Feb. 1, 2010

2010 Fantasy outlooks: Texas Rangers

By Eric Mack | Senior Fantasy Writer
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The Rangers are building something now, and we figure it could stick this time around because it is backed by improved pitching. They still are more about run producers for us in Fantasy, but the offense makes them a potential contender and their pitchers potential winners for Fantasy owners.

You have to love the addition of Vladimir Guerrero to this lineup, especially since he has such great numbers in Texas -- even if much of that was feasting on bad pitchers. Guerrero is too old for us to consider a breakout or sleeper, but he will be among the undervalued Rangers in the non-pitcher category.

Josh Hamilton is a rebound candidate, while Ian Kinsler is still not at his peak. Also, Elvis Andrus, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Brandon McCarthy and Neftali Feliz are still just getting started.

The list of players we haven't seen the best of yet doesn't end there, though.

Breakout: Chris Davis, 1B

Davis was supposed to be a breakout last year, but instead he proved to be a bust. A funny thing happens when Fantasy owners jump too quickly off a talented young player's bandwagon: He gets overlooked and winds up undervalued. That could be Davis now. We project a .258 average, 27 homers, 84 RBI, 70 runs and one steal for him, but he is capable of far more in the power and run production categories. Even in his disappointing second season, Davis showed marked improvement in the second half, hitting .308 with six homers, 26 RBI and 17 runs in just 133 at-bats. Davis is a nice late-round pick-up at a very deep first base position.

Bust: Michael Young, 3B

It is not that we don't like Young. We will remind you, picking busts requires naming a player whose decline you might not see coming. He remains a solid Fantasy pick on Draft Day, especially coming off his .322-21 campaign. The problem lies with his loyal long-time Fantasy owners that will continue to pick him as if he were still shortstop-eligible. He loses that this spring and is 3B-only now, which should downgrade him a few rounds at least. Also, he happens to have turned 33 this winter. Age 32 tends to be the end of a player's prime. Young figures to begin to decline. We already saw a sign of that last year, as his at-bats fell below 600 for the first time since his first full season in 2002.

Sleeper: Julio Borbon, OF

Borbon has some incredible potential in his first full season, if he wins the starting center fielder's job and runs with it -- quite literally. We project 40 steals, but after stealing 19 with just 157 at-bats, we might have to upgrade that total once he officially wins the starting job and is named the leadoff man. Borbon doesn't have a whole lot in the way of immediate power, though, so consider him far more of a Rotisserie gem.

You can e-mail us your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Team outlooks in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.