Now that we’ve reached the mid-way point in the baseball season, it’s time to reveal the crème de la crème of the fantasy baseball world.
Catcher: Brian McCann, Braves
One of the most consistent catchers over the last five seasons has been Braves backstop Brian McCann. Though McCann has never had 25 home runs or 100 RBI in a season, the Georgia native has been an iron man, avoiding serious injury while blasting 20-plus home runs in each of the last five seasons. Best yet, at just 27 years old, McCann is still young and in his prime.
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
The likely AL MVP has made a smooth transition from the pitcher-friendly Petco Park to the hitter-friendly Fenway Park. Thanks in large part to the fine start by Jacoby Ellsbury and protection by David Ortiz, Gonzalez has been driving runs in at a career-high pace. While his power is evident in the 26 doubles and 16 home runs, it’s his consistency that makes his .349 average sustainable.
Second Base: Rickie Weeks, Brewers
After breaking out last season with 29 home runs, 112 runs, and 11 steals, many baseball fans expected Rickie Weeks to take a small step back this season. I’m not really sure why expectations were so low.
The second overall pick of the 2003 draft is finally healthy and at 28 years old he should be in his prime. Plus, he is surrounded by sluggers such as Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Corey Hart, all who guarantee that Weeks will rack up plenty of runs. Weeks has managed to cut down on his strikeouts this season, while improving his batting average to .280. Considering the drastic difference in expectations, Weeks gets the edge as the best second baseman over Yankees star Robinson Cano.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, Mets
It’s not a bad time to be Jose Reyes’ agent. The Mets shortstop was supposed to be a middle-tier free agent well behind Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols this off-season, but instead the speedster may be the most in demand. Reyes is on pace for some pretty historic statistics: 130 runs, 30 triples, 60 steals, and a .352 average.
Mets owner Fred Wilpon said early in the season that Jose Reyes was nuts for expecting Carl Crawford type money. It turns out Reyes would be crazy to accept Crawford-type money. He is younger, mans a more difficult position, and this year proved that he has a higher ceiling than the Red Sox outfielder.
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
This is not the same A-Rod that dominated over the last decade and a half, but Yankees fans will settle for a slugger on pace for 26 home runs, 102 RBI, and a .301 average. Rodriguez is certainly slowing down. The last time he failed to blast 30 home runs was back in 1997. However, at 35-years old this should be expected. Furthermore, it is worth considering that this is now a pitcher’s era, and that even with the diminished power, A-Rod remains the top offensive third baseman in the game.
Outfielder: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
There are some incredible performances coming from the outfield these days from the likes of Kemp, Curtis Granderson, Ryan Braun, and Jose Bautista. However, Kemp gets the top honor because of the fact that he is the lone talent on pace for a 40-40 season, all while hitting .330.
Kemp had a down 2010 campaign with a .249 average, and it did not help that on the occasions that he did reach base, he was caught stealing 15 times. This year has been a complete reversal of fortune, despite all the chaos surrounding the organization.
Starting Pitcher: Justin Verlander, Tigers
With a no-hitter already under his belt this season, Justin Verlander continues to dominate on the hill for the Tigers. Verlander is currently on pace for 22 wins and 260 K’s. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that his WHIP is just 0.86. Now Verlander has always been one of the elite hurlers in baseball, but to put this season in perspective, the best WHIP Verlander ever offered was 1.16 last season. At 28 years old, it’s possible that Verlander has found a whole new level of performance.
Closer: Craig Kimbrel, Braves
For a second it looked like Craig Kimbrel would lose his job. He had blown five saves and Jonny Venters was dominating in middle relief. Since then, Kimbrel has pulled off nine straight shutout innings racking up five saves and 17 strikeouts. With a K/9 ratio greater than 15, Kimbrel is pulling off his best Billy Wagner impersonation and the Braves could not be happier.