In 2008, baseball fans enjoyed a few surprises—including sluggers Ryan Ludwick, Josh Hamilton and Carlos Quentin. Who will be the hidden treasures of 2009? This list is solely dedicated to hitters and will include rookies, veterans, and everyone in between.
No. 1 Chris Davis
Davis is going to fit right into the Texas Rangers offense as an elite force. He is a first baseman who will surely be an all-star in 2009 if he keeps doing what he's doing.
Projected Stats: .305 batting average, 39 home runs
No. 2 Adrian Beltre
Beltre played through three injuries in 2008 which hurt his speed, average, and power. When Beltre has motivation (like during a contract year) he shreds the ball. In 2004 Beltre connected on 48 long balls and maintained a batting average of .334.
Projected Stats: .301 batting average, 32 home runs
No. 3 Hunter Pence
A true gem, Hunter Pence can do it all. His average suffered in 2008, but I expect it to come back up in 2009. In my book, he should be one of baseball's top young hitters.
Projected Stats: .310 batting average, 26 home runs and 17 stolen bases
No. 4 Troy Tulowitzki
Troy was second in Rookie of the Year voting back in 2007. However, injuries kept him from returning to those honorable numbers. Without Matt Holliday he loses a friend and mentor, but that should be of little concern. At 25-years-old, Troy can definitely still produce.
Projected Stats: .316 batting average, 27 home runs
No. 5 Kelly Johnson
Johnson can hit with power and average the same as most of these hitters can. He can even steal 10 bases or so to add a little to his fantasy value.
Projected Stats: .302 batting average, 19 home runs, 13 stolen bases
Speculate all you want. I appreciate the feedback.
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