Rotoprofessor

We are inching closer to the start of Spring Training and there are still free agents sitting out there waiting for an opportunity to present itself.  That certainly plays a part in our rankings, as does some changes in projections as they continue to be fine-tuned.  Let’s take a look at how things currently sit:

1. Joe Mauer - Minnesota Twins
2. Victor Martinez - Boston Red Sox
3. Brian McCann - Atlanta Braves
4. Miguel Montero - Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Matt Wieters - Baltimore Orioles
6. Kurt Suzuki - Oakland Athletics
7. Jorge Posada - New York Yankees
8. Ryan Doumit - Pittsburgh Pirates
9. Geovany Soto - Chicago Cubs
10. Bengie Molina - Free Agent
11. Chris Iannetta - Colorado Rockies
12. Mike Napoli - Los Angeles Angels
13. Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals
14. Russell Martin - Los Angeles Dodgers
15. Jesus Flores - Washington Nationals

Thoughts:

• Victor Martinez moves to #2, in part because of the absence of Jason Bay in the middle of the order.  Without Bay, he becomes an even more vital part of the Red Sox order, likely giving him more RBI opportunity.  He should also score significantly more than other catchers as well.
• I’ll take a closer look between Matt Wieters and Kurt Suzuki in the near future, but it’s surprisingly close between the two for me at this point.  At this point, I’m going to slot Wieters ahead of Suzuki thanks to his huge potential upside, but Suzuki’s speed potential is a good equalizer.  It’s close, but elite potential wins out.  I’ve already posted my early projection for Wieters, which you can read by clicking here.
• The Rockies bringing in Miguel Olivo has to make you wonder if Chris Iannetta is locked in as the everyday catcher.  That knocks him down, just slightly, for now.  He has the potential to fall much further, so keep a close eye on this situation.
• It is looking more and more like Bengie Molina is going to end up as a part of the New York Mets organization, but until he does it makes it difficult to pinpoint his exact value.  I don’t see much movement, but still, the potential is there.
• The Rays, at least for now, appear to be holding onto both Kelly Shoppach and Dioner Navarro.  That hurts both of their values, keeping both of them from this list.  There’s just no way of knowing who is going to get the bulk of the at bats, or if they are going to split things evenly.  It’s a shame, because Shoppach has the potential to be a steal, but he’s a risky one.
• Russell Martin’s value is largely tied into his speed, which has been declining steadily the past few season’s.  We’ve seen him go from 21 to 18 to 11 SB last season, but I wouldn’t expect any further decline.  As long as he reaches double-digits, it’s going to give him an advantage over most of the other catching options, especially when you throw in a little bit of power (I can’t believe he hits just 7 again).  A 10/10 catcher certainly has some value, especially one that plays nearly everyday.
• A.J. Pierzynski fell short of making the list as has to deal with the presence of Tyler Flowers, one of the top catching prospects in the game.  That’s going to cut into his playing time, hurting his potential value.
• I’ve talked in more detail on why I think Jesus Flores is a strong late round pick, which you can read by clicking here.

Make sure to place your order for the Rotoprofessor 2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here.

Make sure to check out our other early rankings:

• First Baseman
• Second Baseman
• Third Baseman
• Shortstops
• Outfielders
• Starting Pitchers
• Closers

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