Spring Preview: New York Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. - Rain washed out my visit to New York Yankees spring training practice Saturday, although that didn't stop a few hundred pinstriped fans from loitering around George Steinbrenner Field to perhaps get a glimpse of one of their heroes from under an umbrella.

There might be a little less tension around Tampa and back in the Bronx this year with the Yanks having claimed their 27th world title in 2009. But New York is primed to make a run at No. 28 this year, thanks to plenty of Yankee superstars worthy of your fantasy consideration in 2010.

BREAKOUT PLAYERS: The Yanks weren't afraid to do some major tweaking to their championship roster, most notably staying goodbye to left fielder and World Series Game 4 star Johnny Damon over the offseason. His departure creates an opportunity for two new faces to have big years in 2010: New left fielder Curtis Granderson and DH Nick Johnson, back for his second tour of duty with N.Y. There have been whispers of Granderson's diminished defensive abilities and loud sirens signalling his ineffectiveness against left-handed pitching (.183 vs. southpaws in 2009), but he did also jack a career-high 30 homers last year, and he could easily duplicate that thanks to a swing that's tailor-made for the new Yankee Stadium's friendly right-field porch.

Meanwhile, there's a chance Johnson could take Damon's No. 2 spot in the batting order, and you can't tell me he wouldn't be excited to bat behind Derek Jeter and in front of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez after spending the past few years in the MLB wasteland of Washington, D.C. Johnson's plate discipline (career OBP: .402) make him a great fit for that spot in the Yanks' lineup, and the opportunity to DH after years in the NL should allow the injury-hampered Johnson to stay in the game.

BUYER BEWARE: Jorge Posada has to eventually break down, and though he's shown no warning signs yet, the man is 38 years old and will be behind the plate yet again for New York. In many ways he's the surest thing at the position this side of Joe Mauer if he performs up to his level of consistency, but one of these days Father Time will catch up with him (pun intended), and some fantasy owners are going to get burned. Is this the year?

ETC: A year removed from hip surgery, Rodriguez is still a fantasy beast and and a mid-first-rounder. ... Little reason to worry about Jeter, Teixeira, Robinson Cano or CC Sabathia. You know what kind of quality you're getting there. ... Javier Vazquez, another player making his second tour of duty in the Bronx, is intriguing. Coming off arguably his best season, his ERA is sure to take a hit with the move back to the AL East, where he once failed. But the lowered expectations of a No. 4 starter spot and the likely increase in run support he'll get in New York should help. So I don't really know what to expect. ... The battle for New York's No. 5 starter spot is one to watch, not just because of who wins but also who loses. If it's really a race between Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, the loser will still have value as arguably one of the top setup men in baseball. ... Mariano Rivera is still a worry-free draft choice at closer. Pick him and pencil yourself in for an easy 35 saves and no headaches. ... Brett Gardner is the Yanks' top stolen base threat, swiping 26 in just 284 plate appearances last year. He stands to get regular playing time with Melky Cabrera and Damon out of the picture and could be a 40-steal source without killing you in batting average (.270 in 2009).

Young guys to add

SP/RP Yovani Gallardo, Brewers: He was impressive last month in a brief starting stint, then got shuffled into the bullpen, where he's excelled. Good thing the Brew Crew kept him around, now that Ben Sheets just got pulled from his last start with a blister on his finger. Gallardo seems like a logical replacement if Sheets has to miss a start or more.

OF/DH Billy Butler, Royals: The rookie's really turned it on this month (.407, two homers, eight RBIs). It helps that creaky Mike Sweeney's been out with a knee injury, meaning Butler has seen time as a DH and even been used in the cleanup slot recently.

3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, Padres: There were high hopes for this kid in this his rookie season, but only recently has he picked it up at the plate. After hovering around .200 for much of the year, he's hitting .385 in July, bringing his average up to a relatively better .237. Of course, playing home games in PETCO Park is not going to help his power potential - six of his nine homers have come on the road. He's on a 7-for-14 tear with five RBIs in his past five games, though, so this may be a sign of good things to come.

SP Chad Billingsley, Dodgers: Billingsley's been a solid addition to the Dodgers' starting rotation since Jason Schmidt went down. He's no strikeout artist, but he's made three straight quality starts and is 2-0 as a starter. He's also still getting used to higher pitch counts after spending the majority of the season in the bullpen.

SP Phil Hughes, Yankees: Name sound familiar? Of course it does, he's a Yankee ... but he's the real deal. The rookie's return to the majors was in doubt not too long ago after injuring his ankle while rehabbing a bad hammy. But he's pitching in Double-A now and is coming off an impressive showing in his latest rehab start (six Ks in three scoreless innings). They're saying he could be back by August, or even later this month given the Bombers' desperation as we get closer to October. Grab him immediately if he's out there.

Price is right, and other young arms

It's understandable if you didn't catch baseball's amateur draft on ESPN2 this week. Not everyone is lucky enough to have absolutely nothing better to do at 2 p.m. on a Thursday.

I, on the other hand, watched most of the first round, and at the risk of giving away too many inside secrets to my fantasy competitors, there's one name I can share with you: David Price, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Price, a 21-year-old left-hander from Vanderbilt, is already a polished product who could be on the fast track to the majors. Of course, just because he was the top player taken doesn't make him can't-miss - anybody still waiting for Paul Wilson's career to pan out? - but Price is a guy to at least file away in your memory banks.


It's always a good idea for fantasy players to familiarize themselves with some of the game's top prospects, even if you're not in a keeper league.

That kind of knowledge can put you ahead of the curve when rookie talent enters your league, and while not every call-up goes on to immediate superstardom, you'll at least have a chance at finding a rare gem who makes an impact.

Let's check in with some pitching prospects whom you may or may not already know:

• Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds: Cincy has been cautious bringing along Bailey, the organization's top prospect in each of the past three seasons and one of the game's elite young arms. The 21-year-old pitched five solid innings in his major-league debut Friday night, and while he's still working on his command, his excellent fastball and curve make him someone who can certainly contribute this season and be a stud by next year.

• Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: Lincecum, a 2006 first-rounder, forced his way into the Giants' starting rotation and hasn't looked back. The righty has had a couple shaky outings, but has also held his own against Roy Oswalt twice and dominated at times. If he's not already owned in your league, there's something wrong.

• Phil Hughes, New York Yankees: Hughes already made a splash this year with a near-no-hitter that was ruined by a hamstring pull. Of course, every prospect gets magnified in the fish bowl that is New York, but Hughes is the real deal. The only concern is injuries - he was already going to be sidelined until later this summer, then he rolled an ankle last week while rehabbing. But until we hear otherwise, Hughes could still be the kind of late-season difference-maker you'll want to keep in your DL spot if you can afford to do so.

• Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers: Gallardo has a live arm and a four-pitch repertoire. He's currently tearing his way through Triple-A. He led all minor-league pitchers in strikeouts in 2006 (188 in 155 innings) and seems to be knocking on the door of the big leagues. The Brew Crew don't have a spot in their rotation or a pressing need for him right now, but run to the waiver wire whenever this young man gets called up.

Dice-K and impact rookies

Many fantasy owners are targeting Daisuke Matsuzaka in their drafts this year. In fact, you could even say they are "rolling the dice" with Dice-K.

OK, that was an awful pun, but there's some truth to it. Matsuzaka, the Boston Red Sox's high-priced Japanese import, is being treated as a legitimate fantasy ace without ever having thrown a pitch in a meaningful game on American shores.

Fantasy players are often guilty of risking too much on rookies' potential, and last year's astounding class of freshmen pitchers (Justin Verlander, Francisco Liriano, Jered Weaver, Jonathan Papelbon, Matt Cain) only spoiled us. Then again, it isn't often a fully mature, 26-year-old "rookie" just pops up on a loaded contender like the Red Sox. By all accounts, Matsuzaka has dominated batters in his homeland with an impressive laundry list of pitches (the mythical "gyroball" may or may not be included), and he seems to possess the talent to be more Hideki Matsui than Hideki Irabu.

That being said, Fenway Park can be an unforgiving place for many young hurlers (just ask Josh Beckett), and the unrelenting lineups of the American League East will throw Matsuzaka no welcoming parties. When it comes to Dice-K's 2007 projections, there would be no shame in a 3.50-4.00 ERA. Fifteen wins could be within reach with a little luck. And he was a strikeout king in Japan, so does 170 Ks sound right for this season? 180? 200? Hard to say.

If Matsuzaka can approach those numbers - and make no mistake, they're All-Star worthy - he'd be at least a top-20 fantasy pitcher, probably top-15. But we're dealing with a lot of unknowns over the course of a season.
There's a handful of elite staff aces out there to build a fantasy team around (Johan Santana, Chris Carpenter, Roy Oswalt, etc.), and we probably agree Matsuzaka can't be put in their class yet. Next, there's a large pool of second-tier guys (John Smoltz, John Lackey, Jason Schmidt, Dontrelle Willis, Scott Kazmir and so on) who have proven track records and would also make fine fantasy No. 1s. If the scouts are right, and nothing's lost in translation, Matsuzaka belongs in their class. But for now, however, treat Matsuzaka like a No. 2, and don't pay too much for him.

Some other potential impact rookies for 2007:
• OF Delmon Young, Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Bat-tossing incident behind him, this future 30-30 man is best "true" rookie out there and must be drafted as a fourth (or maybe even third) OF in all formats where available.

• 3B Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals: Big lefty-swinging kid dominated college ball and then Double A last year, hitting for average and power and forcing way into K.C.'s starting lineup this year.

• SP Matt Garza, Minnesota Twins: Righty tore through his lone season in the minors (243/53 strikeout-to-walk ratio) but will start year in Triple A after a rough spring training; just a Sidney Ponson meltdown away from cracking Twins' thin rotation.

• 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, San Diego Padres: Acquired from the Cleveland Indians last fall, fast-rising hitting machine steps into everyday role and will be counted on to supply offense.

• SP Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets: Large (6-foot-7) righty with plus fastball was just announced as Mets' fifth starter, causing spike in his already valuable stock.

• SP Phil Hughes, New York Yankees: Perhaps the majors' best pitching prospect, Yanks have whispered Roger Clemens comparisons but are handling him with velvet gloves; Hughes could get called up later this year and make Jered Weaver-type impact.

• OF Chris B. Young, Arizona Diamondbacks: Not to be confused with the Padres pitcher, speedy CF won't help your average much but has 20-20 potential; could be a cheaper version of Mike Cameron .

Other rookies to watch:

• C Chris Iannetta, Rockies
• SS Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
• SS Brandon Wood, Angels
• 2B Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
• 3B Akinori Iwamura, Devil Rays
• SP Homer Bailey, Reds
• SP Andrew Miller, Tigers
• SP Kei Igawa, Yankees