Troy Tulowitzki: Will He Keep Performing at the Elite Level?

So far this year, Troy Tulowitzki has gotten off to a hot start, batting .323/.442/.742 with seven HR and 14 RBI.

After he hit .315 with 27 HR and 95 RBI last year, the expectations are through the roof. Tulo is expected to be better than Hanley Ramirez and many think he already is. I disagree with that belief, but that’s another story for another day.

Tulo is a player that can be counted on for some serious stats in all five categories in fantasy baseball. He is most notable for his home runs, RBI and batting average, but provides you a good amount of runs due to his ability to get on base. Also, his supporting cast to drive him in and you can probably expect around 15 stolen bases per season from him.

2011 will be a telling season for the future of Troy Tulowitzki, even though he has already made bank, scoring a seven-year, $45 million dollar contract this winter.

However, this will be key to knowing whether he is going to be the .300 and higher, 30 HR and 100 RBI hitter for his career. This year probably marks the first year of his true prime and the end of the development stage.

Something else to keep an eye on is injury issues. This year will probably be telling as to whether he can stay healthy as well. The last four years, each of which he has received full playing time:

2007—155 games played

2008—101 games played

2009—151 games played

2010—122 games played

This does not look incredibly troubling and like I said, this is just a thing to keep an eye on, even though injury problems are often as hard to predict as perfect games.

Personally, I think that Tulo has unlocked his potential and will hit over .320 this year, with 30 HR and an RBI number around 90. The injury topic is not something to be worried about right now and if history indicates a pattern, he will stay completely healthy this season.

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Ryan Roberts: Only a Mirage in the Desert
Monster Fish out of Hiding in South Florida
Sneaky Good Rotation in Arlington?
Is Andres Torres Ready to Break Out?
Why I Have Faith in Matt Thornton