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.

Albert Pujols – Unless you have lived under a Major League Baseball rock the past few years, Pujols is one of the best players in all of baseball. Last year, Pujols was expected to have a tough time due to injury, and he still came out and posted numbers that would make Babe Ruth envious. Pujols is quite simply a fantasy baseball point machine, and their is no reason whatsoever to think that this season will be any different. Draft him if he is available. Period.

Lance Berkman – Berkman is one of those guys that is simply awesome while nobody seems to notice. The best part with Berkman, and why he ranks higher than Howard or Fielder, is the fact that he gives you double digit steals on top of the power and RBIs. One other bonus is the fact that he also hits for a great average. He is a poor man’s Albert Pujols and the second best option overall at this position.

Ryan Howard – It is hard to believe that I am ranking Howard at number three here, but it is for a very good reason. He runs like a bull, and strikes out as commonly as he hits a prodigious homerun. If not for the bad average and strikeouts, Howard would be second to nobody. He is the premiere home run hitter in either league.

Prince Fielder – Prince Fielder is a carbon copy of Howard in many ways. He actually has the ability to hit for a much higher average, but he has not been able to prove it yet. This guy could be a true sleeper in this area, and it would not shock me to see him put it all together one year soon. Still, he has to remain below Howard until he does as Howard hits in a much better lineup, and hits more homeruns.

Joey Votto – The young Cincinnati Reds slugger is going to get the chance to show his stuff this year, and many beleive he might ascend the ranks of top first basemen in the league. I would not be shocked at all if this young slugger puts up numbers closer to the names above him on this list. He has that type of power, and even better eye to ball contact than a few of them. The one thing that is uncertain is that he has little protection in the Reds lineup. He really needs Jay Bruce to continue to develop beside him, and to find a strong right handed bat to offset the two.

Alex Rodriguez – Arod at number one is a very easy decision. As much as he has been in the news with all the drama lately, he is still the best player on the best team in baseball on paper. The Yankees are going to be very strong and Arod may be even better than usual this year with the addition of Teixiera to the Yankee lineup. That is a scary thought for the rest of the Amercian League, but great news for the folks that draft this superstar.

Evan Longoria – Longoria burst onto the scene in a big way with the American League champion Rays last season. Longoria was injued a large part of the year last year, and still outproduced the majority of players at this position. Longoria could actually make a run at Arod this season if everything comes together right. He has the natural tools to be an explosive multi-category force in fantasy baseball year after year.

Adrian Beltre – Beltre is the old school pick here, but he just keeps on putting up the numbers. Beltre is that player that never seems to go away. You do not usually notice him, but then look up and he is near the top in most categories. He is consistant if nothing else, and a safe pick at the position. He also is starting to show a bit of age, so if you can pick someone younger, this may be the year to do it.

Chone Figgins – Figgins seems like he is on the verge of something special with his rare combination of talents. This guy is like greased lightening but can never seem to put all the pieces together. Tons of steals, runs, and injuries seem to be Figgins MO the last several seasons. If you could get this guy on the field for a full season, he might just put up some incredible numbers.

Alex Gordon – This is my fantasy baseball breakout star of the year. Gordon has always had the talent to actually produce big numbers, but never quite got the stars lined up correctly. This season, he has a better cast of characters around him and I think he will put it all together. Expect some seriously suprising numbers from him in 2009. I am thinking around .285-30-95 for the former number two pick and college standout.

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.