MLB Predictions: 5 Sluggers Whose Power Will Disappear in 2012

Baseball is a funny sport, a player who is seemingly washed up can bounce back for a huge year.

The same season a player coming off a career year can wallow in mediocrity for the majority of the season.

Despite this current era of the pitcher, there are a few players every year who hit beyond their abilities.

The following year, reality seems to catch up with them, and they return to their previous levels. When it comes to home run power, there's always the fear of steroids or least some kind of performance enhancement.

When players unexpectedly have a big power year, the follow-up season is a complete mystery.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Don't get me wrong, Jacoby Ellsbury is a very good player, but it seems highly irregular that he would go from a career high of nine home runs in one season to 32 to the next.

2011 was an amazing season, but it seems very likely that Ellsbury will regress to 15-18 home runs in 2012.

Curtis Granderson

Granderson is good hitter, and at Yankee Stadium, he's a great power hitter.

But despite a few solid power seasons, 2011 was a ridiculous farce. Something has to be wrong when Granderson has the second-most home runs in baseball.

He'll still have power next season, but realistically, 25 home runs is predictable.

Lance Berkman

Lance Berkman had a career rebirth in St. Louis last year.

He hit 31 home runs while playing like he was 10 years younger.

Reality will catch up with Berkman next year, and anything more than 15 home runs will be shocking.

Dan Uggla

Dan Uggla got a ridiculously undeserved extension last year but surprisingly justified it by hitting 36 home runs in 600 at-bats.

The second baseman isn't going to keep up that production in 2012, and 20 home runs will be a stretch next season.

Aramis Ramirez

Aramis Ramirez has remained surprisingly productive throughout his career. His ability to keep his power numbers year after year kept him as a mainstay in Chicago.

That will change next year as Ramirez moves to Milwaukee. Miller is a hitters' park, but Ramirez is just one more year over the hill.

This change of scenery won't do Ramirez any good, and he'll be lucky to break 15 homers.