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 30- Philadelphia Phillies

Well, we did it. The final team on our list!

Philadelphia Philllies
Record: 97-65 (NL East Champions, six games ahead of Atlanta).

Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Placido Polanco (.298)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (31)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (108)
On-base Percentage: Jayson Werth (.388)

Pitching Leaders
Wins: Roy Halladay (21)
Strikeouts: Roy Halladay (219)
Innings Pitched: Roy Halladay (250.2)
ERA: Roy Halladay (2.44). Bullpen- Ryan Madson (2.55).
WHIP: Roy Halladay (1.04). Bullpen- Ryan Madson (1.04).
Saves: Brad Lidge (27)

Highlight of the Season: What else? On October 6, Roy Halladay tossed just the second no-hitter in postseason history in Game One of the NLDS, blanking the Reds 4-0.

Lowlight of the Season: Game Six of the NLCS, when the Giants ended the Phillies' season in stunning fashion, defeating them 3-2 in Philadelphia on October 23.

The Lowdown:
The Phillies were as good as advertised in 2010, easily winning their fourth consecutive division title behind a fantastic pitching rotation and an intimidating lineup that was among the best in baseball. Oddly enough though, the Phils didn't catch fire until the second-half of the season, finishing the year with a 23-7 kick as they would enter the playoffs as the overwhelming favorite to win their third-consecutive National League pennant. That feat had not been accomplished by a National League team since the 1942-1944 St. Louis Cardinals, but if there looked like a team that could pull that off again, it was Philadelphia.

The Phillies made easy work of the Cincinnati Reds in the first round, sweeping them to set up a showdown against the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. On paper, the match-up appeared to be a mismatch, but as we all know, these games aren't played on paper. The Phillies' mighty lineup was shut down by the superior pitching of the Giants, and not only that, the Giants' relatively weak lineup was able to get the best of their stable of outstanding starters, defeating Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels each. What looked like an easy road to a National League three-peat turned into a disappointing finish.

Offense:
Philadelphia's offense was strong yet again last year, finishing seventh in MLB in runs (772), ninth in home runs (166), 12th in batting average (.260) and 11th in on-base percentage (.332). Much like the Yankees, the Phillies featured a nice blend of contact, speed and power, between the quintet of Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley.

Victorino provided an element of speed and a dash of power, hitting 18 home runs while stealing 34 bases, a nice balance you like to see from your leadoff hitter. Placido Polanco, known in many circles as the most difficult man to strike out in baseball, hit a team-best .298, while striking out only 47 times in 554 at-bats. Then came the lumber company of Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley, as the three were all still very intimidating despite Howard and Utley missing time due to injuries. Howard still finished with 33 homers and 108 RBIs in 143 games, while Utley hit 16 homers and drove in 65 in just 115 contests. Jayson Werthh added an extra element of power in his final season in Philly, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 85, to go along with a nice .388 on-base percentage.

Grading this lineup isn't too difficult at all. While they weren't statistically as great as the Reds, Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers, they were still one of the best in baseball.
Final Grade: A

Pitching:
The staff was led by free agent acquisition Roy Halladay, and he was as good as everybody thought he would be in his first year in the National League. "Doc" went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA and a MLB-best 250.2 innings pitched. Not only that, he became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1973 to toss two no-hitters in a season, as he would throw a perfect game against the Marlins during the regular-season and another no-hitter against the Reds during the playoffs. His overall effort was good enough for him to earn his second Cy Young Award, joining a select fraternity to capture the award in both leagues.

Behind him in the rotation was Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP that found his mojo again. Hamels would finish 12-11 with a 3.08 ERA and 211 strikeouts, which is certainly the kind of pitching the Phillies and their fans would love to see from him again. The Phils also received a nice boost in the rotation when they acquired Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros via trade. Oswalt would make 13 starts in Philadelphia, going 7-1 with a 1.90 ERA along with a WHIP of 0.90.

In the bullpen, the Phils received strong performances from Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero. Madson was probably the best reliever in the bullpen last year, recording an ERA of 2.55, a WHIP of 1.04, 15 holds and 64 strikeouts in 53 innings. Lidge was solid in the closer's role once again, returning to form with a 2.96 ERA and 27 saves. Jose Contreras also saw time in the set-up role, recording 13 holds with a 3.34 ERA, while J.C. Romero had a fair 3.68 ERA in 60 appearances.

Overall, the Phillies had the best WHIP in baseball at 1.25, while they finished sixth in ERA (3.67) and 10th in "batting average against" (.254). Not too shabby.
Final Grade: A

Wild Card: Roy Halladay
The late manager Chuck Tanner once said of Willie Stargell that having him on your team was "like having a diamond ring on your finger." I'm sure manager Charlie Manuel feels the same way about Roy Halladay right now.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
If they didn't fizzle out against San Francisco in the NLCS, they would easily get an A+ from me.
Final Grade: A

Well, that will do it for our look at all 30 teams. Even though it took much longer than 30 days, I would like to thank each and every one of you who took the time out of your day to check out my blog, I really appreciate it! Make sure to check back soon for more posts on the White Sox and Major League Baseball on "The South Side Hit Parade!"

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 26- Philadelphia Phillies

I would like to offer you my most sincere apologies for not being here with you during the past couple of days. As many of you may know, it is not the easiest thing in the world updating this blog everyday, but I still love doing this nonetheless because I love baseball!

Anyway, without further adieu, I bring you the report card for the National League Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies:
Record: 93-69 (National League East Champions, and National League Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Shane Victorino (.292)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (45)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (141)
On-base Percentage: Chase Utley (.397)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer (12)
ERA: J.A. Happ (2.93). Bullpen- Scott Eyre (1.50).
Strikeouts: Cole Hamels (168)
Innings Pitched: Joe Blanton (195.1)
WHIP: Cliff Lee (1.13)
Saves: Brad Lidge (31)

Highlight of the Season: Clobbering the Dodgers at home 10-4 on October 21, to advance to their second-consecutive World Series.

Lowlight of the Season: Losing to the Yankees 7-3 on November 4, to lose the World Series.

The Lowdown:
The Phils were back at it once again in 2009, bringing their high-powered offense and solid pitching with them en route to their second-consecutive National League Pennant. Their offense seemed even stronger this year with the addition of Raul Ibanez as a free agent, replacing left fielder Pat Burrell. Then, near the trading deadline, the Phils acquired left-hander Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, in exchange for prospects. Once the Phils made this trade, they were seemingly invincible to the rest of the National League, as they won their division by a comfortable margin, and took the NL Pennant with ease, dispatching the Rockies in four games and the Dodgers in five during the postseason. Their only nemesis that stood between them and their second-consecutive World Title was the New York Yankees, another offensive juggernaut that won 103 games during the regular season. However, back-to-back championships were not in the works for the Fightin' Phils, as they fell to the Yankees in six games. Let's take a look at the 2009 National League Champions, beginning with their offense.

Offense:
You won't get too much of an argument from baseball fans if you say that the Phillies have the best offense in the National League, and probably all of baseball. Their lineup one through eight has enough muscle in it to make just about any pitcher tremble in their shoes. They have a blend of speed (Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Utley, and Jayson Werth each had over 20 steals), power (Howard, Werth, Ibanez and Utley each had over 30 homers) and contact hitting (Victorino and Utley each hit over .280) within their lineup to make things incredibly difficult for the opposition. Despite the power totals, this team can still beat you in many different ways, as evidenced in their stolen base leaders.

The most difficult question of them all could possibly be this: Just who exactly was their best (or most important) hitter in 2009? Was it Ryan Howard, who put up another MVP-caliber season by hitting .275, with 45 home runs and 141 RBIs? Could it be Chase Utley, who- as a second baseman, no less- hit .282, with 31 homers and 93 RBIs, to go along with 23 steals and a team high .397 on-base percentage? Maybe it could be Jayson Werth, who put up a relatively quiet 36 home runs and 99 RBIs, along with 20 steals himself? Or could it be Raul Ibanez, who hit 34 home runs and drove in 93? I'll let you decide for yourself.

Possibly the only downfall of their lineup this year was the lack of production from Jimmy Rollins, who hit a dismal .250, to go along with an equally horrific .296 on-base percentage. However, center fielder Shane Victorino picked up the slack for him, as he hit .292 in the lead-off spot. Rollins' lack of production this year was only a minor bump in the road for the Phils though, as they had more than enough offense to make up for it.

Overall, Philadelphia finished fourth in runs scored (820), fifth in doubles (312), tied for second in home runs (224), and finished 14th in on-base percentage (.334). The only thing that they did not do well as a whole was hit for average, as they tied for 22nd in that category (.258). They can be forgiven for that minor transgression though, seeing as they have one of the most dynamic and exciting offenses in baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Before the arrival of Cliff Lee on July 29, it was fairly noticeable to many following baseball that the Phillies' pitching had slipped a bit from 2008. Staff ace Cole Hamels had a sub-par year by his standards, as he finished 10-11, with a 4.32 ERA. This was down considerably from his stellar 2008 campaign, when he went 14-10, with a 3.09 ERA. Along with this, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer were mediocre-to-below-average in the rotation themselves, as they finished with ERAs of 4.05 and 4.94, respectively. Their decent won-loss records (Blanton 12-8, Moyer 12-10) were only salvaged by the team's explosive offense. In any event, Moyer's season was bad enough for him to get demoted to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez, who they signed after the All-Star Break.

It turned out to be the right move for the Phils, as Pedro proved to be a big shot in the arm for the team down the stretch. He started nine games during the season, and he proved to be pretty sharp in that time span, finishing with a 5-1 record, to go along with a 3.63 ERA. He wasn't the only shot in the arm for the Phils though, as they also received an outstanding performance from left-handed rookie J.A. Happ. The 27-year-old Northwestern alum was pretty sharp himself during the season, finishing 12-4, with a 2.93 ERA, along with a solid WHIP of 1.23. These numbers were obviously good enough to warrant Rookie of the Year consideration, and it came as a relative surprise to many when he did not win it, considering that he played on an outstanding team in a major market.

Lefty Cliff Lee came through big for the Phils in the second half, as he was the biggest difference-maker on this staff last year by far. In 12 starts with the team, he was fantastic, going 7-4, with a 3.39 ERA, along with an impressive WHIP of 1.13. He ended up carrying the staff during the second half, as he helped give the Phils a final surge to win their third straight NL East crown.

The bullpen was mediocre at best in 2009, as Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson were arguably the two best relievers on the team. Eyre would finish with an impressive 1.50 ERA in 42 appearances this season, while Madson was the jack-of-all-trades bullpen-wise, finishing with a 3.26 ERA in 79 appearances, while recording 10 saves and 26 holds. His save total came as a result of briefly replacing Brad Lidge as the closer, since Lidge fell considerably from his 2008 success. Lidge, despite recording 31 saves, also recorded a ghastly 11 blown saves, and a bloated ERA of 7.21. It is a testament to just how strong this team is as a whole that they managed to survive Lidge's woes throughout 2009, as the inability to close out games has crushed some teams in the past.

Overall, Philly finished eighth in ERA (4.16), 24 in runs allowed (709), 28th in walks (489), and tied for 18th in on-base percentage (.265). You would think that mediocre performances from some of the most important people on the staff would drag the team's numbers down, but this is truly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts this year.
Final Grade: B+

Wild Card: Four 30-homer-men
Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley became the first quartet of players on the same team to go deep at least 30 times each since the White Sox turned the trick in 2006, when Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede pulled it off. They also were the first National League team to accomplish this since 2004, when Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee pulled it off for the Cubs. They are only the 12th team in MLB history to reach this milestone, as Chase Utley was the last to join the 30 homer club, drilling his 30th in D.C. on September 8. An impressive feat from an impressive team.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
Failing to win the World Series last year will only motivate this team heading into this year. With the addition of Roy Halladay, this team is locked in and ready to go, as they will attempt to become the first National League team since the 1942-1944 Cardinals to win three consecutive pennants. The bigger question heading into 2010 won't be who will make the World Series out of the NL, rather, who will be good enough to unseat Philadelphia?
Final Grade: A+

Check back soon for the report card on the Boston Red Sox!