TheBaseballStars

First base is no longer a deep well in which to find power hitters. Gone are the days of the ballooned headed, yoked up statues that used to man the position with mediocrity and bomb 40-50 homers with regularity. Five years ago, almost every fantasy team had one at first base and utility. Today, there are barely 10 guys that are guaranteed producers at the position. The top players at this position are still guys to build an offense around. This is where you get your power. Lose out here and try to get some sleeper, and you will be behind before the season has even started. The top three guys will be gone by the first round. Pick up any of the other 10 in the next two rounds. Just don’t be left out because the drop off from the top is abrupt and steep.

1. Albert Pujols (49)
   
2. Prince Fielder (44)
3. Ryan Howard (42)
4. David Ortiz (35)
5. Mark Teixeira (28)
6. Justin Morneau (23)
7. Lance Berkman (20)
8. Travis Hafner (10)
9. Carlos Pena (9)
10. Derrek Lee (7)

Albert Pujols (49) No surprise, Pujols is the top choice for his position. His ability as a hitter and a slugger coupled with the consistency he brings to the table bring him to the top of the pack. He is a top-three pick in any draft as his resume is on par with Alex Rodriguez and nobody else. The only concern is his elbow/arm injury, but keep in mind that the story broke when absolutely nothing was going on during Spring Training, so naturally the media got ESPN syndrome and overblew the story out of water.

Prince Fielder (44) In his second full season in the majors, Prince was a Sexy M.F. Fantasy owners adored his MVP caliber campaign as he produced 50 home runs and 119 RBI. It will be no surprise to see him get off to a similar season again. The only things holding Prince back from the top spot here are his batting average (.288) and that he hasn’t shown that he can do it over a number of years.

Ryan Howard (42) If batting average was the Achilles heel for Fielder, then it is clear why Ryan Howard is a step behind the Prince. Howard saw his average dip 45 points last season while battling injury and striking out at Rob Deer-like levels. Through it all, he ended up with 47 homers and 137 RBI, which are tremendous. Howard was a stud in the second half. If your league dings you for K’s, watch out. But if not, then the third-best first sacker resides in Philly.

David Ortiz (35) The drop off in number of votes from Howard to Ortiz was big, but Ortiz was the consensus fourth-best first baseman in our rankings. it is not an indictment of his play, but more of a statement on how good the top three are. Ortiz was hurt for most of 2007 but played through it and still delivered as a hitter and run producer. His home run total dropped by 19, but he hit .332 and drove in 117. With a healthy knee, expect his long ball count to return to the mid-40’s.

Mark Teixeira (28) The mid-season trade that saw Tex switch leagues brought a boom to the switch hitter’s production. He has settled in as guy who will hit around .300 with 30 homers and top the century mark in RBI. Here starts the big drop off at first base, but Tex won’t hurt you. He is as steady as they get.

Justin Morneau (23) We all know Morneau is a talent, but unlike Teixeira, it is still uncertain what Morneau will do from year to year. Will he post MVP numbers again or just be another 30-homer, 100-RBI first baseman? He is young enough to believe that he is still on the rise, but he needs another monster season to prove that he belongs with the big dogs.

Lance Berkman (20) Berkman has also plagued managers with inconsistency over he past three years. He has as much raw power as anyone in the league, but his strikeouts have gone up each of the past three years. Our panel believes in him this year as an improved supporting cast should help his numbers across the board.

Travis Hafner (10) Pronk was erratic all year in 2007. He had months where his bat was torrid, followed by stretches of futility that would make a manager cringe. His numbers in the three major categories have declined over the past three seasons, but he still has a lot of positives. He is 30 — still in his prime power years –  and he hits in a favorable ballpark and has a strong lineup around him. You may get a steal with him this year as managers are clearly souring on him. But a bounce back is not out of the question.

Carlos Pena (9) Here is the enigma of the draft. Can you trust that last year’s 46 bombs and 121 RBI as a sign of things to come, or will Pena revert to his career averages? Even though he posted six not-so-distinguished major league seasons, remember that he broke in as a 21 year old. At 29, perhaps he has finally figured it out. This is the age when sluggers usually do.

Derrek Lee (7) This is the surprise of the first base crop. D-Lee has been a mainstay as a top-five first baseman for five years now but age has caught up to him. You can no longer rely on his health or his power, and he doesn’t even steal anymore. Like Hafner, you may be able to buy low on Lee, but he is more of a fall-back plan than a guy you should target at this stage in his career.