MLB 2k12: Powerhouse Players You'll Want on Your Team

With the pending release of MLB 2k12, I can't help but get excited about getting together with some friends, doing a fantasy draft and stomping them like there's no tomorrow. Good times.

I know that I am far from alone in this so when you and your buddies do those fantasy drafts, this is the kind of team you need to choose for. Now if you can figure out a way to distract your friends while they're picking, this team can be yours. 

Catcher: Brian McCann

No catcher has been as reliable with the stick over the last few years as McCann, and the 2k12 likeness of him will bear that out. 

It tends to be exceptionally hard to hit home runs in video games, so you need to find hitters that do other things well. That describes McCann, who always hits for a high average, peppering line drives all around the field. 

That is how you hit in 2k12. Also, it's not as though McCann is devoid of power. If you feel the need to go for one, he'll make you happy. 

First Base: Miguel Cabrera

Just like when choosing a fantasy team, this is the toughest position as there are so many greats. But no first baseman is more dangerous with the bat as Cabrera.

He can beat you in a lot of ways, is a genuine Triple-Crown threat and will have a sweet spot that you'll mistake for an 18-wheeler if you don't look carefully. 

He can hit the long ball exceptionally well, but of all the elite first basemen in the game, he relies on it less than any other. That's why you'll want him as the No. 1 player in your fantasy draft, not just among first basemen.

Second Base: Robinson Cano

Do me a solid and take as much time as you need. Find something that has to do with hitting that Cano does not do well. Guys like Dustin Pedroia do a great job of making contact, but he doesn't hit the ball as hard as Cano. 

That's where you're going to drive in runs in 2k12. Get men on base and then have a guy like Cano step up and smack one to the gap. No second basemen will help you put up as many crooked numbers as the on who dons the pinstripes. 

Third Base: Ryan Zimmerman

This is one of a few positions where the style of hitter makes all the difference. Evan Longoria would be a fantastic No. 1, but he relies a little too much on the long ball. 

Zimmerman on the other hand can hit the long ball but plays the video game style of ball so much better. You can go with the location of the pitch away from the defense and enjoy a lot of success with the Nationals third baseman.

Shortshop: Jose Reyes

Your fantasy draft team needs a good leadoff man, and that's Reyes. He goes gap to gap as well as anyone in the game, and if you want to pressure your buddy and his defensive abilities, Reyes is your man. 

Any slight hiccup from the defense and Reyes will grab an extra base. If you get men on base, you can take wide turns, force throws in and take 90-foot gifts all day long. 

Left Field: Ryan Braun

This one doesn't need much explanation. He was the National League's MVP in 2011 because Braun does everything well. It only stands to reason that he's going to have all of the same skills in 2k12. 

Yes, the long ball is a big part of Braun's game, but it hardly defines him. He is easily a .300 hitter and when Braun gets a single, his feet can turn it into a double pretty easily. 

Even on this super team, Braun would be a perfect two or three hitter, driving opponents nuts in every possible way. 

Center Field: Matt Kemp

Major League Baseball currently has one 40/40 threat, and it's Kemp. On top of that, he's also a good solid .300 (or better) hitter. As if all of that wasn't enough, he plays a mean center field. 

No center fielder in the league does as much well as Kemp. The 2k12 version of the Dodgers' star will be as close to unstoppable as there is. 

Right Field: Jose Bautista

Every team has to have one masher on it. It's not that Bautista is a bad overall hitter, but he would have one of the lower averages on the team. That's perfectly fine, as this roster would boast plenty of .300 hitters. 

Sometimes, you just want a guy who's going to step in the box and try to hit the ball 450 feet. That's what makes games like this really fun. More importantly, it will break your buddies back, giving you some really nice bragging rights. Isn't that what we're all after anyway?

Honestly, it would be no fun putting a team like this without seeing how it would look on a lineup card. Not that it's easy to tell any of those hitters that they're hitting eighth, but someone has to.

Let's see just who's going to get that bad news.

Player	Position
1. Jose Reyes	SS
2. Robinson Cano	2B
3. Ryan Braun	LF
4. Miguel Cabrera	1B
5. Matt Kemp	CF
6. Ryan Zimmerman	3B
7. Jose Bautista	RF
8. Brian McCann	C

For your sake, I hope you get to bat with that lineup, because I wouldn't enjoy pitching to it. 

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