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Notes: What I tend to do heavily in my rankings, unlike all the other rankings, is group players together based on their position/projection/potential. For example, in round 8/bubble I grouped together 4 cl (Brad Lidge and Jon Broxton as well as Matt Capps and Heath Bell). Broxton has had a great start and Lidge has had a rough one, but by season’s end the stats should be about the same. I also grouped together 6 sp (Rich Harden, Joba Chamberlain, Adam Wainwright, Yovani Gallardo, Josh Johnson, and Erik Bedard). These are all great sp’s with ?’s though – inning/injury concerns. Of course, I have 3+ weeks of the season now to include in my rankings (upping Zach Greinke and Josh Johnson on my list, but honestly guys like Carlos Quentin and Matt Kemp I already thought should be ranked where I have them), but here, I posted my rankings followed by a notes section [In the notes section,  I’ve bolded the players that are in the referenced round]. Within the rankings, I bolded some guys I like and ranked higher than most others, and italicized others I didn’t like as much or ranked lower than others or have since been hurt.

Top 12/Round 1:

In 2009, I think Miguel Cabrera could break 37 homers and 127rbis he had last season. He’s already off to a hot start, batting .431 up to this point. With an increase in runs from 85 to about 100 and to me – a sure increase in batting average from .292 to about .315, I think Miguel Cabrera could be ranked above David Wright this year. Similarly, I see Ryan Braun breaking 40hr and 15sb. If his avg raises passed .300, and I think it will, he too, could surpass Wright because of the HR total, but obviously I would take Wright over both Miggy and Braun b/c of 3b eligibility – Is Miggy 3b eligible in your league though??? Chase Utley to me at 2b just beats out Ian Kinsler (2b) because of the RBI total. He’s healthy, and he’s already got 4hr and 2sb with 12r, 12rbi, and a .362avg. One guy who is absolutely on fire, and probably will stay that way if healthy for a full season, is 2b (position scarcity) Ian Kinsler. His line is already: 15r-5hr-16rbi-7sb-.381avg. Most projections call for about 25sb, but I didn’t see why he can’t break 30 (now 35) with a full season – 118r-26hr-84rbi-34sb-295avg anyone??? Like I said, I’d honestly rank him above Utley if it wasn’t for Utley’s rbis’s – and for that matter at 2b he could also be above Wright/3b, Miguel Cabrera/1b, and Ryan Bruan/of by year’s end. Kinsler had 23 and 26sb respectively in the past 2 seasons in 483ab’s and 518ab’s. With health, and in that lineup, he should approach 550ab’s, score a ton of runs, and should have a decent amount of rbi opportunities. Evan Longoria jumps into the first round again because of position scarcity (3b) over Josh Hamilton (of) and Mark Teixeira (1b). He’s already on fire batting 10r-5hr-16rbi-1sb-.386avg.

Round 2/Players 13-24:

There may be some surprises in round 2. Justin Morneau is so clutch, I just can’t rank him any lower. I think 27-30hr and 120rbi with 95r and 300+ avg is justified where I have him. Alex Rodriguez will miss time, but there’s no question he could still go 100-32-105-12-300. There is only 2 more sure thing 3b’s in Kevin Youkilis and Aramis Ramirez in the next 4 rounds (Chone Figgins, just there for speed and Chipper Jones is so injury prone I think he should be in round 7). The New-B’s here are Carlos Quentin (of) (who is already studding it up, and I have no idea why most projections were so low on him maybe batting avg. He’s got 7hr already); Matt Kemp (of) (don’t love his lineup spot, but still a great lineup with a lot more rbi opp’s and he’s such a great power-speed combo – already at 13r-3hr-14rbi-4sb-.362); Nick Markakis (of) (who would be first round material if he gets more than my projected 23-25hr and 9-12sb. He should hit 100-105r and 105-110rbi with a .307-.315avg.

Round 3/Players 25-36:

Tim Lincecum/Manny Ramirez/Dustin Pedroia/ BJ Upton are all still 2^nd round material to me depending on if you like drafting one ace very early in Lincecum or stolen bases in Upton or position scarcity in Pedroia. Kevin Youkilis somehow remains underrated (especially because he’s 3b eligible). He contributes greatly to 4 categories: about 100-105r; 27-30hr; 109-115rbi; 3sb-4sb; .305-.315avg. I just don’t love Matt Holliday outside of Coors and in Oakland, but his 95/25/95/15 potential is still 2^nd round material if that’s his line by season’s end. Aramis Ramirez could be ranked right before Kevin Youkilis or maybe early into round 4, but at 3b, I still love him in the Cubbies lineup.

Round 4/Players 37-48:

Ichiro Suzuki is sometimes ranked in the top 24, and his avg, runs, sb’s make him worth it there, but his lack of hr and rbi keep him down here for me. I’m usually doing fine with sb providers by now (say Kinsler/2b-27sb, Longoria/3b-11sb, Kemp/of-30sb) or (Wright/3b-18sb, Soriano/of-25sb, and Markakis/of-10sb) – that’s 68sb and 53sb respectively. If you end up with like: Howard/1b-1sb and Santana/sp, and Crawford (of) or Roberts (2b) are already off the board, than Ichiro can get bumped up if you think you’ll need the sb. I’d rather someone else and go for Shane Victorino/Jacoby Ellsbury in round 5 though. To me, Brian Roberts is Ichiro Suzuki at 2b, so Roberts is much more valuable to me. Some people still think Carl Crawford can approach 20hr in a season, and depending on his lineup spot he could knock in 85rbi, but in the 2-whole it looks like he should have a line of 90runs;10-12hr;70-75rbi;30-40sb;283-287avg, which will still justify this rank or even a little higher. I think by now he can be considered injury prone. I honestly think he has top third round potential, but every guy I have in round 3 just knocks him down to round 4. Brandon Phillips is great at 2b, and he’s a solid 4 stat contributor with a nice young lineup, but his average keeps him in round 4 to me. I like Cole Hamels and Brandon Webb here so long as they’re healthy because they symbolize the end of the 4 category top-notch fantasy aces (w,era,whip,k). Josh Beckett, Roy Oswalt, and Chad Billingsley are great, but Beckett’s era could be somewhat high as can Billingsley’s whip, and Oswalt looks to be slowing down a bit and striking out less batters although he was fantastic in the 2^nd half of last year. I like the 3 catchers: Victor Martinez, Brian McCann, and Russell Martin here. McCann’s eye is a worry and Martin’s starting off somewhat slow, but by season’s end I think they’ll be worth it here. If the latter 2 slip into round 5, fine.

Round 5/Players 49-60:

I usually have top power guys (David Ortiz/Carlos Pena), top speed guys (Rafael Furcal/Shane Victorino/Jacoby Ellsbury), or power-speed combos (Nate McLouth/Bobby Abreu/Corey Hart/ Carlos Granderson) as well as position scarcity (Geovany Soto/c; Rafael Furcal/ss; Alexei Ramirez/2b-ss) all in round 5. Soto is just too good to let drop for a catcher. I could see him being a 4^th rounder next year with another consistent year – similar to where McCann, Martin, and a healthy Victor Martinez are. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Victor Martinez, Brian McCann, Geovany Soto, Russell Martin, Joe Mauer, and Matt Wieters all go in round 4 next year. 12 players-6 catchers-1 round…Mark it (round 5 the latest).

Round 6/Players 61-72:

I love Joey Votto for his 7-10 sb and .290-300avg in addition to 24-28hr and 90-100rbi. I wouldn’t mind going with Robinson Cano here either at 2b in the Yankees lineup either. I love Cano slipping to round 7/8 because I think he can perform to the line of 90-95r;18-20hr;90-95rbi;4-5sb;.292-.302avg. Here, I like the 4 closers too: Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan, Joakim Soria, and Francisco Rodriguez – all great 3 category pitchers with a good amount of k’s for relievers as well, however, personally I wait to draft closers and may look to draft 3 in a row, come round 13/14. Chad Billingsley is already showing why I have him ranked here with 4 wins and a 26:9 k:bb ratio, and a Dodger team that should be just as good for years to come. [Dodgers Lineup: Furcal-Hudson-Manny-Ethier-Loney-Kemp-Martin-Blake] – wow! If Billingsley keeps the whip down, he’ll jump to round 4/5 prior to Beckett and Oswalt. I don’t love Chone Figgins at 3b or Dan Uggla’s avg, but you can’t go wrong with Figgins’ sb’s and Uggla at 2b. Ryan Ludwick (already at 5hr and 16rbi, 1sb, and batting .370), after a great year last year, was way too underrated in this year’s drafts – the power and rbi’s should be there.

Round 7/Players 73-84:

Chipper Jones gets drafted much earlier, and at 3b, he’s so good, but he just doesn’t stay healthy enough for me to rank him higher. We should all know about Chris Davis’ potential by now (and flaws). Carlos Delgado could be Delgado of 2008-2^nd half or 2008-1^st half. I think he’ll go 33-35hr; 110-115rbi. Aubrey Huff was great again last year, and at 3b & 1b, I like him a lot with Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis in front of him. I like Garret Atkins enough to rank him in round 6 at 3b, but to me everyone above him as a little more potential/better power/better position scarcity ala Michael Young (ss;3b). Adam Dunn, Joe Mauer (c), and Andre Ethier are all solid options here as well. Dunn looks to be on a mission; I love Ethier batting clean-up in that Dodger’s lineup (and he should get you some sb’s with a nice avg.) I like James Shields and Zack Greinke (round 8 ) b/c each will have both good era’s and whip’s, where as the next few sp’s could have a high whip or era.

Round 8/9; Players 85-104:

Here, as you can see, I favor sp’s. I actually get my first ace in round 7 or 8 and then attempt to draft 3 or 4 in a row. Felix Hernandez and Scott Kazmir can have fairly high whips, while AJ Burnett can have a fairly high ERA, and as good as the next wave of SP’s are (Harden; Joba; Wainwright; EBedard; JJohnson; Gallardo), they all have question marks in some way (inning concerns, injury concerns, or not enough of a sample size). Derek Lee is in a solid lineup, but hit only 22 and 20 hr in the past 2 years. Without pop, and slowing down in sb as well, I can see him falling out of the top 9 rounds next year.

As I said in my notes section, I group players based on positioning/potential/and your statistical needs. I probably won’t rank the next 15 rounds only because I over/under-rate some players based on position, stats, and potential, and then I’d give away all my strategy.Feel free to question/criticize/comment.

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The Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox earlier today 7-2 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The game was quiet until the third inning, with Lance Broadway on the hill for the White Sox. Ryan Sweeney hit a two-run single to contribute to the A’s 4-run inning. However, the White Sox battled back in the top of the fourth as new Cuban prospect Dayun Viciedo proved himself further with a 2-run jack, but they could not capitalize on that for the rest of the game.

The A’s scored 3 more runs to go on to victory. Notable performances are those of Jordan Danks, with a two hit game, along with Lillibridge connecting for 3 hits.

In general, my Spring Training game reviews will be shorter due to lack of information. I don’t get them on TV, and the news stories are weakers, however, I assure you full in-depth coverage of the games once the regular season starts, when I can watch and get mire in-depth articles elsewhere.

To continue with the starting rotation, I will preview Gavin Floyd.

Gavin Floyd

Just like with Danks, Floyd had many questions going into 2008. Can he take on the role as starter? Is he capable? Will he help or hurt the White Sox? Who’s Gavin Floyd? After a season where he started 10 games, and going 1-5 with an ERA of 5.27, Gavin Floyd would be a full-time starter. What? a full-time starter after that horrible season? Just like Danks, he proved the doubters wrong, having an outstanding season as a starter. He finished with a record of 17-8, and an ERA of 3.84. And 18% of the runs scored while out on the mound…..were unearned, having bad luck with the fielding and errors happening behind him. And in case you don’t know, Floyd took two games into the 8th and 9th with no-hitters! His dangerous slider fools hitters like no other.

What can we expect from Floyd this year? Frankly, I expect him to have just as good of a season as last year, being one of the top starters for the White Sox this year.

Up next…….. The White Sox are playing a split quad game against the Athletics, and a night game against the Cubs in Vegas. I plan to review the earlier game tonight, and the late game tomorrow (it ends at midnight here folks). For the rotation preview, I plan to review each candidates separately, as the 4th and 5th positions are open.

On this Spring Training off-day for the White Sox, I will continue previewing the starting rotation with John Danks.

Going into 2008, questions loomed for this southpaw. Can he pitch another season? Will he do better? Who’s John Danks? After his forgettable 2007 campaign, his first role in the majors, many did not think Danks was the right person to be included in the rotation. 6-13, with an ERA of 5.50 is not a good way to start in your first season and gain the trust of a team. But Kenny Williams saw right through the statistics, and knew what Danks was capable of. And sure enough, 2008 was a great year for the sophomore southpaw.

Danks in Game 163 at the Blackout of the Twins.

Danks finished with an ERA of only 3.32, and had an impressive record of 12-9. One thing that stands out is despite the White Sox poor road record last year, Danks pitches better awayfrom The Cell, with an ERA of  2.92 on the road! Due to his performance last year, he was invited to join the USA World Baseball Classic team, but denied, saying his first priority is the White Sox (what a team player). The 23 year-old handled pressure last year like a veteran, pitching in Game 163 against the Twins. And did I say he allowed zeroruns? Yes, this is what Danks can do on the mound.

What can we expect from Danks this year? I have no crystal ball, but I would be scared of this guy! I think he can do even better with more experience. But let’s wait until 2009, and we’ll all see how Danks will do for the South Siders.

The White Sox lost to the M’s at Camelback Ranch with a score of 5-3 today. Here is a short recap of who did well, and who didn’t fare well.

Positives: Jim Thome smacked his first Spring Training home run, which also scored Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye. Pierzynski, Sergio Santos, Quentin, and Konerko each got singles today, along with 3rd baseman Josh Fields hitting two doubles. Michael Restovich chimed in with a double as well. Scott Linebrink, Bobby Jenks, Octavio Dotel, as well as some more pitchers all pitched scoreless innings.

Negatives: Clayton Richard, a candidate for the starting rotation, pitched 3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 4 runs. Ehren Wassermann allowed one run in his one inning of pitching.

Up next……..The South Siders have a day off tomorrow, but on Wednesday, they have split squad games against the Athletics and the North Siders in Vegas.

What I plan to do for the starting rotation is to preview each starter individually. Today, we will be previewing southpaw Mark Buehrle.

Mark Buehrle has spent all of his career with the White Sox. And year after year, he is putting up good numbers for the White Sox. In 2008, he finished with an overall record of 15-12, and despite the 12 losses, he still had an ERA at 3.79.  When he goes out on the mound, he is sure to give you at least 6 innings. However, one weakness is that Buehrle gives up a lot of hits, an average of more than one per inning. But hits don’t count in baseball, it’s the runs that matter, and with a 3.79 ERA and that many hits given up, he is still reliable.

This year from Buehrle, fans can expect the usual. He won’t be having the terrific season he had in 2005, or the forgettable season he had in 2006.  Turning 30 by the season’s start, Buehrle should have a season just like last year. He will be a key part of the White Sox this year.

And another piece of information on Buehrle……..he recently left Spring Training to tend to his wife who is expecting a child.

Other news………The White Sox face the Mariners today at Camelback Ranch. I plan to review the positives and negatives of the game later tonight after the conclusion.

Nothing is better than a Chicago rivalry in a completely meaningless game! So let me do a short recap of how the game went.

Jeff Marquez started out good in his Spring Training debut.

Jeff Marquez, a contender for the starting rotation, got off to a good start, pitching two scoreless innings. However, Adam Russell and Ehren Wassermann didn’t fare so well. Russell did not retire a single batter, with eight runs being scored will he was pitching. As for hitting, Dewayne Wise, Jim Thome, and A.J. Pierzynski represented the black and white well.

However, that wasn’t enough, as the team struggled offensively, as well as on the mound, being given a 13-0 beating from the Cubbies.

Next Up……….The White Sox battle the Dodgers tomorrow in an away game at their home stadium. I will be starting the rotation preview tomorrow as well.

Veteran player and member of the 500 home run club Jim Thome will once again be the DH for the White Sox this season.

Jim Thome's numbers have declined, but he is still valuable to the club.

Since Thome has joined the White Sox, his numbers have been declining yearly. Much of this goes to his age, as the 38 year-old will try to get back in the groove this year. However, he still managed to jack 34 homers in 2008, one being in Game 163 that came as the sole run in the do-or-die clincher against the Twins. And Thome is still a large part of the White Sox. I can’t stress this enoguh (as you may have noticed), veteran leadership is a key for the White Sox this year, as the younger players will need to adapt to playing in the majors quickly, or it could be a long season for the South Siders. Thome is still an incredibly valuable asset to this team, despite his declining numbers. In 2005, through a survey by Tribune Co., Thome was rated as the best teammate in Major League Baseball, getting almost three times the number of votes as second place. That speaks a lot.

Thome should contribute in many aspects of the game through his play on and off the field for the White Sox.

Other news……..The White Sox faced the Arizona Diabondbacks in Spring Training action, winning 10-1. Dayun Viciedo, Paul Konerko, Chris Stewart, and Ben Broussard all hit home runs. John Danks and John Van Benschoten both pitched scoreless innings, contributing to the win. Tomorrow, Jeff Marquez will start for the South Siders as they face the North Siders in a good ‘ol, meaningless Spring Training rivalry.

Once again, Carlos Quentin will be occupying left field for the White Sox again. When Kenny Williams made this trade, I was reading on the White Sox forum how it was a bad trade, Carlos Quentin should not be starting. They were giving his past statistics, explaining how he cannot play as the everyday left fielder. And we all know, CQ proved everyone wrong, having an All-Star Game worthy season, and was a leading contender for MVP. Stats are overrated.

Carlos Quentin

Look at what Quentin did for the White Sox last year. All he did was hit .288, hit in 100 runs, and had 36 homers. Not to mention, he also was second in the AL in home runs. And wait………wasn’t he injured too? Yes, Quentin was injured for a full month, and still finished second in home runs for the AL! And he didn’t qualify for the All-Star Game? Yet he was being considered as an MVP candidate? All of this is true. Think of what the White Sox could have done if he was with them in the playoffs. No one will know, but surely, he would help them out quite a bit. Who knows…….if he stayed healthy, he could have gotten the AL MVP award.

Quentin has many strengths. But what are his weaknesses? Believe it or not, Quentin needs to improve at some aspects. One problem is he needs to control his anger on the field. He is laid-back off the field, just a regular person among the streets in Chicago. But on the field, his competative side comes alive, and he gets fired up. No one besides Paul Konerko gets more disappointed after getting out than him. Need proof? He missed that one last month due to a broken wrist……..which was broken when he slammed his bat on his wrist after a strikeout. Right now, he is looking for ways to overcome this.

Also, Quentin isn’t much of a leader. He is the quiet guy in the clubhouse, just goes about his job. With all of the young players coming in to play for the White Sox, the veterans need to step up. Even though Quentin is still young, he knows enough about the game to step up and lead.

Look for another great year from CQ again!

Other news…….The White Sox face the Rockies in Spring Training today. Dayun Viciedo and Gordon Beckham will get to play for the first time.

I only wish it was on TV. I got to listen to it on my computer, for free. Thanks to the Angels, they made an agreement with MLB.com so all Angels Spring Training games will be radio broadcasted for free! Anyways, here’s the recap.

Angels 12, White Sox 3
at Tempe, Ariz.
Feb. 25, 2009

Angels at the plate: Cleanup man Mike Napoli, robbed of a hit in his first at-bat, cracked a two-run double in the third to left center. Hainley Statia doubled twice, scoring a run and driving in another. Hank Conger drove in three runs with a pair of singles, Freddy Sandoval doubled, singled and drove in two runs, and Ben Johnson

cracked an RBI double.

White Sox at the plate: A.J. Pierzynski’s second single, a liner to left, produced a pair of runs in the second inning. Josh Fields singled and doubled, scoring a run. Jerry Owens opened the game with a drag-bunt single and had a sacrifice fly.

Angels on the mound: After Matt Palmer yielded two runs on five hits, Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo each pitched a perfect inning of relief, Shields striking out one man and Arredondo a pair. Rich Thompson delivered two perfect innings.

White Sox on the mound: Starter Clayton Richard worked two scoreless innings, giving up one walk. Octavio Dotel was nicked up for three runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman. Lefties Matt Thornton and Randy Williams each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Cactus League records: Angels 1-0; White Sox 0-1.

Up next: The Angels host the Athletics on Thursday at noon PT. Jordan Walden will start for the Angels against Sean Gallagher of the A’s.