Top 5 Overall Florida Marlins Players - Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide 2009

For a team that is constantly being torn down and rebuilt, the Marlins sure make things pesky for those in the National League East. And despite having the lowest payroll in all of baseball, they continue to present plenty of fantasy options to owners looking for just about everything.

#1 Overall Florida Marlins: Hanley Ramirez (SS) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .301 BA, 33 HR, 34 2B, 67 RBI, 35 SB, 125 RS

Sure, Boston won a World Series on the heels of the players they acquired for Ramirez, so there isn't many broken hearts there, but you can see how much of a fantasy stud Ramirez has grown into by the fact that they went looking to get him back. Aside from the fact that Florida continues to miscast him as a lead-off hitter instead of slotting him into the number three spot in the order, Ramirez is everything a fantasy owner could ask for. I'm asking for another season of .300, 35 home runs, 80 RBI, and 40 stolen bases as he continues to mature.

#2 Overall Florida Marlins: Dan Uggla (2B) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .260 BA, 32 HR, 37 2B, 92 RBI, 5 SB, 97 RS

170 strikeouts is a lot to swallow for a hitter in a year. Then again, it goes down a lot easier when it's a second baseman who is knocking 30 bombs out of the park and driving in 90 runs with it. Uggla is another slugger who is prone to the whiff, but he puts the ball in play more than other all or nothing types, making him more valuable. He's been rumored to be on the trade market, as is any Florida player within reach of their arbitration years, but don't think that will hurt his stats any in 2009. Expect a season in the range of .270, 34 home runs, and 100 RBI and take the good with the bad.

#3 Overall Florida Marlins: Jorge Cantu (1B) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .277 BA, 29 HR, 41 2B, 95 RBI, 6 SB, 92 RS

Cantu was a surprise pick-up for many fantasy owners last season. Cast aside for younger parts in both Tampa and Cincinnati, Cantu reemerged in 2008 with the Marlins and took advantage of the opportunities he received. His power came back, despite moving to a more pitcher friendly environment in Florida, and so did the interest in him from other ballclubs. Florida may move him in a trade near the deadline, which may just help his production more than it hurts it. Still, expect him to drop back a little in 2009, somewhere in the area of .270, 24 home runs, and 85 RBI would be a good starting point.

#4 Overall Florida Marlins: Josh Johnson (SP) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: 7 Wins and 1 Loss, 3.61 ERA, 1.351 WHIP, 77 SO

Coming back from elbow surgery in mid-season, Johnson was a nice midseason pick-up in fantasy leagues, posting a 7-1 record in just 14 starts down the stretch. He showed a lot of the promise he exhibited during his rookie season, when he had a 3.10 ERA and 12 wins in 24 starts. Owners may be cautious about putting much faith in the starter before he shows he's at full strength, but given his late season performance and a winter of strength training, Johnson should be good to go in 2009, so look for him to bounce back with double digit wins and an ERA in the low 3.00's.

#5 Overall Florida Marlins: Cameron Maybin (CF) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .500 BA, 0 HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 SB, 9 RS

The prize pick-up in the Miguel Cabrera trade, Maybin should be given the chance to win the starting centerfield job during Spring Training. He'll be 22 to start the season, but there is no doubting his promise, as exhibited by his production in the minors in 2008, where he put up a line of .277, 13 home runs, 49 RBI, and 60 stolen bases. He still has a lot of work to do, but if he gets the starting job, imagine a season of .260, 8-10 home runs, 40 RBI, and 40 stolen bases from essentially a sleeper pick-up.

Sources

MLB Standings, MLB.com

MLB Team Stats, Hitting, MLB.com

MLB Team Stats, Pitching, MLB.com

Hanley Ramirez, Baseball-Reference.com

Dan Uggla, Baseball-Reference.com

Jorge Cantu, Baseball-Reference.com

Josh Johnson, Baseball-Reference.com

Cameron Maybin, Baseball-Reference.com

Cameron Maybin, Minors.Baseball-Reference.com