Here is a look at the top 20 fantasy baseball outfielders for 2012 with my comments. A longer list with 2012 fantasy baseball projections is available in the 2012 FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide which is on sale now.

1. Matt Kemp – number of at bats the last four seasons, 606, 606, 602, 602 so that number to project is the easy part. His 2011 season was magical in every category but I don’t think he maintains that rate in 2012 as his fly ball rate and home runs per fly ball jumped from past seasons. He should be right in between 2010 and 2011 in terms of power with lots of stolen bases. I have him almost dead-even with CarGo so I am comfortable with flip-flopping them between now and draft day.

2. Carlos Gonzalez – his numbers weren’t quite as far off from 2010 as one might think since he had 106 less at bats. Hit much better at Coors Field again with a .331 average compared to .252 on the road. Home run rate picked up the second half of the season when he hit 13 in 163 at bats. Neck-and-neck with Kemp for the first outfielder to go off the board.

3. Jacoby Ellsbury – his home run total was a surprise as the rate for his fly balls going over the fence was so much higher than any other season it would be unrealistic to expect something similar in 2012. More home runs of course means less time on the bases which yields less stolen bases so you need to adjust those two numbers accordingly depending on how many home runs you expect him to hit in 2012. Hit 21 home runs after the All-Star Break with 11 stolen bases.

4.  Curtis Granderson – he ended 2010 with 17 home runs in 241 at bats after the All-Star Break and he was able to carry that same home run rate over the course of the entire 2011 season. His strikeout rate has risen for three straight seasons as he has swung for the fences more and he has enjoyed hitting in Yankee Stadium where he now has 36 home runs in 523 at bats there. His fly balls flew over the fence at a much higher rate in 2011 so expect that to pull back slightly.

5. Justin Upton – biggest reason for improvement in 2011 was good health and he was able to drastically cut his strikeout rate by 10 percentage points. Crushed the ball at home with 20 home runs and a .333 batting average at Chase Field. Increased his power output the second half of the season with 16 home runs in 244 at bats.

6. Josh Hamilton – numbers were in line with 2010 as was another season with time missed due to injury. Has one season with more than 518 at bats in four years which limits his chances to ever exceed his projected dollar value knowing he his bound to miss time at some point during the year.

7. Matt Holliday – nagging injuries impacted him at the plate as his strikeout rate was up five percentage points, but from a counting stats perspective, he would have outperformed his 2010 numbers if he had reached the same number of at bats as he had in 2010. Likely goes a few picks later in drafts this year since he missed time with injury which gives you a chance for a little profit.

8. Mike Stanton - showed what you want to see from a player in his first full season with growth the second half of the year. All numbers were higher the second half of the season including his walk rate which was significantly higher. Hit .271 in 214 at bats with 16 home runs and 36 RBI while drawing 40 walks after the All-Star Break.

9. Andrew McCutchen – traded contact for power which resulted in a lower batting average but more home runs. More at bats hitting third in the lineup than the previous season helped to boost his RBI total. Hit just .216 the second half of the season as strikeout rate ratcheted up.

10. Carl Crawford – a miserable first season with the Red Sox as he looked lost at the plate and when he did get on base he wasn’t running with only 24 stolen base attempts for the season. It was just recently announced that he had left wrist surgery which could impact his readiness for Opening Day. Struggled against left-handed pitching batting just .195 in 164 at bats. It stands to reason for a bounce back season in his second year of a massive contract but not all of the way back to 2010 levels as his strikeout rate has risen the last three seasons..

11. Hunter Pence  – the move mid-season to the Phillies led to an increase in all of his numbers except for stolen bases as he attempted just two steals in 54 games with his new team. Has hit .318 in his career at Citizens Bank Park in 129 at bats with three home runs and 18 RBI. Expect more home runs in 2012 and fewer stolen bases than in past seasons.

12. Jay Bruce – it looked like he made improvements in 2011 but really the main ingredient was an additional 76 at bats then the previous season. His RBI total was helped by hitting a spot higher in the lineup in 2011. Was better when hitting 5th (15 home runs, 46 RBI) vs. 4th (10 home runs, 33 RBI) in the batting order.

13. Shin-Soo Choo – injuries limited to half of a season in 2010. Nothing in his stats showed much change so there is nothing to suggest he won’t be at his 2009-2010 levels in 2012. He has been getting knocked lower in mock drafts which is good news for astute fantasy owners.

14. Nelson Cruz – injuries have held him under 476 at bats the last three seasons. Massive difference when he hits at home compared to the road. He hit .293 vs. .233 (2011), .371  vs. .267 (2010) and .286 vs. .232 (2009). Given the amount of time he misses each season, you need to have a good outfielder on reserve to fill in for him.

15. Desmond Jennings – hit .294 for his career in the minor leagues with an 85% success rate stealing bases. He is not a 20 home run hitter yet so don’t make the mistake of pro-rating his power numbers out over the course of a full season. Should be in the low teens in terms of power and should be close to 40 stolen bases for the season.

16. B.J. Upton – batting average tanked at home with a .209 average in 273 at bats at Tropicana Field. Strikeout rate remained the same which limits his batting average. Would really like to see him get a full season hitting second or third in the batting order where he has hit much better in his career. If that happens, bump his value up a notch or two.

17. Michael Bourn – stolen bases did not fall off with the trade to Atlanta last season as he had 29 attempts in 53 games. Should be close to 60 steals again but his batting average will be lower after an inflated hit rate in 2011. Has hit .273 with a home run and 11 RBI in 43 games at Turner Field in his career.

18. Shane Victorino – reversed decline against right-handed pitching from the previous two seasons which helped to boost this batting average back up.  Stolen bases were under 20 for the first time in the last five seasons, but that was due more to a lack of attempts rather than a decline in skill.

19. Corey Hart – better second half than first when he hit .297 with 16 home runs in 266 at bats. More than half of his at bats came hitting first in the batting order which reduced his RBI total so that should be headed up as he moved lower in the order in 2012.

20. Alex Gordon - magical season in 2011 but don’t pay for a repeat. Batting average was propelled by some luck, plus the fact he finally hit left-handed pitching. Kansas City was aggressive on the bases last season which drive his stolen base total.

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Third basemen Brett Lawrie (TOR) has been crushing the ball in AAA and it should be only another month or two before we see him in the major leagues. Lawrie has a home run with six doubles and two stolen bases in 51 at bats.

Outfielder Desmond Jennings (TB) is waiting patiently in Triple-A for his shot in the major leagues in 2011. Jennings is hitting .286 with two home runs and six RBI to go with four stolen bases for the year.

The Kansas City Royals have several prospects that dynasty league fantays baseball owners will be keeping a close eye on.First basemen Eric Hosmer is killing AAA pitching so far with a .415 batting average and home run plus eight RBI. Third basemen Mike Moustakas is off to a slower start in 2011, hitting .235 with two home runs and eight RBI in 51 at bats.

Some people were questioning Mike Trout’s (LAA) lack or power last season but keep in mind that he wont turn 20 for another four months. So far he is off to a nice start in AA, hitting .304 with four home runs and three stolen bases with a seven to nine walk to strikeout ratio.

Outfielder Brett Jackson (CHC) has gotten off to a good start in Double-A, hitting .385 with a home run and six stolen bases. More impressive has been his walk to strikeout out ratio which currently stands at 11 to 9. He had 228 at bats in AA last season so I would expect to see him promoted to Triple-A by the middle of the year.

Shortstop Dee Gordon (LAD) is hitting .286 in Triple-A with six stolen bases. He doesn’t have much pop but he should provide a lot of stolen bases once he hits the major leagues. Despite not getting the call up when Rafael Furcal was injured, he is still high in the Dodgers plans and should already be on someone’s roster in NL only leagues.

12 / 15 team mixed league:

OF – Brennan Boesch (DET) – currently 5th on the Tigers for at bats and is seeing more playing time than Ryan Raburn. Currently is hitting .364 with a home run and five RBI.

OF – Desmond Jennings (TB) – now has one less player in his way for at bats in the Tampa Bay lineup with Manny Ramirez retiring. Should be up some time in May and brings to the table plenty of speed. Has a career minor league average of .299 with a career stolen base percentage of 84%.

RP – Jordan Walden (LAA) – took over the closer job from Fernando Rodney and I see no reason why he should not hold it the entire season. He rings up a lot of strikeouts and Rodney was a demotion waiting to happen, it just happened sooner than I expected it to.

RP - Sean Burnett (WAS) – has already picked up two saves, but is job is more of a result of Drew Storen struggling than anything else. Storen has two straight scoreless outings and will find himself back in the mix for saves with another couple of clean appearances.

RP – Kyle Farnsworth (TB) – picked up the first save in the Rays bullpen and while he not might have the majority of saves by the time the season ends, if you need a fill in for a few weeks, he can fit the bill.

American League Only:

1B – Casey Kotchman (TB) – called up to start at first base with the retirement of Manny Ramirez and should see the majority of at bats against right-handed pitching for now.

2B – Luke Hughes (MIN) – with Tsuyoshi Nishioka out of action for four to six weeks, Hughes will get the chance to see the majority of starts at second base. Hughes has hit .270 in his minor league career with 56 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 2,166 at bats.

3B – Wilson Betemit (KC) – with Mike Aviles struggling at the plate and struggling in the field with three errors committed, Betemit is starting to see some more at bats at the hot corner.

OF – Sam Fuld (TB) – the retirement of Manny Ramirez creates a void in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays which could give some additional at bats to Fuld. Worth a grab if your team is light on stolen bases as that is the one category he can provide help in.

National League Only:

C – Wilson Ramos (WAS) – will start to see more playing time ahead of Ivan Rodriguez going forward. I don’t think he has enough power to give him value except in the deepest of mixed league formats.

SS – Willie Bloomquist (AZ) – Stephen Drew is back at shortstop, but he could see time at multiple positions in a reserve role and in the outfield as a possible platoon partner with Gerardo Parra. His stolen bases give him some additional value if your team is

With the Boston Red Sox off to an 0-6 start, manager Terry Francona made some changes to the lineup, with the most significant impact being to Jacoby Ellsbury dropping to 8th in the batting order, which could cost him 50 to 75 at bats over the course of the season if he stays in that position.

For all the talk about Ryan Raburn being a sleeper for the Detroit Tigers, especially in those leagues where he qualifies at second base, Brennan Boesch has actually been seeing more time, now with 22 at bats to Raburn’s 15. Of course it helps that Boesch is off to a good start hitting .364 with a home run and five RBI while Raburn is without a home run and batting .267.

Brian Wilson struggled in his second outing since returning from the disabled list, allowing four baserunners in 2/3 of an inning and two runs before being bailed out by Ramon Ramirez. If you own Segio Romo in mixed leagues, I would still hold onto him in case Wilson has to miss any more time.

Stephen Drew returned to the lineup for the Arizona Diamondbacks at shortstop, but Willie Bloomquist still got a start, this time in left field for Gerard Parra with a southpaw on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds. Bloomquist gives the Diamondbacks a leadoff hitter so we’ll see how much time he continues to get with Drew back in action.

Fantasy baseball owners looking for saves finally got an inkling into who may get the early saves in Tampa Bay with Kyle Farnsworth getting the first save of the season. On the other hand, Matt Thornton blew his second save in as many chances for the Chicago White Sox after giving up a three-run home run to Dan Johnson.

In 369 career at bats at Tropicana Field, Damon has a .279 average with 11 home runs and 59 RBI t0 go with 17 stolen bases. The downside to these deals from a fantasy baseball perspective is it now blocks Desmond Jennings from a job and tickets him back to Triple-A where he awaits a Manny injury, a possible B.J. Upton trade or a long shot of Damon moving to first base if Dan Johnson can’t get the job done.

I still think Jennings is worth grabbing in deeper mixed annual league formats in one of the last rounds or as a reserve. Given the age of Damon and Manny, plus the option to swing Ben Zobrist to second base on occasion could still net Jennings 300+ at bats by the time the season is over.

I don’t really understand why it has to be an either or position since there is room for both in the lineup as the Rays don’t have a set designated hitter yet plus Ben Zobrist can swing to second base several games a week which would open an outfield spot as well. The initial thought by fantasy baseball owners was that the loss of Carl Crawford would be offset by Jennings replacing him and I think that is still the case regardless of what “noise” is out there before the season starts.

Remember now is the time of year with no real action going on that quotes from managers or general managers come out as well as players being in the best shape of their life and so and so losing weight that it can cause fantasy owners to adjust their rankings. Until spring training comes around and there are more reports that are much more accurate, for now anything else is pure speculation. If own Jennings, I would still expect him to get the majority of time. Even if for some reason he starts the year in Triple-A, it is only likely for a month or two at most. Here is a look at each player in a little more detail.

Desmond Jennings: remember that Jennings was a candidate to open with the Rays last year before injuries cropped up. He ended the year only getting 21 at bats, batting .190 with two stolen bases. His minor league career average is .299. If you take his total Triple-A numbers across two seasons, in 513 at bats, he hit six home runs with 53 RBI and 52 stolen bases. He has been very successful on the bases in his minor league career with an 84% success rate. He just turned 24 in October so he is not a really young player so it makes no sense to give him too much more time in AAA if any. I expect him to hit near the top of the order and score a good amount of runs with a few home runs and lots of stolen bases.

Matt Joyce: Joyce is two years older than Jennings and has flashed some good power in limited major league at bats. In 490 career at bats, he has 25 home runs with 80 RBI and a .243 batting average. With a career minor league batting average of .275, that is about the ceiling for him in the major leagues as the majority of players hit lower in the major leagues than they did in the minors. As with most left-handed hitters he struggles against spouthpaws so even if he starts he is a platoon player at best. In 51 at bats against lefties, he has hit only .157 with no home runs.

To me, Jennings is still the guy to own in mixed leagues. Joyce only has value in AL only leagues and even there you would be missing at bats if he starts because he will sit against left-handed starting pitching.

1) Stephen Strasburg (WAS) – not much to say about him as he as lived up to the hype. Is expected to get his first major league start on June 8th. It looks like the Washington Nationals are going to limit him to around 100 innings or so in the minor leagues. The only number that is potentially impacted is his win total. For example, if he were to theoretically throw 11 complete games, then he hits the mark and is done in August. If he say averages 6 innings per start, then he would get roughly 16 starts the rest of the way which would give him a chance for five additional wins. His minor league numbers to date show a 1.43 ERA with a .79 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings with a .157 batting average against.

2) Carlos Santana (CLE) – There has been very little chatter out of Cleveland as to when Santana may be recalled but with only Lou Marson in front of him, it should be any day now. Santana is hitting .316 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 51 games. He has also walked 42 times and struck out 34 which is pretty incredible for a switch-hitting 24-year-old. On top of that, he has also stolen six bases without being caught.

3) Mike Stanton (FLO) – it seems like every day there is news on when Stanton is coming to the major leagues. While the power is legit, there are still questions I have with a strikeout rate of 28% in Double-A. Jumping Triple-A to the majors gives me concern for his batting average, but not his power numbers. He is not going to steal any bases so home runs and RBI is what he is bringing to the table. Stanton is currently hitting .300 with 20 home runs and 50 RBI in 49 games.

4) Aroldis Chapman (CIN) – Chapman has run off three solid starts in a row after struggling in mid-May. He now sports a 3.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. His control and pitch counts are what is keeping him in the minor leagues and with the Cincinnati Reds rotation pitching decent and the team winning there is no need to rush him despite the talent he possesses. I think with another few starts like his last three in succession though would make it easier for the team to promote him with some momentum.

5) Madison Bumgarner (SF) – it looked like Bumgarner was getting close to a call up but the San Francisco Giants have stuck with Todd Wellemeyer as the 5th starter and he has come up with two solid starts in a row. Bumgarner is pitching tonight in Triple-A and has run off 25 1/3 scoreless innings. His season numbers stand at a 2.04 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. With Brian Sabean taking forever to promote Buster Posey and his love of veteran players, Bumgarner might be down on the farm a little longer than he should be.

6) Jake Arrieta (BAL) – there are many holes in the Baltimore rotation so he could be called up at any point this season. He has a 1.91 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP to go along with 60 strikeouts in 66 innings. He has improved his control in his last three starts with two walks per start so he is getting closer to getting the call up. He has also held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average so far this season.

7) Brett Wallace (TOR) – with Lyle Overbay starting to hit a little bit and the Blue Jays banging out home runs every night, there has not been much of a swell of support for Wallace despite his performance in Triple-A. Wallace is hitting .282 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI  in 209 at bats. He still needs a little bit of work on his plate discipline, but he could be called up at anytime and up some decent numbers for your team.

Desmond Jennings (TB) – Jennings may have been higher on the list had he not suffered through several injuries to start the season. As it is, with Tampa Bay rolling and the versatility of so many players on the major league team, it is easier to give him more at bats in Triple-A and let him get in a groove which he has yet to find so far this season. Jennings is hitting .248 with 12 stolen bases in 101 at bats.

9) Dan Hudson (CHW) – every time it seems like Freddy Garcia is on the verge of getting bounced from the rotation, he goes out and throws a gem, leaving Hudson to work more in Triple-A. Outside of a bad April, Hudson has turned it around with a solid May, going 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, including 44 strikeouts in 37 innings.

10) Tanner Scheppers (TEX) – not sure how much of a fantasy impact he will have as a set up pitcher, but with all of the volatility we have seen this season at the closer position, you can never go wrong with a power arm in the bullpen. Scheppers has pitched in relief at two levels this year and has a 1.00 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in 27 innings. He could serve a set up role for the Texas Rangers the second half of the season.

Arrieta on the other hand at the same level has a 1.86 ERA to go along with a 1.14 WHIP ratio and 55 strikeouts in 63 innings. He is holding hitters to a measly .181 batting average which is almost 70 points lower than that of Tillman. He still needs to harness his control as evidenced by his 4.6 walks per nine innings. He has worked scoreless outings in four of his 10 starts so far this season.

Jeremy Hellickson continues to carve up Triple-A hitters and sits ready for a call up to Tampa Bay. Hellickson tossed a one-hit gem on Monday with eight shutout innings and five strikeouts. He has a 2.79 ERA after 10 starts with a 1.22 WHIP ratio and 60 strikeouts in 58 innings. He has allowed more than three runs in only one start so far this year.

If you break down the numbers of Daniel Hudson in Triple-A it has been really a tale of two different months. He was bombed in April to the tune of a 9.37 ERA with six home runs allowed in 16 1/3 innings. He has completely righted the ship in May and gotten back on track with a 1.97 ERA in five starts with 41 strikeouts in 32 innings. The man ahead of him in the major leagues, Freddy Garcia has been inconsistent with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. With the Chicago White Sox struggling and possible changes around the corner, Hudson should be seeing his ticket punched to the majors early this summer.

Desmond Jennings has returned to action in Triple-A after missing time the first part of the season with various injuries. He has not shown much power in three weeks of at bats, but his speed has been on display. Jennings is hitting .260 with no home runs, five RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Mike Moustakas is punishing Double-A pitching and could be looking at a bump up to Triple-A very shortly. Moustakas is hitting .390 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI with 17 walks against only 18 strikeouts in 118 at bats. He could finally be the long term solution the Kansas City Royals are looking for at third base.

Lars Anderson was promoted to Triple-A several weeks ago by the Boston Red Sox and has slowed down at the plate after a scorching start at Double-A. Anderson is hitting .243 in 70 at bats in Triple-A with two home runs and nine RBI. His overall numbers have him with a .295 average, seven home runs and 25 RBI on the season.

2010 Tampa Bay Rays Projected Batting Order:

1.  SS Jason Bartlett (ADP 106)
2.  LF Carl Crawford (ADP 15)
3.  3B Evan Longoria (ADP 11)
4.  1B Carlos Pena (ADP 73)
5.  2B Ben Zobrist (ADP 56)
6.  RF Pat Burrell (ADP 428)
7.  CF B.J. Upton (ADP 54)
8.  DH Hank Blalock / Sean Rodriguez /  Matt Joyce (ADP 414 / 350 / 307)
9.  C Kelly Shoppach (ADP 393)

2010 Tampa Bay Rays Projected Rotation & Bullpen:

1.  James Shields (ADP 122)
2.  Matt Garza (ADP 118)
3.  Jeff Niemann (ADP 220)
4.  David Price (ADP 181)
5.  Wade Davis (ADP 325)

Closer – Rafael Soriano (ADP 155)
Handcuff – J.P. Howell

2010 Tampa Bay Rays Prospects with potential impact this year:

1.  Desmond Jennings – OF
2.  Jeremy Hellickson – SP
3.  Reid Brignac – 2B / SS

In a one year league or a league with keepers, but not the entire roster, it does no good to roster a guy like Josh Vitters in Single-A when you could use that roster spot for a guy that is going to help you in 2010.

When evaluating rookies, I am looking at two things. One is the players skill set and the other is the chance for an opportunity.

Here is a look at the top 2010 fantasy baseball rookies (for the purposes of this article, I am using my definition of a rookie as a player that did not appear in the major leagues last year) that have the best chance of making an impact in 2010.

1) Jason Heyward (OF) – has shown the ability to do everything at the minor league level despite being only 20 years old last year. Has a very good eye at the plate and owns a .318 minor league batting average along with a 84% stolen base success rate. Has the frame to hit 30+ home runs as he gets older. With Bobby Cox in his last year as Atlanta Braves and the willingness of the Braves to promote prospects through the system regardless of age leads me to believe that Heyward starts the season in the major leagues.

2) Stephen Strasburg (SP) – the No. 1 pick out of San Diego State appeared in the Arizona Fall League and went 4-1 with a 4.26 ERA. He struck out 23 batters while allowing seven walks in 19 innings. There is no one better than him currently in the Washington Nationals rotation and the fact the Nationals are having him pitch in home games only in spring training to draw fans (they are already working on marketing him) leads me to believe  he starts the year in the major leagues.

3) Austin Jackson – expected to start the season in center field and hit lead off for the Detroit Tigers. Minor league batting average of .287 with a 78% stolen base success rate. Needs to cut down on his strikeouts and power is still developing so keep expectations realistic for him in 2010.

4) Desmond Jennings (OF) - has a .305 career batting average with good plate discipline. Has a career stolen base success rate of 82%. With two potential openings in Tampa Bay in place of Pat Burrell or Matt Joyce, Jennings should be up for good in May and could post numbers similar to Carl Crawford.

5) Drew Storen (RP) – it was a rapid rise up the ladder for Storen in 2009. After being drafted in the first round by the Washington Nationals, he pitched at three levels and ended the year by pitching in the Arizona Fall League. Had a 1.95 ERA with a .78 WHIP ratio with 49 strikeouts in 37 innings in the minor leagues. He followed that up with a .66 ERA in the AFL with 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He is the future closer of the Nationals and could see some save opportunities late in the season.

6) Aroldis Chapman (SP) – Cuban left-hander that has a slight chance to break camp with the Cincinnati Reds. Reportedly needs some work on his command but has looked good throwing to hitters so far. Of course that is entirely different from facing an entire batting order in game conditions. The Reds only have one spot in their rotation up for grabs, so he is in the mix with several other contenders.

7) Pedro Alvarez (1B/3B) – not a bad first season with 27 home runs and 95 RBI while split between two levels. Nice to see improvement in his batting average after being promoted to Double-A where he hit .333 compared to .247 in High-A. Should be up in June after spending a couple of months in Triple-A.

8.) Michael Taylor (OF) – the trade to the Oakland A’s in the off-season gives him a faster track at making it to the major leagues. Hit 20 home runs with 85 RBI and 21 stolen bases between two levels in 2010. The lack of power in the A’s outfield should put Taylor in the major leagues by mid-season.

9) Carlos Santana (C) – switch-hitting catcher with power and plate discipline. Hit 23 home runs in Double-A last season with 97 RBI. Has a career minor league batting average of .287 with more walks than strikeouts (288 vs. 283). Will start the season in Triple-A and should be ready to take over as full-time catcher for the Cleveland Indians the second half of the season.

10) Jeremy Hellickson (SP) – could probably step into the Tampa Bay rotation now with some success but there is no room with five solid starters currently in the rotation. Dominated between Double-A and Triple-A with a 2.45 ERA and a .886 WHIP ratio. Had a 10.4 K/9 ratio while allowing only 2.3 walks per nine.

11) Chris Carter (1B) – power potential on a team lacking in power makes him a player to target for 2010. Finished the season with 54 at bats in Triple-A for the Oakland A’s. Crushed Double-A pitching to the tune of a .337 average with 24 home runs, 101 RBI and 41 doubles. With the Daric Barton era on its last legs, Carter should see time the second half of the year.

12) Justin Smoak (1B) – struggled at Triple-A after being promoted at the end of the 2009 season. The 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Smoak has made a rapid rise up the Texas Rangers farm system. Gives the Rangers an option at first base if Chris Davis struggles and is unable to cut down his strikeouts.

13) Brett Wallace (1B) – could have won a spot in the major leagues with the Oakland A’s to start the year, but the trade to the Toronto Blue Jays means he likely starts the year in the minor leagues. Career .305 minor league hitter that should be a 20 home run per year type of guy once he gets to the Show. Probably won’t see action until after the trade deadline assuming the Blue Jays can move Lyle Overbay.

14) Logan Morrison (1B) – suffered a fracture in his right wrist in 2009 which limited his at bats to 278. Has great plate discipline as he walked 17 more times than he struck out. Power still needs to develop, but with the budget conscious Marlins, he has a chance to open the year at first base. Could put up similar stats to James Loney of 2009.

15) Jake Arrieta (SP) – another good arm in the Baltimore Orioles farm system that made it to Triple-A the second half of last year.  Was easier to hit once he got there, posting a 3.93 ERA and a 1.418 WHIP with 7.7 K/9. Numbers were much better in Double-A before the promotion with a 2.59 ERA, 1.153 WHIP and 10.7 K/9. Look for Arrieta to appear in the Orioles rotation the second half of the season.

16) Hector Rondon (SP) – the Indians rotation is a mess so it’s not like he has a bunch of stud pitchers to pass on the depth chart. Split time last season between Double-A and Triple-A. Has shown good control in the minor leagues with 1.9 walks per nine innings and eight strikeouts per nine. Even if he starts the year in Triple-A for more seasoning, he should not be down there too long. Just turned 22 this week.

17) Ike Davis (1B) – the 18th overall pick in the 2008 draft made it to Double-A last year where he hit .309 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI in 207 at bats. With Daniel Murphy and Mike Jacobs the New York Mets option at first base, it could be only a matter of time before Davis gets a look.

18) Jason Castro (C) – only has Humberto Quintero in front of him and the Astros need all of the offense they can get. Reached Double-A last season and it would be quite jump for him to reach the major leagues. However, holds a .295 career minor league batting average with good plate discipline (77 walks to 108 strikeouts). Struggled in the Arizona Fall League hitting .143 in 42 at bats.