First Baseman Keeper Rankings
Thursday, August 18, 2011
This year's final set of Strike Zone player rankings focuses strictly on 2012 and beyond. I'm looking mostly at the next two years in these keeper rankings, though I am providing a little credit for 2014 and '15. As always, there are position rankings with notes and an overall top 250 list.
Click to see other Keeper rankings:
Top 250 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DHI couldn't see moving the younger first basemen ahead of Pujols on the list, though the gap has certainly narrowed. The top four are all bunched together closely in the top 250. I went back and forth a few times over Votto vs. Cabrera in the third spot.
I feel better about Hosmer at No. 8 than Freeman at No. 9. Hosmer's stroke is so pure, and he could well hit .300 with 25 homers as a sophomore. Freeman is actually hitting .296 with 16 homers right now, but with his strikeout rate, I think that average is a bit of a fluke. Hosmer projects as the better player going forward.
Morse gets listed at first base, even though the Nationals are planning on moving him back to left field to make room for LaRoche next year. There's also Marrero to keep in mind there. The 2006 first-round pick has been a disappointment more often than not, but he's up to .309/.385/.468 at Triple-A Syracuse for the season. He'll probably get a look in September.
I expect Trumbo to have issues going forward. The power is outstanding and he's not striking out as much as I thought he would, but I don't think he'll be more than a .250 hitter. Then again, a year ago, I didn't think he'd be a major leaguer at all.
This year's final set of Strike Zone player rankings focuses strictly on 2012 and beyond. I'm looking mostly at the next two years in these keeper rankings, though I am providing a little credit for 2014 and '15. As always, there are position rankings with notes and an overall top 250 list.
Click to see other Keeper rankings:
Top 250 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DHI couldn't see moving the younger first basemen ahead of Pujols on the list, though the gap has certainly narrowed. The top four are all bunched together closely in the top 250. I went back and forth a few times over Votto vs. Cabrera in the third spot.
I feel better about Hosmer at No. 8 than Freeman at No. 9. Hosmer's stroke is so pure, and he could well hit .300 with 25 homers as a sophomore. Freeman is actually hitting .296 with 16 homers right now, but with his strikeout rate, I think that average is a bit of a fluke. Hosmer projects as the better player going forward.
Morse gets listed at first base, even though the Nationals are planning on moving him back to left field to make room for LaRoche next year. There's also Marrero to keep in mind there. The 2006 first-round pick has been a disappointment more often than not, but he's up to .309/.385/.468 at Triple-A Syracuse for the season. He'll probably get a look in September.
I expect Trumbo to have issues going forward. The power is outstanding and he's not striking out as much as I thought he would, but I don't think he'll be more than a .250 hitter. Then again, a year ago, I didn't think he'd be a major leaguer at all.
Matthew Pouliot is the Executive Editor of RotoWorld.com and has been doing the site's baseball projections for the last 10 years. Follow him on Twitter at
matthewpouliot.
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Matthew Pouliot