Offense
might be declining in baseball across the board, but there are still some
premier hitters in the majors right now. As people get ready for fantasy
baseball money leagues, it is important to identify who the best are out there.
Mike
Trout
For
three years, Trout has shown that he might be the best overall player in the
game. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t even reached his prime. Trout will be
looking to take another step forward this year, but it will be hard to build
off of a MVP season. Maybe if he can have additional team success, people will
think even more of him individually.
Giancarlo
Stanton
The
Miami Marlins are certainly banking on Stanton to be one of the best players in
the game for the next few years after giving him a huge contract. He was able
to show that he can hit for average last year, and people in fantasy baseball money leagues are hoping that
continues. If he can do that, people know his power is always going to be
there.
Paul
Goldschmidt
The
Arizona Cardinals have not exactly been outstanding the last few years, so it
is easy to overlook Goldschmidt as a player. However, few guys in the majors
are as consistent as he is. This is a guy who has been able to hit for power
and average despite not having a lot of protection around him. There were some
injury issues in 2014, but he will enter spring training in 2015 at 100%.
Andrew
McCutchen
He
might not be quite as dynamic as Trout, but many view him as the 2nd
best overall outfielder in the game. He is not going to blow people away with
any one individual statistic, but he contributes across the board. His hitting
should be at an all-time high now that he is right in the middle of his prime.
Jose
Bautista
Compared
to everyone else on this list, Bautista is pretty ancient at 34 years old. He
is someone who will be looking to stay healthy enough to put up numbers similar
to a year ago. He can hit for outstanding power, and he is much more
disciplined compared to early on in his career. Toronto should be good, and he
will be right in the middle of their lineup.
Miguel
Cabrera
A
lot of people look at the statistics for Cabrera in 2014 and see a significant
drop-off. He only hit 25 home runs while hitting .313, but he was able to still
drive in 109 RBI thanks to his increase in doubles. He might not be as dominant
as he was in the middle of his career, but the 31-year-old is just a few years
removed from winning the Triple Crown. There are people coming up who will
challenge him, but for now Cabrera is still a top 5 hitter overall in the game.
~ Matt Stevens
