Top 5 Overall Minnesota Twins Players - Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide 2009

Close but no cigar, that was the story of the 2008 season for the Minnesota Twins. They lost the division by only one game to the Chicago White Sox, despite not having a true number one starter or a viable power option outside of Justin Morneau. Still, they got everything they could out of an unheralded pitching staff that will return intact in 2009.

#1 Overall Minnesota Twins: Justin Morneau (1B) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .300 BA, 23 HR, 47 2B, 129 RBI, 0 SB, 97 RS

Morneau very well would have claimed the MVP in 2008 if he hadn't lost some votes to teammate Joe Mauer. His stats were below what he put up in 2006 when he won the award, but they were still in line with his career averages. Owners will want to see him turn a few of those doubles into more home runs in 2009, and expecting a season of .310, 30 home runs, and 110 RBI wouldn't be unheard of.

#2 Overall Minnesota Twins: Joe Mauer (C) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .328 BA, 9 HR, 31 2B, 85 RBI, 1 SB, 98 RS

2008 was another season of Joe Mauer hitting like a shortstop rather than a catcher, as he continued to put up offensive numbers that were the cream of the catching crop. He doesn't flaunt a lot of power, but his other numbers make up for it, as he consistently puts the ball in play and makes the most of every at bat, capturing his second batting title in three seasons. Expect more of the same in 2009, somewhere in the neighborhood of .320, 10 home runs, and 80 RBI.

#3 Overall Minnesota Twins: Francisco Liriano (SP) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 stats: 6 Wins and 4 Losses, 3.91 ERA, 1.395 WHIP, 67 SO

After missing all of 2007 after having elbow surgery, no one was quite sure what to expect from Liriano in 2008. The early returns weren't that good, as he lost his first three starts and had so much trouble finding his stuff that he was exiled to the minor leagues for much of the season. Once he got the call back though, he came back strong and gave people a glimmer of hope for 2009. The Twins need him to be on top of his game if they want to succeed, and you can expect 12-14 wins, and ERA just under 4.00, and 150 strikeouts if he comes back strong.

#4 Overall Minnesota Twins: Joe Nathan (RP) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 stats: 1 Win and 2 Losses, 39 Saves, 1.33 ERA, .901 WHIP, 74 SO

It was just another year of getting the job done for Nathan in 2008. Never one to get a lot of publicity for his work, he is nonetheless one of the most consistent closers in the game, notching 35 or more saves in each of his five seasons as the Twins closer. Having Nathan as your teams primary closer is a lot of burden off your shoulders on draft day, especially knowing that you won't need to grab him as early as some of the other guys. Expect another year of an ERA close to 2.00, 40 saves, and 75 strikeouts.

#5 Overall Minnesota Twins: Carlos Gomez (CF) - Fantasy Baseball 2009

2008 Stats: .258 BA, 7 HR, 24 2B, 59 RBI, 33 SB, 79 RS

It was an up and down rookie season for the center fielder of the future in Minnesota. Acquired in the Johan Santana trade, the Twins were looking for immediate returns from the young prospect, but at 22, that may have been a lot of pressure to put on a rookie. He had some promising moments, but needs to settle more into being a lead-off hitter, taking pitches and using his speed to his advantage by putting balls into play more often. Look for some improvement in 2009, with a season of .270, 8 home runs, 55 RBI, and 42 stolen bases as a good expectation level.

Sources

MLB Standings, MLB.com

MLB Team Stats, Hitting, MLB.com

MLB Team Stats, Pitching, MLB.com

Justin Morneau, Baseball-Reference.com

Joe Mauer, Baseball-Reference.com

Francisco Liriano, Baseball-Reference.com

Joe Nathan, Baseball-Reference.com

Carlos Gomez, Baseball-Reference.com