BY ROB SHAW
sportsnet.ca
The hot corner provided some shocking displays of power this season including from the Major League home run leader and one-time utility player Jose Bautista as well as former Mariners bust Adrian Beltre.
All the while, fantasy managers received a ho-hum season from Alex Rodriguez and a disappointing one from Giants’ third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Top 3 Third Basemen:
Jose Bautista, 3B/OF, Blue Jays
Nobody saw this coming.
Jose Bautista entered the season with 59 career home runs, including a season’s best 16 round-trippers in 2006. In hindsight, there is a statistic that may have foretold this year’s ridiculous 54 home run, and 124 RBI.
Bautista blasted 10 home runs over the final 30 games in 2009. The former 20th round pick of the Pirates was the game’s best power hitter and fantasy managers who likely scraped him off the waiver wire early in the season had the option of starting him at third base or in the outfield.
Adrian Beltre, 3B, Red Sox
Apparently the home ballpark goes a long way when it comes to fantasy baseball. Adrian Beltre made an easy transition to Fenway Park, blasting 28 home runs with 102 RBI and a .321 average. It was by far Beltre’s best season since the memorable 2004 campaign that consisted of 48 home runs, 121 RBI, and a .334 average.
Just like that season, this past year Beltre was playing for a contract.
Let’s just hope that the next one he signs has him playing in friendly confines.
Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays
It was a bizarre season for Rays’ third baseman Evan Longoria.
His home run total declined from 33 to 22, though he did establish career-highs in doubles with 46 and triples with five.
Longoria also swiped a career-best 15 bases while hitting .294.
The 25-year-old superstar is looking a bit like David Wright in his ability to contribute in all categories.
Keep in mind, next season Longoria will likely have less protection in the lineup, as Carl Crawford is likely to leave the Sunshine State as a free agent.
Top 3 Surprises:
Scott Rolen, 3B, Reds
The injury-prone third baseman is better known for his defense, but in his prime, Rolen was a legitimate source for power.
The 35-year old seemed to turn back the clock this season. While injuries once again limited Rolen to just 133 games, he did belt 20 homeruns, driving in 83 RBI with a solid .285 average.
It was Rolen’s best season since 2006, which will likely lead to the veteran getting drafted in most fantasy leagues to begin the ’11 season.
Chris Johnson, 3B, Astros
This 26-year-old rookie came out of nowhere to hit 11 home runs with 52 RBI and a .308 average in just 94 games. While his production in fantasy circles was impressive, it is also worth noting that he struck out 91 times compared to just 15 walks.
As a result, Johnson was only on base at a .337 rate and scored just 40 runs. He also doesn’t have the best track record, as his career high for home runs in the minor leagues is just 14, set in 2007. So whether Johnson enjoyed some good luck in his Major League debut, or the Astros’ third baseman is simply peaking at the right time, we will find out next season.
Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pirates
Perhaps the key to the Pirates eventual turnaround, Pedro Alvarez is a big-time talent who was taken with the second overall pick in the 2008 draft. Though Alvarez hit just .256 in his rookie campaign, a better indicator of his talent was his 13 home runs, 53 RBI, and .270 average after the all-star break.
Look for Alvarez to evolve into at least a 30-homer option within the next few years and to challenge David Wright for NL supremacy for the hot corner.
In 707 at-bats at the minor league level, Alvarez blasted 40 home runs.
Top 3 Busts:
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants
The Giants may be in the World Series, but it is with little thanks to the Kung Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval.
The 24-year-old hitter gained quite a bit of weight since last season and it took a toll on his production. After blasting 25 home runs with 90 RBI and a .330 average in 2009, Sandoval hit just .268 this season with 13 home runs and 63 RBI.
Sandoval was at his worst when it mattered most, as he hit just one home run from September until the end of the season.
During that span, Sandoval had just 15 hits in 67 at-bats and five RBI.
Sandoval will have to improve his conditioning this off-season, otherwise, he may lose his spot in the starting lineup for next season just as he has in the post-season.
Mark Reynolds, 3B, Diamondbacks
One of the top sluggers in 2009, Reynolds declined in all categories this past season. The Diamondbacks’ third baseman did belt 32 home runs with 85 RBI, but it came at a cost.
He hit just .198 with 99 hits on the season.
In addition to a .062 drop in his batting average, Reynolds had 12 fewer home runs, 17 fewer RBI, and 17 fewer stolen bases. Once considered an Adam Dunn clone, even the Nationals slugger never struggled to reach base as much as Reynolds did this season.
Gordon Beckham, 3B, White Sox
The White Sox were thrilled with the play of Gordon Beckham in his 2009 rookie campaign.
The eighth pick of the 2008 draft hit 14 home runs with 63 RBI in just 103 games with a .270 average and seven stolen bases. The fine performance made his sophomore slump all the more shocking.
Beckham hit nine home runs with 49 RBI and four steals this season, while his average fell to .252. Since he’s just 24-years-old, the White Sox will expect a turnaround next season, but fantasy managers will have a harder time forgiving the sorry performance of a player who was considered a sleeper entering the 2010 season.
