SB
If Freeman’s power takes another step forward as he gains experience, he may find himself in the top 3 in the future. While he has been a steady contributor displaying a solid balance of contact and power, I’m not sure he hits for enough power this year to break into the top 3.
3) Jose Abreu
Projection: .282/.354/.501 28 HR 100 RBI 80 R 3 SB
It’s probably a stretch for Abreu to put up a carbon copy of his 2014 numbers as he had high (too early to tell if they are sustainable) BABIP & HR/FB rate totals. Even with some regression in these two areas, Abreu is still a force to be reckoned with.
2) Paul Goldschmidt
Projection: .282/.380/.496 25 HR 105 RBI 95 R 14 SB
Goldschmidt did have his season cut short after being hit by a pitch. In this case, the injury did not impact his ranking as he has had a relatively clean bill of health. Even if the Diamondbacks are still terrible this year, Goldschmidt will make them much less terrible. In addition, to his strong power numbers, Goldschmidt also provides contributions for SB which is pretty rare at 1B.
1) Miguel Cabrera
Projection: .308/.378/.514 27 HR 115 RBI 100 R 3 SB
While the decrease in power (44 HR to 25 HR) may be longer term, all that does is “decrease” Cabrera’s value from extremely high to very high. 40+ HR power or not, Cabrera has always been and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with as he’s still going to hit over .300 and is a safe bet to drive in 100+ runs.
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