Here’s an early look at the 2011 Second Base rankings.
1. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees: Last year I ranked Cano at No. 2. All he did was go out and hit .319 with 103 runs, 29 HRs and 109 RBI. He still doesn’t have the SBs that the other elite second basemen possess, but that can be made up elsewhere.
2. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies: Utley was finally knocked off of the second base pedestal. He still scored 75 runs with 16 HRs, 65 RBI and 13 SBs despite being limited to 115 games. He’s been relatively healthy throughout his career so you’re just going to have to trust that last year was a fluke.
3. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox: Pedroia is another guy that missed a good chunk of time to injury last year. The additions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez only make the Red Sox stronger, which almost assures us that Pedroia will bounce back nicely.
4. Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves: Uggla is a model of consistency hitting between 31 and 33 HRs in each of the past four seasons. Last year he set career highs with 105 RBI and a .287 average. The move to Atlanta should not hurt his production since it’s within the division.
5. Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds: A hand injury sapped him of his power, but he gutted it out to play in 155 games. He still managed to hit .275 with 100 runs, 18 HRs, 59 RBI and 16 SBs.
6. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers: Maybe I should rank Kinsler higher, but his injury history is weighing on me. Perhaps because I had him last year. He had a magical 2009 season when he was able to stay healthy for 144 games. He put up monster numbers with 101 runs, 31 HRs, 86 RBI and 31 SBs. His next highest games played total is 130. He’s the ultimate risk/reward player. This year, I’m bearish on Kinsler.
7. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers: Weeks was able to stay healthy, and he flourished with 112 runs, 29 HRs, 83 RBI and 11 SBs. The big question is whether he can repeat.
8. Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays: Hill regressed in 2010 from 103 runs and 108 RBIs to 70 runs and 68 RBIs thanks in part to a .205 average. He also saw his HR total dip by ten, but you can’t complain when your second basement hits 26. Even if his average bounces back to .250 (he’s a career .270 hitter), he should see his runs and RBIs back in the 80s.
9. Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves: Did Prado play over his head in 2010? At first glance I would say yes, but his average, OBP, Slugging Percentage, and OPS were nearly identical to 2009. He just had 149 more ABs.
10. Kelly Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks: Johnson excelled in his first season with Arizona hitting .284 with 93 runs, 26 HRs and 71 RBI. He was awful in 2009, but averaged 88.5 runs, 14 HRs, and 68.5 RBIs in 2007 & 2008. He stole a career high 13 bases last year, which helps elevate him into a top ten position.
11. Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles: 2010 was a lost season for Roberts.Can he bounce back at 33? There’s a good chance given he averaged 106.7 runs and 40 SBs from 2007-2009.
12. Chone Figgins, Seattle Mariners: Chone led all second basemen with 42 stolen bases last year, and it wasn’t even close. He’s switching back to third base this year, which could help him return to form.
13. Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays: Zobrist had somewhat of a disastrous season hitting .238 with 10 HRs. He still managed to score 77 runs and drive in 75 more. He has the potential to post 90 plus runs, 20 plus HR, and 90 plus RBI with multiple position eligibility.
14. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels: Despite 242 more at bats in 2010, he only increased six runs, 14 RBI and three stolen bases from 2009. He remains a good bet to post a solid average with a decent RBI total.
15. Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox: Beckham regress in 2010 posting a .252-58-9-49-4 line after a solid .270-58-14-63-7 debut in 2009. He has the talent to take his game to the next level, assuming last year was just a sophomore slump.
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