| First Baseman Rankings |
| Rank |
Team |
Player |
Avg. |
Runs |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
| 16 |
 |
Kevin Youkilis |
.288 |
85 |
16 |
83 |
4 |
|
Youkilis's strength, drawing walks, doesn't help in a lot of fantasy leagues that only count batting average. But "You" will hit for a solid average and has a little bit of power. Plus, he'll get lots of RBI opportunities and score a lot of runs in Boston's strong lineup.
|
| 17 |
 |
Carlos Delgado |
.258 |
71 |
24 |
87 |
4 |
|
The 35-year-old Delgado is getting up there in years. But the bigger concern has been his struggles at Shea Stadium. In two seasons with the Mets, Delgado is hitting .226 at his home park. |
| 18 |
 |
Richie Sexson |
.205 |
58 |
21 |
63 |
1 |
Sexson still has the power to top 30 homers, but maybe he shold try hitting a single every once in a while. Former All-Stars shouldn't be hitting .205.
|
| 19 |
 |
Casey Kotchman |
.296 |
64 |
11 |
68 |
2 |
Kotchman bounced back from a disappointing 2006 season, when he suffered from mono and hit .152 in limited action. Kotchman may never hit 30 homers in a season, but he's capable of hitting .300 or better with a good RBI total.
|
| 20 |
 |
Joey Votto |
.321 |
11 |
4 |
17 |
1 |
|
Votto is likely to start this year for the Reds. He doesn't have great power, but he's a patient hitter who will hit for average and steal more bases than the average first baseman. Votto hit .294 with 22 homers and 17 steals for Triple-A Louisville last season. |
| 21 |
 |
Aubrey Huff |
.280 |
68 |
15 |
72 |
1 |
|
Where has the power gone? Huff's home run total has dwindled steadily since he hit 34 homers in 2003. Last year was a huge disappointment in his first season as an Oriole, where he plays his home games in homer-friendly Camden Yards.
|
| 22 |
 |
Ryan Garko |
.289 |
62 |
21 |
61 |
0 |
|
Garko is a solid run producer with decent power. But one big problem is that he gets benched once or twice a week. That's because, when catcher Victor Martinez gets a break from being behind the plate, he usually takes Garko's place at first base.
|
| 23 |
 |
Lyle Overbay |
.240 |
49 |
10 |
44 |
2 |
|
Ouch. What a terrible year for Overbay. He looked like a rising star when he hit .312 with 22 homers and 92 RBIs in 2006, his first season in Toronto. But Overbay suffered through a year-long slump that got worse as the season went on. He has a chance tobounce back though. Overbay did hit well against lefty pitchers (.287), a good sign for a young, left-handed hitter. |
| 24 |
 |
Daric Barton |
.347 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
|
Barton is a smart, patient hitter who should regularly hit .300. But he doesn't have the big-time power you want in a first baseman. Barton was more of a doubles hitter in the minors, and he'll struggle to hit a lot of homers in Oakland's pitcher-friendly stadium.
|
| 25 |
 |
Mike Jacobs |
.265 |
57 |
17 |
54 |
1 |
|
Jacobs has pretty good power, but he doesn't hit right-handed pitching well enough to hit for a high average.
|
| 26 |
 |
Nomar Garciaparra |
.283 |
39 |
7 |
59 |
3 |
|
He'll likely start at third base this season, but Garciaparra just isn't the superstar he used to be. Seven homers in a season doesn't cut it for a corner infielder.
|
| 27 |
 |
Dan Ortmeier |
.287 |
20 |
6 |
16 |
2 |
|
Ortmeier will get his chance to crack the starting lineup this spring. He's unlikely to hit for a good average, but Ortmeier could hit 20 home runs over a full season.
|
| 28 |
 |
Nick Johnson |
DID NOT PLAY
|
|
Johnson missed all of 2007 after breaking his leg late in '06. There's no telling how long it will take him to re-adjust to the majors. And with Dmitri Young filling in well at first, the Nats could keep Johnson in a reserve role. Still, Johnson hit .290 with 23 homers, 77 RBIs, and 100 runs scored in 2006.
|
| 29 |
|
Scott Hatteberg |
.310 |
50 |
10 |
47 |
0 |
|
Hatteberg is coming off a strong 2007 season, but might be sent to the bench in favor of top prospect Joey Votto. Even if he wins the starting job during spring training, Votto is likely to step into the lineup at some point in '08.
|
| 30 |
 |
Ross Gload |
.288 |
37 |
7 |
51 |
2 |
|
Gload has been one of baseball's better bench players for a while. But this spring, he'll get a chance to win a starting job in K.C. Gload could hit 15 homers with a respectable average over a full season.
|
