If you’re anything like me, building depth within your fantasy baseball roster is of the utmost of importance. Injuries can occur within the blink of an eye, so it’s always good to make sure that you have plenty of backups or even starters who can easily replace the fallen.
The biggest problem in trying to maintain at least one person per position to accommodate this need is that it’s pretty much impossible to pull off with players who are strict to a specific position due to most reserve bench sizes. But rather than add unwanted stress to your plate, look to the easiest solution by loading up on utilities during the draft. And no, I’m not talking about guys who would be the equivalent of a DH, I’m talking about players who can be placed in the most position slots as they racked up at few games at a particular position throughout 2013 for them to qualify.
Seriously, it makes your team way more expendable. Granted, some players are better than others, so to help you out here are the best multiple-position players who will give you the most bangs for your buck.
13. Brett Lawrie Toronto Blue Jays (3B, 2B)
For the last three seasons Lawrie has been a fan favorite in Toronto, sticking it out as the team’s full-time third baseman after the loss of Scott Rolen and the shift of Edwin Encarnacion to the first base/DH spot. Aside from being Canadian, Lawrie was expected to be the next big thing, but so far he’s been slightly above average at-best.
Since coming into the league in 2011 his average has dropped 20 points every season, from .293 to .254 for a career total of .269, which isn’t that bad. Lawrie can hit for some power (31 career home runs) and he can bring in some runs (119 career RBI), but what makes him more valuable for 2014 is the fact that he played six games at second base in 2013.
Most leagues require at least 10 games to be played at a particular position for them to be eligible; however, that’s only a small handful of leagues. As of now he’s listed at both positions, which is great if you need someone to come off of the bench to fill in for an off day or for an injured player. Don’t worry too much about drafting him until late, but a lot of that depends on how many other members are in your league and if one of them happens to be Canadian/a Blue Jays fan.
12. Jedd Gyorko San Diego Padres (2B, 3B)
2013 was Gyorko’s first Seaton in the Majors, and even though he finished the season with a .249 average he still managed to finish the season with a sixth place finish for National League Rookie of the Year; but more important, he outperformed the rest of his teammates in the home run (23) and RBI categories (63).
Gyorko only played in 125 games and will surely become an everyday guy in 2014, more-than-likely as the Padres’ second baseman; however, he is still a fortunate commodity for fantasy owners who are wise enough to pick him up in the later rounds. He’s only going to get better.
11. Mark Trumbo Arizona Diamondbacks (OF, 1B)
Trumbo may seem pretty low on the list, but there’s a very specific reason for that, he’s starting fresh in a new league. Occasionally players have a slow transition when jumping from one league to the next, so I’m merely basing this assessment on the law of averages.
The one thing that isn’t working in Trumbo’s favor is the .234 average he posted in 2013, 16 points lower than his .250 career average in three (technically four) seasons. What is working for Trumbo is the 100 RBI he tallied last season along with a career-high 34 home runs.
If there are two things that Trumbo has proven he can do well they’re most certainly hitting for power and driving-in a lot of runs.
For his career (54 games) Trumbo is hitting .246 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI in interleague play, which if you multiply everything by three you’ll get a full 162-game season in which his home runs would equal 39 and his runs driven-in would be 114. That’s not really a bad way to look at things nor a bad player to have on your team.
10. Carlos Santana Cleveland Indians (C, 1B)
For some reason it feels like Santana has been playing for a lot longer than four seasons, but in 498 games he is maintaining a respectable .254 average, 71 total home runs and 251 total RBI.
These numbers may not seem all that spectacular, but take into consideration that the majority of his starts come from behind the dish (84 of 154 games in 2013). The amount of stress that the body takes from squatting behind home plate all game usually translates into a negative correlation when batting, something that only a small handful of players have been able to shake throughout their careers.
In Santana’s case a third of his games played come in the form of first base or DH, which usually means he’ll be posting better stats. So, if you’re wise enough to pick him up, make your roster moves accordingly be slotting him in at the utility or even first base spot while keeping a decent-hitting catcher on standby.
9. Jed Lowrie Oakland Athletics (SS, 2B)
2013 was Lowrie’s first year of playing more than 97, but not only that, he managed to play in all but eight games, the most of which came at shortstop. In his previous five seasons with the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros critics saw a lot of potential in Lowrie, but he always seemed to get injury right after he heated up with the bat.
As a member of the Athletics, Lowrie has been amazing. He hit .290 with 15 home runs and 75 RBI, but more important he knocked 45 doubles which was just shy of Jason Giambi’s team record of 47 set in 2001. Lowrie finished second in team average right behind Josh Donaldson who hit .301 and finished in fourth place for the American League MVP Award.
That right there should indicate how much of a value Lowrie can be in two positions which usually don’t generate the biggest offensive figures.
8. Ben Zobrist Tampa Bay Rays (2B, SS, OF)
Zobrist has been an incredibly smart middle-round pick for the last five years. For the last three seasons his average has been around .269 or higher, he’s usually good for roughly 18 home runs per season and he’s reliable to knock-in at least 75 RBI.
Even though he can be used in four different positions (including utility), he still tallies less hits than most players who stick it out in the middle infield for an entire season. This isn’t really a bad thing, especially since he racked-up a career-high 168 hits with a second-best of his career .275 average. If anything, don’t be surprised if he’s able to up the ante in 2014.
7. Michael Cuddyer Colorado Rockies (OF, 1B)
Unfortunately for fantasy owners Cuddyer’s stock dropped a little bit when he signed with the Rockies prior to the 2012 season. By “dropped a little bit” I mean that he no longer plays second base and third base, something that made him one of the most indispensable values in fantasy baseball.
But even with a smaller cache of positions to choose from, Cuddyer is still a great hitter and proved it in 2013 when he led the NL in average (.331). The only downside of this is that he only played in 130 games and only managed to net 162 total hits and 31 doubles; however, his power is still in tact as he went yard 20 times and knocked-in a team-high 84 runs. With the addition of his former Minnesota Twins teammate Justin Morneau, Cuddyer will be playing the vast majority of his games in right field, which will keep him loose while at the plate.
6. Edwin Encarnacion Toronto Blue Jays (1B, 3B)
The funny thing about Encarnacion all has to do with something I mentioned in the Lawrie section; since Lawrie was called up to play third base full-time Encarnacion’s numbers have skyrocketed. In 2010 Encarnacion was hitting .244; since 2011 however, he has yet to dip below .272.
On top of that he has seen his home run total go from 21 in 2010 to 17 in 2011 up to a career-high 42 in 2012 and then down to 36 in 2013. He has also knocked-in 104 or more runs in each of the last two seasons to boot. Encarnacion has explosive power and a great average to back it up.
The only downside is that he’s only hit more than 30 doubles in the last four years (36 in 2011) and his career-high in hits is 152. On the bright side, he really doesn’t strikeout that much and he gets walked a lot, 166 times in the last two years.
5. Martin Prado Arizona Diamondbacks (3B, 2B, OF)
A true utility man, Prado is maintaining a .293 average and has tallied 172 or more hits three times in the last four seasons. What he lacks in power he makes up for with his base speed in at least 36 doubles per season for the last five years.
Prado is not an easy out either, if he’s not getting on base with a hit or a walk he usually goes down by making contact. Prado is averaging roughly 12 home runs per season and came off his best year of runs knocked-in with 82. In the last two seasons he has only missed 13 games, making him one of the most-reliable players to have on any fantasy roster.
4. Buster Posey San Francisco Giants (C, 1B)
Even though he’ll be playing more games at catcher, he’s still one of the best bats in the game. His .308 career average in four full seasons of play is something to marvel at, especially since he doesn’t usually swing at bad pitches.
With the exception of his injury-shortened season in 2011, 2013 was his worst season, by his standards. His .294 average, 15 home runs and 72 RBI were hardly a mirror image of his 2012 NL MVP campaign, but the lack of production in 2013 is really something that came as a result of a lack of production from his teammates.
There is little-to-no doubt that Posey will bounce back in 2014, and the great thing about a player like him is that he can be used as a first baseman or a catcher, two spots which are vital to fill with a reliable player.
3. Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins (1B, C)
The great thing about Mauer is that he’ll be playing first base full-time in 2014 and he’ll still have that catcher tag next to his name. 2013 and especially 2011 were both injury-shortened years for Mauer which came as a result of leg and back issues from his time calling games from behind the dish.
With the squatting out of the picture, Mauer can now focus all of his attention on balls thrown to him and hitting. Mauer has a .323 average (along with three batting titles) and has only dipped below .308 three times throughout his career. Interestingly enough, in those three years he was averaging at least one hit per game, which is phenomenal.
Mauer is a very patient hitter who will take pitches to force walks, which is why he has only topped-out at 191 total hits in 2009. Mauer is also not a great power guy, but he can rake-in RBI just as long as there are runners on the bags. Mauer as a hitter is perfect, but the greatest struggle may come in the form of his teammates. Nonetheless, he’s always a perfect selection, like Posey.
2. Allen Craig St. Louis Cardinals (1B, OF)
Even though injuries plagued him in both 2012 and 2013, Craig is one of the best offensive producers the game has seen. In 119 games in 2012 he hit .307 with 22 home runs and 92 RBI; however, he was averaging .400 with runners in scoring position.
In 2013 he played in 134 games, hitting .315 with 13 home runs and 97 RBI; however, his average with runners in scoring position was a ridiculous .454, the third-best for a season of all-time. In four seasons Craig is maintaining a .306 average and has been a top-20 NL MVP candidate in each of the last two seasons, his only two seasons in which he has played in 100 or more games.
Craig is coming into 2014 at full health, and will be playing in the outfield full-time. This of course will not hurt his first baseman eligibility, something to consider when loading your team with reliable power-hitters who drive in a lot of runs.
1. Matt Carpenter St. Louis Cardinals (2B, 3B, 1B, OF)
Even with the numbers that Craig can produce, his teammate still deserves the number one spot. 2013 was certainly Carpenter’s year: .318 average, 11 home runs, 78 RBI plus he led the league in runs (126), doubles (55) and hits (199)… all as a leadoff man.
Carpenter played in 157 games, the vast majority of which came at second and third base, but he still took a few platoon roles at first base, right and left field. It’s still up in the air whether he’ll still have eligibility at the last three, but if not; having a reliable bat at second or third isn’t exactly a loss.
Something important to take note of in regard to Carpenter is that 2013 wasn’t. In 2012 he played in 114 games, scoring only 44 runs, tallying 87 hits (22 doubles, five triples and six home runs) and 46 RBI, but he still hit .294. The consistency was there all-along, it was just a matter of Cardinals’ manager Mike Matheny getting Carpenter in to the game. I think it’s pretty clear that Carpenter got his attention, as well as the attentions of all fantasy owners.