Fantasy baseball 2012 | AL-only 5×5 ADP: Top 20 overall players
Many owners play in American League- or National League-only fantasy leagues. Hats off to you, Ninjas.
Let’s take a look at an early AL-only ADP Top 20.
NOTE: Some of these blurbs are copied or modified from the mixed-league top 20.
AL-only 5×5 ADP: Top 20
From Mock Draft Central (Jan. 26, 2012)
1. Albert Pujols, 1B, ANA: AL is full of good 1Bs but it’s difficult to argue with this pick. Playing in a new town shouldn’t be a problem for the greatest hitter of this generation.
2. *Miguel Cabrera, 1B, DET: He won’t repeat his batting average, but this is another no-brainer pick. One of the top fantasy 1Bs in the game.
3. Jose Bautista, OF/3B, TOR: I don’t think he’s going to hit .300 again, but I have a feeling he’s closer to a .300 hitter than the .230s hitter he was in 2008 and 2009.
4. Justin Verlander, SP, DET: The move to an AL-only format pushes Verlander into the top 5. Way too early to pick any pitcher. Verlander’s awesome, but hitters play every day and pitchers throw once or twice a week.
5. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, BOS: Apparently a lot of people think he’s going to slug 35 homers again. When a batter goes from 70-steals to 35-homers overnight paint an exclamation mark on him.
6. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, BOS: Unlikely to repeat batting average or get back to 40-homer power. I’d rather own one of the next three players first.
7. Robinson Cano, 2B, NYY: Fewer questions than a couple guys chosen already. Cano has averaged 103.5 runs, 28.5 homers, 113.5 RBIs, 5.5 SBs and a .310 average the last two years.
8. Evan Longoria, 3B, TB: I say bounce, you say back. Batting average on balls in play says he was unlucky in 2012. BABIP was .240 last year after .310+ in each of the previous four seasons.
9. Prince Fielder, 1B, DET: Not a game-changing move for Detroit — they can rake already — but Fielder should have plenty of lineup help and RBI opportunities. Note: Fielder only recently moved to the AL so he wasn’t on the official AL-only ADP list.
10. Dustin Pedrioa, 2B, BOS: Not sure he’ll repeat 2011 numbers.
11. Curtis Granderson, OF, NYY: I’m a Yankees fan, so I want Granderson to slug it. However, it’s 2012 not 2011. Draft accordingly.
12. Felix Hernandez, SP, SEA: He’s better than he pitched last season and still isn’t even 27 years old.
13. Ian Kinsler, 2B, TEX: Kinsler gave us a glimpse at what he can do when healthy in 2011. He went 30-30, scored 121 runs and drove in 77. His BABIP was a little low too, indicating the potential for a bump in average in 2012.
14. C.C. Sabathia, SP, NYY: His workload is a concern but Sabathia’s an undisputed ace. He struck out 230 last season, the highest total since his 251 Ks in 2008.
15. Mark Teixeira, 1B, NYY: After two consecutive years of unlucky BABIPs, we have to ask if this is a new baseline or if he’ll bounce back. I’ll probably project him in the .280-.285 range with that sweet 100-40-100 we get from him every year.
16. Josh Hamilton, OF, TEX: If history holds true expect 518+ at-bats, 30+ homers 100 runs and RBI and approaching 10 SBs to go with a .300+ batting average. I can’t explain the every other year phenomenon, but we should all recognize it.
17. Jered Weaver, SP, ANA: Don’t expect him to repeat 2011′s 2.41 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, but he’s an ace in his prime.
18. David Price, SP, TB: Pick him here expecting a repeat of 2011′s performance. Don’t be surprised when he Ks a few fewer hitters but improves his ERA.
19. Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX: If his health was more reliable, Beltre’s a first-round talent. Despite only 487 at-bat’s last year (Ichiro Suzuki’s 677 led all of baseball last year), Beltre went 82-32-105 and hit .296.
20 Carlos Santana, C/1B, CLE: A dynasty gem, Santana showed signs of his eliteness in 2011. Position scarcity has affected this draft slot but it won’t be long before his bat alone will make him a top-20 pick.
