Fantasy Baseball: 9 Players Who Will Bounce Back with a Vengeance in 2012

Are you the type of person who replaced one wall of your office with a chalkboard? Or maybe with a bulletin board? Are you in debt because you entered three money leagues last year, instead of your usual two?

All in the name of winning bragging rights between a group of buddies who battle annually to see who can draft and manage the best fake team of real players you've never met?

Then this article is for you!

Warning: You will see some players on this list who you most likely drafted last year. Please do not punch, slap or karate-chop your computer. Especially if you lost your money leagues. You can't afford it.

But fear not, united nerds of Internet baseball; these players will bounce back in a big way in 2012 and help you finally beat that annoying guy from the corner cubicle who auto-drafts, names his team "A-Rod in Your Pujols," and still makes the playoffs every season without setting his lineup once.

Let's roll.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Youkilis

Don't sleep on the Youk. Actually, don't sleep on anyone who could be in the Red Sox lineup. That includes Single-A players, potential player-manager Bobby Valentine and the bearded popcorn vendor in the second deck.

Seriously, anyone can hit when they are surrounded by Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz.

That's not the only reason Youkilis will bounce back with a vengeance after an injury-riddled 2011 in which he only suited up for 120 games. He posted career lows across the board, even lower than his 102-game 2010. 

But don't worry. He'll be back with that perfectly-chromed dome of his. And in the Boston lineup, fully healthy gets you .300/25/100 with your eyes closed.

1. Carl Crawford

Let's start the real list with Youkilis' teammate. Perhaps the most hated man in Boston at the moment, Crawford really shattered fantasy owners' hearts and his real owner's wallet with shockingly poor play in 2011.

Crawford had never hit below .281 with fewer than 47 steals in any full season of his career (injuries shortened his 2008 season to 109 games). For Boston last season, he hit .255 with just 18 steals. He lacked power, hitting only 11 home runs and driving in 56 runs. Somehow, he managed to only score 65 runs on that explosive offense.

Most troubling of all, Crawford only got on base at a .289 clip. These numbers don't justify a seven-year, $142 million contract. Then again, neither would anything short of curing cancer and solving world hunger.

All kidding aside, Crawford will return to form next season. Seven very good seasons in a much less talented lineup than he has now, speaks for itself. He didn't have any players around him in Tampa Bay for a long time. And even when the likes of Evan Longoria showed up, the lineup card never featured as many All-Stars as the Sox does. 

He got his practice round out of the way; Crawford is in for the long run starting in 2012. The rest of baseball better hope someone goes down, because if he and Youkilis both come back at their best, runs will be flowing faster than those in a baby's diaper.

Wow. Flattering comparison. And for the record, no, I don't know what in the world Crawford is doing upside-down in that picture.

2. Derek Lowe

Let's be honest, we all wondered how the heck Lowe had been successful for so long. He has never seemed to have overwhelming stuff, but would quietly rack up 15 wins and a mid-three's ERA. 

Well, the doubts have been justified since he signed with Atlanta three seasons ago. He's been very inconsistent, posting a 40-39 overall record and at least a 4.00 ERA every year. Feces hit the fan in 2011, when he went 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA for a team that really needed him down the stretch; by a mile the worst season of his career.

His stinkiness reached an all-time high as a major player in Atlanta’s epic September collapse.

He has since been shipped off to Cleveland, where the Indians hope he will provide a stable veteran presence for a young, strong rotation.

The Indians gambled, and so should you. He's not an ace anymore. His best years are behind him. He's getting on in age. Once you've accepted all those things and adjusted his draft position accordingly, he's not a bad risk to take. 

Lowe is a perfect candidate to fill that fourth or fifth pitcher's spot on your team. He should benefit from a change of scenery. Especially to a league in which he enjoyed his three best seasons when he first became a starter. Especially to a division that houses less talented overall offenses than the NL East.

Either way you cut it, Lowe will bounce back. I expect him to dust off that filthy old sinker of his and be good for about 12 wins and a 3.70 ERA. And you can definitely do a whole lot worse for your 20th-round pick.

3. Ichiro Suzuki

Realizing I had to put Ichiro on this list was only comparable to finding out my mother actually does swear. It completely blind-sided me. Except I didn’t discover he was flawed through a drunken game of Scrabble, like I did my mother’s dirty mouth.

Ichiro has been one of the most consistent, valuable players in all of baseball since he came over from Japan in 2001. He’s never shown signs of aging before. Why now? I personally take offense to his drop-off in production last season; he was one of my higher picks. The guy had been a consensus first- or second-round pick for years!

I don’t have any explanation for why Ichiro decided to suck so hard last year. But in his worst season prior to 2011, he hit .303 with a .350 on-base percentage. His numbers in those departments last season crashed to the tune of .272 and a .310 on-base percentage.

Those numbers aren’t terrible in the grand scheme of things. But Ichiro is one of those players who has forced us to hold him to higher standards. Just as we expect LeBron to drop 30 points per game and blow it in the playoffs every year, we believe Ichiro should hit .330 with a .375 on-base.

Being in the Seattle lineup definitely doesn’t help. It’s anemic, to put it nicely. But Ichiro hasn’t had a good supporting cast in years. Methinks last season was a fluke. He’s not a top-20 pick these days, but he’s still going to hit, get on base and steal like a madman.

Don’t hesitate, folks, put Ichiro back on the good half of your draft board.

4. Trevor Cahill

I bet Trevor Cahill is a happy guy. The A’s really suck. God, that hurt to say, considering I’ve been an A’s fan, oh…forever. But truly, this move to the desert is going to serve Cahill and anyone who makes him part of their fantasy team very well.

First of all, let me point out that Cahill is just a baby. He’s going to be 24 when Opening Day rolls around next year. Yet, he’ll still be entering his fourth season as a Major Leaguer. When one looks at his career stats, nothing pops out. Forty wins, 35 losses and a 3.91 ERA.

Then you look at 2010. He went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA and a WHIP just north of 1.00. The stuff is there. It’s very there. In Arizona, he’s going to be the No. 3 starter, and most of the hitters backing him up actually know how to swing a bat.

The question is, which guy shows up? The 2010 Cy Young-worthy guy, or the 12-14, 4.16 ERA guy from 2011?  Well, Cahill will be facing the hitters who make up the Giants, Dodgers, Rockies and Padres’ lineups. Off the top of my head, I can think of about five guys combined that are really tough outs. And they aren’t on the same team.

I fully expect Cahill to bounce back and win 15 games for the D’backs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his ERA hover around 3.00 and even less surprised to see him tally 175 strikeouts.

Not only is Cahill a dark-horse fantasy pitcher for next season, but he could be a great pick-up for keeper leagues.

5. Placido Polanco

Geez, this poor guy. When was the last time he played a full, healthy season? I’ll give you a hint: it’s a five-letter word that rhymes with shnever. Despite Polanco’s various ailments, he’s been a very underrated, very solid player for a long time now.

It looks like the Phillies are going to let him walk this winter, so maybe he’ll get to play in a more stable offensive situation. No matter where he ends up, he’ll definitely recover from a very horrid 2011.

Polanco posted the worst batting average of his career (since he became a full-time starter), at a clip of .277. His power numbers were a little lower than usual too. But the career .301 hitter should bounce back in a big way as long as he has a clean bill of health come March.

One of the things that killed Polanco in Philly was Charlie Manuel’s placement of him anywhere but second in the order.

Polanco never had great speed, but he’s been the most perfect example of a No. 2 hitter his entire career. In the two-hole last year, he hit .310 with almost all of his power numbers coming along.

In the other 198 at-bats he had…well, you can do the math. It’s ugly.

Realistically, the 36-year-old will never be the star he was in Detroit, but he’s going to be good for a .300 average and probably 60 RBI in 2012. If he’s put in a decent lineup and slotted second, you can count on a 10-point jump in both categories.

Not a bad option for third base if you miss out on the elite names in your draft!

6. Andre Ethier

Remember the good ol’ days when Ethier came up in the ninth inning with the Dodgers trailing and the closer basically just cursed, kicked some dirt, and served up the inevitable walk-off to him?

Yeah, me too. It wasn’t that long ago. I need those days back. My Dodgers are a mess. Luckily, my spidey sense is tingling, and it says Ethier will finally be injury-free this season and return to form after a two-year hiatus.

Last season, he actually hit for a decent average (.292), but his power numbers were severely lacking. His 62 RBI were the lowest of his career, and 11 home runs tied for his worst total. He really has been the victim of an injury bug, missing 50 games over the last two seasons to various boo-boos.

But the optimist in me sees a 29-year-old masher in the prime of his career, who will be healed, heated and most importantly, hitting either in front or behind of MVP snub Matt Kemp.

You shouldn’t expect 40 home runs or anything crazy, but don’t be surprised if Ethier flirts with .300/35/110 for the Dodgers next season. And those are absolutely top-20 numbers for fantasy baseball.

This list is all about getting vengeance in 2012. Andre knows this and is about to go all Gladiator on that lame knee and stupid pinkie that held him out.

Wow, is anyone else getting the popcorn and DVD player ready right now?

7. Yunel Escobar

Escobar was a big-time prospect for the Braves and put up a couple really good seasons over there, before moving over to Toronto halfway through the 2010 season. Next year, he’ll have his first full, healthy season hitting in that lineup.

I think 2012 is the year that Escobar puts his name on the map. He’s somewhat of an unknown, but he will be one of the best steals of the year in fantasy drafts. He’s no Troy Tulowitzki, but he’s going to hit around .300 with anywhere between 15-20 homers and could drop 80 RBI if the Jays’ offense continues to prosper.

This is Escobar’s chance. He was a hot prospect for a long time, and then dealt with some unfortunate injuries that limited his exposure and his output. He will be 29 this season, and entering a three- or four-year period in which he should be in his prime.

Assuming you miss out on Tulo, Jose Reyes or Hanley Ramirez, Escobar is going to be that guy that not only helps you win that all-important fake championship, but also gets you major props for your ridiculous stat evaluation talents!

I honestly do think Escobar has what it takes, given a full, healthy year in Toronto, to turn up fantasy numbers that put him in that second-level class with players like Asdrubal Cabrera and J.J. Hardy. Plus, you can probably steal him after the 10th round.

8. Jonathan Broxton

Big ol’ Jonathan Broxton. The closer with the size, speed and abilities of an angry hippo (that’s not a weight reference...hippos really do kill the most humans every year and are deceptively fast...SOMEONE hasn’t been watching enough Animal Planet and it definitely ain’t me).

Too bad Broxton has the heart and courage of any unfortunate Lion/Tin Man offspring.

It still baffles me how a guy who’s listed at 6’4”, 300 lbs. and throws 100 mph on the regular is intimidated by anything. But before his injuries, that was Broxton’s downfall.

He was handed the closer’s role in Los Angeles and put up some big numbers, capped off by a 2009 in which he saved 36 games and had a WHIP below 1.00. He was absolutely lights out.

Then, one fateful July day in 2010, not long after nailing down the NL's win in the All-Star Game, he blew an important save with a four-run lead against the Yankees.

And you know how the story goes; the mentally-fragile Broxton was never the same. His numbers down the stretch that year were embarrassing, and then he was injured for most of 2011 after posting a 5.68 ERA in 12.2 innings.

But he’s moved on to Kansas City, where he will set up Joakim Soria for a very talented young Royals squad. That’s the main reason Broxton imploded. He had no confidence.

But when he was setting up games for the Dodgers before becoming the closer, he was absolutely one of the most dominant relievers in the game.

I fully expect him to rebound in 2012 back in that comfort zone of the eighth inning. Call me crazy, but in fantasy leagues where holds are valued, grab this guy in the top tier. He’s going to have a million of them.

9. David Wright

Wright wasn’t so right in 2011. Wright was pretty wrong. See what I did there?

But, seriously. Wright was a complete and utter disappointment last year. Injuries limited him to 102 games, but even when he was playing, a stat line of .254/14/61 is not nearly what we’ve come to expect of the slugging third baseman.

He’s shown the capability of a .330/30/130 season multiple times in the past. It’s just a matter of putting it all together into one healthy season. Now’s the time. Similar to Escobar, Wright is going to be 29 next season and entering his prime.

The Mets’ offense will be even worse than last year after losing Reyes, but Wright’s got the natural athleticism to still put up gaudy numbers. I think a full season will earn him a solid .300/25/110 next year.

That’s leaps and bounds better than his dismal 2010 campaign, and will hopefully be a stepping stone to bigger things over the next few seasons.

Give the guy 150 games, and we’ll definitely see the power numbers go up. The RBI will probably suffer as a result of losing Reyes, but I’m not at all putting triple digits past him.

Oh, did I mention he can run? Look for a more standard 20-25 steals out of Wright next season to go along with the improvement in average and power.

I think he’s a risk worth taking, in lieu of even someone like A-Rod or Aramis Ramirez, both aging stars who had better numbers than Wright last year. He may also be a nice steal later in the draft because his ranking will suffer so much after this season.

So keep him in mind when you’re drafting. Then you can come back here at the end of 2012 and tell me how Wright I was.

Okay, I’ll stop.