Cafe Positional Rankings: Week 20

With most trade deadlines now come and gone, these rankings will likely just serve as discussion fodder from here on out. Strike up a conversation about who you think is too high or too low in the discussion thread at the end of this article or in the Baseball Leftovers forum. Enjoy!

Note: Our rankings do not include any player that was on the DL or in the minors at the time the rankings were submitted.

Catchers

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Joe Mauer	1	Last month: .440 BA, 23 Rs, 10 HRs, 28 RBIs, 2 SBs; #1 overall
2	Victor Martinez	3
3	Pablo Sandoval	2
4	Brian McCann	4
5	Jorge Posada	5
6	Miguel Montero	10
7	Ryan Doumit	6
8	Mike Napoli	9
9	Brandon Inge	7	.177 BA, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs post-All Star Break
10	Geovany Soto	8
11	Russell Martin	11
12	Chris Iannetta	13
13	A.J. Pierzynski	15
14	Matt Wieters	12
15	Bengie Molina	NR
Also receiving votes: Kurt Suzuki, John Baker

First Basemen

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Albert Pujols	1
2	Prince Fielder	3	Last week: .429 BA, 5 HRs, 10 RBIs
3	Miguel Cabrera	2
4	Mark Teixeira	4
5	Mark Reynolds	6
6	Justin Morneau	5	Struggling, and now has inner ear infection
7	Ryan Howard	7
8	Adrian Gonzalez	10
9	Adam Dunn	9
10	Kevin Youkilis	8
11	Lance Berkman	NR
12	Kendry Morales	12
13	Joey Votto	11
14	Derrek Lee	13
15	Carlos Pena	14
Also receiving votes: Paul Konerko

Second Basemen

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Chase Utley	1
2	Ian Kinsler	NR	6-of-13, three HRs and one SB in first four games back
3	Aaron Hill	2
4	Brian Roberts	4
5	Robinson Cano	5
6	Brandon Phillips	3	.211 BA, one HR in August
7	Dustin Pedroia	6
8	Ben Zobrist	7
9	Chone Figgins	8
10	Dan Uggla	9
11	Alexei Ramirez	10
12	Mark DeRosa	11
13	Asdrubal Cabrera	13
14	Jose Lopez	12
15	Adam Kennedy	15
Also receiving votes: Chris Coghlan, Ian Stewart, Felipe Lopez

Third Basemen

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Alex Rodriguez	1
2	Miguel Cabrera	2
3	Mark Reynolds	4
4	Evan Longoria	3
5	Ryan Zimmerman	6
6	Kevin Youkilis	7
7	Pablo Sandoval	8
8	Michael Young	10
9	Aramis Ramirez	9
10	Chipper Jones	11
11	Chone Figgins	12	Last week: .458 BA, 7 Rs, 4 SBs
12	Russell Branyan	13
13	Gordon Beckham	14
14	Casey Blake	15	.236 BA in August, power has disappeared
15	Jorge Cantu	NR
Also receiving votes: None

Shortstops

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Hanley Ramirez	1
2	Jimmy Rollins	2
3	Troy Tulowitzki	4
4	Michael Young	3
5	Derek Jeter	5	August: .377 BA, 4 HRs, .938 OPS
6	Ben Zobrist	6
7	Jason Bartlett	9
8	Gordon Beckham	8
9	Alexei Ramirez	10
10	Miguel Tejada	7	Hitless for a week before Wednesday night
11	Stephen Drew	11
12	Marco Scutaro	14
13	Jhonny Peralta	12
14	Yunel Escobar	13
15	Asdrubal Cabrera	NR
Also receiving votes: Macier Izturis, Alcides Escobar, Orlando Cabrera, Felipe Lopez

Outfielders

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Ryan Braun	1
2	Carl Crawford	2
3	Matt Kemp	3
4	Matt Holliday	5
5	Ichiro Suzuki	4
6	Manny Ramirez	6
7	Grady Sizemore	7
8	Carlos Lee	10
9	Adam Dunn	9
10	Curtis Granderson	8
11	Jason Bay	11
12	Jacoby Ellsbury	13
13	Nick Markakis	14	.375 BA with three HRs in August
14	Bobby Abreu	16
15	Jayson Werth	15
16	B.J. Upton	12	Yesterday’s HR was just his second since June
17	Josh Hamilton	27	.397 BA in August, but where’s the power?
18	Raul Ibanez	17
19	Shin-Soo Choo	20
20	Shane Victorino	18
21	Torii Hunter	NR
22	Johnny Damon	23
23	Adam Jones	22
24	Kendry Morales	31
25	Brad Hawpe	24
26	Vladimir Guerrero	30
27	Adam Lind	25
28	Alfonso Soriano	19	August: .167 BA, no HRs, no SBs, .407 OPS?!?
29	Andre Ethier	28
30	Josh Willingham	32
31	Hunter Pence	34
32	Andrew McCutchen	35
33	Jermaine Dye	33
34	Nyjer Morgan	38
35	Carlos Quentin	29
36	Ryan Ludwick	37
37	Juan Rivera	39
38	Michael Bourn	40
39	Alex Rios	36
40	Carlos Gonzalez	NR
Also receiving votes: Rajai Davis, Jason Kubel, Travis Snider, Denard Span

Starting Pitchers

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Tim Lincecum	1
2	Roy Halladay	2
3	Zack Greinke	3
4	Dan Haren	6
5	Johan Santana	4
6	Justin Verlander	7
7	Josh Beckett	5
8	Felix Hernandez	8
9	Chris Carpenter	9
10	Josh Johnson	10
11	Javier Vazquez	11
12	Cliff Lee	14	Last seven starts all wins and QSes, and four were CGs
13	Matt Cain	12
14	Adam Wainwright	13
15	CC Sabathia	17	6-1, 2.86 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 45 Ks in seven post-ASB starts
16	Jon Lester	15
17	Chad Billingsley	16
18	Ricky Nolasco	18
19	John Lackey	19
20	Edwin Jackson	23
21	Yovani Gallardo	21
22	Wandy Rodriguez	22
23	Clayton Kershaw	24
24	Ubaldo Jimenez	27	Four straight wins, eight straight quality starts
25	Jered Weaver	25
26	Roy Oswalt	26	Injured, then ineffective: 11 ERs in last two starts
27	Cole Hamels	20
28	A.J. Burnett	30
29	Matt Garza	29
30	Rich Harden	31
31	Gavin Floyd	32
32	James Shields	28
33	Scott Baker	33
34	Tommy Hanson	34
35	Jair Jurrjens	37
36	Ted Lilly	NR
37	Brett Anderson	36	Last start: 5 IP, 9 Hs, 7 ERs, 3 BBs; shine wearing off
38	J.A. Happ	40
39	Randy Wells	38
40	Jarrod Washburn	39
41	Joba Chamberlain	35
42	Joe Blanton	41
43	Joel Pineiro	42
44	Max Scherzer	43
45	John Danks	44
46	Randy Wolf	48
47	Ervin Santana	NR
48	Ricky Romero	46	Given up three runs or more in eight of last nine games
49	Scott Kazmir	45
50	Andy Pettitte	NR
Also receiving votes: Mark Buehrle, Jorge de la Rosa, Mat Latos, Derek Holland, Rick Porcello, Zach Duke, Derek Lowe, Aaron Harang

Relievers

Rank	Player	Prev.	Comments
1	Mariano Rivera	1
2	Joe Nathan	2
3	Joakim Soria	4
4	Jonathan Papelbon	3
5	Heath Bell	6
6	Jonathan Broxton	5
7	Huston Street	7
8	David Aardsma	8
9	Brian Fuentes	9	Seven saves despite ugly 8.00 ERA, 1.78 WHIP last month
10	Ryan Franklin	13
11	Brian Wilson	12
12	Francisco Cordero	10
13	Francisco Rodriguez	11
14	Andrew Bailey	16
15	Trevor Hoffman	14
16	Jose Valverde	15
17	Chad Qualls	18
18	Bobby Jenks	20
19	J.P. Howell	17
20	Fernando Rodney	22
21	Rafael Soriano	19	0-3, 6.97 ERA post-All Star Break
22	Frank Francisco	23
23	Jason Frasor	24
24	Brad Lidge	21
25	Jim Johnson	26
26	Carlos Marmol	NR
27	Kerry Wood	27
28	Mike MacDougal	29	Last month: 8 SVs, 2.13 ERA, 0.87 WHIP; a real closer??
29	Matt Capps	28
30	Leo Nunez	30	Nine saves ties Rivera for best in past month
Also receiving votes: None

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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