1. Troy Tulowitzki – Rockies
2. Rafael Furcal – Dodgers
3. Stephen Drew – Diamondbacks
4. Everth Cabrera – Padres
5. Edgar Renteria – Giants
Tulowitzki battled back from an injury-riddled 2008 campaign to put up big numbers in 2009: .297 average, 101 runs, 32 home runs, 92 RBIs, and 20 steals. It took him a year, but he justified the six-year deal he signed after the 2007 season. He was right in the thick of the Rockies’ run to the postseason last year, thanks in large part to red-hot months of August and September. He’ll be even better when he gets his road numbers up.
Furcal also came back from a season full of injuries in ’08 to play in 150 games. His numbers weren’t big for him, hitting only .269 with 12 stolen bases, but a .324 September helped the Dodgers barely hold off the surging Rockies. He’ll be 33 and in his 11th year this season, so he’s not getting any younger. But, he’s still a sparkplug when he’s feeling right.
Drew is entering his third season, and still has the label of someone that can break out at any moment. His power numbers last year were down from ’08 (44-29 doubles, 21-12 homers), but still managed to have 65 RBIs (67 the previous year). Now in his fourth year, the DBacks would like to see him pick it up at the plate and help them be a contender again.
Cabrera is entering his second year, but has already shown flashes of being a good leadoff hitter. In 103 games, he stole 25 bases last year. He had a great August, hitting .290 with a .384 OBP, but seemed to wear down after that. He needs to work on his glove, as he had 23 errors. Still, the Padres don’t have much, so it’s easy to get excited about him.
Renteria is on his last legs, and will have some pressure on him this season to produce. With Juan Uribe waiting in the wings, he’ll need to show that even at 35, he can get it done. The Giants have the pitching, so they need their offense to step up. If he puts up another season of hitting only .250 with five homers, he’ll get yanked.
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