Rankings Update: First Base

Here we go with the first base rankings to start off the season. All wOBA numbers are based on FANS projections, unless otherwise noted.

The Machine:
Albert Pujols (.442 wOBA)

Albert is better than you, and he knows it. Bow down (or kowtow, for all you English majors) to Albert and his greatness.

Big Boys:
Ryan Howard (.388)
Miguel Cabrera (.404)
Prince Fielder (.408)
Mark Teixeira (.405)

What can I say about these guys? They are good, and they are big. All four of these guys are first round picks, and I can’t speak ill of any of their skills.

Slightly Smaller Boys:
Joey Votto (.399)
Kevin Youkilis (.401)
Adrian Gonzalez (.395)

Votto and Youk won’t give you top notch pop, and Gonzo may get walked too often to be a great value in 5×5 leagues. But, you are still in good shape if you grab one of these guys in the second or third round.

Still Feelin’ Good:
Lance Berkman (.396)
Derek Lee (.381)
Justin Morneau (.377)
Adam Dunn (.385)
Kendry Morales (.362)
Carlos Pena (.381)

Berkman was undervalued before his injury, but I still think he’ll give you a nice season. If you really want power, feel free to sacrifice batting average and select Pena or Dunn. I’m not a fan of Lee, and as you can see, Morales is not on any of my teams this year.

At Least There’s Upside:
Billy Butler (.379)
Garrett Jones (.347)
James Loney (.344)

Jones hit two dingers yesterday, so he’s off to a nice start. His OF eligibility won’t hurt, either. Butler has good upside, and was knocking on the door of the group above. Loney can help you if you’ve got enough power in other areas and just need some help with your batting average.

Rock Solid:
Adam LaRoche (.351)
Todd Helton (.386)
Paul Konerko (.350)

I really like LaRoche this year. He’s a nice guy for a CI spot, or even UTIL if you want to have a better pitching staff. Helton’s playing time will be held back to make sure he’s healthy late in the year, so that’s his only real downside.

The Rest of ‘Em:
Chris Davis (.344)
Luke Scott (.346)
Russell Branyan (.359)

Davis and Scott have playing time issues, and Branyan is already missing time. Not a pretty group.