Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: Emerging Stars Who Will Carry Your Team

Now that we have seen Major League Baseball teams play for almost two weeks, we have some idea who the breakout stars for this year will be. 

Baseball is a funny game, because everything happens so fast that you have to be on a player right away, or else he will be off the board before you have a chance to grab him. 

The players on this list have made quite an impression already this season—and, in one case, going back to last year—who will carry that momentum all the way through September. 

Here are some budding fantasy stars you need to snatch up as soon as possible. 

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs

This spring has been a revelation for Samardizja, the $10 million bonus baby who has looked like a bust since being drafted in 2006. 

Not only did he earn a spot in the rotation, but his stuff and control have looked better than at any point in his career. We have always known "The Shark" had an electric arm. We just never knew if he would be able to harness it into an effective big league career. 

Granted, it has only been two starts, but all the adjustments Samardzija made this offseason could pay off huge for fantasy owners. At the very least, he should be good for a lot of strikeouts. 

Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds

Having been a Cozart mark all offseason, I will jump even harder on the bandwagon after seeing his still-very-early results. 

In fantasy baseball, where defense doesn't matter, Cozart is going to be a very good player at shortstop. His average will hover around .260-.270 this season, but he has good pop in his bat, and it will play up in the small Great American Ball Park. 

The one caveat with Cozart actually has nothing to do with him, but rather his manager, Dusty Baker. Never one to lean on young players, if Cozart has one bad week, Baker could end up sitting him down just to teach him a lesson. 

Right now, with Cozart hitting, there is no reason to avoid putting him at least on your bench. 

Kyle Lohse, St. Louis Cardinals

In today's baseball, if you don't throw hard, it is difficult to get a lot of attention. Lohse has never been a pitcher who is going to blow you away. There was a time, not that long ago, when he didn't get anyone out. 

All that changed last year, though. Lohse posted a career-best 3.39 ERA in 188 innings. He still wasn't missing many bats, or loading up the box score with outstanding lines, but he was solid. 

With fantasy pitching always at a premium, Lohse is a great get if you can find him. He is going to throw between 175-200 innings with an ERA in the mid-threes  and a good WHIP because he doesn't walk hitters. 

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