Top 5 Overall Players for Keeper Leagues - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide

Keeper leagues are very challenging to succeed in, mainly because you have to draft players who are not only going to provide you with stats for the 2009 season, but also for a certain number of seasons after that as well. Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, David Wright and Jose Reyes are amongst the best players to draft in a keeper league, and this article will tell you why.

#1 Overall Player for Keeper Leagues - Albert Pujols - Fantasy Baseball 2009

Albert Pujols continued his remarkable career thus far with another stellar 2008 campaign. He finished the season with a .357 batting average, which was second best in the majors next to Chipper Jones, while hitting 37 home runs and droving in 116, both of which he improved upon from the 2007 season. He also set a career-high in walks with 104, which is almost double the amount of strikeouts he had. This is very uncharacteristic of a dominant hitter, since they tend to either hit the long ball, or strikeout trying to. Look for Pujols to put up even better numbers than he did in 2008, since he has been on a tear for the last few years, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon.

#2 Overall Player for Keeper Leagues - Hanley Ramirez - Fantasy Baseball 2009

Hanley Ramirez, the young and talented shortstop for the Florida Marlins, had an outstanding 2008 season. He is a player that brings it all to the table, getting you hits, home runs, and even stolen bases. In 2008, he hit a career-high 33 home runs, while driving in 67, and walking a career-high 92 times. He finished the season hitting .301 and slugging .540, both of which were slightly down from 2007, but he did walk more and that essentially took the bat out of his hands. Ramirez is very young, and as he continues to mature and understand the game more and more, he is going to become a force to be reckoned with. He comes into the 2009 season as being one of the top players in the league, and look for him to keep that title for the 2010 season.

#3 Overall Player for Keeper Leagues - Alex Rodriguez - Fantasy Baseball 2009

Alex Rodriguez is one of those players that are always going to put up big numbers for you. Since joining the Yankees in 2004, he has never hit less than 35 home runs, and has always driven in at least 100. Last season, his numbers were down a bit from 2007, mainly because he missed more games than he ever has in his career. Despite this, he still finished with a .302 average, while slugging .573 and hitting 35 home runs. A-Rod always has the potential to have a remarkable year as he did in 2007, and even if he struggles, he still puts up fantastic numbers. There is no looking past A-Rod in your fantasy draft, as you never know just how big of a year he is going to have each season.

#4 Overall Player for Keeper Leagues - David Wright - Fantasy Baseball 2009

David Wright is also young, and he has become the dominant threat in the New York Met's line-up. In 2008, he hit a career-high 33 home runs, while finishing fifth in the majors with 124 RBI's. He also drove in more runs than he ever has in a single season, and he tied his career high by hitting 42 doubles. Wright definitely has longevity on his side, as he is young and rarely misses a game; he only missed four in the last two seasons combined. He can hit for both contact and power, and look for him to continue padding the stats in the next few seasons to come.

#5 Overall Player for Keeper Leagues - Jose Reyes - Fantasy Baseball 2009

Jose Reyes is the spark of the Mets, as he is a young, quick and agile player. He loves playing the game, and it shows on the field. Despite only hitting 16 home runs and driving in 68, Reyes shines on the bases. He successfully stole 56 bases in 2008, and that number definitely has the potential to rise in 2009. He also recorded a career-high 204 hits, 37 of which were doubles, and 19 of which were triples. Reyes makes up for his lack of power at the plate, by putting the ball in play and then using his speed to his advantage. There is no doubt he will continue to do the same in 2009, and even in the seasons after that.

Source: mlb.com