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11 Mar 2009 |
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| A lot of fantasy beginners always seem to have one question on their mind, “Where do I start?” Well we’ve covered how to find the right league, drafting, and the importance of spring training stats, but now it’s time for the last main component, positional battles. To put it simply, there are some players in baseball who have locked up a starting spot before they even set foot in camp, while others have to try their best in spring training in order to obtain the privilege to start every day. In spring training, this is by far the most important component as far as fantasy baseball goes. In this article, I’ve decided to point out some of the most important positional battles and provide a brief update on each one. St. Louis Cardinals, Closer  The Cards have a very interesting situation because there is still no front runner in this battle. Participants include Chris Perez, Jason Motte, Ryan Franklin, Josh Kinney, and Chris Carpenter; however, Pedro Martinez has been rumored to head to St. Louis to audition for the job. Perez if anyone, is the front runner because he has high velocity on his fastball and has been regarded as the Cardinals closer of the future. Manager Tony LaRussa has indicated that he would like to have a veteran fill the role, which could mean that Martinez is brought in. It’s still too early to tell here.Boston Red Sox, Shortstop This is another battle that’s too early to call, this one between veteran Julio Lugo and youngster Jed Lowrie. Both of these players are similar in at-bats so far, Lowrie at 21 and Lugo at 18, and both have put up solid numbers. Neither one has yet to separate themselves from the other so make sure to keep an eye on this battle as the spring goes on. Atlanta Braves, Center Field Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco, and Jordan Schafer face off here, and it’s easy to make a case for each guy. Anderson, a 26 year-old speedster is the favorite and currently leads the Braves in at-bats this spring, but has yet to attempt to show off his speed (only one stolen base). Blanco got 430 at-bats in the outfield last year, but only batted .251 and stole 13 bases, a number that Anderson could easily double. Schafer is one of the Braves’ top prospects and will win this battle in the long run, but will likely start out the year in Triple-A Gwinnett. All three of these guys have speed, and will certainly need it since the Atlanta lineup is lacking a true leadoff hitter and has slow corner outfielders so there will be a lot of ground to cover. So far, Anderson is in the lead, but there’s still plenty of time for a final decision. Houston Astros, Catcher The Astros have an interesting battle which features J.R. Towles, Humberto Quintero, and Lou Palmisano. Towles was a sleeper to many in 2008, but failed to produce at the major league level and the job was handed to a combo of Brad Ausmus and Quintero. Stats guys will tell you that Towles was unlucky and that’s evident in his batting average on balls in play, but it is also a fact that he wasn’t prepared. Palmisano is a Rule 5 draft pick, so if the Astros want to hang onto him, he will need to be on the 25 man roster all year, otherwise he is sent back to his original team. Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez however, would be a perfect fit in Houston as their everyday catcher. Pudge has played in the Texas heat before with the Texas Rangers and is still looking for a team after an impressive start representing Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. If Pudge signs, then the job is his, otherwise, it’s unclear who will be starting, if anyone, on a regular basis. Chicago White Sox, Center Field Speedsters Jerry Owens and Brian Anderson are involved in a good battle for the center field position on the south side of Chicago. Both “hitters” (a term to be used lightly when referring to these two) are the top two in at-bats in spring training thus far, and neither have shown the ability to get on base. Both have recorded just five hits up to this point, however, Owens has been caught stealing three times; something which is important to keep track of in box scores to make sure the guy is at least getting stolen base opportunities. Dewayne Wise is the dark horse to win this job, especially since he’s recorded just as many hits in half of the at-bats as Anderson and Owens so far. Any of the three guys could provide value in AL Only leagues with a little speed, but none of them are going to be good hitters. There you have it, five of the most important spring training battles this year. I’m interested to see what other battles you have been keeping an eye on so far and who you think will win each of these starting spots.
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Comments (3)
  written by Chad Burke, March 11, 2009
What about the Seattle Closer battle? Probably the least defined positional battle in the league and I've seen 3 different people listed as the favorite by different sites.
written by kevinorris, March 11, 2009
Well I certainly can't disagree with that- I know Bobby does love Blanco. The Braves are lacking a true power hitter so they are going to need guys to get on base and count on their players posting high batting averages.
I'm surprised since you know these Braves people in upper management that you still don't think they've improved this off-season!
written by Paul Greco, March 11, 2009
Word I got from upper management in the Braves Origination yesterday was Blanco is the leader and unless something bad happens between now and opening day, you can expect Blanco to be leading off for the Braves. Also got a quote from the source, "Bobby really likes what he brings to table. He's a guy we feel we can count on at the top of our order." HMMM.
--PAUL
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Tags: Kevin Orris FantasyPros911.com Ivan Rodriguez Pudge Pedro Martinez St. Louis Cardinals Closer Fantasy Baseball Advice Spring Training Position Battle Jed Lowrie Julio Lugo Boston Red Sox
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