Best Of The Best - Infielders

On to the next section in the series—the infielders. Who’s got the best bunch? My vote goes to the Yankees.

1) New York Yankees: I don’t know if their can even be an argument on this one. They have one of the best players in baseball in three-time MVP, Alex Rodriguez; they have the captain and leader of the team, Derek Jeter; they have the most coveted free agent hitter on the market in Mark Teixeira; and they have a 26-year old career .303 hitter at second base in Robinson Cano. If this team has an offensive letdown, don’t expect it to be by one of the infielders.

2) Boston Red Sox: These two teams (Red Sox & Yankees) seem to be near the top in every category so far. I guess that’s why they are usually favorites to win the World Series every year. Boston’s infield is full of talent and depth. David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis man designated hitter and first base respectively. Youkilis was rewarded with his clutch hitting and stellar defense with a 4-year contract extension. 2008 AL MVP winner, Dustin Pedroia mans second base. The 5’7” second basemen shows pop in his bat and great range at second base. Mike Lowell holds down the hot corner and shows that he can also hit in the clutch. Shortstop is a tandem of Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie. Not a bad combination there.

3) Detroit Tigers: This infield is full of offensive power in the corners and defensive wizardry up the middle. First baseman, Miguel Cabrera, led the American League with 37 home runs and was third with 127 RBIs. Third baseman, Carlos Guillen, is a solid hitter at a career .290 clip. The middle infield is primed for a big year defensively. Placido Polanco is one of the best in the business and newcomer Adam Everett will help create a nice double play tandem up the middle.

4) Texas Rangers: Michael Young has agreed to move to third base for the Texas Rangers. What does this mean? It means that a top prospect, Elvis Andrus, has a chance to be the everyday shortstop. This guy is the real deal. How good is he? He was included in the Mark Teixeira trade. He also hit .295 with 54 stolen bases in AA at the age of 19. Ian Kinsler is coming off an MVP type season before he got injured late in the year. He still managed to hit .319 with 71 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. First base is up in the air. Frank Catalanotto, Chris Davis, and Hank Blalock will all probably get a long look in spring training. Blalock, the everyday third baseman for the Rangers in the past, is the most talented of the group but can never remain healthy for a full year.

5) Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays’ infield is full of talent, offensively and defensively. 2008 AL Rookie of the Year winner, Evan Longoria, had a breakout year and will continue to build on his experiences. Carlos Pena is a great power hitter, and Willy Aybar is a nice compliment to back him up at first base. Up the middle, the Rays are solid defensively. The main reason the Rays traded for Jason Bartlett in 2007 was for his defense. He is a slick-fielding shortstop who can turn a quick double play. Akinori Iwamura also plays a solid second base and can stroke the ball pretty well.

Other teams with top infields include:
Los Angeles Angels: The Angels lost a lot when Mark Teixeira decided to sign with the Yankees. He played so well down the stretch for the Angels, and he is definitely not to blame for the Angels playoff exit. With that said, prospect Kendry Morales is ready for the next level full time. Second baseman, Howie Kendrick, has hidden power because he doesn’t hit too many home runs. He does shoot the gaps and hits a ton of line drives. For a 25-year old, .306 career batting average is nice also. Third base is held down by one of the fastest players in Major League Baseball, Chone Figgins. Figgins is a contact guy who gets on base and creates havoc for opposing pitchers on the bases. Shortstop is an interesting position for this team. Three guys have a chance to get substantial playing time: Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, and Brandon Wood will all fight for playing time for next years’ team.

Minnesota Twins: They have former AL MVP Justin Morneau at first base. And Morneau put up MVP numbers again last season with 129 RBIs and a .300 batting average. Second baseman, Alexi Casilla, is a great complement to speedster Carlos Gomez. These two are extremely fast and if they get on base, the Twins usually get them in. Brendan Harris is a capable shortstop who isn’t extraordinary. He is a solid hitter and a solid fielder. Third base will most likely be split by Brian Buscher and Nick Punto. Both players performed well last season offensively.

And for the National League…

1) Philadelphia Phillies: The last three years, the MVP award could have gone to three different Phillies. It ended up going to two, and Albert Pujols took the other. Ryan Howard, the 2006 MVP winner, led the league this season with 48 home runs and 146 RBIs. Chase Utley, second basemen and MVP finalist for this season, started off the year with a bang but cooled off near the end finishing with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. Leader and 2007 MVP winner, Jimmy Rollins, stole 47 bases this last season. Third base is held down by potential gold glover, Pedro Feliz, and Greg Dobbs. Pretty solid all-around infield.

2) New York Mets: The Mets’ infield combines power with speed, offense with defense. Carlos Delgado found his stroke again this last season after struggling in 2007. Second baseman, Luis Castillo, struggled on the offensive side last season, but is still a sure-handed defensive player and fast enough to swipe his fair share of bases next season. Shortstop Jose Reyes is one of the fastest players in the league. His mix of speed and contact at the plate is perfect as he finished with 56 stolen bases and hit .297. David Wright holds down third base and does a fantastic job. He’s the one that’s always on TV for his crazy defensive plays. He can also hit the ball a little—33 home runs and 124 RBIs last year.

3) Colorado Rockies: Colorado’s infield showcases a future Hall of Famer and a man who lost out on the NL Rookie of the Year vote by the slimmest margin ever. The future Hall of Famer is first baseman, Todd Helton. Helton is a career .328 hitter who can still hit pretty well but has lost a lot of his power from his peak playing days of the past. The 2nd place Rookie of the Year man is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Troy was hurt a lot last season, but his leadership will never be forgotten when the Rockies streaked their way into the playoffs in the 2007 season. Garrett Atkins does a fine job at third base. Second base is the weakest link with Jeff Baker and Clint Barmes splitting time.

4) Chicago Cubs: Derrek Lee is the perfect combination of offense and defense. Lee, the three time Gold Glover (2003, 2005, and 2007) also drove in 90 runs and knocked 20 home runs. Third baseman, Aramis Ramirez, is coming off a great year in which he hit .289, 27 home runs, and drove in 111 runs. Those two in the middle of the order are a headache for any opposing pitcher. The middle infield is a nice combination of speed and contact hitters. Ryan Theriot hit over .300 playing shortstop, while second base could be played be a few different players: Mike Fontenot, Ronny Cedeno, and Aaron Miles. Cedeno is a name that has come up in trade talks, so that might shorten the list of second base candidates.

5) Houston Astros: Lance Berkman is coming off one of his best years in which he hit .312, hit 29 home runs, drove in 106 runs, and stole 18 bases. Miguel Tejada is a former MVP winner and still shows plenty of pop in his bat, even if it may not always be home run power. Second baseman, Kazuo Matsui, silenced doubters with his ability to hit outside of Coors Field compiling a .293 average and 20 stolen bases. Third base is Aaron Boone and Geoff Blum’s job to share.

Other teams with top infields include:
Los Angeles Dodgers: Resigning shortstop Rafael Furcal was a huge move for the Dodgers this offseason, because his replacement, Chin-lung Hu, is not major league ready. First baseman, James Loney, had a fine season and will continue to be the full-time first baseman. There are a plethora of players that can play third base next season, but the list is narrowed to three: 24-year old Tony Abreu, 23-year old Blake DeWitt, (who could also split time with Mark Loretta at second base) and veteran and leader Casey Blake. Mark Loretta was signed in the offseason to play second base, but might split time with others.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers would probably not make this list if they didn’t have the number one shortstop prospect in Alcides Escobar. He might not start the year in the majors, but he will be on the team sometime this season. For now Prince Fielder is a Milwaukee Brewer. Whether or not he remains a Brewer is yet to be seen. Fielder was one of the main reasons that the Brewers made the playoffs last year. His clutch hitting at the end of the year helped push the Brewers over the top. J.J. Hardy is a great defensive player with great instincts and a strong arm. Rickie Weeks is still that guy who has the potential to hit .300 with 25 home runs. He has never showcased his talent yet and could be the one on the outside looking in when Escobar is called up. Young prospect, Mat Gamel could get a good look to play first base if Prince Fielder gets traded sometime during the season.

It seems that there is plenty of infield talent around the league. Can the same be said about the outfielding crews? The outfielder portion of best of the best comes out next.