The Top Ten First Baseman Today

Today, I revive this blog out of yet another extended coma, although you could say I picked a good day to begin an extended rest (September 29, the day after the most insane night in baseball history). However, after a thrilling and entertaining postseason that culminated with the Cardinals capturing an unprecedented 11th championship, it's time to get this bad boy going again.

We sit just days away from a majority of teams reporting to Spring Training, including the White Sox, who just happen to be one of the last teams to have their pitchers and catchers report (February 23). Since baseball does not really begin for me until the Sox hit camp in Arizona, I figure I will fill in the time by providing you with my own lists of the top ten players at each position. MLB Network has been airing their top ten lists all winter, and there is not a better way to gear up for the start of Spring Training by examining the best players in baseball today, and who could be on the verge of breaking out! Today we begin with the best first basemen in the game. In order to remain consistent with the way MLB Network does their list, keep in mind that this is the top ten first baseman right now, which means what they did last year will heavily account for where each player is ranked on here. What they accomplished in 2004 will not carry much weight on this list. Defensive abilities will also be taken into account.

10.) Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
2011 stats: .282 avg., 21 HRs, 76 RBI, .795 OPS
While there was not a great deal of hype surrounding Freeman when he debuted with Atlanta last year, many Braves fans still expected big things from the 22-year-old lefty. Freeman did not disappoint, finishing with rock-solid numbers in his rookie season. Look for him to climb higher on this list in the coming years.

9.) Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Philles
2011 stats: .253 avg., 33 HRs, 116 RBI, .835 OPS
It would be an understatement to say that the Phillies will miss having Howard's bat in the lineup to start the 2012 season due to injury. Until his unfortunate injury at the end of the division series where he tore his left achilles, Howard displayed his durability during the season, playing in 152 games while finishing third among NL first basemen in home runs and second in RBI. His strikeout total continues to be very high (172 last year) but as long as he produces those kind of numbers, that can and will be easily overlooked.

8.) Michael Morse, Washington Nationals
2011 stats: .303 avg., 31 HRs, 95 RBI, .910 OPS
Perhaps this is a bit of a surprise for some of you to see Morse on this list, however, he was a very underrated bat in Washington's lineup last year. With third baseman Ryan Zimmerman battling injuries throughout the season, Morse stepped up and became the offensive leader on the Nationals, leading the team in home runs, RBI, OPS and batting average. His OPS was also good enough to rank third among all NL third basemen, trailing only Joey Votto and Prince Fielder. We will find out this year if Morse's season was just a fluke, or if he is really here to stay as one of the best first basemen in the game.





7.) Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox
2011 stats: .300 avg., 31 HRs, 105 RBI, .906 OPS

In Lindy's Sports Baseball Preview Magazine this season, one of the adjectives they used to describe Konerko was "regal." It is a fitting sobriquet for the long-time first baseman of the White Sox, as he continues to be the silent and dignified leader of a team that has been known for being anything but quiet in the headlines the past several seasons. He lets his play do the talking for him, and he has been doing a lot of talking through his bat lately, as he put together another terrific season in spite of the team's dismal third-place finish. Konerko's 31 home runs were second among all AL first baseman, and his .906 OPS was third trailing only Adrian Gonzalez and Miguel Cabrera. The fact that he continues to put up great numbers in a pathetically underachieving lineup the last couple of seasons has been nothing short of remarkable, and it is a shame that it has not been noticed by more people. While his glove is not quite as good as Teixeira's, those who watch Konerko on a regular basis will see that he is a better fielder than many people give him credit for, sabermetricians included.



6.) Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
2011 stats: .248 avg., 39 HRs, 111 RBI, .835 OPS
Despite the glacial atrophy of his batting average the last couple of seasons (it has dropped 44 points since 2009), Teixeira continues to rake and take advantage of the cozy dimensions inside of the new Yankee Stadium. His 39 homers led all AL first basemen and his 111 RBI was second only to Adrian Gonzalez. Perhaps the only reason why I gave Teixeira the edge over Konerko was because of his continued defensive excellence at first base.

5.) Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
2011 stats: .309 avg., 29 HRs, 103 RBI, .947 OPS
While Votto's 2011 campaign was not nearly as spectacular as his MVP season of 2010, he still proved that he belongs in the discussion of the best first basemen in baseball with a terrific statistical year for the Reds. He led all NL first basemen in batting average, on-base percentage (.416) and OPS, while finishing third in RBI and fifth in homers. Along with this, he continues to display an underrated defensive prowess in the field.








4.) Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers
2011 stats: .299 avg., 38 HRs, 120 RBI, .981 OPS
He was the second-biggest free agent available on the market, and that was only because some guy named Pujols was also a free agent. Fielder had another dominant season, showing why he is indeed one of the best first baseman in the game. Fielder finished third in the NL with a .981 OPS and he finished second in homers behind Matt Kemp's 39. One aspect that people tend to overlook with Fielder is his durability, as he played in 155 or more games every year of his career except his rookie campaign in 2005. He was part of a two-man wrecking crew in Milwaukee with Ryan Braun for several seasons, and now he will try to recreate that in Detroit with Miguel Cabrera while trying to bring the city its first World Series title since 1984.

3.) Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox
2011 stats: .338 avg., 27 HRs, 117 RBI, . 957 OPS, 45 doubles
It certainly is a shame that it took a trade to Boston before people began to recognize how great of a first baseman Gonzalez is on both sides of the ball. Before anyone suggests that it was only because he played in San Diego, remember he had a MVP-caliber season with them in 2010, hitting .298 with 31 homers, 101 RBI and a .904 OPS in a far weaker lineup that missed the playoffs by just one game. Nonetheless, he had a fantastic year for the Carmines, tying for second in the AL in batting average, while finishing sixth in doubles and third in OPS. Teammate Jacoby Ellsbury ended up receiving more accolades as the season progressed, but Gonzalez's efforts will not be ignored in baseball-mad Boston as long as he continues to have years like the one he had in 2011.

2.) Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
2011 stats: .344 avg., 30 HRs, 105 RBI, 1.033 OPS, 48 doubles
I was a bit reluctant to place Cabrera on this list, as he will no longer be a regular first baseman for the Tigers with the arrival of Prince Fielder. However, with the kind of season he put together last year, I simply could not ignore him. Cabrera was not only phenomenal, he was certainly capable of winning the AL MVP last year, as he was the anchor of Detroit's lineup. His 1.033 OPS was the best among AL first basemen last year and was also second overall in the Junior Circuit, trailing only Jose Bautista. His .344 average was tops in the AL as well. While he certainly is not a gold glove-caliber first baseman, he fields what comes to him, while coming up with the occasional great play.





1.) Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels
2011 stats: .299 avg., 37 HRs, 99 RBI, .906 OPS

It must be nice when you are so good, a year like the one above can be considered an "off-year." For Albert's standards, it certainly was. For the first time in his career, the mighty Pujols did not reach the century mark in RBI, nor did he achieve a .300 average. Nonetheless, his OPS still ranked in the top ten in the National League, and his 37 homers were good enough for third in the Senior Circuit. In addition to this, Pujols continues to flash an above-average glove at first base, proving that he is not just a good hitter who is thrown at first base just so he can have a position to play. Let's face it, Pujols would not have been the most coveted free agent during the past offseason if he was not the best hitter in the game today.

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 22- San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres

Record: 90-72 (Second place in NL West, two games behind San Francisco)

Batting Leaders

Batting Average: Adrian Gonzalez (.298)

Home Runs: Adrian Gonzalez (31)

RBIs: Adrian Gonzalez (101)

On-base Percentage: Adrian Gonzalez (.393)

Pitching Leaders

Wins: Clayton Richard, Jon Garland and Mat Latos (14)

Strikeouts: Mat Latos (189)

Innings Pitched: Clayton Richard (201.2)

ERA: Mat Latos (2.92). Bullpen- Joe Thatcher (1.29)

WHIP: Mat Latos (1.08). Bullpen- Luke Gregerson (0.83)

Saves: Heath Bell (47)

Highlight of the Year: On August 25, the Padres defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-3 to extend their NL West division lead to 6.5 games over San Francisco, their largest lead of the season.

Lowlight of the Year: The Padres after that date would finish 14-23 to ultimately miss the playoffs by an excruciating two games. In an even more cruel twist of fate, the Padres began a ten-game losing streak on August 26 to set off their free fall into oblivion.

The Lowdown:

The Padres were by far and away the most surprising team in baseball last year, finishing with 90 wins for the first time since 1998 with a largely unknown roster. There was not one single person who believed the Padres would even finish out of last place this year, let alone contend for the division title. The Friars stayed in contention (and in first) throughout the season based on the strength of their outstanding pitching, which statistically was the best in baseball. Their pitching had to be on point, because their offense was incredibly weak outside of Adrian Gonzalez for the majority of the season. The team would make some key moves to bolster the offense later in the season, acquiring Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada through trades to give San Diego a respectable lineup. However, their magic carpet ride would come to a deflating and demoralizing end in September, as the team could not hold off San Francisco, nor could they hold off a devastating 12-16 finish that saw them lose the division to the Giants by just two games. What potentially could have been the most shocking postseason run in recent baseball history was reduced to just a mere footnote, as it remains uncertain if the team can replicate the magic in 2011.

Offense:

Adrian Gonzalez was once again the offensive leader of this team, as he would finish with MVP-caliber numbers in 2010. The San Diego native finished with a .298 average, with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, to go along with a .393 on-base percentage, which tied for the fourth-best in the NL. The impressive numbers he put up playing mostly in a pitcher-friendly park are simply amazing, and the Padres will really miss his presence in the lineup heading into this season.

Nobody else really had much of a presence in the Friars’ lineup however, as only two other regulars even cracked .270 in batting average (Chris Denorfia and Yorvit Torrealba each hit .271). In fact, only Will Venable even hit more than 12 home runs on this squad, finishing with 13 along with 51 RBIs. Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick also added a marginal boost to this otherwise lackluster offense, combining for 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in the games they played. Nonetheless, the Padres finished 22^nd in runs scored (665), 22^nd in home runs (132), 28^th in batting average (.246), 23^rd in on-base percentage (.317) and 28^th in slugging (.371). While we all know that hindsight is 20/20, a better offensive effort would have easily placed this team into postseason play.

Final Grade: D-

Pitching:

San Diego’s pitching put together a performance that was the complete opposite of their offense, as they were easily the best staff in baseball this year. While there wasn’t necessarily a true “ace” in their starting rotation, right hander Mat Latos looks like he could assume the role very soon. Latos led the Padres in the majority of their pitching statistics, as he tied for the team lead in wins (14), along with leading the team in strikeouts (189), ERA (2.92) and WHIP (1.08). The 23-year-old nearly quadrupled his innings output from last year as well, finishing with 184.2 innings pitched, an indication that he’s ready to be a leader and stopper in their rotation.

In addition to his strong performance, lefty Clayton Richard and righty Jon Garland put together great seasons on the mound as well. Richard, in his first full season with the Padres, would finish 14-9 with a 3.75 ERA, including leading the team in innings pitched with 3.75. Jon Garland appeared to recapture the magic that he featured for the 2005 White Sox this year, finishing 14-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 200 innings. Lefty Wade LeBlanc and righty Kevin Correia rounded out the rotation, finishing with ERAs of 4.25 and 5.40, respectively.

As good as the Padres’ rotation was this year, their bullpen was even better. They featured the best bullpen ERA in baseball at 2.81, and they also featured three pitchers with ERAs under two with at least 60 appearances (Mike Adams, Heath Bell and Joe Thatcher). There isn’t one person you can pinpoint as the best reliever in this bullpen, as a host of players had phenomenal seasons. Lefty Joe Thatcher finished with the lowest ERA of any of the relievers (1.29), and he also fashioned a WHIP of 0.86. Set-up man Luke Gregerson had the most appearances of anybody on this staff (80), and he finished with a 3.22 ERA, along with a team-best WHIP of 0.83. Mike Adams, who also set-up for Heath Bell, finished with an ERA of 1.76 and a WHIP of 1.07 in 70 appeances, and Bell would finish with the second-most saves in the National League with 47, to go along with a 1.93 ERA.

Collectively, the Padres staff finished second in the majors in ERA (3.39), second in WHIP (1.25), second in “batting average against” (.240), 15^th in quality starts (87) and 22^nd in home runs allowed (139). You can forgive this team for the low number of quality starts because of the outstanding bullpen they have at their disposal. This staff was simply phenomenal.

Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Bud Black

His Manager of the Year honor was well-deserved, in spite of the team’s unspectacular finish. Just the fact that this team was in contention for as long as they were was incredible, and the way he handled the young arms of Mat Latos and Clayton Richard down the stretch should be commended. Remarkably enough, the Padres were without one of their best starters for the majority of the season, as Chris Young was battling injuries. Even though a great case could have been made for Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker winning the award, I truly believe that what Bud Black did this year was remarkable.

Final Grade: A+

Overall:

How this team was able to stay in contention with the lack of offense they had was stunning. Their starting pitching was on-point more often than not, and their bullpen was absolutely lights out. With Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Garland gone however, this team will have a decidedly different look to it heading into this season. Can they repeat the magic again? Only time will tell.

Final Grade: B+

Check back soon for the report card on the Texas Rangers!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 9- San Diego Padres

If there is one place I could pick to be at during this time of year, it would have to be sunny San Diego. Let's head there for day nine of our report cards today!

San Diego Padres:
Record: 75-87 (Fourth place in the NL West, 20 games behind Los Angeles).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Adrian Gonzalez (.277)
Home Runs: Adrian Gonzalez (40)
RBIs: Adrian Gonzalez (99)
On-base Percentage: Adrian Gonzalez (.407)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Kevin Correia (12)
ERA: Kevin Correia (3.91). Bullpen- Mike Adams (0.73).
Strikeouts: Kevin Correia (142)
Innings Pitched: Kevin Correia (198.0)
WHIP: Jake Peavy (1.19)
Saves: Heath Bell (42)

Highlight of the Season: A ten-game winning streak from May 15-25.

Lowlight of the Season: From June 30 to the All-Star Break, the team went 3-11, which destroyed any remaining bit of hope the team had of contending.

The Lowdown:
The Padres of 2009 were affected by a greatly reduced payroll, thanks to the divorce of their former owner, John Moores. With the team's status in limbo during the divorce, Moores sold the team to an ownership group led by former Diamondbacks CEO Jeff Moorad in early 2009. Now that the fans and players know who the owner is, they no longer have to watch the team become victims of an ugly custody battle. However, it remains to be seen exactly what approach Moorad will take to rebuild this team. All we can do for the time being is examine the remains of what was once a decent team three to four years ago.

Offense:
The offensive load of the Padres in 2009 rested squarely on the shoulders of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, and he did not disappoint, as he put up one of the best seasons at the plate in Padres history. His 40 home runs and 99 RBIs were easily the best season for a Padres hitter since Greg Vaughn's monster 1998 campaign, when he clobbered 50 home runs and drove in 119 for the eventual National League Champions. What made Gonzalez's season all the more impressive was the fact that he managed to do it in Petco Park, a notorious pitchers' park.

Once you get past Gonzalez, this lineup is painfully weak. There was nobody on the team that hit over .300 this year (including Gonzalez), and nobody outside of him hit over 20 home runs. The 638 runs they scored as a team ranked 29th in the majors, and their .242 team batting average was dead last. Nothing else to report here; this lineup, as a whole, flat out stinks.
Final Grade: F

Pitching:
Their rotation was crippled greatly by the absence of starting pitcher Chris Young, and by the trade of Jake Peavy. Those two were easily the best pitchers on the team, and they gave San Diego an effective 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. However, Young ended up becoming a victim of injuries in 2009, as he only started 14 games. In that time span, he went 4-6, with a 5.21 ERA. His statline was made worse by the fact that he lost his final four starts, in which he was likely pitching hurt. His last start came on June 14, a 6-0 loss to the Angels, before he was placed on the DL. He eventually underwent arthroscopic surgery on elbow and missed the rest of the season.

Peavy, however, was a victim of a trade. All throughout the tumultuous offseason for the team, Peavy's name was linked to several trade rumors, the biggest of which involved him going to the Chicago Cubs. Ultimately, he did go to Chicago- the right side of town, that is! The White Sox acquired him in a trade on July 31, which sent Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Dexter Carter and Adam Russell to San Diego in exchange for the righty. During his time in San Diego, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner was solid, going 6-6 in 13 starts, with a 3.97 ERA.

In the absence of those two, an unlikely pitcher would step up and become the staff ace during the season: Kevin Correia. The 29-year-old San Diego native put together an admirable campaign, going 12-11 in 33 starts, with a 3.91 ERA in 198 innings pitched. He also only surrendered 17 home runs in that time frame, another impressive stat, regardless if he pitches in a park that is heaven for pitchers. The rest of the pitching staff was nothing to write home about though, as starters Chad Gaudin and Josh Geer each recorded ERAs over five.

The Padres' bullpen had several standouts in 2009, including Luke Gregorson, closer Heath Bell, and Joe Thatcher. Gregorson proved to be a very effective set-up man for closer Bell, recording 27 holds and a 3.24 ERA in 75 innings. He also struck out an impressive 93 batters in that same time frame, which is a very comforting thing for Padres fans, and their manager, Bud Black. Even though the lineup was very weak, they knew that if they had a lead going into the late innings of a game, they had a lights-out bullpen that was capable of shortening the game and slamming the door.

Adding to their comfort was the season put together by Joe Thatcher. He was another reliable arm out of the 'pen in '09, appearing in 52 games and recording a 2.80 ERA. He also proved himself capable of getting a big strikeout when he needed to, fanning 55 in 45 innings. Gregorson and Thatcher each featured good enough arms in 2009 to build the bridge to get to closer Heath Bell.

Bell has filled the rather large shoes left by legendary closer Trevor Hoffman quite adequately, recording 42 saves in 48 chances this season. Even though the six blown saves he recorded are suspect, there was nothing suspect about the 2.71 ERA he put together in 69.2 innings this season. What was also impressive was that over that time span, he only surrendered three home runs. Three! That is exactly what you want out of your closer: someone who can turn out the lights at the end of the game, and won't leave you on the edge of your seat wondering if he'll do it. The season he put together was good enough for him to receive the 2009 National League Rolaids Relief Man Award, a yearly award given to the best reliever in each league.

When looking at the team stats for the Friars, and how they stack up against the rest of MLB, they hold up somewhat well in some categories, especially considering the absence of their two best hurlers. They finished 17th in ERA (4.37) and also featured the ninth-lowest "batting average against," coming in at a .258 clip. However, the major thing that killed this rotation (outside of not having Peavy and Young) was the amount of walks and runs they surrendered. The 603 walks they issued was the fourth highest in baseball, and the 769 runs they gave up was the ninth highest. Even if you do play in a pitchers' park, surrendering a ton of walks will ultimately haunt you.
Final Grade: C

Wild Card: Ballpark
There was nothing that really separated the Padres from the rest of the crowd, and I mean that in a good and bad way. So, I'll just give them a grade on their ballpark, since it looks great on television, and it is a ballpark that I would love to go to someday.
Final Grade: A-

Overall:
Nothing really impressed me about this team, except for Adrian Gonzalez and maybe Heath Bell. Their lineup was spectacularly bad, and their pitching was pretty mediocre. It is a good thing that they have such a beautiful ballpark, because this is probably baseball's most boring team to watch.
Final Grade: C-

Check back tomorrow for two report cards: one for the Oakland Athletics and one for the Toronto Blue Jays!

Rumor has it that....

The White Sox, Padres and Angels are discussing a three-way trade that would send Paul Konerko to Los Angeles, Adrian Gonzalez to Chicago and prospects to San Diego. A very interesting proposition, in my honest opinion. We would be getting a very great left-handed hitter who clubbed 40 home runs last year while playing in a pitcher's ballpark, not to mention a guy who can add some more balance to the lineup. With Thome's departure, there was a clear void in the lineup as far as left-handed power goes. If the Sox were somehow able to acquire Gonzalez, that void would be gone.

However, there is the issue of Konerko's no-trade clause, which is present only because of his 10-5 rights (10-5 rights means that if a player has been in the majors for at least 10 seasons, with the last five being on the same team, they have the power to veto any trade). According to the linked article, Konerko lives in Arizona during the offseason, and as you already know, Southern California is pretty close to Arizona. Nonetheless, I do not know how I feel about Konerko being traded. Yes, he is an "old" 33, but he is still very productive at the plate, and on the field as well. He hit .277 this year (his highest average since 2006), with 28 home runs and 88 RBIs, which is a pretty solid year at the plate. He was also one of my favorite players growing up, and I still have my Paul Konerko autograph on the bill of my Sox hat proudly sitting atop my trophy shelf. He is one of the greatest players in Sox history; he is second in team history in home runs, and he and Frank Thomas are the only two players in Sox history to post back-to-back 40 homer seasons. Sox fans will not forget how clutch he was during the 2005 postseason, when he hit possibly the biggest home run in team history in Game 2 (a 7th inning grand slam off of Chad Qualls). The day "Paulie" plays his final game in a Sox uniform will definitely be a sad one for me and many Sox fans.

But...if they do acquire Gonzalez, I would still be estatic. I would love to see him paired with Carlos Quentin in the lineup next year, and I would love to see him do work on American League pitching. He is similar to Konerko in a lot of ways. He carries himself with a quiet dignity that is similar to "Paulie;" he has unheralded power, just like him and he can field his position very well, just like him, too. The most awesome aspect about this trade idea is that he's 27 years old, which means he is just about to enter his prime. Now that I think about it, if this trade were to go through, I would be sad that Konerko left, but, at the same time, it would be like he never left at all once Gonzalez suits up at first. Like the old saying goes: "sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same." Kenny, if you were able to get this deal done, go for it!