Pessimistic Players: Offensive Preview

C: Gerald Laird - This is probably the weakest spot in my lineup. Laird hadn't proven he can handle a full season at catcher, but he did show some reason for optimism last year. He posted a solid 805 OPS last year in part time duty, and he has earned the starting nod this year. Since he plays in a great hitters park, I hope he can maintain - or improve on - his 805 OPS from last season. At 27 years old, Laird could be positioned for a breakout season.

1B: Albert Pujols - What do I need to say about him? Pujols is an absolute monster who will be a fixture in my lineup until he retires.

2B: Josh Barfield - One of my personal favorite players (Brian Roberts) was traded this off-season in deal that brought Chris Carpenter to town. I was willing to deal B-Rob since Barfield was waiting in my minors. He showed decent power and speed last season in SD. Since he's been traded to Cleveland, I hope he can continue to improve on his production in a new league.

3B: Edwin Encarnacion - Troy Glaus was traded in the off-season and Edwin was brought in. I wanted to move towards a younger team, and starting Edwin was a move in that direction. He had an excellent rookie season, finishing with an OPS > 830. And, at age 24, there should be nowhere to go but up.

SS: Miguel Tejada - As an Orioles fan, I am really excited to have Tejada at SS. The Orioles have improved their lineup, and that should help Tejada improve his already excellent production. He had a slightly disappointing season by his standards, and he seemed disinterested at times. But, a young and improving lineup should help him bring back his passion for the game, and I expect an outstanding season from him.

OF: My "youth movement" has led to a young and extremely talented OF. My personal favorite player is Nick Markakis, who is one of my starting OFers. He had a great rookie season, and he will bat 2nd or 3rd in the Baltimore lineup this season. He has a great all around game, and his offense should boast a high average and nice power. I also added Carl Crawford this season. He is one of the best fantasy OFers around. He hits for great average, has tremendous base stealing potential, and his power improves every season. I also have 2 monster veteran bats in Jermaine Dye and Manny Ramirez. One of these guys will start in the OF, and the other will be used at my UTIL spot. In my personal (biased) opinion, you will be hard pressed to find a better group of OFers than the 4 I have. As long as the stay healthy, I should get outstanding production from these guys, and there is an excellent mix of young guys and veterans.

All in all, I expect monster performance from my offense. Laird is obviously the weak link, but there really aren't many catchers who aren't considered weak offensively. Last year I had Josh Willingham at C, but I traded him because he won't be used much as a catcher anymore. I am relying on some 2nd year guys like Encarnacion, Barfield, and Markakis to have big years. And, I think they all will. Even with a few gambles, there are more than enough "can't miss players" like Pujols, Manny, Crawford, Dye, and Tejada, that I should put up some staggering offensive numbers,