When it comes to hitters, the only standard rate-statistic is batting average. Pitchers, well, they get their ERA and WHIP, so I’ll deal with those in an upcoming article. Today, I’ll try to primarily focus on quite possibly the most difficult to quantify of all the statistics in your standard roto-league.

First, we’ll have to suspend disbelief, unless you’re a Twins fan, I suppose. Joe Mauer probably isn’t going to duplicate his .365 Batting Average in 2010, but for the purpose of this example; We’ll just assume he does.

So Let’s take these Five BA Leaders and take a deeper look inside their numbers:

All great hitters and if you’re drafting any of ‘em, you’re going to get a nice little bump in the Batting Average category.  However, just how valuable is Joe Mauer’s .365 compared to Ichiro’s .352 or Jeter’s .344?

Well, the easiest way for me to quantify their value is to just add ‘em to everyone’s favourite three-outcome player: Adam Dunn.  In 2009, Dunn had 146 Hits in 546 AB — good for a .267 Batting Average.  Ideally, we’d compare them to the replacement level BA player on your roster, but using Dunn provides a tangible example.

You’ll notice the batting average decrease is disproportional, as expected.   Suffices to say, hitting .365 over 523 ABs is an astounding achievement but it looks a lot better than it actually contributes to the BA category. Ichiro’s extra 100 at-bats almost completely negates Joe Mauer’s original 13pt advantage.

The easiest way to view batting average without putting too much thought into it is to subtract a single point for every 25 (or so) ABs below 600 and to add a point for every 25 or so above that number.  This is just a rough work-around and the effect will decrease as you get closer to your team’s average BA.

Here are some of the players that are overvalued based on limited ABs:

1. Chris Coghlan, .321 AVG  — 504 ABs
2. Jason Bartlett, .320 AVG — 500 AB
3. Erick Aybar, .312 AVG — 504 AB
4. Magglio Ordonez, .310 AVG — 465 AB

…and the undervalued players:

1. Ichiro Suzuki, .352 — 649 AB
2. Robbie Cano, .320 — 637 AB
3. Braun, Jeter, and Miguel Cabrera as well.

Obviously, this doesn’t take into account WHY a player missed his AB, just that he missed them.  In some cases, players miss AB due to their position in the line-up or even the line-up itself.  A catcher will generally take more off-days than a fielder and a lead-off hitter will get more ABs than someone in the 9-hole.  In other cases, players just refuse to take a walk.  These variables stay pretty constant from year to year, though.  Ichiro’s Batting Average is consistently over a larger number of ABs because of the previous reasons.  If a player posted a solid batting average in 2009, but missed the 600 AB mark due to injury; it’s best to just look at his historical ABs, assuming that he hasn’t changed teams.

Your best bet is to focus on good hitters that bat in the top-3 of a good offensive line-up while converting his plate appearances into hits rather than walks.

Also keep in mind that the reverse is true:  Jimmy Rollins’ .250 Batting Average over 672 at-bats hurts a lot more than Russell Martin’s .250 Batting Average over 505 at-bats.

The worst case scenario is to both overvalue Joe Mauer’s .365 batting average while undervaluing the impact of Jimmy Rollins’ .250 Batting Average.

Say you drafted Joe Mauer’s .365 BA and Jimmy Rollins’ .250 Batting Average.  At first glance (a straight average) would give you a .308 Batting Average which makes for a solid draft-strategy.  However, if you factor in the number ABs the averages were achieved over, you’ll end up with a .300 BA — Not nearly as impressive.

A Caveat:

It’s almost impossible to predict a players Batting Average within 10 points, so if you’re feeling a certain player for a break-out year — Go ahead and take ‘em.

Growing up, no one likes Spinach or Brussel Sprouts; but your mom’s a violent alcoholic, so you eat them to avoid the beatings. She just wants the best for you, and apparently nutrient-packed, dark green vegetables are indeed what’s best for you.

There’s a group of baseball players that you’ll hate to have on your fantasy squad, but they’re good for you. No one likes 35-year old San Francisco Giants on their squad, but if they’re putting up numbers, you gotta suck it up and roster them. It’s painful, i know, but it’s better than getting beat.

Top Spinach and Brussel Sprouts Hitters

Catchers:

Bengie Molina – Catcher – San Francisco Giants - Yup, He’s still hitting clean-up. 95 RBI in 2008.
A.J. Pierzynski – Catcher – Chicago White Sox - Almost a lock for 65/14/60/.280

First Base

Carlos Delgado – First Base – New York Mets  - 38HR and 115 RBI in 2008.
Todd Helton – First Base – Colorado Rockies - If he’s healthy, an .850 OPS is almost guaranteed

Second Base

Placido Polanco – Second Base – Detroit Tigers – Opening Series aside, he’s impossible to strike out. Enjoy the .300+ AVG.

Third Base

Adrian Beltre – Third Base – Seattle Mariners - Ah, why not. All he does his hit 25-HR, every year.  One of the most undervalued players in the bigs.
Melvin Mora – Third Base – Baltimore Orioles – 23 HR and 104 RBI in 2008, I wouldn’t expect that again but he is who he is.

Shortstop

Christian Guzman – Shortstop – Washington Nationals - He just keeps getting on base and hitting 300. When that Nats line-up comes together, he’ll score a lot of runs.
Yunel Escobar – Shortstop – Atlanta Braves – Great OBP, not as old as the other guys, but gets no love.

Left Field

Raul Ibanez – Left Field – Philadelphia Phillies - As consistent as they come, unfortunately it’s hard to predict how well he’ll react to switching leagues.  Still a grade-A talent.
Ryan Spilborghs – Left Field – Colorado Rockies – With Carlos Gonzlaez in the Minors for the foreseeable future, Spilborghs should see AB.  Dexter Fowler may steal some of his value.

Center Field

Marlon Byrd – Center Field – Texas Rangers - Marlon gets his AB, and he’s valuable in a deeper league.  Texas is the Coors of the AL.
Coco Crisp – Centerfield – Kansas City Royals – Elsbury stole his thunder, but Crisp can steal bases. Full time AB could easily result in 13 HR, and 30 SB.

Right Field

Jose Guillen – Right Field – Kansas City Royals – Gets No Love! Probably because he’s a bit of a dick – 20 HR and 97 RBI in 2008.
Michael Cuddyer – Right Field – Minnesota Twins - Can’t stay healthy, but he’s a solid talent.  Who knows how the Delmon Young experiment will play out, but Cuddyer’s an asset to any line-up.

UTIL / Designated Hitter

Travis Hafner – Designated Hitter – Cleveland Indians – Healthy?

Others that just missed, Randy Winn, Paul Konerko, Brandon Inge, Juan Rivera, Jeff Franceour, Jeff Keppinger, Brian Giles, and Chad Tracy

The Top First Basemen In A Dynasty League

Here we go with the Top First Basemen in a keeper or dynasty league format.  As always, these rankings are based on keeping a large portion of your roster in a deep league.  In shallower leagues, or ‘contract’ leagues, you should focus  on keeping players in their prime.

First basemen enter their power-prime around age 27ish and commence  a steady, predictable decline around age 30-31ish.  First basemen generally continue to produce well into their mid-30′s.

Unlike other positions, first basemen stick around for a while and often get moved to DH, prolonging their careers; thus, taking risks is generally quite advisable, as the waiver wire should be stacked with talent.

C- 1B – 2B – SS – 3B – OF - SP – RP

1. Miguel Cabrera – DET Tigers – 25 - This is a tough one because you’re guaranteed three more years of first round production from Albert Pujols. Cabrera on the other hand is just entering his prime, and you’ll probably get 8 years worth of top-15 production.  If you’re allowed to keep a player for an unlimited number of years, Cabrera’s the pick.

2. Albert Pujols – STL Cardinals – 29 - As mentioned above, Pujols is going to put up top-5 numbers for the next few years.  Throw in three or four more years of being a top-5 first basemen, and we’re golden.  There will probably be an injury plagued season somewhere in that run, but he’s still better than the next couple guys.

3. Mark Texeira – NY Yankees – 28 – Teixeira is a beast, and now that he’s in pinstripes, you should be expecting ridiculous RBI and RUN totals. I’m still not sold on Teixera as a high-30′s HR threat or a .300+ hitter, but he’ll contribute across the board. Not that it really matters, but Texeira’s defense is also stellar.

4. Prince Fielder – MIL Brewers – 24 - Fielder hasn’t quite reached elite status, but he’s well on his way.  A return to 50 HR isn’t out of the question, but I wouldn’t expect him to repeat the feat more than once or twice in his career.  Expecting high-30′s to low-40′s HR power for the next 8 to 10 years, seems like a fair guess-ti-mate.  Fielder seems locked in at 12% BB-rate and 20% K rate, which is just dandy for a power hitting first baseman.  If you’re a risk taker, feel free to take Fielder as the number-1 first baseman.

5. Justin Morneau – MIN Twins – 27 - Prior to crumbling down the stretch, Morneau showed all of the signs you’d like to see from a maturing hitter.  At first look, Morneau’s sharp decline in ISO ( .199 after two years of .220+) and HR (23 after two seasons of 30+) is troublesome.

That is until you take a peak at his decreased strike-out rate and increased walk rate which reveal maturation as a hitter.  Morneau also swung less (50% -> 48%), made more contact (82% – > 85%) , and drew less first pitch strikes (59% -> 56%).  Morneau hit more line-drives, and his HR/FB rate dropped. HR/FB is *generally* just a luck issue, and you should expect Morneau to improve upon his paltry 11.2% rate of 2008.

6. Ryan Howard – PHI Phillies – 29 - Nothing interesting here.  Howard will eclipse 40 HR for the next 4 or 5 years, and he’ll strike-out a whole hoot of a lot. Howard’s batting average was pretty awful last year, but that had a lot to due with luck.  He should finish his career with an average around .275-.280 when all is said and done.

7. Adrian Gonzalez – SD Padres – 26 - Drafted first overall  by the Rangers in the 2000 draft, Gonzalez couldn’t find his mojo in one of the most hitter friendly parks in the show.  Then, through some crazy twist of fate, Gonzalez developed into a power-hitting beast in one of the worst parks for hitters, PETCO. If Gonzalez can ever get his butt out of San Diego, he’ll be a monster.  In 2008, Gonzalez went for 22 road home runs and 14 at home.  His SLG percentage splits of .578 (road) / .433 (home), are downright ridiculous. Even if he sticks around in San Diego, he’ll be darn good.

8. Joey Votto – CIN Reds – 25 – This is where it starts to get interesting, as Votto’s really the only youngster with a track record.  Votto’s in a great park, but he’s not quite superstar material.  Mind you, neither is fellow canuck Justin Morneau and he won an MVP.  Votto and Morneau are just plain ol’ hitters, and while Votto doesn’t quite have the raw power, he should grow into a yearly 30-HR guy.

9. Chris Davis – TEX Rangers – 23 - I really don’t know where I sit with Davis.  The experts are buying Davis’ smash-killing numbers from last year, but I can’t stop looking at that awful .23 BB:K ratio.  If Davis can get that walk rate to 10%, he’ll prove the experts right.  If you think Davis succeeds, this is where you draft him.  Otherwise, you might as well drop him to 20th overall.  I couldn’t bring myself to drop him 10 spots, so I put him here. Solid logic, right?

10. Adam Dunn – WAS Nationals – 29 - He’ll hit 40 home runs, and strike out about 30 percent of the time.  He’ll probably keep this up for at least 4 or 5 more years, and the Nats have a young and improving line-up.  If you’re in an OBP league, Dunn’s value goes up a good bit.

11. Kevin Youkilis – BOS Red Sox – 30 – Youkilis’ skill set is an interesting one to say the least. In 2008, he posted an OPS of .958, which I doubt he’ll repeat. At the same time, if he continues hitting 29 HR a year, he’ll be useful.  However, Youkilis is 30 years old, and probably had his career year in 2008.  He’ll be with the Sox for at least 4 more years, which guarantees him ’round about 100 Runs and RBI each year.  If you hate risk like the plague, Youkilis is your guy.

12. Billy Butler – KC Royals – 22 - Butler’s a professional hitter, and should develop into one hell of a hitter.  He won’t put up ridiculous power numbers and you’ll probably have to endure a couple prolonged slumps over the coming years, but it’ll be worth the wait.  The Royals should continue to improve, and Butler could bust out as soon as this year.

13. Lance Berkman – HOU Astros – 33 - Berkman is one of the better hitters at this point, and should put up top 5 or 6 first basemen numbers in 2009. He’s starting to get old though, and the speed numbers could abandon him as soon as this year.  He’ll probably decline 5 spots  in the first basemen rankings each year,  for the next 2 or 3 years.

14. James Loney – LA Dodgers – 24 – He should eventually develop into an across the board producer.

15. Matt LaPorta – CLE Indians – 24 - LaPorta’s an unique talent, and selecting him or one of the next couple guys over someone like Derrek Lee, Adam LaRoche, or Casey Kotchman is probably a wise idea.

16. Lars Anderson – BOS Red Sox – 21 - He’s in the player pool, and I’d have no problem jumping all over Baseball America’s 17th ranked prospect.  It’s too bad that Justin Smoak isn’t in the player pool too.

17. Conor Jackson – ARI Diamondbacks – 26 - Jackson’s entering his prime, and he should continue to add power while maintaining a solid .300-AVG

18.  Daric Barton – OAK Athletics – 23 - Barton’s a better hitter than he displayed last year. Barton is also better on field than he is on the stat-sheet.  If you’re in an OBP league, his value sky-rockets.  You may have to wait a couple years, but he should eventually fulfill his potential.

19. Pablo Sandoval – SF Giants – 22 – Sandoval won’t continue to tear the hide of the ball like he did in 2008, but he does have legit 20 HR power.  Sandoval doesn’t walk all that much, but he also keeps his K-Rate at a respectable 10%

20. Adam LaRoche – PIT Pirates – 29 - Lots of power, and is just starting to come into his own.  If LaRoche ever figures out how to hit before the All Star break like he does after it, he’ll be a legitimate keeper.  With lots of talent in the Pittsburgh pipeline (McCutchen, Pearce, Tabata, and Alvarez,) you’d have to expect improved R & RBI numbers as he ages.

20.5 Derrek Lee – CHI Cubs – 33 – Woopsie, I forgot Derrek Lee.  Lee’s a solid bet for another year or two of usefulness.  Counting on those stolen bases could be risky.

21. Jorge Cantu – FLA Marlins – 27 - Strikes out too much, but doesn’t everyone in Florida? With McPherson gone and Sanchez in the pipe-line, I’d expect a return to third. Unless of course you think that Emilio Bonifacio is a steady option at third.

22. Carlos Pena – TAM Rays – 30 - If he returns to the 2007 version, he’ll be a solid investment for 3 to 5 years.  If not, the 2008 version provides a solid, yet not spectacular, stop-gap at your first base spot until Smoak, Hosmer, or Alonso become draft eligible.

23. Casey Kotchman – ATL Braves – 26 - Kotchman’s the epitome of average.  Even if he develops 20-HR power, he’s nothing more than a steady presence at first base.  If you’re in a deep league and the waiver wire holds guys like Frank Catalanotto, Ross Gload and Darin Erstad — Kotchman is definitely worth a keeper spot.

24. Kendry Morales – LA Angels – 25 - Morales has more potential than Kotchman, but a skimpy track record.  He’s also been tagged fat and lazy, which isn’t good unless you’re hitting 50-HR. Morales tore up AAA last year, and a 25-HR season wouldn’t surprise me.

25. Gaby Sanchez – FLA Marlins – 25 – Optioned to AAA, but should be back up at some point this year.

26. Kyle Blanks – SD Padres – 22 – Great talent.  Baseball America has this 270 pounder as their 50th best prospect.  If you’re in a deep league, he’s worth the risk.  Not sure where he plays, though.

27. Mike Jacobs – KC Royals – 28 – Not sure why the Royals brought Jacobs in with Kila Ka’aihue waiting in the wings.  Why did they bring Jacobs in?  Anyone?  He’ll hit home-runs but he strikes out a shit-tonne.

It’s time to lump some players together. Here are a few guys that really aren’t keepers, and you’ll only get a year or two out of them; realistically they’re just roster fillers. Konerko’s the youngest of the bunch, but he’ll also probably retire at the youngest age.

28a) Carlos Delgado – NY Mets – 36

28b) Todd Helton – COL Rockies – 35

28c) Jason Giambi – OAK Athletics – 38

28d) Paul Konerko – CHI White Sox – 33

29. Ryan Garko – CLE Indians – 28 - Starting to get crowded in Cleveland.

30. Travis Ishikawa – SF Giants – 25 – Should be a serviceable starter for at least a few years.

31. Hank Blalock – TEX Rangers – 28 - I feel more comfortable predicting a resurgence in a 1 year league.

32. Nick Johnson – WAS Nationals – 30 - I’m willing to bet that Johnson stays healthy this year, but not consecutive years.

33. Chad Tracy – ARI Diamondbacks – 28 - Could have a solid year in 2009, assuming Eric Byrnes doesn’t indirectly steal his job.

34. Joe Koshansky – TEX Rangers – 26 - Out from Todd Helton’s Shadow.  Who knows what he can do if he’s ever given a chance.

I think it’s fairly clear to see how you should readjust your rankings if you’re not in a deep league.  There’s a good amount of roster-filler at the first base position, so taking a risk on the young guns is definitely worth it.

There a couple more heavy hitting first basemen in the Minors, but with LaPorta, Butler, Barton, Sandoval, Lars Anderson and Chris Davis around — I’d grab one this year.

Does a drastic increase in OPS during spring training foreshadow a breakout season? Who knows.  Regardless of such uncertainty, here’s a few gentleman that’ve been putting up very solid numbers.

Kevin Frandsen (2B – SFG) is hitting .303 with a .424 SLG which should probably be enough to hold off the charging Emmanuel Burriss (2B-SFG) who’s hitting .397 with a .492 slugging percentage.  Eugenio Velez (2B/OF – SFG) isn’t that far behind hitting .339 and slugging .548.  Everyone but Frandsen possesses solid stolen base potential, but it looks like a two-horse race between Frandsen and Burriss.  Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he’d announce the winner of the open-competition before the Giants left Arizona on Wednesday.

Daniel Murphy (LF – NYM) seems to be going higher and higher in drafts and with the spring he’s having; it seems warranted. Murphy’s hitting .333 with a .455 slugging percentage.  He hasn’t hit a dinger yet, which should worry you a little bit considering he’s only going to have OF eligibility.

This may be the year that Corey Hart (OF – MIL) puts everything together.  He’s your typical tools guy, who hasn’t quite put it together.  Hart’s already got 6HR and is batting .404.  It seems as though our favourite free-swinger may have put some time in this off-season. 13 strike outs to only 3 walks is still concerning though.

Our favourite error-prone Canadian Mark Teahan (2B/OF – KC) has hit 5 HR in only 39AB. He’s hitting .487, and only has 8 strikeouts compared to 5 walks.  Fellow Royal, Mike Jacobs (1B – KC) has hit 6 HR, but has also struck out 18 times! I still would have some issues rostering Jacobs. Billy Butler (1B – KC) has been posting terrific numbers too.

Two aging first basemen are both healthy and raking.  Todd Helton (1B – COL) and Paul Konerko (1B – CHW) are both hitting over .400 with 4 HR. Both of these guys should be rosterable in deep leagues, and borderline in shallow leagues.  I wouldn’t be surprised if both of ‘em go through streaks where they perform in the top-10 first basemen.

Sweet-Swinging Jeremy Hermida (OF – FLA) may have finally put it all together. He’s hit 4 HR, and is batting .340 with 5 walks to 9 strikeouts while slugging .642. Delmon Young and Jeremy Hermedia are two post-hype sleepers you probably want to keep an eye on.

The perennial prospect, Brandon Wood (3B-LAA), looks primed for at least a useful year. He’s hitting .347 while slugging .735.  The key stat for Wood is 8 strikeouts in 49 AB.  For someone who’s known for putting up a 30 percent strike-out rate, this is spectacular.

I’m really starting to worry about everyone’s favourite American League Sleeper, Chris Davis (1B/3B – TEX). 21 strikeouts in 61 at-bats during Spring Training is concerning, very concerning.  I’m sure he’ll put up solid numbers in Texas, but he’s going to be streaky. Two other youngsters, Colby Rasmus (OF-STL) and Chris Dickerson (OF-CIN) are also posting unhealthy strike-out numbers.  Dickerson is still very worthy of a draft-pick at this point, even in shallow leagues.

Carl Crawford (OF-TAM) seems healthy again, Thank God.  He’s stole 6 bases in 37 AB. Not many people think the Rays will compete with the Red Sox and Yankees in 2009.  This should help Crawford’s stolen base numbers.  40 Stolen bases from this former first rounder isn’t out of the question.

I wouldn’t put too much weight on it, but Adam Jones (OF – BAL) is having a great spring. Jones is a ball player, with a very solid shot at 20/20 this year. Last year’s 9 HR and 10 SB just seems ridiculous considering his talent.  Jones is one hell of a sleeper in just about any format. It also appears as though Jones will open the year hitting second in the new Orioles line-up, which should mean an increase across the board.

Pablo Sandoval ( UTIL – SFG) just won’t go away.  I really don’t like Sandoval as a sleeper, something just seems off.  He is however hitting .448 with 39 total bases in 58 AB.

Everyone’s favourite Toronto Blue Jay, Travis Snider (OF – TOR), is hitting a very solid .381 with a .690 slugging percentage.  Snider’s my favourite player, so don’t expect unbiased information from this analyst.  The single, paltry, walk is still concerning.  We’ll see how long it takes pitchers to start adjusting to him.  The Blue Jays won’t be hesitant to send him down, but he belongs on the big league roster.

Staying on Travis’, Travis Buck (OF-OAK) and his beautiful Man-Mane is starting to come into his own and continuing the Athletics trend of walking just as much as you strike-out.

One of my favourites, Kendry Morales (1B – LAA) appears to be posting a solid spring with a .356 AVG and .576 SLG.  I’m not sure why more people aren’t hyping him up — when he came out, he had all sorta of hype, and then got the “fat and lazy” tag.

Hey, Shouldn’t You Be Striking Out?

Nelson Cruz (OF – TEX) strikes out at 25 percent clip has 5 strikeouts and 4 walks in 31 AB.

Hank Blalock (3B/UTIL – TEX) also seems to be showing last year’s huge decline in K-rate is the real deal.  He’s struck out 6 times, and walked 7 times in 48 AB.

Ian Stewart (3B – COL) seems to have shown improvement over last year’s 35 percent strike-out rate. He’s only struck out 7 times in 44 AB, to go along with 5 BB.

In addition to killing spring training pitching, J.J. Hardy (SS – MIL) has only struck out 5 times in 52 AB.  That’s the same amount he’s walked.

Does Rick Ankiel (OF – STL) ever stop improving? He, of the 2008 25% K-Rate, is hitting .356 with 12 K and 11 BB in 73AB.  I’m starting to buy this whole “Rick Ankiel Is Awesome” talk.

Khalil Greene ( SS – STL) has seriously only struck out 3 times in 60 AB. Greene still doesn’t walk, but he’s an annual 25% strike-out guy. Maybe we’re onto something, maybe he’s just enduring one of his hot-streaks.

Jason Kubel (UTIL – MIN) and his 20 percent career strike-out rate has only 3 K’s in 45 AB.

Cameron Maybin (OF – FLA) and his 12 strike-outs to 7 walks in 54 AB, is intriguing — very intriguing.  Every projection model out there has Maybin striking out at a 30 percent clip.

As I mentioned earlier, ESPN released their NEW AND IMPROVED fantasy baseball rankings for 2009 a couple days ago.  I’m not sure how improved they are, but they’re definitely new.

Let’s take a look at the first base rankings, and there are some notable exceptions:

What’s Missing?

Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: I know I’m higher on Morales than others, but to completely leave him off the list seems a bit goofy. I’m parking him somewhere in the range of former Angels’ first basemen, Casey Kotchman.

Micah Hoffpauir – Chicago Cubs of Chicago: Obviously the ESPN loves the Derrek Lee, but I think Hoffpauir manages to grab himself at least a couple hundy at-bats this year.  If Lee goes down, Hoffpauir has the tools to be a nice fill-in in deep leagues.

Nick Evans – New York Mets: He’s almost certainly going to start in Triple-A (maybe double-A, if they’re cautious), but he’s been killing the ball in spring training.  As I mentioned earlier, I’m not certain that Delgado stays healthy.  Evans may get an early audition and could stick if given the chance.

The Baltimore Orioles: Who knows who ESPN has playing first base for Baltimore, but considering the guys they list as “first basemen” you’d figure they’d include Aubrey Huff? Ty Wigginton? Someone has to play first base, and whoever does should excel.  Obviously it’s going to be Huff, who has greater value as a third basemen but that didn’t stop them from listing Atkins and Sandoval.

Ryan Shealy and Kila Ka’aihue – Kansas City Royals: Both are parked behind Billy Butler and Mike Jacobs in the 1st base / DH log-jam.  Shealy’s proven to be a resiliant hitter, and Ka’aihue was one of my favourite prospects coming into the year.  The odds favour Shealy and his ability to play the outfield, but if Kila keeps mashing — he’ll find himself some AB.