Welcome back to the 2015 Last Word on Fantasy Baseball Guide. Over the next several months we will be releasing player profiles, projections, position rankings, and a number of other articles that will help you dominate your fantasy league this season. Whether you play rotisserie or head-to-head; whether you have a standard draft, a snake or an auction league, and whether its keeper league or a one-year deal; we have all the fantasy information you need.
For the rest of our fantasy baseball profiles and articles, please check out our Fantasy Baseball Guide Page
Fantasy Profile, Ben Zobrist, 2B, Oakland A’s
LWOS Ranking 13, Captain’s Value: $9.05
Ben Zobrist has always been one of my favorite players mainly because of the way he plays the game (not fantasy relevant) and his versatility (fantasy relevant) as well as his ability to be a steady, above average hitter. Zobrist (originally drafted by the Astros in 2004) has plied his trade with the Tampa Bay Rays as a regular since 2009, playing an average of 152 games per year.
Following the completion of the 2014 season, Zobrist was traded to the Oakland A’s in a five player trade. As a switch hitter with the ability to play both corner outfield positions as well as shortstop and second base, Zobrist will fit in well on a team that treasures this type of versatility.
While Zobrist’s average has remained between .269 and .275 the last five years, his home runs have declined from a high of 20 in both 2011 and 2012 to a total of 22 the last two years. His RBI and run totals have both decreased the last two years, but some of that decline can be traced to a thumb injury following a slow start to last season. At age 34 with declining statistics, his main selling point to the both the A’s and fantasy owners is his versatility. If you are in a league which allows players to be eligible for multiple positions or make daily changes, Zobrist could be a valuable asset. But do not draft him expecting him to match his HR high of 20 or his SB high of 24. I still like him but don’t go after him too aggressively. In most of my leagues, he will go before I am ready to select him.
| Year | Team | Pos | G | PA | AB | R | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | SLG | OBP | OPS |
| 2011 | TB | 2B | 156 | 672 | 588 | 99 | 20 | 91 | 19 | 77 | 128 | 0.269 | 0.469 | 0.353 | 0.822 |
| 2012 | TB | 2B | 157 | 666 | 560 | 88 | 20 | 74 | 14 | 97 | 103 | 0.270 | 0.471 | 0.377 | 0.848 |
| 2013 | TB | 2B | 157 | 697 | 612 | 77 | 12 | 71 | 11 | 72 | 91 | 0.275 | 0.402 | 0.354 | 0.756 |
| 2014 | TB | 2B | 146 | 652 | 570 | 83 | 10 | 52 | 10 | 75 | 84 | 0.272 | 0.395 | 0.354 | 0.749 |
| 2015 Projection | OAK | 2B | 675 | 584 | 84 | 12 | 68 | 12 | 82 | 93 | 0.273 | 0.362 | 0.412 | 0.774 |
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TOKYO, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 16: Ben Zobrist #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays in action in the fifth inning during the game four of Samurai Japan and MLB All Stars at Tokyo Dome on November 16, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)
