The Consistently Excellent Mark Teixeira

Over the last four seasons, Mark Teixeira has averaged a .298-35-120-100 fantasy line. Last year he nearly perfectly matched those numbers. Teixeira is one of a dozen or so players to consider for a late-first, early-second round pick and is the textbook definition of consistency that one should look for from an early pick.

When making a choice from many evenly-matched players, a fantasy owner should consider numerous factors, among them how he wants to build his team. Obviously, if you pick Teixeira you are putting yourself in a hole for SB. In his six-year career, he has just 13 steals or five less than fellow first baseman and late-first/early-second pick Lance Berkman had last year alone.

Another thing to consider is what significant changes are in store for the player. And for Teixeira the big news is his move to the Yankees, where he will be under the microscope like never before. However, Teixeira has handled big expectations in the past, as he was dealt twice in the past two years to teams that had great hopes he would be the final piece.

While it remains to be seen how Texieira will hit in the new Yankee Stadium, he has done well as a visitor in New York. He had a .305/.354/.524 line in 113 PA in Yankee Stadium and a .405/.425/.676 one in 40 PA at Shea.

All four of the projection systems see Teixeira likely to repeat his numbers from the past four seasons. Marcel has him coming up short in the counting categories, but that is mainly because it projects him with just 513 at-bats due to his injury-shortened 2007 season, when he missed 27 games with a strained quadriceps injury. Teixeira played 157 games last year.

Currently, Teixeira has an ADP of 13. He has gone as high as the fifth overall pick and as low as 20th in the last 708 qualifying drafts over at Mock Draft Central. While his lack of steals is a concern, the excellent production in the other four categories makes Teixeira a fine pick anytime after the ninth slot.