Fantasy Baseball: 

Hitters in New Places Vol. I

 

By Muntradamus

BEAST DOME NATION.

Another beautiful season of Fantasy Baseball is coming your way here at BEAST DOME.  We still have a month left before draft season really begins, but first it is important to get caught up-to-date on all the new hitters moving to new situations.  There are way too many to do in one article, so expect a series for hitters then pitchers as we get ready to really dive into things.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy as I give you a taste of what is coming your way.

 

HITTERS IN NEW PLACES VOL. I

 

JOSH HAMILTON – OF – LAA

The Angels last season landed the best hitter in Baseball with Albert Pujols.  It did not take long for them to realize that they had the MVP all along in Mike Trout.  So what did the Angels do this off-season.

Possibly add the most intimidating player in Baseball from the left side of the plate.  If you take away that month and a half of Josh Hamilton swinging and missing everything, Hamilton could have set Major League Records last season.  Batting behind Albert Pujols is not only going to lead more RBI opportunities than anyone can ever imagine.  It is also going to lead to facing a pitcher who just gave everything he had to try to get Albert Pujols out.  Which will lead to a lot of mistakes.

If you think 43 HRs and 128 RBIs is a lot, just wait and see what he can do batting behind Pujols.  This move easily makes the Angels the favorite to win the World Series.

Prediction: .319 Average. 50 HR. 140 RBI. 8 SB. 110 Runs. 

 

 

JOSE REYES – SS – TOR

Jose made a splash in his one and only season with the Marlins.  A splash that Marlin fans will quickly forget as he was not nearly the dominant player they needed him to be.  Hitting .287 is considered a down season, but the 11 HRs and 40 SBs will make his fantasy owners.

Going to Toronto, his Fantasy Baseball owners will be very happy.  The problem with playing on the Marlins is that nobody outside of Giancarlo Stanton could hit him home.  Even he had trouble for a good portion last season.

The Blue Jays can hit the ball as they will be among the leagues best teams in runs scored.  Make sure you have a front row seat to Jose Reyes this season as he can always steal 50+ Bases in a season with 10+ HRs.  This season is different, he can approach 150 Runs if he stays healthy.

Prediction: .304 Average. 14 HR. 65 RBI. 55 SB. 142 Runs. 

 

 

BJ UPTON – OF – ATL

My personal favorite Fantasy Baseball player.  This is a guy you can get after all the prime rounds, and he can still hit 20 HRs and steal 40 Bases.  The Braves have not made their final move on Michael Bourn yet, but BJ Upton has HUGE potential moving to a team that will need him to steal frequently.  Facing a whole new set of pitchers could be a downfall to a hitter, just look at Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols last season.  But his speed is always second to none.

If BJ Upton slips in your draft grab him.  His power reached a new high with 28 HRs, despite missing a good portion to start the season. He is the type of OF option that can win you a Fantasy Championship.

Prediction: .255 Average. 26 HR. 84 RBI. 43 SB. 110 Runs. 

 

 

KEVIN YOUKILIS – 3B – NYY

Last season Youkilis was easily one of the bigger busts in MLB.  Until he got traded out of Boston, a bad situation where he had a bad relationship with his manager, and the emergene of Will Middlebrooks.

Puke-ilis. Greek God of Flops. Whatever nickname you want to give him based on how bad he was Boston.  He hit 15 HRs in 80 Games with Chicago.  Playing in the park that Steinbrener built where HRs fly Left and Right, and Alex Rodriguez likely not playing this season.  Youkilis is easily one of the best sleepers at the position in Fantasy Baseball.

He will score runs, he will get RBIs, his power would be great at 25+ HRs.  All of this is possible in that dangerous lineup.

Prediction: .288 Average. 23 HR. 98 RBI. 1 SB. 100 Runs. 

 

 

MIKE NAPOLI – C – BOS

The Red Sox cleaned up their roster at the end of last season, and this off-season.  They got rid of Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and now Cody Ross.

The bat that is coming in to be the savior you ask?  Mike Napoli.  A player who two years ago hit like a MVP, then vanished into an inconsistent Catcher option that killed your batting average.

Going to Boston is a great move.  Despite his terrible batting average in the .225 range.  He did launch 24 HRs in 108 games.  This season he will be playing 1st Base.  Which means he will be playing nearly everyday.  He will also be batting near the middle of the order, as opposed to 7th/8th for the Rangers.  Grab Mike Napoli as a sleeper who has plenty of upside.

Prediction: .270 Average. 31 HR. 108 RBI. 1 SB. 87 Runs. 

 

 

SHIN-SOO CHOO – OF – CIN

The guy that brought a Korean market to the Indians now goes to the Reds to replace Drew Stubbs.  The Reds ballpark is easily the “secret Coors Field” that everyone knows about.  Balls fly out of that building faster than a kid stealing candy at a gas station.  I saw it happen yesterday, reminded me of the potential Stolen Bases you will get from Choo where the Reds like to run.  They will need both his speed and power to remain a force in the NL Central.

Prediction: .288 Average. 21 HR. 91 RBI. 28 SB. 109 Runs. 

MELKY CABRERA – OF – TOR

Steroids. Something that a player may have stopped doing, but his body now knows he is capable of that type of performance.  Melky already crushed American League pitching when he was with Kansas City.  He faced it the entire beginning to his career with the Yankees.

Melky is ready to continue his dominance and is easily the most underrated player in Fantasy Baseball today.

Playing for a stacked Blue Jay team where anyone in that lineup can hit, and Melky could make a surprise run at the batting average title.

Prediction: .323 Average. 21 HR. 80 RBI. 20 SB. 100 Runs. 

MICHAEL MORSE – OF – SEA

Morse was the bust of Fantasy Baseball in 2012.  An injury that forced him to miss nearly 2 months of the start of the season was huge as it seemed he was never able to get into the rhythm that made him seem like Albert Pujols at times with how hot his bat got.

Going to Seattle, his stock takes an obvious dive.  Just ask Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre about the ballpark.  Morse is definitely going to take a decline going to Seattle, but is still a great player to use in Fantasy Leagues when he’s on the road.

Prediction: .280 Average. 24 HR. 80 RBI. 4 SB. 80 Runs.

 

 

TORII HUNTER – OF – DET

Contact. Power. Speed.

Torii used to specialize in all three, but age is starting to take away from his pure potential.  Playing in Detroit where you have to hit a MANs MAN HR to launch a ball out there, Torii could be heading towards a decline. He failed to hit a HR in 11 ABs last season in that ball park, and batting 2nd in front of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder he will be asked less to put the ball over the fence, and more into the gaps.  The good news is, the runs should come if he can stay productive.

Prediction: .279 Average. 15 HR. 65 RBI. 4 SB. 90 Runs. 

 

MICHAEL YOUNG – 3B – PHI

What do you get when you mix in unpredictable power with great contact.  Michael Young.

MY is now going to Philly where he will be asked to be a consistent bat on a team that has plenty of fire power.  While you can never count Michael Young out from having a bad season, you have to imagine his best days are far behind him.  Regardless, it never hurts take a chance on a guy moving to a small ball park with good enough average and pop to make a difference.

Prediction: .294 Average. 18 HR. 79 RBI. 5 SB. 88 Runs. 

 

LANCE BERKMAN – 1B – TEX

The hero, the goat, the choke artist, the injury prone player.

Lance Berkman has played all the cards right, and he has shown when he gets a fresh start on a team that wants his services.  He can be a force.  Moving to Texas where he will be asked to somewhat replace the bats of Josh Hamilton/Michael Young/Mike Napoli.  You better bet that he will eat up enough production for how low he will go in most drafts.

The MVP upside is there, but it is long hidden away.  For now just hope he stays healthy, because the balls fly out in Arlington.

Prediction: .288 Average. 31 HR. 92 RBI. 1 SB. 89 Runs. 

MARK REYNOLDS – 1B/3B – CLE

Reynolds was easily a candidate for MVP in the Fantasy Baseball world.  Between him and Chris Davis, there was at least one guarnteed HR if not three between the two.  Going to Cleveland, you can expect a lot less pressure and a lot better results.  Reynolds is at his best when he plays for teams that does not get a lot of media attention, and Cleveland is one of those teams now that he moved outside of the AL East.  With less pressure, comes better results from Mark.  Just don’t take him in leagues where K’s cost you.

Prediction: .244 Average. 34 HR. 101 RBI. 19 SB. 88 Runs. 

NICK SWISHER – OF – CLE

Are the days of Nick Swisher being an impact bat done?

Most likely yes.  Playing in the new Yankee stadium, Swish got a little boost in his power and RBI total.  Moving to Cleveland where expectations are low, could revive a bat.  Swisher moves into a nice situation where he will be joining two new teammates in Drew Stubbs and Mark Reynolds.  The three can all have nice seasons and possibly push Cleveland to the next level.  As far as fantasy goes,  Nick has maybe reached his highest peak.

Prediction: .263 Average. 21 HR. 81 RBI. 2 SB. 70 Runs. 

BEN REVERE – OF – PHI

The most exciting player in Fantasy Baseball and real baseball.  Ben Revere is Luis Castillo on Steroids circa 2005, when 50+ SBs and more triples than you can imagine were possible.  If Revere qualified at 2B then he would be drafted much higher, now he has the chance to be the sleeper of your draft playing in the tiny play pen in Philly also known as, Citizens Bank Park.

Revere has HUGE steal potential and can easily be a Brett Gardner for your roster.

Prediction: .301 Average. 5 HR. 55 RBI. 44 SB. 101 Runs. 

 

 

RUSSELL MARTIN – C – PIT

Going to Pittsburgh from the Yankees and the Dodgers will be a culture shock.

Aside from that, Russell Martin has really seen the last of his best days, but you never know when he will go off.  What really makes Russell Martin special is the fact he steals bases from the catcher position.  Before you get too excited about that sentence, he has not had more than 10 SBs since 2009.  The Yankees did not need to run him as much as the Pirates will.  The 21 HRs could have been a fluke last season, but he is clearly more of a threat now than he was before his tenure ended with the Dodgers.

Prediction: .220 Average. 13 HR. 51 RBI. 13 SB. 64 Runs. 

Muntradamus is a Fantasy Sports Expert who specializes in Fantasy Football/Baseball/Basketball. He is currently in his first season as a Pro on FantasyPros where he is the only expert to have Adam Dunn, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo, Ian Desmond, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Wilin Rosario in his top 20 at each position. Muntradamus not only leads many to championships with his great advice, and outlooks into the future. He is also consistently on the top of leaderboards in DraftStreet. He was also the #1 Fantasy Football Expert of IDP & Overall Rankings, first time in Fantasy Sports History.  To check his Preseason Fantasy Football Rankings Click Here. He also won a 1,000 person tournament in Fantasy Football to qualify for a trip to Vegas to play for $500,000 in Prizes.