Fantasy Baseball Player Ratings
By CBS SportsLine Fantasy Staff

Note: Projected dollar values are based on a mixed league of 12 teams, 5x5 Rotisserie scoring and a $260 salary cap per team. 1.   Mike Piazza Projected Roto $28   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 531 95 168 40 119 66 2 .3164 .3920 .6045 2001 503 81 151 36 94 67 0 .3002 .3846 .5726 2000 482 90 156 38 113 58 4 .3237 .3996 .6141 1999 532 100 162 40 124 48 2 .3045 .3632 .5771 Piazza battled some injuries and lack of protection in the Mets lineup last year, yet he still performed like the best catcher in Fantasy Baseball again. He hit just .204 in May, yet he still managed to finish the year at .300, a mark which he has equaled or surpassed in each of the last nine seasons. Now, with more protection behind him and better hitters in front of him than ever, Piazza may surpass 40 homers and 115 RBI. He will certainly be one of the most coveted players in all of Roto ball this year. He will stand out as the centerpiece of the reworked Mets batting order. 2.   Jason Kendall Projected Roto $20   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 513 90 149 11 57 56 19 .2904 .3603 .4211 2001 606 84 161 10 53 44 13 .2657 .3358 .3581 2000 579 112 185 14 58 79 22 .3195 .4146 .4698 1999 280 61 93 8 41 38 22 .3321 .4333 .5107 Thumb problems and an experiment in the outfield were the biggest reasons Kendall suffered through a disappointing season. He logged a career high in plate appearances, but his batting average and steals totals frustrated his owners. Kendall should be recovered from thumb surgery, and with catching prospect J.R. House not a threat to him behind the plate until at least 2003, Kendall should settle back in and have a fine year. 3.   Paul Lo Duca Projected Roto $17   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 496 70 147 20 76 44 2 .2964 .3537 .4677 2001 460 71 147 25 90 39 2 .3196 .3802 .5435 2000 65 6 16 2 8 6 0 .2462 .3099 .3692 1999 95 11 22 3 11 10 1 .2316 .3178 .3368 What a find LoDuca was for Fantasy owners last season - he might have even gone undrafted in many leagues. While his 25 homers and 90 RBI were quite a surprise, LoDuca did have a reputation for hitting for a .300 average in the minors, so don't consider his stat line a total fluke. He could easily approach .300 with 20 homers and 80 RBI next season as well, but don't expect a whole lot more this late in his professional career. 4.   Jorge Posada Projected Roto $16   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 492 72 131 26 97 80 2 .2663 .3689 .4898 2001 484 59 134 22 95 62 2 .2769 .3659 .4752 2000 505 92 145 28 86 107 2 .2871 .4194 .5267 1999 379 50 93 12 57 53 1 .2454 .3425 .4011 Posada was one of the better catchers in the majors last season, despite the fact that he was dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. He finished the year with a .277 batting average, 22 home runs and 95 RBI in 484 at-bats. Posada did have offseason surgery to repair a small tear in his labrum, but he's expected to be ready by Opening Day. Posada will post numbers similar to his 2001 totals, and will again be one of the most coveted backstops in Fantasy Baseball. 5.   Ivan Rodriguez Projected Roto $16   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 304 55 89 10 55 14 9 .2928 .3239 .4605 2001 442 70 136 25 65 23 10 .3077 .3475 .5407 2000 363 66 126 27 83 19 5 .3471 .3812 .6667 1999 600 116 199 35 113 24 25 .3317 .3584 .5583 A knee injury is a tough thing for a catcher to recover from because of all the squatting that is required at this position. However, Rodriguez appeared to be just fine during spring training and should be ready for Opening Day. If he is at full strength once the season starts he should once again be one of the best catchers in baseball, providing good stats in all the major hitting categories. 6.   Javy Lopez Projected Roto $13   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 454 54 127 21 81 32 0 .2797 .3272 .4692 2001 438 45 117 17 66 28 1 .2671 .3256 .4247 2000 481 60 138 24 89 35 0 .2869 .3404 .4844 1999 246 34 78 11 45 20 0 .3171 .3755 .5325 Lopez, usually a durable and reliable power-hitting backstop, has seemingly become a more brittle sort. He battled several different injuries last year, and while he should open the 2002 season in good health, Lopez was banged up often in 2001. Easily one of the top catchers in Fantasy Baseball a few short years ago, his propensity for injuries now makes him a riskier choice. Lopez will still be a No. 1 Fantasy catcher if he stays healthy, but the Braves may rest him frequently to keep Lopez fresh. 7.   Charles Johnson Projected Roto $12   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 476 68 126 22 81 53 1 .2647 .3384 .4622 2001 451 51 117 18 75 38 0 .2594 .3225 .4501 2000 421 76 128 31 91 52 2 .3040 .3819 .5819 1999 426 58 107 16 54 55 0 .2512 .3423 .4131 Johnson's return home to Florida proved to be a forgettable excursion during the second half of the year, when he hit just .226 with two homers. Johnson suffered greatly from lack of consistent protection in the Florida lineup, and he may always struggle to come close to his 2000 numbers. Still, Johnson gets regular at-bats and will always finish near 20 homers, so he is a valuable player in all Fantasy formats. 8.   Mike Lieberthal Projected Roto $12   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 408 64 116 17 74 38 1 .2843 .3453 .4779 2001 121 21 28 2 11 12 0 .2314 .3162 .3471 2000 389 55 108 15 71 40 2 .2776 .3540 .4704 1999 510 84 153 31 96 44 0 .3000 .3681 .5510 Knee troubles wiped out most of Lieberthal's 2000 season, and his last two seasons have been marred by injuries. He was never able to get into a rhythm last year, and hit only two homers in 134 at-bats. Physical issues may have sapped him of some of his pop, and he may spend the rest of his major league days trying to avoid injuries and match his 31-homer output of 1999. 9.   Robert Fick Projected Roto $11   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 413 59 111 21 67 46 2 .2688 .3420 .4818 2001 401 62 109 19 61 39 0 .2718 .3423 .4763 2000 163 18 41 3 22 22 2 .2515 .3441 .3742 1999 41 6 9 3 10 7 1 .2195 .3333 .4390 Fick has been a solid hitter in his brief career, but has been a defensive liability at catcher. Look for him to excel as a hitter this season, now that he is the starting rightfielder. He hit 19 homers last season in 401 at bats. Fick should come close to hitting 30 homers and driving in 90 runs this season as a full-time player. Use him as a fourth outfielder to be safe. Fick will have his at-bats limited if he is unable to play right field. 10.   Brad Ausmus Projected Roto $7   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 491 64 129 7 52 53 11 .2627 .3346 .3788 2001 422 45 98 5 34 30 4 .2322 .2848 .3412 2000 523 75 139 7 51 69 11 .2658 .3579 .3652 1999 458 62 126 9 54 51 12 .2751 .3652 .4148 Hand and eye problems contributed to a very disappointing year for Ausmus, but he has always been overrated because of his speed. He doesn't do much in the power categories and his stolen base production has never been more than mediocre overall. Don't be lured in by Ausmus, or you may end up with a big hole at your No. 1 catcher spot. 11.   Ben Petrick Projected Roto $6   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 324 62 86 13 51 44 4 .2654 .3533 .4660 2001 244 41 58 11 39 31 3 .2377 .3309 .4590 2000 146 32 47 3 20 20 1 .3219 .4107 .4658 1999 62 13 20 4 12 10 1 .3226 .4167 .5645 The Rockies were very disappointed with Petrick's performance after entrusting him with the starting job last season, but it appears as if he'll get another shot since the team did not acquire a replacement over the offseason. He has worlds of potential, and it's important to note that Petrick took some time before developing offensively in the minor-league ranks. If he manages to win at least a share of the starting job this spring, he could make an intriguing late-round pick with upside. 12.   Wiki Gonzalez Projected Roto $6   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 422 51 113 14 60 37 2 .2678 .3268 .4289 2001 160 16 44 8 27 11 2 .2750 .3371 .4625 2000 284 25 66 5 30 30 1 .2324 .3123 .3451 1999 83 7 21 3 12 1 0 .2530 .2706 .4096 The trade of Ben Davis to Seattle clears the starting catching job for Gonzalez this season, and now is his chance to show what he can do with 400 to 450 at-bats. He has a fairly good reputation with the bat, so it's not out of the question he could hit .270 with 15 homers and 60 RBI. Don't forget about Gonzalez, who can offer stats to rival other average catchers like Damian Miller and Ramon Hernandez, but at a lower price. 13.   Toby Hall Projected Roto $6   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 410 59 110 12 55 10 4 .2683 .2857 .4415 2001 188 28 56 4 30 4 2 .2979 .3231 .4468 2000 12 1 2 1 1 1 0 .1667 .2308 .4167 1999 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0000 .0000 .0000 Hall is one of Tampa Bay's best prospects, and will likely begin the season as the team's starting catcher. He has displayed some pop with his bat, which was evident at the minor league level last season. Hall posted 19 home runs and 72 RBI in only four months at Triple-A, and was voted the league's most valuable player despite playing only 94 games. The lack of talented catchers in the majors will make Hall a very coveted Fantasy player in 2002. 14.   Todd Hundley Projected Roto $4   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 393 52 89 24 71 49 1 .2265 .3122 .4529 2001 246 23 46 12 31 25 0 .1870 .2701 .3740 2000 299 49 85 24 70 45 0 .2843 .3815 .5786 1999 376 49 78 24 55 44 3 .2074 .2972 .4362 Hundley spent another season fighting off injuries in 2001, and he wasn't very useful when he was available. He posted an awful batting average, and Hundley hasn't hit above .210 in three of the past four years. The veteran catcher can still hit for power, but Hundley's health problems have made him a big Fantasy risk for the past five seasons. 15.   Mitch Meluskey Projected Roto $4   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 370 48 99 12 58 61 2 .2676 .3712 .4216 2001 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0000 .0000 .0000 2000 337 47 101 14 69 55 1 .2997 .4040 .4866 1999 33 4 7 1 3 5 1 .2121 .3158 .3333 Meluskey missed all of last season because of a shoulder abnormality. He will return as the starting catcher this season. Meluskey hit .300 with 14 homers and 69 RBI for Houston in 2000. Most of his damage was done in hitter friendly Enron Field, but he only had 339 at bats that season. Look for him to be an adequate hitter and a solid No. 1 catcher in Detroit. 16.   A.J. Pierzynski Projected Roto $4   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 419 56 117 8 51 19 2 .2792 .3105 .4081 2001 381 51 110 7 55 16 1 .2887 .3242 .4409 2000 88 12 27 2 11 5 1 .3068 .3579 .4545 1999 22 3 6 0 3 1 0 .2727 .3333 .3636 Pierzynski posted respectable numbers as Minnesota's starting catcher last season. He batted .289 with 7 homers and 55 RBI in 118 games. Pierzynski should do even better this season with more at bats, providing between 15-20 homers. Like most catchers he doesn't get a lot of steals, but he will still be an adequate No. 1 in AL leagues. 17.   Ben Davis Projected Roto $3   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 450 74 111 12 57 58 4 .2467 .3327 .3800 2001 448 56 107 11 57 66 4 .2388 .3417 .3571 2000 130 12 29 3 14 14 1 .2231 .2986 .3385 1999 266 29 65 5 30 25 2 .2444 .3093 .3609 Davis could be the starting catcher for Seattle this season, but will probably platoon the position with last season's starter, Dan Wilson. He has hit for a low average in his short career so don't expect him to produce good hitting totals. Davis will be a good backup at best. 18.   Darrin Fletcher Projected Roto $3   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 423 43 108 17 66 24 0 .2553 .2953 .4279 2001 416 36 94 11 56 24 0 .2260 .2780 .3534 2000 416 43 133 20 58 20 1 .3197 .3583 .5144 1999 412 48 120 18 80 26 0 .2913 .3423 .4854 Fletcher had a down year in 2001, and that may be a sign of things to come for the veteran backstop. He's entering his 14th year in the league, and his production has been average at best for the past five seasons. Considering the lack of quality catchers in the league, however, Fletcher will likely be a starter in many Fantasy leagues. 19.   Bengie Molina Projected Roto $3   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 450 36 120 12 70 17 0 .2667 .2934 .3800 2001 325 31 85 6 40 16 0 .2615 .3123 .3508 2000 473 59 133 14 71 23 1 .2812 .3227 .4207 1999 101 8 26 1 10 6 0 .2574 .3119 .3366 Molina was slowed by injuries last season but should improve his offensive totals if healthy this season. He will be an adequate starter in deep leagues and an excellent backup in smaller ones. 20.   Damian Miller Projected Roto $2   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 351 43 95 12 48 32 1 .2707 .3316 .4359 2001 380 45 103 13 47 35 0 .2711 .3389 .4237 2000 324 43 89 10 44 36 2 .2747 .3490 .4414 1999 296 35 80 11 47 19 0 .2703 .3186 .4459 Miller is the epitome of the average Fantasy catcher, offering his owners serviceable stats with little upside. While he has settled well into a starting role with Arizona, he is still nothing better than a .270 hitter with 15-homer power. Miller's defense was somewhat questionable during last year's postseason, but the Diamondbacks' lack of depth behind the plate should allow him enough playing time to replicate his 2001 totals. 21.   Einar Diaz Projected Roto $2   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 414 48 116 4 43 20 4 .2802 .3134 .3816 2001 437 54 121 4 56 17 1 .2769 .3277 .3867 2000 250 29 68 4 25 11 4 .2720 .3234 .3920 1999 392 43 110 3 32 23 11 .2806 .3286 .3622 Diaz enters the season as the Indians' starting catcher, so expect him to bat around 400 times once again. He'll hit for a decent average with a fair number of RBI, but his steals totals have been in decline in each of the last two seasons. Still, Diaz is a decent starting catcher in an AL-only league. 22.   Jason LaRue Projected Roto $1   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 368 42 91 13 51 29 4 .2473 .3023 .4158 2001 364 39 86 12 43 27 3 .2363 .3050 .4038 2000 98 12 23 5 12 5 0 .2347 .2991 .4184 1999 90 12 19 3 10 11 4 .2111 .3107 .3889 LaRue gives the Reds good power production behind the plate, but he doesn't make consistent contact and has lapses on defense that will cost him playing time. LaRue will give you decent power and RBI numbers, but his plate appearances may be limited. 23.   Jason Varitek Projected Roto $1   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 350 46 91 12 53 40 1 .2600 .3359 .4429 2001 174 19 51 7 25 21 0 .2931 .3724 .4885 2000 448 55 111 10 65 60 1 .2478 .3444 .3884 1999 483 70 130 20 76 46 1 .2692 .3352 .4824 Varitek missed most of last season after suffering an elbow injury. He is expected to return in time for the start of training camp, however, and could become a pretty valuable Fantasy player considering the lack of talented catchers around the league. Varitek has the ability to put up decent numbers as an everyday backstop, so a .265 batting average, 18 home runs and 65 RBI are certainly not out of reach. 24.   Ramon Hernandez Projected Roto $1   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 370 44 96 12 52 34 1 .2595 .3218 .4081 2001 453 55 115 15 60 37 1 .2539 .3185 .4084 2000 419 52 101 14 62 38 1 .2411 .3147 .3866 1999 136 13 38 3 21 18 1 .2794 .3677 .3971 Hernandez improved his hitting slightly last season, raising his batting average to .251 and hitting 15 homers. He should continue his progression this season, raising his average and approaching 20 homers. Hernandez will emerge as one of the best catchers in baseball this season and is worth starting in any Fantasy league. 25.   Eli Marrero Projected Roto $0   Period AB R H HR RBI BB SB BA OBP SLG Projected 249 36 60 8 36 17 7 .2410 .2895 .3976 2001 203 37 54 6 23 15 6 .2660 .3165 .4384 2000 102 21 23 5 17 9 5 .2255 .3070 .4216 1999 317 32 61 6 34 18 11 .1924 .2381 .2965 Marrero will fight for the backup catching job in St. Louis, but there is a chance he could end up in left field as well. He does have a decent bat, but Marrero has been too injury prone to compile a solid year. He's worth a $1 bid for Fantasy owners willing to gamble that he'll see enough at-bats to be productive.