Top 3 Fantasy Baseball Draft Picks by Position for 2009

Are you ready for another thrilling Fantasy Baseball season? Are you pondering the stats and trying to plan who your first round draft pick is going to be? If you are, I have compiled a list of some of the top players, organized by position, for this upcoming 2009 fantasy season for you to look at. Remember, each and every player you draft serves a purpose in your line-up, so knowing who to pick before your draft starts is essential for drafting a quality team.

First Base

Ryan Howard - A key member of the reigning World Series Champion Phillies, Howard led the league in homeruns and RBI's last season, with 48 and 146 respectively. Although he struck out a total of 199 times in 2008, he did draw 81 walks, and there's no hiding the fact that when he connects, the ball will sail. He never missed a game in 2008 either.

Albert Pujols - Pujols had another excellent year in 2008, finishing second in the league with a .357 average, and first in slugging percentage with a .653. Since 2001, he has never hit less than .314 in a season, and the least amount of HR's he hit in a season was 32. If those were the worst totals he has had before, there is no denying that he is going to produce for you.

Mark Teixeira - Teixeira recently signed a huge contract with the New York Yankees, and he definitely deserved it from his production totals. He batted .308 with 33 HR's and 121 RBI's in 157 games last year, showing that not only game he swing the stick, but he has durability. Look for him to make a big impact in the Yankee's lineup this season.

Second Base

Chase Utley - Utley put up some pretty impressive numbers in 2008 for a second baseman, hitting 33 HRs, which is a career high for him. He is capable of stealing a base or two for you, and despite being a contact hitting, Utley showed that he can play the power game as well.

Dustin Pedroia - The reigning AL MVP, Pedroia put up a solid .326 batting average in 2008, good for 5^th in the league, and he only missed a total of 5 games during the season. He only struck out 52 times as well, and will serve the purpose of getting you hits, as he lead the league in doubles with 54. Contact hitting is his game, and that is what he will do for you, but he can stroke the ball as well.

Dan Uggla - Uggla definitely shows power from the 2B position, hitting 32 HR's and being invited to take part in the Home Run Derby in 2008. He is a good second baseman to draft based on his production levels, but only if you can look past the fact that he struck out 171 times. He also slumped a bit after the All Star Break, but it is a new season and he will get past that.

Shortstop

Hanley Ramirez - Hanley Ramirez is the top ranked shortstop going into the 2009 season and there is no debating why. He totaled 177 hits, a career-high 33 HR's, and 35 stolen bases. He also drew a total of 92 walks, which is quite a total coming from the leadoff spot in the Marlin's lineup. Although his production was down a bit from 2007, he is still putting up great numbers and should be your top choice for a SS.

Jose Reyes - Reyes was second in the league with 56 stolen bases, and that number definitely has the potential to rise in 2009. He also had a career high, 204 hits, to go along with his league-leading 19 triples. Not only can Reyes hit the ball, but he can turn a single into a double in a heartbeat. He has no problem getting on base, and his legs will take over from there.

Jimmy Rollins - Although his stats were down from 2007, Rollins is still a good candidate to fulfill the shortstop position. He only struck out 55 times and stole 47 bases, which was a career high for him. Rollins definitely has the potential to tally up the HR's and RBI's as he did in 2006 and 2007, and that is enough to not pass him up in the 2009 draft.

Third Base

Alex Rodriguez - Rodriguez slugged .573 last season, good for 5^th in the majors, while also hitting 35 home runs and driving in 103. He did miss more games in 2008 than he ever had with the Yankees, which is why is production levels fell. There is no looking past his outstanding 2007 season, and if he can play in a few more games, we could very well see another 50+ home run season.

David Wright - Wright has fifth in the majors in RBI's with 124, and he also scored a total 115 runs, which was fourth-best in the league. He hit .302 and drew a solid 94 walks, and he has the rare capability of hitting to all parts of the field. He can hit for contact (189 hits), and also for power (33 HR's), which is something that can't be overlooked.

Chipper Jones - The reining league leader in average, Jones hit .364 during the 2008 season. This is a stat that can make you want to draft him to your team, but only if you want to take the risk since he is injury prone. Jones only played in 128 games last season, and his health is always questionable. When he is healthy, he will produce, but it is up to you whether or not you want to take the gamble.

Catcher

Russell Martin - Martin hit .280 with 13 HR's and 69 RBI's from the catcher spot, while only missing 7 games in 2008. He is durable, doesn't strike out much, can even steal a base or two. It is hard to find that coming from the catcher spot, but Martin brings that to the table.

Geovany Soto - Coming off of his first real season with the Cubs, Soto put up a .285 average to go along with his 23 home runs. He can hit the ball well, but he is prone to the strikeout, as many catchers are. He strikes out almost twice as much as he walks, which can be a buzzkill for some Fantasy owners.

Brian McCann - McCann is almost a mirror image of Soto, just with half the amount of strikeouts. He hit 23 HR's and drove in 87, while hitting .301. He only struck out 64 times in 145 games, and he is capable of stealing a base, although it is quite rare.

Outfield

Matt Holliday - The now Oakland A's outfielder had another solid season in 2008, posting a .321 batting average (5^th in the league) to go along with 173 hits and 25 home runs. He did miss more games than usually in 2008, but being traded to a different team may spark his production levels again.

Josh Hamilton - The 2008 Home Run Derby showstopper, Hamilton hit a record setting 28 home runs in the first round of the derby. As far as the season went, he hit 32 to go along with 130 RBI's and a total of 190 hits. He really turned it up a notch from his 2007 season, and expect nothing but positive results from him in 2009. He has really turned himself around, and he knows that baseball is his priority right now.

Manny Ramirez - Being traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers really made Manny step up his game. He finished third in the league in average with a .332, and second with a .601 slugging percentage. He hit just 20 HR's and drove in 68 in 100 games with the Red Sox, when compared to 17 and 53 in only 53 games with the Dodgers. There is no doubt that the trade lit a fire under Manny, and he has done nothing but come through for the Dodgers.

Designated Hitter

David Ortiz - The big slugger on the Red Sox had a bit of a down year in 2008, but everybody knows the power he is capable of unleashing. In only 109 games, Ortiz managed to hit 23 home runs and total 110 hits, but his average was quite poor. He does walk a lot, but as much as he can help you, he might hurt you with his average.

Jim Thome - Thome's age is getting up there, but he can still hit the long ball. Unfortunately, that is all he is going to provide you with, since he only carried a .245 average for 2008. He not only walks a lot, but he strikes out a lot as well, so pick him at your discretion. Home runs is what he is good for.

Gary Sheffield - Sheffield is also getting older, but he is very similar to Thome in the sense that he can hit the long ball, but his average is poor; .225 to be exact. That is the lowest it has been in a LONG time, but he is still a long ball threat.

Starting Pitcher

C.C. Sabathia - Sabathia was second in the league in strikeouts with 251, and fourth in ERA posting a 2.70. He was on an absolute tear at the end of the 2008 season, throwing seven complete games and three shutouts with the Brewers. He just recently signed a deal with the New York Yankees, and the Yankees are going to produce behind him. Look for him to win you games, and do it in a dramatic fashion.

Tim Lincecum - The 5'11 fireballer is the reigning NL CY Young Award Winner, as well as the league leader in strikeouts with 265. He was third in the majors with a 2.62 ERA, and he posted a record of 18-5 in 2008. Lincecum has nasty stuff, and there is no reason why he shouldn't be just as effective as he was last year. The only problem with him is that his body is so used to his unique delivery, that even something as simple as swinging a bat can cause an injury. However, that is highly unlikely, so draft him while he is available, since he's not going to be available for long.

Johan Santana - Santana threw a lot better than his record showed, mainly due to the Mets bullpen not pulling through for him. He led the league with a 2.53 ERA, and his strikeout to walk ratio was more than 3:1. He should have had more wins than he did in 2008, but look for him to keep up his winning ways in 2009, especially with Francisco Rodriguez closing out his starts.

Relief Pitchers

Francisco Rodriguez - He was hands down the most dominant closer in baseball in 2008, striking out 77 in 68.1 innings, while also setting the single season save record with 62. With him now being part of the Mets organization, look for him to get even more save opportunities, since the Mets are always a playoff threat. He also only blew 7 saves, which isn't bad for the amount he did save.

Mariano Rivera - There is nothing bad to say about him. He has been the go-to guy for the Yankees for a long time now, and he seems to always come through. He only blew 1 out of his 40 save opportunities, while striking out 77 in 70.2 innings. He has a devastating cutter, and after all these years, he still remains just as effective as he used to be.

Brad Lidge - He was perfect in each of his 41 save opportunities, including the playoffs and the ever so important World Series. He struck out 92 in only 69.1 innings, which is phenomenal for a closer. He also posted a 1.95 ERA, giving up a very low, 15 earned runs in 2008. He hasn't blown a save in a full year, and don't expect him to start anytime soon.

Sources:

cbssports.com

mlb.com