MLB Showdown Cards

MLB Showdown 2011: Shortstop

Shortstop is not what it used to be. Tulowitzki has been the model of consistency over the past 3 years. Good thinking by the Rockies locking him up long term. Han Ram had a lack of focus and professionalism... it was inevitable. Those of you who predicted big jumps for Andrus, Desmond, Drew and Cabrerra you were wrong. Maybe next year. Jeter put up a card that you would expect from a battling veteran. J-Roll and Furcal had decent years but their stats did not yield good cards. One of the more anticipated cards the past 3 years is Jose Reyes. Touted as the most exciting player in baseball, does that mean he is the most exciting player in showdown?

Power hitters brace yourself... it is fourth down and time to punt. There is no help in the utility class this year ether. So the question is how do you punt. Do you stretch for Tulo? He has some power and can bat second. Get on base and score some runs. He will help on defense with his +5. JJ Hardy is too expensive for his 240 point 6, 16-20 homer. Even if he does have a +5 fielding. Maybe Janish or Nishioka as 5's with +4 fielding as an 8 hitter should be considered. The saved points allow for Napoli as a catcher.

Pingers have a few options here. Scutaro and Escobar are 280 point 9 speed B's. Escobar is a better deal with a triple instead of 2 doubles. He has 1 less fielding but he is the better batter. Make your own choice based on your own preference. Both of them are 5-10 round players with the position scarcity. These players may be in the Reyes running. Reyes is going to go in the first 3 rounds because he is the best lead off hitter in the class. I do not think he is worth the 450 points but in a draft it only takes one. Johnny Peralta may a good 6 or 7 hitter for pingers. Peralta can be probably picked up in the 8-12 rounds. He is a cheap 220 point 8 speed C with a pair of homers with a +5 fielding. Money ballers are going to go for the two 9 Pingers. Reyes is too expensive for purest of the money ball theory. Paying for his speed and triples is tough to swallow. Tulowitzki as a 3 or 4 hitter makes more sense.

Small Ballers will fight for Reyes. He is expensive but he gets on base and steals bases. Will he score enough runs? Someone draft him and let me know. Definitely one of the more intriguing cards ever made. Castro is an interesting option for a 2 or 6 hitter. He can get himself into scoring position and he can knock other people in with his 7 or higher single. The +0 fielding problem needs to be addressed but there are options. The nostalgic cheap skates will love Derek Jeter. He can bat 6 or 7 and play good defense with a +4. Andrus with a +0 is not worth while. This is not a Starling Castro chart.

Bench players are available as long as you want them to be cheap and awful. 5 players worth 20 points or less. 15 worth less then 100 points. Some cheap fielders. No cheap pinch hitters. Some cheap runners. Basically garbage.