1. Grady Sizemore, Indians
He has the best combination of power and speed in baseball. Sizemore was one of two 30/30 men in baseball last season (33 HRs, 38 steals), and shuold score a ton of runs batting leadoff for Cleveland.
2. Ryan Braun, Brewers
Braun led the majors with 83 extra-bas hits last season, including 37 homers. At age 25, he's still getting better. But it would be nice to see him cut down on his strikeouts (129 last year), which hurts his batting average (.285).
3. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs
When healthy, Soriano is an elite fantasy player. Despite missing 53 games last season, he still hit 29 homers and stole 19 bases. He's a definite 30/30, and possibly 40/40, threat if he stays healthy.
4. Carlos Beltran, Mets
He's not quite the superstar he was a few years back, as Beltran hit only 27 homers last season. But he did steal 25 bases for the first time as a Met. And he was second in basebal with 116 runs scored.
5. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers
He was simply amazing after arriving in L.A. last season, hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games. But can the 36-year-old superstar keep it up over a full season?
6. Carlos Lee, Astros
Lee is another superstar who couldn't quite stay healthy last season. But he still managed ot hit 28 home runs and drive in 100 runs despite missing 47 games. He also hit .314. The only problem is that Lee, once a threat to steal 15-to-20 bases, no longer does much running.
7. Josh Hamilton, Rangers
Hamilton's 130 RBIs led the American League. But he may not have as many RBI chances now that Milton Bradley has left Texas.
8. Nick Markakis, Orioles
Markakis hit a career-high .306 last season, along with 20 homers and 106 runs scored. The 25 year old is on the verge of becoming a star.
9. Matt Holliday, A's
He'll miss getting to hit in Colorado, one of baseball's most hitter-friendly ballparks, especially now that he'll be in pitcher-friendly Oakland. Even worse, the Athletics don't try to steal bases as often as Colorado, meaning Holliday will have trouble matchin last year's 28 steals. But Holliday has the talent to put up great numbers no matter where he plays.
10. Matt Kemp, Dodgers
The 24-year-old Kemp has the tools to be a superstar. He hit .290 and stole 35 bases last season. But his power hasn't quite developed yet (18 homers).
11. Carlos Quentin, White Sox
Quentin was having an MVP-type season before injuries derailed him. He has 40-home run power and is a threat for 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored. But teams might pitch around him constantly in the White Sox weak lineup.
12. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
He didn't have a typical Ichiro year in 2008, hitting only .310. But he is capable of contending for the batting title. And Ichiro should steal somewhere around 40 bases and score 100 runs yet again.
13. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
With Coco Crisp gone, Ellsbury won't have to worry about competition for playing time. He still hasn't shown a lot of power (only nine homers and 38 extra-base hits last season). But Ellsbury is an absolute burner (50 steals) who should score 100 runs hitting leadoff for the Sox.
14. Jason Bay, Red Sox
Bay was strong after arriving in Boston last year, hitting .293 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 49 games. He has a good chance at 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his first full season with the Sox.
15. Carl Crawford, Rays
Crawford was a big disappointment in 2008, stealing just 25 bases and hitting a career-low .273 in an injury-filled year. He did miss 53 games with various injuries. But if Crawford isn't stealing bases, he loses a lot of value in fantasy leagues.
16. Curtis Granderson, Tigers
Granderson was slowed by injuries for much of last season. But he still managed to hit 22 homers and score 112 runs in 141 games. If he stays healthy, he has the speed to double his 12 stolen bases of a year ago.
17. Alex Rios, Blue Jays
His power dropped last season (15 homers after hitting 24 in 2007), but his speed numbers looked much better (a career-high 32 SBs).
18. Magglio Ordonez, Tigers
Ordonez will continue to benefit big-time while hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera. He's a contender for the batting title, and should drive in 100 runs. The only problem, whatever happened to that 30-home run power? Ordonez hit 28 in 2007, then just 21 in 2008.
19. Vladimir Guerrero, Angels
He has the superstar reputation, but Vlad hasn't hit 30 homers in a season since 2006, and has just seven steals combined over the past two seasons. There's hope that he'll get better pitches to hit with Bobby Abreu protecting him in the lineup.
20. Nate McLouth, Pirates
McLouth came out of nowhere for a 20/20 season in 2008 (26 homers, 23 steals). But his power numbers did drop in the second half of the year. His slugging percentage was .542 before the All-Star break, but only .426 after the Break.
21. Corey Hart, Brewers
Hart had a strong 2008, his second straight 20/20 season (20 homers, 23 steals). But hit weak second half is cause for concern. He hit just .239 with five homers after the All-Star break.
22. B.J. Upton, Rays
He'll like haev to start the season on the disabled list, and his power numbers dropped last season (just nine home runs). But Upton ran wild, stealing 44 bases. He definitely has a shot at being a 20/20 player in 2009.
23. Bobby Abreu, Angels
Abreu should be a great addition to the Angels lineup, protecting Vlad Guerrero. He can hit for average, and still has good power and speed. But will the ex-Yankee miss the short rightfield porch of Yankee Stadium? Last season, he hit .311 with 14 home runs at home, but just .279 with six homers on the road.
24. Shane Victorino, Phillies
Victorino continues to show surprising power, hitting a career-high 52 extra-base hits including a career-high 14 homers last season. And he certainly has speed. The Flyin' Hawaiian stole 36 bases last season, and 37 in 2007.
25. Jay Bruce, Reds
Bruce has the skills to be baseball's next great hitter. He showed big-time power potential in the minors, and hit 21 home runs in the bigs last season despite playing only 108 major league games. But strikeouts will be a problem. Bruce struck out 110 times last year, which is why he only hit .254.
26. Torii Hunter, Angels
Hunter certainly still has 20-20 potential, as he hit 21 homers and stole 19 bases in his first season with the Angels in 2008.
27. Adam Dunn, Nationals
Dunn has tons of power. He has hit exactly 40 homers in each of the past four seasons. But he also strikes out a lot, which is why he hit .236 last year, and has only hit better than .250 in two of his nine full seasons. He also might have a tough time matching last season's 100 RBIs while hitting in Washington's weak lineup.
28. Johnny Damon, Yankees
Damon's still got it when he's healthy. He hit .303 with 17 homers and 29 steals last season, and he's a candidate to score a lot of runs in the Yankees' high-powered lineup. The question is whether the 35 year old can stay healthy. He seems to always be battling nagging injuries, and has missed at least 12 games in each of the past five seasons.
29. Vernon Wells, Blue Jays
Wells bounced back nicely after a nightmarish 2007 season. He batted .300 and hit 20 homers despite missing 54 games due to injury.
30. Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals
Ludwick came out of nowhere to blow up last season, hitting 37 homers with 113 RBIs and 104 runs. But considering how often he strikes out (146 times last season), I'm not sure he can match his .299 batting average from a year ago.
31. Raul Ibanez, Phillies
Ibanez drove in 100 runs each of the past three seasons while hitting in Seattle's terrible lineup. Now that he's in Philly, he'll have a better lineup surrounding him, as well as a much more hitter-friendly home ballpark.
32. Hunter Pence, Astros
Pence didn't quite recapture his rookie year magic, as hit batting average plummetted to .269 after hitting .322 in 2007. Because he strikes out so much, he probably won't be a .300 hitter. But Pence did show very good power (25 homers and 34 doubles) and also has the speed to steal 15-to-20 bases.
33. Jermaine Dye, White Sox
Dye just keeps on going, hitting 34 homers and driving in 96 runs last season. But at age 35 and lots of injuries in his past, how much longer can he keep this up?
34. Andre Ethier, Dodgers
Ethier hit too well last season for the Dodgers to keep sitting him. He played only part-time early in the season, but the 27 year old managed to hit .305 with 20 homers, 90 runs, and 77 RBIs on the season. At his age, he should only get better.
35. Milton Bradley, Cubs
The guy is a flat-out hitting machine when healthy. Bradley is a patient hitter who tore it up with a .321 average, 22 homers, 78 runs, and 77 RBIs despite missing 36 games for the Rangers last season. If he can stay healthy, the switch-hitting Bradley should be a star in Wrigley. But he has only made it through 140 games in a season once in his seven-year career.
36. Willy Taveras, Reds
No doubt, Taveras can fly. He stole 68 bases last season to lead the majors. The question is, can he hit? Taveras certainly doesn't haver power (seven home runs in four big league seasons). But last year, he hit just .251 for the Rockies. The good news is that the Reds will have him batting lead-off as long as he does even a little bit with the bat.
37. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
B.J.'s little brother has superstar potential. But he's still very young, just 21 years old. He hit 15 homers despite missing 54 games due to injury in 2008. But he also struck out a whopping 121 times in just 108 games.
38. Jayson Werth, Phillies
He's been an outstanding part-time player for a long time, and this season Werth will finally have a chance to prove his worth as a regular starter. He has good power and speed, hitting 24 homers and stealing 20 bases in 134 games last season. But the big questions are: (1) Can he stay healthy? and (2) Can he hit right-handed pitching? Werth is a career .291 hitter versus lefties, but only .251 versus righties.
39. Chris Young, Diamondbacks
Young is a five-tool talent who could be a fantasy star, but he hasn't quite put it together yet. Young hit 22 homers last season, but batted only .248 and stole 14 bases because of his 165 strikeouts.
40. Pat Burrell, Rays
Burrell takes over as Tampa's designated hitter, and should mash around 30 homers as usual. Though he never hits for average (.250 last season).
41. J.D. Drew, Red Sox
Drew caught fire last season, but then caught the injury bug again. He managed to hit .280 with 19 homers, 79 RBIs, and 79 runs despite missing 53 games due to injury. Unfortunately, his back problems seem to have lingered into this season. He might end up missing quite a few games again.
42. Brad Hawpe, Rockies
Hawpe has hit at least 22 homers and driven in at least 80 runs in each of the past three seasons. However, without Matt Holliday gone, Hawpe may not see as many good pitches to hit.
43. Delmon Young, Twins
Young is still trying to find his swing on the major league level. Long considered one of the best young talents in baseball, he hit .290 with only 10 home runs last season. Now, he's battling just to keep his starting job.
44. Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks
Byrnes had hit 2008 season wiped out by injuries, hitting a mere .209 with six homers and four stolen bases in 52 games. However, if he's 100 percent healthy, he's capable of a season like he had in 2007 (.286, 21 homers, 50 steals).
45. Coco Crisp, Royals
After being a part-time player in Boston, Crisp is almost guaranteed to play every day in K.C. He has the speed to steal 30 bases, and could score a lot of runs if he bats leadoff. Just don't expect much power.
46. Xavier Nady, Yankees
Nady was great with the Pirates last season, but his numbers came back to Earth after being traded to the Yankees. Still, he hit .268 with an impressive 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 59 games wearing pinstripes. With all the talent in that Yankee lineup, he should be in line for a strong season.
47. David DeJesus, Royals
DeJesus has slowly developed into a solid player. He should hit third for the Royals, giving him a shot at 90 RBIs. And he is capable of matching last year's .307 batting average. He doesn't have a ton of speed or power, but is capable of reaching double-digits in home runs and stolen bases again.
48. Lastings Milledge, Nationals
It's easy to forget that Milledge is only 23 years old, so he' still going to get much better. He has a strong combination of speed and power, hitting 14 home runs and stealing 24 bases last season. He hit only .268, but that average could climb in his second full season.
49. Rick Ankiel, Cardinals
Ankiel has nice power, hitting 25 homers despite missing 42 games last season. He might not hit for a great average (.264 last year), but he could hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs if he stays healthy.
50. Shin-Soo Choo, Indians
Choo tore it up after joining the Indians last season, hitting .309 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs in a little more than half a season. He'll be a fulltime player in 2009. Considering how often he strikes out, Choo is unlikely to hit .300 again. But he definitely has the potential for 25 homers and 100 RBIs.
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