Player Spotlights - Justin Verlander and Geovany Soto

Justin Verlander and Geovany Soto March 6, 2009

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SP Justin Verlander,Tigers, After winning AL Rookie of the Year winner in 2006, Justin Verlander had an even more impressive campaign in 2007, with 18 wins, a 3.66 ERA and an improved WHIP of 1.23. Certainly he looked like one of the elite young pitching talents in the league by the beginning of last season, but he inexplicably retreated into mediocrity finishing 2008 with only 11 wins while his ERA and WHIP ballooned to 4.84 and 1.40. In accordance with his newfound label as an underachieving enigma, Verlander will probably be available in about the 10th or 11th round of your fantasy draft, where he is well worth the risk. He still has one of the best arms in the league, is only 26, and if he can work out the mechanical problems he suffered from last year, mostly related to pitching with men on base, Verlander should be a nice value pick.

C Geovany Soto, Cubs, - Expectations were high for Geovany Soto coming into last season, and the Cubs young catcher did not disappoint, finishing the season with 23 HRs, 86 RBIs and a .285 average and walking away with NL Rookie of the Year honors in the process. Not surprisingly, you will probably need to expend about a 5th or 6th round draft pick on Soto in 2009, as only Russell Martin, Brian McCann and Joe Mauer command higher ADPs at the catcher position. Of course, no young player is without risk, and Soto is no exception, especially considering that he only had one standout year in the minor leagues (2007 -.353/26HR/109RBI) before his emphatic arrival last year. However, considering the relative scarcity of talent at the catcher position in 2009, Soto may be worth the steep investment, as he has a great chance of outperforming the most proximate best options, which will likely be Victor Martinez and Ryan Doumit.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com

Player Spotlights - Jacoby Ellsbury and Heath Bell

Jacoby Ellsbury and Heath Bell February 25, 2009

Live Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts, Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings, Player Trade Calculator, Fantasy Forums and more ! at FantasyBaseballXtreme.Com

OF Jacoby Ellsbury,Red Sox, Of course, the big secret is out on Ellsbury, as he proved last year that he has the potential to become one of the more exciting base stealing threats in the league. Although he did struggle through a minor dry spell in June/July 2008, hitting only about .245 with 9 SBs during this stretch, he had an amazing May, with 18 stolen bags, and he finished the season strong, with 15 SBs in the last 2 months, and producing a .340 average in September 2008. As a left-handed batter, another interesting trend that emerged last year was Ellsbury's effectiveness against lefty pitchers, he actually hit .295 vs. lefties, compared to .275 versus righties. While this emerging Red Sox centerfielder won't help you much in the power and RBI categories, he compares favorably to Jose Reyes in terms of stolen base potential, and you should be able to get him in the 4th or 5th round.

RP Heath Bell, Padres, - Anyone who has played fantasy baseball for a while knows that trying to forecast the saves category is usually very tricky, and in some years you will be able to get them from fairly unexpected sources. Heath Bell could be one of those under-rated closers in 2009 who can pleasantly bolster your fantasy saves total. With the legendary Trevor Hoffman packing his bags for Milwaukee, Bell is considered the leading candidate to assume the closer role for the Padres, and he has a pretty good history of excelling in the late innings. Heath Bell normally comes at hitters with his 92-94 MPH rising fastball, and he complements this pitch with an effective slider. He works efficiently, consistently throws strikes, and has been durable over the past two years. If you need to reach for a potential closer late in your draft, it looks like Heath Bell is a nice value in the 15th round area.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com

Player Spotlights - Troy Tulowitzki and Chien-Ming Wang

Troy Tulowitzki and Chien-Ming Wang February 21, 2009

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SS Troy Tulowitzki,Rockies, After his breakout season in 2007, where we saw Colorado's young SS hit .291 with 24 HRs and 99 RBIs, Tulowitzki and his unlucky fantasy owners suffered through a dreadful 2008, where he missed over 60 games with quadriceps and hand injuries and finished with only 8 HRs, 46 RBIs and a disappointing .263 average. As a consequence, Tulowitzi has gone from an approximate 4th round fantasy pick in 2008, to around a 9th round pick so far in 2009. At that kind of ADP, Troy Tulowitzki makes an excellent player to target in the mid-rounds of your draft.Word is that he is almost fully recovered from his troublesome quadriceps injury and there is every reason to believe that the 24-year old can recapture the productivity we saw out of him two years ago. Our early projections have Tulowitzki hitting over .280, with 19 HRs and about 80 RBI in 2009.

SP Chien-Ming Wang, NY Yankees, - Chien-Ming Wang was cruising along as his usual productive self in 2008 until he was afflicted with a foot injury before the All-Star break, and forced to miss the remainder of the season. Understandably, he is presently being ignored in many fantasy drafts, typically going after the 16th round. At this kind of ADP Wang makes an ideal addition to your fantasy pitching corps, as a value pick who can easily deliver 15 plus wins. When Wang is on, he throws a pretty good combination of pitches consisting of a power sinker, and a late-breaking slider. His sinker is considered one of the leagues best, and it allows him to work deep into many games by virtue of the groundouts he produces. While he usually won't produce more than 4-5 strikeouts per game, Wang still looks like a great value player to grab in 2009 for Wins, a sub-4 ERA and good WHIP ratio.

Player Spotlights By Junkyard Jake JunkyardJake.Com