Other Top 25 lists: SP | OF | 1B | C
These rankings are based on projected cumulative value over the next 5 years. Minor league players have been excluded. Hitters who will qualify at 2B or SS were also excluded.
| Rank | Player | Birthdate | Career Mode |
| 1 | Evan Longoria | 10/7/85 | Peak |
| 2 | Ryan Zimmerman | 9/28/84 | Peak |
| 3 | Pablo Sandoval | 8/11/86 | Peak |
| 4 | David Wright | 12/20/82 | Peak |
| 5 | Jose Bautista | 10/19/80 | Peak |
| 6 | Kevin Youkilis | 3/15/79 | Peak |
| 7 | Adrian Beltre | 4/7/79 | Peak |
| 8 | Brett Lawrie | 1/18/90 | Growth |
| 9 | Mike Moustakas | 9/11/88 | Growth |
| 10 | Mark Reynolds | 9/3/83 | Peak |
| 11 | Lonnie Chisenhall | 10/4/88 | Growth |
| 12 | Aramis Ramirez | 6/25/78 | Peak |
| 13 | Alex Rodriguez | 7/27/75 | Decline |
| 14 | Edwin Encarnación | 1/7/83 | Peak |
| 15 | Michael Young | 10/19/76 | Decline |
| 16 | Ian Stewart | 4/5/85 | Growth |
| 17 | Martin Prado | 10/27/83 | Peak |
| 18 | James Darnell | 1/19/87 | Growth |
| 19 | Pedro Alvarez | 2/6/87 | Growth |
| 20 | Chase Headley | 5/9/84 | Growth |
| 21 | David Freese | 4/28/83 | Peak |
| 22 | Matt Dominguez | 9/28/89 | Growth |
| 23 | Chris Davis | 3/17/86 | Growth |
| 24 | Alex Liddi | 9/14/88 | Growth |
| 25 | Matt Carpenter | 11/26/85 | Growth |
Longoria was the easiest player to rank on this list. His combination of youth, current production, growth potential and makeup create perhaps the best keeper player in the baseball universe. A .300/40/120/15 season in 2012 or 2013 would not surprise me in the least.
Zimmerman is just a notch below Longoria in terms of upside, but he too combines youth, current production, growth potential and makeup. Some have speculated that Anthony Rendon could push him off of 3B eventually, but right now Zimmerman is widely regarded as the best defensive 3B in the majors. I don’t see that move happening any time soon. Zimmerman has .300/35/120 upside, but the Nationals are very careful with his health and he doesn’t get the green-light on the base paths enough to be a factor in the SB department.
Sandoval’s bat is every bit as potent as Zimmerman’s, but conditioning and weight concerns could limit him to 1B at any point. Even at 1B his bat would be a force.
Wright’s ever increasing strikeout rate is a cause for batting average concern, but he’s still a natural hitter with plus power and the ability to swipe 20+ bags. He’s only 29 and with good health there’s no reason we couldn’t see a few more .280+/25/100/20 seasons out of him.
Lawrie’s ranking may be a bit aggressive considering the small sample of production we have at AA or above, but when you combine his pedigree with 2011’s production it’s hard not to get excited about what such a young player could potentially do for many, many seasons in a keeper league. If not for his track record of fragility I would have likely ranked him above both Beltre and Youkilis. A .280 20/20 season in 2012 is certainly a possibility and there is certainly potential for more as he gains experience.
Finally I’d like to highlight Headley, who has largely been forgotten in keeper leagues. Headley was known as a patient hitter with plus power as a prospect. Much of his power potential has been muted by Petco Park, but consider his career triple slash road splits before you completely write him off: .303/.364/.441. Those lines looked even better in 2011 (.330/.399/.465) as he continued to reach physical maturity. To boot Headley has developed the ability to take second base when pitchers aren’t paying attention (10+ steals the past 3 seasons). If SD decides to make room for Jedd Gyorko by shipping Headley elsewhere, it would be a major boon to his fantasy value and Headley could find his way into the top 10 on this list.
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