Rollins sprained his ankle on Apr. 8 of last season, and its lingering effects hampered his production early in the season and forced him to play in just 137 games.
But, I am sure if you asked JRoll himself, he would say that the injury was not an excuse for a lackluster season in which he scored only 76 runs, down from 139 in 2007.
One of the first statistics Rollins' proponents pointed out when arguing his MVP candidacy in 2007 was runs scored. His ability to set the table for hitters like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard is what makes him so valuable to Philadelphia.
I understand that the burden is really on the hitters behind Rollins to drive him in so that he can score runs, but his numbers were also affected by his drastic drop in home runs, extra-base hits, and slugging percentage.
Luckily for the Phillies and Rollins, there is really no part of Rollins' game that desperately needs to be improved in order for him to become one of the most productive shortstops in the National League.
He walked more than he struck out last season — 58 BB to 55 K —and he remains one of the smartest and best baserunners in all of baseball with 47 stolen bases and only three times caught stealing. There have never been any questions about his work ethic and desire.
Don't expect Rollins to hit 30 home runs and 20 triples again like he did in 2007, but 15 home runs and 10-15 triples is not unreasonable to assume considering that Rollins should be healthy and determined in 2009.
4. Nick Swisher — New York Yankees
There is really nothing better for a hitters' numbers than an insertion into a lineup like then one the Yankees will be fielding in 2009, and Swisher should be absolutely giddy about the opportunity to hit somewhere behind Alex Rodriguez and in front of Jorge Posada.
But first Swisher needs to survive the recent rumors that the Yankees are shopping him and Xavier Nady to teams after the signing of Mark Teixeira.
Swisher should outlast Nady, if only because he probably has less trade value and could be a cheaper long-term solution for a team that just spent over $400 million in free agency this season.
If he does outlast Nady, Yankees fans and potential fantasy owners who draft Swisher should be pleased with better production from the outfielder.
Swisher's statistics have never really stood out. His value lies in his ability to get on base, his power, and his infectious attitude and effect on players around him.
So you can imagine how the White Sox must have felt when they traded promising prospect Gio Gonzalez and two other players to the A's for him. What they received was a player who hit .219, platooned in the outfield and at first base, and whose OPS was just .742, over 60 points lower than his career average.
But there are signs of hope.
First of all, Swisher still showed the type of patience that makes him an ideal Moneyball-style player. He averaged 4.53 pitches-per-plate appearance, among the leaders in all of baseball, and his power numbers didn't exactly disappear (24 home runs in less than 500 at-bats.)
There is no reason to expect that Swisher is on the decline. He is only 28 years old, and as I said earlier, nothing re-invigorates a struggling hitter like the protection that the Yankees lineup can offer.
5. Prince Fielder — Milwaukee Brewers
Relax! Before you run me out of Bleacher Report via the comments section, just hear me out.
While most people would say that there is no such thing as rebounding from a season that included 35 home runs, 102 RBI, and a .507 slugging percentage, in the case of Prince Fielder, rebounding is exactly what he needs to do.
In 2007, Fielder hit 50 home runs, drove in 119 runs, and slugged .618, over 100 points better than he slugged last year.
It might not be realistic to expect that Fielder can consistently have that type of season, but it is certainly reasonable that Fielder should settle somewhere in between the two seasons.
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