Fantasy Baseball: The Batters Fans Regret Drafting

Fantasy baseball season is coming to an end. It is time to reflect on the successes and failures of 2011.  Obvious surprises include players such as Curtis Granderson. Who would have thought Granderson would lead the American League in RBI's and possibly finish with over 40 home runs? For owners who picked him between the 7th and 12th rounds, the Yankee outfielder was more than a pleasant surprise. While Granderson was a fantasy stud, there were many duds. Here is a list of the players who infuriated owners.

Evan Longoria

Longoria was suppose to be a stud at the hot corner. Yahoo! Sports projected him as the 4th best fantasy player. Instead, hampered by injuries, Longoria has disappointed owners who wasted their first round pick on the young star. He is batting a career low .234 -- with a few weeks left, owners are praying Longoria heats up to finish the season.

David Wright

Like Longoria, Wright was predicted to be one of the better options at third base. Unfortunately, he faced injuries in 2011 and is currently hitting .255 with only 10 HR's. Wright's numbers this year do not reflect his talent. Next year owners who draft Wright will hope 2011 was only an aberration.

Shin Soo Choo

Last year Shin-Soo Choo finished 14th in the American League MVP Race. His overall numbers were impressive: .300 batting average, 31 doubles, 22 HR's, and 22 steals. This year Choo struggled - He is batting a pedestrian .256 with only 6 HR's.

Jason Heyward

Last year Jason Heyward enjoyed an incredibly successful rookie campaign. The hype was real -- Heyward was an All Star selection and finished second in the Rookie of the Year race. His final numbers were .277 with 18 HR's and 72 RBI's. In 2011, Heyward has not produced similar statistics. He is batting a disappointing .218 with only 31 RBI's.  Fantasy owners who thought Heyward would improve upon his 2010 success are definitely displeased. 

Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro has never been a player who hit for power and helped owners in the HR or RBI category. However, Ichiro has always been a great source of hits and runs. Every year since he entered the league in 2001 Ichiro has hit over 200 hits with a batting average above .300. In 2011, Ichiro owners did not receive the same consistency. To date, Ichiro is hitting a career low .269 with 141 hits.

Joe Mauer

Simply put, the 2009 American League MVP and perennial All Star has been a bust in 2011. Mauer displayed impressive power numbers in years past (28 HR's in 09). Unfortunately, Mauer has failed to produce solid numbers in 2011. He has 1 home run all year and only 25 RBI's on a mediocre Twins squad.

Justin Morneau

Morneau is another former Minnesota MVP that has upset fantasy owners in 2011. In the past, Morneau was a run producing machine capable of 110+ RBI seasons. This year he has 27 RBI's and is batting an unimpressive .217.

Hanley Ramirez

Hanley has been a major failure. He started the season off incredibly slow and displayed trademark character issues. At the beginning of the season some owners with the first pick debated between Hanley and Albert. Today, this debate seems foolish. Hanley suffered multiple injuries throughout the year and might not come back from the shoulder injury he sustained a few weeks ago. His year end totals to date are a .243 average, 10 HR's, and 45 RBI's.

Adam Dunn

Dunn is without question the NUMBER 1 fantasy dud. He was never a player to hit for average so fantasy owners knew he would produce HR's and RBI's. 2011 was a different story -- he is batting .169 with 11 HR's and 40 RBI's. Owners who drafted Dunn within the top five rounds are definitely displeased.