David Wright – Wright has been percolating for a couple of years now, and seems to be just about ready to explode. Some would argue that he already has, but I say he has more to offer than he has already given. Wright is going to have a huge year, and will only benefit from the improvement that is blossoming around the team. Wright will be huge this season.

Hanley Ramirez – Ramirez really grew on me last year. I picked him with the number one pick a year ago, and was a bit disappointed at midseason. Then, he caught fire in every category and the rest of the year his numbers were like pinball points. He is one fun stat line to read each morning, and very deserving of being drafted anywhere you please. He is surely a number one potential pick, and rightfully so.

Albert Pujols – Pujols is the guy that everybody wants, and expects huge numbers from year after year. The difference with Pujols is, you end up with even more than you hoped for most of the time. Usually there is a letdown, but not with Pujols. He is apparently healthy going into this season, and should be ready to go when the rawhide starts flying. Look out National League pitching.

Jose Reyes – Reyes is one of the best players in the game and is so fast that he seems like he is on ice skates. The guy can hit too, which makes him a multi-category threat like all the others on this list. This season I think Reyes moves up a slot or two due to maturity, and a better approach at the plate. He seems like he has something to prove as well.

Alex Rodriguez – A-roid has slid a bit on the list this year, but he is still a powerful force. The arrival of Teixiera can only help Rodriguez as far as getting good pitches and pressure relief, but A-rod has really shot himself in the tail with stress. Nobody can sit under those bright New York Yankee lights and not eventually crack under the glare. A-rod brought this Yankee pressure on himself. A great start to the year would do wonders to dim those lights a bit.

Ryan Braun – Anybody that followed baseball last year knows the potential that this guy has. During the nightly Sportscenter, it seemed that Braun would be on there hitting a light tower home run every single night. This guy is fun to watch, and will be a great fantasy ball player this year.

Grady Sizemore – Sizemore makes this spot simply based on the fact that he is entering the prime of his career, and can do it all. He showed last year that he was not a one year wonder. Sizemore is going to be even better this year with a bit of confidence behind him. He knows that he is among the best, and now he will take another step up the fantasy baseball points ladder.

1. The biggest offseason move in baseball came when the New York Yankees signed starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia to a seven year deal worth 161 million dollars. Sabathia is a solid starter with lots of gusto behind the talent, and the Yankees certainly spiked a gem here. The left hander will headline an awesome starting rotation that includes another signing found later in this list in AJ Burnett. Oddly, Sabathia could end up being a bust as well because he has pitched a ton of innings over the past few years. The Yankees have 161 million reasons to hope not.

2. Again the Bronx Bombers headline the list with the signing of Mark Teixiera to an eight year deal worth 180 million bucks. This sweet swinging switch hitter is going to be a brutal addition to the already potent Yankee lineup. Nobody will look forward to going down that murderer’s row this year. The price was steep, but this was the best signing the Yankees have made in a long time.

3. The Oakland A’s actually made a play for scoring some runs for a change when they acquired slugging Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. They continued to upgrade the offense later, and it is sure to pay dividends in the runs column. Holliday however, is going to find that the air in Oakland is not as friendly as Colorado’s space shuttle launching pad. The numbers do not lie. Holliday is not even close to the same player away than at home. Still, he is a huge upgrade for an anemic Athletic lineup last year.

4. The Cleveland Indians make the list with the signing of Pitcher Kerry Wood as well. He signed a two year deal worth 20.5 million in the offseason. The dog days of high ERA bullpens seem to be a thing of the past if they can keep Wood healthy. He will be the most effective closer they have had in a very long time. The Indians was near the bottom in bullpen ERA last season with a sparkling 5.13. That has to get better with Wood in the mix.

5. AJ Burnett is yet another of the offseason additions for the New York Yankees. It is something when a player of Burnett’s caliber is brought to town and it is the third biggest story for your team. The Yankees just went wild spending money in the offseason this year. Burnett’s contract? Five years….82.5 million. The odd thing about Burnett is that he is potentially the best of the three signings, even though he was the cheapest.

Consider Hanley Ramirez’s power numbers. After a mediocre 17 homers back in 06, Ramirez exploded for 29 bombs in 07. Just to show that it was no fluke, Hanley then hit 33 home runs in 08. What will be the encore in 09? For those that like looking at the more specific slugging percentage, how does .540 and .527 in the last two seasons sound? Ramirez has plenty of power.
When you look at the baseline for any player, you have to look at batting average as well. Hanley Ramirez has batted over .300 for three straight years, and did so while having an on base percentage that hovers around .390.

Another big factor for picking a number one fantasy baseball player would be RBI production. Given that he is a tablesetter type that is not called upon to drive them in as often, Ramirez is still quite the run producer. He drives in about 70-80 runs per season. More importantly, he has scored 125 runs in two straight seasons. That is one tough thing to do for any player. To score 125 runs and still drive in those types of numbers is telling.

Speed? Oh yes Hanley has that. Ramirez is projected to steal around 40+ bases this year as well. That is just the cherry on the top for baseball’s most well rounded batter. Hanley Ramirez also entered the 30 home run / 30 stolen base club last year in only his third true season. That is impressive by any standard.

Hanley Ramirez is heading towards being the best player in baseball, and fantasy baseball along with it. The young star has spent the majority of his career improving, and the amazing thing is that he is just now 25 years old. He is only now beginning to reach his prime. What will he do when he really knows what he is doing?

It is a scary thought for owners that do not own him in their fantasy baseball league. This is the reason that Hanley Ramirez should be the number one pick in fantasy baseball drafts across the country.

Arod is truly an example of a player that could have had it all, and threw away everything to try and take a short cut. His “coming clean” mantra rings very hollow now as it comes only on the heels of getting caught red handed. Had his positive test results not come to light, this sudden infusion of truth would never have been revealed.

What is the big deal anyway? Well, for starters, Arod is on pace to break some of baseball’s most hallowed records. Ironically, the all time home run record is held by fellow steroid user Barry Bonds. An already tainted record previously held by Hank Aaron, will be further sullied if Alex Rodriguez breaks it. When a baseball player takes a short cut, it becomes personal with baseball fans.

Baseball, more so than any other sport, is beloved and woven into the fabric of America. Perhaps this steroid era is a microcosm of ourselves in some ways. Results now have become a large part of our society even at the expense of our dignity and word. Only when baseball players begin to have a true respect for the game will this horrible blemish on the game end.

As for Rodriguez, he will have a very hard time living this down. While others have skimmed along after revealing their steroid use, Arod is simply to big of a household name to do so. This will not go away, and will follow him long after he retires. It will also likely cost him entry into the Hall of Fame if Barry, Mcgwire, and others are any indication.

That is truly a shame for one of the greatest players of our day, but he earned the distinction. Alex had many chances to come clean on his own, and he did make the decisions that put him here. Doing the wrong thing for three years is not the same thing as making a one time mistake. This was an ongoing affair that only stopped when he would likely be caught. That speaks directly to his character, and takes away all pity from most baseball fans.

While many brush this aside, especially in light of the fact that the test was “confidential”, I find it to be literally heartbreaking. Not because Alex Rodriguez is a particular hero of mine, or even because I actually like him, but because it is beginning to define a harsh reality. The stars of today in baseball are beginning to look really sad. My young nephew idolized A-rod and I am sure that he is going to see this as a sign that even the best of the best look for a cheating edge. This is not the message I want him growing up with.

Throughout the history of baseball, players have looked for that added edge. Spitballs, metal spikes, and the like have been a part of baseball lore for as long as the game has been played. The difference? The players are now willing to risk their lives to be the best, even if it is against baseball or societies laws. A-rod certainly has the talent to do it the right way, and using steroids was almost certainly taking the easy way out if the allegations are true.

Why do it? Why risk your heart, and your career, for an extra five to ten home runs? Was the media attention for Mcgwire and Sosa that much of a draw? Did you feel the need to produce huge numbers cause you to turn to the juice? Almost certainly A-rod gave in to peer pressure….right?

Hogwash. The players that juice like that are simply players that take the easy way out. I refuse to believe that their are no honest players left in Major League Baseball. I firmly believe that the majority of those guys that toil day in and day out and put up honest numbers are just not as good as some of the power mongrels that hit the ball out of the park every other time up to bat. Steroids are a shortcut… Plain and simple.

As tired as I am of hearing about the next steroid scandal, I am glad that MLB is trying to clean up the game again. The game of baseball should be about a team working together to survive and prosper against other teams. It is about a father and son going out for a game of catch, and talking about the game they watched on television or at the ballpark. Not steroids and shortcuts.
If A-rod is innocent, then I am happy about that. The truth is, I know the likelihood of that is slim to none. His silence speaks volumes about his innocence. The truth is, I really don’t care. Give me the everyday player any time over the arrogant superstar that takes shortcuts. They are honest to the trade, and that is worth much more than any home run.

What is going to happen when an extremely high paid player is injured during these games? It is sure to end up being the difference in a team being successful or not simply to put on an exhibition. That is not good for baseball, the teams, or the players. I am all for showing support for your Country and representation, but this is a serious risk.

If I am paying a player 25 million dollars, and they go out and play in the WBC and get injured, what is my recourse? I can sit there and take it for the most part. That hardly seems fair. And what about the team’s season ticket holders that paid large sums of money to see their favorite stars play? They too would be cheated at that point of something that they rightfully paid for. If a player is injured during the course of an actual game in MLB, then that is to be expected. If it happens in an exhibition, then I am going to be rightfully upset.

Many people disagree with my position and that is certainly okay. I am far from being arrogant in saying that I simply have an opinion. But as far as the WBC goes, I think they should tank the idea, or leave it to the younger players that are not in MLB. That would give the younger guys a world stage to help them to get noticed, and also to showcase the baseball talent that is to come. Why risk the big dogs when you do not have to? The Olympics have proven that people will still come and see the amateurs in a given sport, and especially if they are representing their country.

Think it over…