Woco Baseball: Heck's Preview

Heck’s completely scientific season preview/analysis by position

Look, it's Carlos Santana!

CATCHERS

Methodology: By averaging six (that’s right, SIX!) different projection models, I’m going to analyze how the best player for each position on each team should perform this year. This is an inexact science, but it is science, dammit. I understand that rosters are not set, and there are some situations that are more fluid than others (obviously Brandon won’t be starting Yasmani Grandal for a while, but he’s the best catcher on his team at this time). The best player at each position will get 100 points, with all other teams scoring points based on the percentage of the best player’s point total that they are projected to attain (it will make sense when you see it). And there’s no extra credit for depth – a few teams have solid backups in place, but that is irrelevant for this exercise…

#1 – ISOTOPES – Carlos Santana, CLE- 100 POINTS

Very interesting output from the projections. Santana is listed as the 5^th or 6^th best catcher in fantasy for most single season league cheat sheets, but here he is, atop the list. Counting on a return to pre-2012 numbers, obviously…

CBS	506
RotoChamp	509
Steamer	431
Bill James	538
Oliver	472
ZIPS	466
AVERAGE	487

#2 – BASHFUL SATANISTS – Buster Posey, SF – 98.36 POINTS

M-V-P! M-V-P! Last year’s NL MVP can’t even get enough love from the projections to be the #1 gggggguy at his position. I guess Buster will just have to stay healthy and do it again to stick it to the computers.

CBS	490
RotoChamp	532
Steamer	440
Bill James	528
Oliver	412
ZIPS	472
AVERAGE	479

#3 – MATTROSTARS – Joe Mauer, MIN – 89.19 POINTS

That handsome star of stage and screen (okay, just a handful of commercials), Mauer has seen a couple of young upstarts catch him as the top fantasy catchers in the league. When Joe stays healthy though, he’s still capable of being a difference maker behind the dish…

CBS	456
RotoChamp	473
Steamer	387
Bill James	481
Oliver	396
ZIPS	413
AVERAGE	434.3

#4 – T-BAGGERS – Matt Weiters, BAL – 87.23 POINTS

Weiters’ offensive breakout season finally came in 2012 – can he build on that? The projections like him, but not quite enough to take him up to the top 3…

CBS	470
RotoChamp	456
Steamer	359
Bill James	445
Oliver	394
ZIPS	425
AVERAGE	424.8

#5 – ELEPHANT BALLS – Mike Napoli, BOS – 81.79 POINTS

This will almost certainly be Napoli’s final season with catcher eligibility – it’s been a fun ride! If he can stay healthy, he’s likely to put up some nice numbers banging balls off the Monster…

CBS	418
RotoChamp	477
Steamer	338
Bill James	431
Oliver	380
ZIPS	346
AVERAGE	398.3

#6 – NORRIS SLUM LORDS – Yadier Molina, STL – 81.49 POINTS

I’m a little surprised to see Yadier this far down the list. It seems the projections believe that his 2012 performance was a bit of an outlier. Up to Yadi to show us if they are correct…

CBS	422
RotoChamp	434
Steamer	341
Bill James	393
Oliver	406
ZIPS	385
AVERAGE	396.8

#7 – ROCKBUSTERS – Miguel Montero, ARI – 79.33 POINTS

Montero is the very definition of steady behind the plate. Not a black hole in your lineup, but probably not going to carry you to a weekly win, either…

CBS	405
RotoChamp	402
Steamer	350
Bill James	417
Oliver	377
ZIPS	367
AVERAGE	386.3

#8 – DADDY’S LITTLE BOYS – Brian McCann, ATL – 75.33 POINTS

Serious injury concerns hover over McCann this year after offseason shoulder surgery will keep him out of the lineup for at least the first two weeks of the season. Can he return to his pre-injury form or has that ship sailed?

CBS	331
RotoChamp	346
Steamer	303
Bill James	431
Oliver	405
ZIPS	385
AVERAGE	366.8

#9 – HELL’S KITCHEN HERZOGS – Wilin Rosario, COL – 73.96 POINTS

Was the 2012 season the real Wilin Rosario? 28 homers in the thin air of Coors Field? If he can do it again, we’ll see the projection systems give him a lot more respect next year…

CBS	363
RotoChamp	348
Steamer	357
Bill James	371
Oliver	381
ZIPS	341
AVERAGE	360.2

#10 – SNAPDRAGONS – Alex Avila, DET – 72.31 POINTS

After a dynamite 2011, Avila cratered a bit last year, perhaps returning to his true talent level. The projections see him somewhere in the middle, which would result in a slightly above league average performance…

CBS	363
RotoChamp	388
Steamer	295
Bill James	384
Oliver	353
ZIPS	330
AVERAGE	352.2

#11 – BROOKLYN BLUNTED B – Jonathan Lucroy, MIL – 68.38 POINTS

Lucroy batted a lusty .320 last year. If he can keep that up, he has some value. If not? Well…Chooch is only suspended for 25 games, right?

CBS	346
RotoChamp	348
Steamer	286
Bill James	375
Oliver	315
ZIPS	328
AVERAGE	333

#12 – LIMERICK LYNCHMOB – A.J. Pierzynski, TEX – 65.98 POINTS

Pierzynski is coming off of a career year at the age of 36. The projection models are understandably unconvinced that he can do it again. The move the Texas may help, but it’s not like US Cellular Field is a pitcher’s park…

CBS	324
RotoChamp	306
Steamer	287
Bill James	356
Oliver	339
ZIPS	316
AVERAGE	321.3

#13 – THE H TREE – Jarrod Saltalamacchia, BOS – 58.69 POINTS

Salty finally started hitting home runs last year. After kicking around the CWFLB for what feels like forever, has he found a home with the H Tree? Only if he continues his uptick in performance and stabilizes that batting average would be my guess…

CBS	309
RotoChamp	281
Steamer	213
Bill James	309
Oliver	321
ZIPS	282
AVERAGE	285.8

#14 – JACKRABBITS – Yasmani Grandal, SD – 55.10 POINTS

As mentioned above, this one is hard to grade. Grandal is absolutely a young up-and-comer at the catcher spot, but will sit out the first 50 this year after a PED suspension. Brandon will have to try to find league average performance out of someone in the meantime…