1. Manny Ramirez – Dodgers
2. Mark DeRosa – Giants
3. Carlos Gonzalez – Rockies
4. Conor Jackson – Diamondbacks
5. Kyle Blanks – Padres
Even after returning from his 50-game suspension a shell of his former self last year, Manny Ramirez is still the top dog in left field. We all know how great he was to start last year… then how he never got his legs back after. But this year he has something to prove, and for a guy with career totals of a .313 average, 526 home runs, and 1748 RBIs, it’s a safe bet that he can still be a big threat.
DeRosa was a good addition to the Giants for a couple of reasons. One, he’s one of the most versatile defenders in baseball. Two, he has good pop in his bat, something his team desperately needs. His average was only .250 last year, but he still hit 23 homers and 78 RBIs between the Indians and Cardinals.
Gonzalez is a young gun that should become more knows as the season wears on. He came over to the Rockies as part of the Matt Holliday – Huston Street deal. In 89 games, he hit .313 with 13 homers and 16 stolen bases. A full year with plenty of more at-bats will showcase his speed even more.
Jackson had a real down season last year. He played in only 30 games, then was gone the remainder of the season with an odd ailment of valley fever. Before that happened, he hit a lousy .182 with one homer. Hey, if you’re hurt, you’re hurt (or, if you’re sick, you’re sick in this case), so maybe you can just forget about that season and move on. What I do know is that he can get you about 15 home runs and hit around .300 in a good year.
Blanks is like many of his Padre teammates – young and unknown. He was a rookie last season and appeared in 54 games, hitting .250 with 10 homers. He also struck out 55 times. I guess anything’s possible, but it’s hard to imagine getting excited over a guy like this… who starts, no less.
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