Last season, there was a changing of the guard of sorts, as Troy Tulowitzki passed Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez at the top of the shortstop charts.

After another monster campaign, Tulo might be the best player in the game.

Tulowitzki has finished in the top-8 of the MVP voting in each of the past three seasons.

He is coming off a season in which he hit for a .302 average, 30 home runs and 105 RBI.

His offensive numbers will likely be on the rise again this season with the addition of Michael Cuddyer.

The man is quite simply an offensive force to be feared and he plays arguably the most difficult position on the diamond. Not to mention he plays shortstop better than anyone in the game, evident by his back-to-back gold glove awards.

Tulowitzki puts up a corner outfielder's stats in a shortstop's body. He is once again a lock for a .300 average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI to go along with yet another gold glove. 

Yes, he calls Coors Field home, but lets not forget what he did on the road last season. He hit .292 with 13 long balls and drove in 45 runs away from Denver.

 He also fared quite well inside the spacious PETCO Park and Dodger Stadium, hitting .400 and .371 respectively. He can produce regardless of where he plays.  

Tulowitzki will likely earn his third consecutive All-Star selection in 2012, as he is primed to break out in a big way this season.

Tulowitzki and the Dodgers' Matt Kemp and Arizona's Justin Upton will likely comprise the top three MVP vote-getters with Tulo garnering the honor.

He is simply a beast in the Rockies' lineup and will carry the team to their first playoff birth since 2009.