Cafe Positional Rankings: Week 15

Here are this week’s rankings. At the All-Star Break, I feel we can turn the page on some players at this point. Some guys just aren’t going to produce like the fantasy stars we thought they were, while some have refused to cool off. In turning in my personal rankings, I let the first-half numbers play a bigger role than they have at any other point, while scaling back on my preseason expectations a great deal.

Note: Players in the minors or on the DL were not considered for these rankings.

Catchers

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Joe Mauer	1
2	Victor Martinez	2
3	Pablo Sandoval	4
4	Brian McCann	3
5	Jorge Posada	5
6	Brandon Inge	9	Keeps hitting HRs, top power C by a wide margin
7	Bengie Molina	7
8	Matt Wieters	6	2-for-14 last week, exercise patience
9	Ryan Doumit	NR
10	Mike Napoli	10
11	Russell Martin	11
12	Chris Iannetta	12
13	A.J. Pierzynski	13
14	Miguel Olivo	14
15	Jarrod Saltalamacchia	15

First Basemen

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Albert Pujols	1	On another level: 32 HRs, 10 SBs, .332 AVG
2	Miguel Cabrera	2
3	Prince Fielder	3
4	Mark Teixeira	4
5	Ryan Howard	6
6	Justin Morneau	5
7	Lance Berkman	8
8	Kevin Youkilis	9
9	Joey Votto	11
10	Adrian Gonzalez	7	Last 2 weeks: 7-for-50, no HRs
11	Mark Reynolds	10
12	Adam Dunn	12
13	Derrek Lee	14
14	Carlos Pena	13
15	Paul Konerko	15

Second Basemen

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Chase Utley	1
2	Ian Kinsler	2
3	Brandon Phillips	3
4	Brian Roberts	4	AVG dropping, 19-for-93 in last four weeks
5	Aaron Hill	5
6	Dustin Pedroia	8	AVG above .300, knockin’ a few HRs, love the SBs
7	Alexei Ramirez	7
8	Ben Zobrist	9
9	Robinson Cano	6
10	Chone Figgins	10
11	Dan Uggla	12
12	Jose Lopez	11
13	Ian Stewart	15
14	Orlando Hudson	NR
15	Casey McGehee	14

Third Basemen

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Miguel Cabrera	1
2	Alex Rodriguez	2	Three consecutive weeks with .350+ AVG and multiple HRs
3	David Wright	3
4	Evan Longoria	4
5	Kevin Youkilis	5
6	Mark Reynolds	6
7	Pablo Sandoval	NR	Now ranked at 3B and C
8	Aramis Ramirez	7
9	Chipper Jones	8
10	Michael Young	9
11	Chone Figgins	11
12	Ryan Zimmerman	10
13	Russell Branyan	12
14	Jorge Cantu	13
15	Scott Rolen	15	Slowing down in July after big June

Shortstops

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Hanley Ramirez	1
2	Derek Jeter	2
3	Jimmy Rollins	4	Rollin’ in July; is he back?
4	Michael Young	3
5	Alexei Ramirez	5
6	Ben Zobrist	6
7	Troy Tulowitzki	8
8	Jason Bartlett	7	AVG is starting to fall, hit .227 last week
9	Miguel Tejada	9
10	Stephen Drew	10
11	Gordon Beckham	12
12	J.J. Hardy	11
13	Jhonny Peralta	13
14	Ryan Theriot	15
15	Rafael Furcal	14

Outfielders

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Ryan Braun	1	3-for-25 week not enough to drop him from top spot
2	Carl Crawford	2
3	Matt Kemp	3
4	Grady Sizemore	8
5	Ichiro Suzuki	9	128 hits and 19 SBs before the ASB
6	Jason Bay	4
7	Curtis Granderson	5
8	Manny Ramirez	6
9	B.J. Upton	7
10	Carlos Lee	11
11	Justin Upton	14
12	Raul Ibanez	NR
13	Nelson Cruz	13
14	Adam Dunn	17
15	Josh Hamilton	16
16	Jayson Werth	25	7-for-24, 4 HRs, 11 RBIs, 1 SB last week
17	Jacoby Ellsbury	21
18	Nick Markakis	10	One HR and one SB in last seven weeks
19	Alfonso Soriano	15
20	Brad Hawpe	20
21	Matt Holliday	19
22	Shane Victorino	23
23	Hunter Pence	18	Last 3 weeks: 14-for-74, 1 HR, 1 SB
24	Nate McLouth	22
25	Adam Jones	24
26	Shin-Soo Choo	29
27	Bobby Abreu	28
28	Adam Lind	27
29	Johnny Damon	26
30	Jermaine Dye	31
31	Andre Ethier	30
32	Luke Scott	NR
33	Alex Rios	33
34	Juan Rivera	39
35	Corey Hart	34
36	Ryan Ludwick	NR	13-for-27, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs last week
37	Jason Kubel	36
38	Vernon Wells	37
39	Michael Bourn	38
40	Colby Rasmus	40

Starting Pitchers

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Tim Lincecum	1
2	Dan Haren	2
3	Zack Greinke	3
4	Roy Halladay	4
5	Johan Santana	5
6	Felix Hernandez	7
7	Josh Beckett	8
8	Chad Billingsley	6
9	Justin Verlander	10	19 Ks in two starts last week
10	Javier Vazquez	13	A 5.9 K/BB ratio? Are you kidding me?
11	CC Sabathia	11
12	Yovani Gallardo	9	Week to forget: two starts, 8.10 ERA, 2.10 WHIP
13	Josh Johnson	12
14	Matt Cain	15
15	Cole Hamels	14
16	Chris Carpenter	16
17	Edwin Jackson	20
18	Jered Weaver	17
19	Roy Oswalt	18
20	Jon Lester	19
21	Adam Wainwright	23
22	Cliff Lee	21
23	Ted Lilly	24
24	James Shields	22
25	Ricky Nolasco	26
26	A.J. Burnett	27
27	Erik Bedard	NR
28	John Lackey	28
29	John Danks	29
30	Johnny Cueto	25	13 ERs, 20.63 ERA, 3.35 WHIP in two starts last week
31	Matt Garza	31
32	Scott Baker	30
33	Clayton Kershaw	33
34	Wandy Rodriguez	46	11-K start has him climbing toward the elit
35	Ubaldo Jimenez	34
36	Tommy Hanson	35
37	Ricky Romero	43
38	Scott Kazmir	32	Followed up two solid stars with a stinker
39	Jair Jurrjens	37
40	Aaron Harang	36
41	Francisco Liriano	38
42	Derek Lowe	39
43	Carlos Zambrano	44
44	Rich Harden	47
45	Joba Chamberlain	40	Two bad weeks in a row and extremely hittable
46	Gavin Floyd	42
47	Randy Wells	NR	2.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 3.0+ K/BB ratio in his 12 starts
48	Jarrod Washburn	NR
49	Mark Buehrle	45
50	Kevin Millwood	41

Relievers

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Joe Nathan	1
2	Heath Bell	3
3	Jonathan Broxton	2
4	Francisco Rodriguez	4
5	Mariano Rivera	5
6	Joakim Soria	6
7	Jonathan Papelbon	7
8	Brian Fuentes	8
9	Huston Street	10
10	Francisco Cordero	9
11	Ryan Franklin	11	0.79 ERA, 0.79 WHIP — he can’t be this good, right?
12	Bobby Jenks	12
13	Andrew Bailey	16
14	Scott Downs	NR
15	David Aardsma	13
16	Trevor Hoffman	14
17	Brian Wilson	17
18	Jose Valverde	19
19	Frank Francisco	20
20	Matt Capps	15	Combusted last week and ERA is now at 6.21
21	Brad Lidge	18
22	Rafael Soriano	28	Four big saves last week gives him the team lead
23	J.P Howell	21
24	Chad Qualls	25
25	George Sherrill	23
26	Fernando Rodney	22
27	Kevin Gregg	24
28	Leo Nunez	29
29	Kerry Wood	26
30	Mike Gonzalez	27	Looks like he’s lost the closer job

 
R.J. White is a fantasy blogger at the sports site FanHouse. Check out his work both here and there, and feel free to talk to him in the forums, where he posts under the name daullaz.
 

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