Here is how deep the first base pool has become: the guy who finished fourth statistically among first basemen, and who hit more home runs than every first baseman not named Albert Pujols, is ranked 12th in CBS’s projections for 2011 (14th if you count two 1B-eligible catchers). Twelve first basemen are projected to knock in over 100 runs (nine accomplished this feat last year), and 11 are projected to hit over 30 home runs (nine accomplished this last year as well). Which means, in theory, you could be the ninth person in your league, or even the last, to draft a first basemen, and you’ll still be good for a 30-100 stat line. Not too shabby.

Big Dog goes ‘Arf’

And to think, that doesn’t include guys who hit 25 home runs or more (add another six). Underneath that group are another dozen hitters capable of blasting 25 dingers, provided you’re flexible in the batting average and strikeout department. First base is deep, kids, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your due diligence on the position. First, let’s discuss the wounded birds looking to reclaim their 2009 glory.

Kendry Morales, Angels
Yes! I just hit a Grand Slam and won the game for my tea-OW! What the hell just popped in my foot? Even stranger, this bitten-by-home-plate thing happened to two different guys last year. Morales was a beast in 2009, hitting 34 dingers and knocking in 108 runs (He even stole three bases, though his success rate was a dismal 30%), and he’s reasonably well protected with Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter and the ageless Bobby Abreu hitting around him. A safe estimate would be a 5% drop from his 2009 numbers, but he certainly has the potential to do better than that.

Justin Morneau, Twins
We love what a pure hitter Morneau is, but this concussion business is spooky. Football players come back from one after a week or two, while Morneau has been sidelined since July, which makes us wonder: what exactly was he seeing, and are those images still dancing around the periphery? The Twins are smart to be cautious with one of their most prized hitters, but we’re now eight months removed from the injury, and the Twins are still treating him like the boy in the plastic bubble. That’s troubling to put it lightly. His draft value obviously takes a hit – a third rounder last year, he’s a projected late sixth rounder this year – but that also makes him one hell of a steal, if he’s healthy.

Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
He’s a projected second-round pick, despite the fact that he had major shoulder surgery in the offseason. Why is it that no one is concerned about Adrian Gonzalez, even though he’s no further along than Justin Morneau and is behind Kendry Morales’ timetable? Of course, we know the answer to this: it’s because fantasy goons are so geeked out about the prospect of Gonzalez in Fenway – with that lineup – that they’re willing to overlook his current rehab schedule. As it stands, though, he’s not a lock to be ready by Opening Day. Of course, that would not stop us from scooping him up in the third round, if not sooner.

Stuck in the Middle with You

No one is expecting these guys to carry their team’s burden, which puts them in the perfect position to shock the world.

Ike Davis, Mets
He’d probably never admit it in public, but Ike Davis has to love all of the hoopla surrounding the company brass. With much of the Mets talk focused on money – and whether they’ll have enough to re-sign Jose Reyes at season’s end – Davis can enter camp relatively worry-free. That’s as ideal a situation for a second-year player as they come.

Adam Lind, Blue Jays
Young players don’t like sitting on the bench. Hell, old players don’t like sitting on the bench. They want to play, which would explain why Lind’s production in 2010 dropped in conjunction with his playing time (92 games at DH in 2009 versus 120 in 2010). All right, Lind’s production actually dropped more than his playing time, but he still managed to hit 24 bombs last year, and now that he’s the team’s full-time first baseman, expect his head to be much more in the game than he has ever been.

Gaby Sanchez, Marlins
He could hit for more power, sure, but 19 dingers as a rookie, even a 26-year-old rookie, is nothing to sneeze at. As he hits his age-27 year, and the Marlins are looking for power sources to make up for the loss of Dan Uggla, Sanchez has volunteered for the job. Works for us, and he steals a few bases, too.

Paul Konerko, White Sox
Like we said earlier, he’s the 12th ranked first baseman, projected to leave the boards at the end of the 11th round. Really, with Alex Rios and Adam Dunn hitting ahead of him, and Carlos Quentin behind him? We’ll take that bet any day.

First Basemen Who Are Eligible at Catcher

Why on earth would you play them any position other than catcher? Geez, that’s an easy one.

Below is our official ranking of first basemen (again, excluding those eligible at catcher):

1. Albert Pujols, STL
2. Miguel Cabrera, DET
3. Joey Votto, CIN
4. Adrian Gonzalez, BOS
5. Mark Teixeira, NYY
5. Ryan Howard, PHI
6. Kevin Youkilis, BOS
7. Kendry Morales, LAA
8. Prince Fielder, MIL
9. Justin Morneau, MIN
10. Adam Dunn, CHW
11. Paul Konerko, CHW
12. Billy Butler, KC
13. Pablo Sandoval, SF
14. Aubrey Huff, SF
15. Adam Lind, TOR
16. Ike Davis, NYM
17. Carlos Pena, CHC
18. Gaby Sanchez, FLA
19. Carlos Lee, HOU
20. Michael Cuddyer, MIN
21. Derrek Lee, BAL
22. Freddie Freeman, ATL
23. Garrett Jones, PIT
24. Adam LaRoche, WAS
25. James Loney, LAD

Things have shifted a lot in MLB since I took a hiatus last weekend. Wow, have they ever shifted. The Rockies have now lost 5 in a row and are fading out of the race. The Phillies have won 11 in a row to take over the top spot. The Rays are ahead of the Yankees now in the AL East and the Twins are as hot as the Phils. The Braves are whopping 7 games back of the Phillies now. Damn, this is getting fun.

1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-61)—Peaking but maybe too soon. Still, when you have Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels, it’s not really fair. And everyone else is getting healthy now.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (92-61)—They finally overtake the Yanks, but have company up here. Still, they’ve been consistent all year and they have David Price at the top of their rotation.

3. Minnesota Twins (92-61)—Even without Justin Morneau, this is a very dangerous team. But are they peaking too soon as well?

4. New York Yankees (92-62)—When I heard the New York sports talk guys being all gloom and doom after a split with the Rays this past week, I didn’t understand it. But when you look at the remaining schedules of both teams, you get it. A loss to Boston last night probably didn’t do much for Yankees fans’ confidence.

5. San Francisco Giants (87-67)—Making for one of the most compelling pennant races, because the winner will move on while the loser may not even take the wild card.

6. San Diego Padres (86-67)—Looking back, that long losing streak came at the right time, and the wrong time, at the same time.

7. Cincinnati Reds (86-68)—The magic number is 3. I wonder if Brandon Phillips will get a Christmas card from the Cardinals’ organization this year.

8. Atlanta Braves (86-68)—Now trailing in the wild card race by a half-game. This is another compelling race that shouldn’t have been so compelling, but seriously, how do you hold off the Phils and that pitching staff?

9. Texas Rangers (85-68)—Magic number is 2, will they be the second team to clinch?

10. Boston Red Sox (85-68)—I don’t think they’ve officially been eliminated yet, but it’s getting very, very late. And what a shame for a team that really is as talented as most of the teams on this Top 10 list.

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

Next up is the AL Central.

1. Chicago White Sox (9)
Some folks will think that this is too high for the White Sox – that they should be behind the Twins and out of the top 10 in terms of the overall power rankings. Some folks will say that Jake Peavy won’t be healthy all season and that the Chi Sox will once again falter as they try to live station to station on offense. Well, I say the folks that disagree with my opinion are friggin idiots. Harsh? Yeah, but it also needed to be said. I realize that I’m taking a risk by moving the Sox to the head of the AL Central, but really, it’s hard to argue that this division isn’t a crapshoot anyway. Every team has question marks heading into the season but at the end of the day, pitching makes or breaks a team. I realize Peavy missed all of last year due to injury, but the Sox were second in the AL in pitching last season with a 4.14 ERA without him. If he stays healthy, Peavy will only add to Chicago’s solid rotation (which also features Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Freddy Garcia) and the addition of J.J. Putz should bolster the bullpen as well. Outside of injuries, the only thing that could potentially hold Chicago back this year is its offense. What do you mean that’s kind of a big deal? I’m banking that youngster Gordon Beckham develops quickly and that Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios return to form. I also think the Sox will get key contributions from the additions GM Kenny Williams made this offseason in Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre and Mark Teahen. I’m not expecting the Sox to magically transform into the Yankees of the AL Central, but I do believe they have enough offense to get by while their pitching carries them to a playoff berth.

2. Minnesota Twins (10)
Boo! Hiss! Why do you have the Twins behind the White Sox, moron? Minnesota fans aren’t going to appreciate this – especially considering they’re still all hopped up on the Joe Mauer contract juice. But the pitching staff scares the bejeuses out of me. I’m well aware of what Mauer and Justin Morneau can do with 42 inches of lumber and I think the offseason addition of Jim Thome was great. But does this team have enough starting pitching to make a run? Based on the starters’ performances thus far in spring training, the answer to that question is “yes.” Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Carl Pavano and even Francisco Liriano have all looked good thus far but the Twins will need consistency out of this group throughout the entire season. Plus, Jon Rauch (or Heath Bell or Jason Frasor) has to step in for Joe Nathan, who was lost for the season after deciding to undergo Tommy John surgery. Even though Rauch has looked good himself this spring, Nathan left some pretty big shoes to fill. Another factor that I can’t shake is that the club is moving out of the Metrodome this year into the brand new outdoor Target Field. The Twins have gone 102-61 at home over the last two years and just 73-89 on the road. While it may sound trivial, they had a distinct advantage inside the dome – a distinct advantage they no longer have. That said, after I spent an entire paragraph doubting them, I do believe that the Twins have enough talent to run away with the Central. If the success that the starters have had this spring carries over into the regular season, then they should win the division. And if Rauch pitches as well as he did last season and in spring training this year, then he’ll ease the pain of the club not having Nathan. But something tells me that the Twins take a step back this year – the excitement about Mauer’s new contract be damned.

3. Detroit Tigers (16)
It’s hard to get a read on the Tigers. Are they a team moving forward or are they a team that’s ready to blow itself up and start rebuilding? Justin Verlander is a serious Cy Young candidate and Miguel Cabrera is a serious MVP candidate now that he has vowed to stay sober. (He was actually a serious MVP candidate when he was hitting the bottle the night before games, but being sober only helps things.) But here’s where my concern comes in with the Tigers: If things go bad in the first half, will the front office hold a fire sale at the deadline? No club in baseball has been hit harder by the downturn in the economy like Detroit has and I could see the Tigers creating financial relief for themselves by clearing some big contracts off the books – including Cabrera’s. That said, it’s not hard to see why Detroit fans are excited about the Tigers’ chances this year. Behind Verlander is 21-year-old phenom Rick Porcello and then promising, hard-throwing right-hander Max Scherzer, who was acquired in the Edwin Jackson deal. The Tigers also overpaid to watch Johnny Damon’s power decrease dramatically now that he won’t be hitting in Tornado alley, but fans seem excited about what he can bring to a lineup (i.e. patience at the plate, speed) and a clubhouse (i.e. orange slices and Capri Sun). As I wrote in the write up for the White Sox, the AL Central will be a crapshoot again this year. All three teams at the top of the division – the Sox, Twins and Tigers – have a legitimate shot at winning the Central and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Detroit wears the crown at the end of the year. But after they parted with Curtis Granderson in a cost cutting move this offseason, I worry about whether or not the front office is committed to winning. The Damon deal suggests that they are, but we’ll see what their intentions are around the trade deadline.

4. Kansas City Royals (25)
There’s just nothing to say about the Royals that hasn’t been said for the past 10 years. They’re so bland that sometimes you forget they’re even there. “Hey, who do the Sox play today?” “The Royals.” “Who? Christ, they’re still in the league?!” The problems that the Royals have from top to bottom are a mile long. They lack the basic fundamentals on the field, including but not limited to: base running, situational hitting and overall defense. This is also an organization that refuses to spend and what’s worse is that they have a brutal scouting department. So basically, it’s the worst of both worlds. That said, there is some hope on the horizon. Zach Greinke gives fans a legitimate reason to show up at the ballpark every fifth day and Billy Butler gives fans a legitimate reason to return from the concession stand when the Royals are up to bat. There’s also a lot of excitement surrounding 19-year-old Cuban defector Noel Arguelles and there is still one or two people left that believe Alex Gordon will develop too. But outside of that, the Royals (who?) will battle the Indians for fourth place in the division once again this season.

5. Cleveland Indians (28)
It just seems like yesterday that, after years of rebuilding, the Tribe had set themselves up with a solid core of players that would help them win for years to come. Then, after just one trip to the ALCS (2007), the club is now back in rebuilding mode. Cleveland fans must be thinking to themselves, “All right – who’s the jokester? Seriously guys, where’s CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez? I’m not kidding around – they were supposed to help us compete for a decade and now somebody has misplaced them.” If enough things break right, the Indians could actually finish near the middle of the pack this year. But a lot has to happen. Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona have to have solid seasons and Chris Perez has to fill Kerry Wood’s (out until early May with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle, which can also be found in dolphins I think) shoes. Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner also have to bounce back from injuries and some of the young pups like Matt LaPorta and Asdrubal Cabrera have to contribute as well. All in all, the Tribe probably won’t be as bad as many think, but obviously expectations should be kept low seeing as how they are in rebuilding mode. “Rebuilding mode? Again? Are you serious?! Come on!”

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/23/2010-mlb-preview-al-central/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/07/16/morneau-upset-by-bland-canadian-anthem-at-asg/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/07/16/morneau-upset-by-bland-canadian-anthem-at-asg/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:00:46 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=21365

Justin Morneau of the Twins is apparently a little irked by the way the Canadian anthem was played (i.e. by record tape) at this year’s All-Star Game.

Sheryl Crow sang the “Star Spangled Banner” before Tuesday’s all-star game. “O Canada” was a recorded instrumental, and Canadian Justin Morneau felt the anthem deserved better.

“I wasn’t very impressed with that to tell you the truth,” he said. “You figure they could find somebody to come and sing the song.

“It’s something that didn’t really go over too well. I think if it happened the other way around, if they were playing in Toronto … it would have been a lot bigger deal.”

Considering that baseball has a team in Canada, the league could have probably done better than just a taped recording. They could have at least brought in a live band or something.

That said, I don’t think MLB was trying to slight our friends to the North with a taped rendition of the anthem. And it’s not like the fans at Busch Stadium booed the anthem like people in Quebec and Montreal sporting venues boo the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Looks like there will be a new home run derby king this year:

Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau says he has declined an invitation to participate in the popular All-Star Game event, which will be held Monday in St. Louis. He says he wants to rest and would prefer to watch.

Morneau won last year’s competition at Yankee Stadium, but that was overshadowed by Josh Hamilton’s record 28 homers in the first round. The Texas Rangers outfielder tired as the event dragged on and Morneau outlasted him 5-3 in the finals.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says he is happy to hear Morneau will be sitting this one out.
Hamilton isn’t going to participate, either, at the request of his manager.

It’s too bad that neither Morneau nor Hamilton will compete, but the fans in St. Louis will still be treated to Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez.

Still, it would have been cool to see this again:

First base
Leader: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
Mike’s pick: Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins. It’s kind of hard to argue with Teixeira’s numbers, short porch in right or not. He’s got 20 homers, 57 RBI, 20 doubles, and a .280 average (and in the field, zero errors). You can make a case for Carlos Pena (22 homers), but he’s batting .236. Morneau is batting .315, and has 16 homers (let’s say he’d have 20 if he played in Yankee Stadium), and more RBI than Teixeira (58). And he’s only made one error.

Second base
Leader: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Mike’s pick: Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays. I love a good comeback story, and this is it. Hill doesn’t have as many homers as Kinsler (17 to Kinsler’s 18), but he is hitting for a higher average (.306 to .268) with more RBI (52 to 49). Sure, Kinsler has 16 steals to 2 for Hill, but I’m sticking with my comeback story.

Shortstop
Leader: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
Mike’s pick: Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter’s having a good season, but Bartlett is leading the American League in batting with a sick .363 average. Even after spending some time on the DL, Bartlett still has 7 homers, 35 RBI, 13 doubles, 3 triples and 15 steals…..pretty awesome numbers for a shortstop.

Third base
Leader: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Mike’s pick: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays. With a nod to Chone Figgins and his .325 average with 23 stolen bases, Longoria has delivered at a power position with 16 home runs, 62 RBI, 24 doubles and a .312 batting average.

Catcher:
Leader: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Mike’s pick: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins. Hey, these voters aren’t doing a bad job after all! This is an easy one, though. Mauer is batting almost .400 (.396) with 14 homers and 43 RBI, and a staggering .695 slugging percentage that leads the American League.

Outfield
Leaders: Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox
Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners
Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Mike’s picks: Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox—It’s hard to argue with 19 homers, 69 driven in (leads the AL) and a respectable .278 average, especially when Big Papi has struggled. Manny who?
Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels—He’s currently fourth in the voting, but he should be higher. 17 dingers, 56 RBI, and he’s batting .309 with 12 stolen bases.
Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays—The Rays are running on everyone, and this guy leads them and the world with 38 stolen bases. He’s also batting .314 with 6 homers and 35 RBI.

Starting pitcher
As you all know, pitchers are chosen by the managers and announced shortly before the all-star break.
Mike’s pick: Zach Greinke, Kansas City Royals. The guy got off to a blistering start, when the Royals stunned everyone by spending more than a few days in first place. He’s cooled off, but Greinke is still 9-3 on a team that’s 31-41, he has a stellar 1.90 ERA, and he’s second in the AL with 111 strikeouts to just 18 walks in 109 innings.

Relief pitcher
Mike’s pick: Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox. Okay, so he’s not leading the league in saves (he has 17 and the Angels’ Brian Fuentes has 20). But Papelbon sports a 1.97 ERA and 33 K’s in 32 innings. And he just has that sick “you can’t hit me” demeanor.

Source: Baseball Reference

Click Here to see Previews of all 30 MLB Teams

Offseason Movement: The Twins were rather quiet this offseason, but they did sign free agent third basemen Joe Crede (formally of the White Sox) and pitcher Luis Ayala, who could contribute as a setup man this season.

Top Prospect: Aaron Hicks, OF
The Twins selected Hicks with the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft in hopes he could become the next Torii Hunter. Hicks is a switch-hitter, with above average power and has demonstrated excellent bat speed. He could turn out to be a five-tool player, but it’ll be a couple years before we see him in the big leagues because he’s only 19. Believe it or not, many teams preferred him as a pitcher in last year’s draft; that’s how good of an athlete Hicks is.

The Big Question: Will Joe Mauer’s back injury keep the Twins from competing?
There’s no question that a lot of the Twins’ success this year will revolve around the health of catcher Joe Mauer. He underwent kidney surgery earlier this offseason and had been slow to recover. But he was also diagnosed with an inflamed lower back in mid March, which is now the chief concern for the Twins. It already appears that Mauer will miss Opening Day and as of right now, there is no timetable for his return. There’s no doubt that Minnesota needs their star 25-year old catcher healthy, or else the Indians, Tigers and/or White Sox will overtake them in the AL Central.

Outlook: The Twins won 88 games last year and it’s hard to believe that the team that they’ll put on the field this year will be any worse. This club has a balanced lineup from top to bottom, with most of its power coming from Justin Morneau, Joe Crede and emerging youngster Jason Kubel, while Denard Span and Carlos Gomez bring the speed. But the nucleus is Joe Mauer, who (as previously noted) has some major health concerns right now. If his back doesn’t become a long-term problem, then the Twins could compete for the AL Wild Card, if not the division depending on whether or not the Indians and Tigers can bounce back from horrid 2008 seasons. But if Mauer’s injury sticks around for a while, it’s hard to see this club being competitive over the long haul, especially considering the starting rotation is a bit unproven. (Albeit the top three of Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Kevin Slowey are all solid.)

Projection: 3rd AL Central