Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top Fantasy Hitters to Move Up

You have to be on top of your game when strategically drafting your power hitters. You have to know what players to move up, and what players to move down, on your infamous draft-ranking list, which you tirelessly crafted on a lazy Friday afternoon as you "worked" in your office. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing one of your guys chosen one or two picks before YOU were going to take him! To avoid this, you have to move the right guys up the ladder. Who are these guys that you should be moving up? Well, there are plenty of guys that should be considered for "ranking promotions," but the three hitters that you should pay the most attention to, and move up the most spots on your fantasy baseball rankings, are:

Alexei Ramirez - Shortstop (Chicago White Sox)

Ramirez is already ranked high among shortstops, but amazingly, some people still have him ranked too low. Ramirez really got his groove on during the 2^nd half of the '08 season and ended with an impressive total of 21 homeruns and 77 RBIs. Keep in mind that he only played 136 games and didn't even heat up until late in the season, so his potential for the '09 season is sky high. He hit close to 0.300 and unlike most other top shortstops, he is eligible for 2^nd base and outfield in most leagues, so he will make juggling your lineup around very easy! The only real knock on Ramirez is that he has a low on base percentage . . . last season his OBP was only 0.317, mainly due in part to the fact that he does not take many walks, as he only had 18 walks in approximately 500 plate appearances last season. If he learns to be a little more patient and picky at the plate, he could easily become the most powerful middle infielder in baseball.

Raul Ibanez - Outfield (Philadelphia Phillies)

It's a shame that so many people don't even know who this guy is . . . and most of the people that DO know who he is, don't realize how good he is! And don't be scared by his age (36) . . . some players seem to get better with age, and he is no exception. Despite playing in a pitcher friendly park, on a weak offensive team, Ibanez has been able to put up all-star type numbers, particularly during the past three seasons, during which time he hit a total of 77 homeruns, drove in 338 runs, and maintained a respectable batting average in the high 0.290's. Perhaps one of the most impressive stats from last season was games played. This "old man" played in ALL 162 games last season! You gotta love reliability in a league that seems to have 50 players joining the DL every week! Ibanez is now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and it is scary to wonder how much he can improve his stats now that he is batting in a hitter friendly park and in the same lineup as Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard. Move this guy up WAY toward the top of your list!

David Murphy - Outfield (Texas Rangers)

When you think of powerful hitters on the Rangers, the first name that comes to mind is Josh Hamilton. If not for Hamilton's powerful season, his historic homerun derby performance, and his motivational story of overcoming drug abuse, you would've heard a little more about his teammate, David Murphy. In a season that saw Murphy miss several games due to injury, he was still able to drive in 74 runs in just 108 games. He also jacked 15 homeruns and nearly 30 doubles. Those may not be eye-popping numbers, but it would be a safe assumption that Murphy could nearly double all of those numbers if he is able to play the entire '09 season. And it doesn't hurt that he plays in a park notorious for homeruns and bad pitching. Draft this Murphy! He could be better than Dale!

*all statistics obtained from Yahoo Sports