2011 Fantasy Projections No. 2: Why Marlins' Hanley Ramirez Is Still Top SS

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Despite a 2010 campaign considered to be subpar (by his standards), Hanley Ramirez remains the second-ranked player in fantasy baseball heading into 2011. In fact, you can make an argument that the Marlins shortstop should be taken ahead of Albert Pujols based on position scarcity. Consider this: According to Mock Draft Central’s ADP, there are 10 first basemen currently being selected in the Top 50, opposed to just five shortstops.

Ramirez will bat third for the Marlins in 2011, though he’ll be without the protection of the franchise’s all-time home run leader Dan Uggla, who was traded to the Braves this offseason. Despite this, Hanley will be the leader of a very young and talented lineup in south Florida.

The elbow soreness that forced Ramirez to miss games late last season is no longer an issue, so pencil him in for 650-plus plate appearances in 2011. Any suggestions of Hanley relinquishing the top spot at shortstop to Troy Tulowitzki should be silenced when considering Ramirez’s remarkable durability. Over his five-year career, the 27-year-old has averaged 152 games played per season (Tulowitzki has averaged 132 games played since 2007) and owns the most impressive three-year power/speed average.  

	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
2010 stats	619	92	21	76	32	.300
3-year average	655	106	26	83	31	.314
2011 FBI Forecast	670	100	26	90	34	.311

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• No. 1: Albert Pujols

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• 2011 Projections: Adrian Beltre
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options

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