2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings- 21-50

Here are our 21-50 rankings for the 2014 Fantasy Baseball Season! You can find 1-10 here and 11-20 here. Check back in a few days for 51-100!

21- Felix Hernandez- 2013 Stats (12-10, 3.04 ERA, 216 SO)
The Mariners' aggressive offseason spending could really benefit Hernandez, as Cano will provide increased run support for the starter and the possible addition of David Price would also ease a little pressure at the top of the rotation.

22- David Wright- 2013 Stats (.307, 18 HR, 58 RBI)
Wright still produced All Star numbers despite having an injury-shortened 2013 campaign. He should only improve on those numbers in 2014. 

23- Jose Fernandez- 2013 Stats (12-6, 2.19 ERA, 187 SO)
Fernandez is one of baseball's brightest young stars and should post even stronger numbers in his 2nd full season. Don't be surprised if Fernandez is the best pitcher in fantasy baseball by the end of the year.

24- Adam Wainwright- 2013 Stats (19-9, 2.94 ERA, 219 SO)
Wainwright was one of the league's best pitchers in 2013 and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. 

25- Edwin Encarnacion- 2013 Stats (.272, 36 HR, 102 RBI)
The 3rd round is pretty late for someone who has 50 HR potential so owner's should be ecstatic if he drops to 25.

26. David Price- 2013 Stats (10-8, 3.33 ERA, 151 SO)
Price's value depends on who he ends up signing with. The current front runner is the Mariners and if Price does end up signing with them, he could be worth a top 20 pick.

27. Madison Bumgarner- 2013 Stats (13-9, 2.77 ERA, 199 SO)
Bumgarner is often overlooked but he has an incredible amount of talent and is playing in a relatively weak NL West division. These two facts make for a great pick in the late 3rd round.

28. Freddie Freeman- 2013 Stats (.319, 19 HR, 109 RBI)
Freeman is an RBI machine, due in part to the Braves potent lineup. Expect numbers similar to those of his 2013 season.

29. Bryce Harper- 2013 Stats (.274, 20 HR, 58 RBI)
Harper struggled with injuries in 2013 but for someone who is 21 years old he still put up incredible numbers. He should only improve in 2014.

30. Max Scherzer- 2013 Stats (21-3, 2.90 ERA, 240 SO)
Scherzer had a Cy-Young campaign in 2013 but a closer look at the peripherals reveal some troubling statistics. Scherzer should still have a great 2014 season, but expect some digression from his 2013 numbers.

31. Yasiel Puig- 2013 Stats (.319, 19 HR, 42 RBI)

After being called up in June, Puig put together one of the best second half's in baseball. If he can continue producing at that level, Puig will be an absolute steal in the 4th round.

32. Carlos Gomez- 2013 Stats (.284, 24 HR, 73 RBI)
The "other" Cargo finally broke out in 2014 after years of over-hype. Only time will tell if he can maintain these excellent numbers.

33. Zack Greinke- 2013 Stats (15-4, 2.63 ERA, 148 SO)
A change of scenery proved beneficial to Greinke as he put together a stellar 2013 season with the Dodgers. A strong lineup and rotation should ensure that Greinke has another great season in 2014.

34. Matt Kemp- 2013 Stats (.270, 6 HR, 33 RBI)
Kemp is one of the toughest values to determine in the 2014 draft. We know what he can do what he's healthy, but, well, he's never healthy. Can he finally finish a season without any serious injuries? If he does in 2014, he could put up top 5 numbers.

35. Cliff Lee- 2013 Stats (14-8, 2.87 ERA, 222 SO)
After 14 seasons in the MLB, Lee is showing no signs of slowing down. 2014 should be another strong year for the ace.

36. Dustin Pedroia- 2013 Stats (.301, 9 HR, 84 RBI)
While the lack of HRs is slightly concerning, Pedroia has shown what he can do at Fenway and there is no reason not to believe that his numbers will rebound after a slightly disappointing 2013 season.

37. Jason Kipnis- 2013 Stats (.284, 17 HR, 84 RBI)
Kipnis is one of the most exciting young players in the league and should give Pedroia a run for his money as the second best 2nd baseman in the league.

38. Cole Hamels- 2013 Stats (8-14, 3.60, 202 SO)
Hamels is the classic example of why wins are a horrible way to measure a pitchers talent. Despite putting up great numbers in 2013, he had a 8-14 record due to weak run support and bad luck. Expect a bump in wins this year and with it, increased value in fantasy.

39. Justin Upton- 2013 Stats (.263, 27 HR, 70 RBI)
Just last year Upton was considered a borderline 1st round draft pick. He has the talent but has yet to put together the season that analysts know he can. Will 2014 be the year?

40. Buster Posey- 2013 Stats (.294, 15 HR, 72 RBI)
Posey was hurt for much of 2013 and as a result his numbers suffer. There is a dearth at the catching position this year, which only boosts Posey's value.

41. Justin Verlander- 2013 Stats (13-12, 3.46 ERA, 217 SO)
After a string of Cy-Young quality seasons, Verlander regressed a bit in 2013. While his 2013 numbers aren't representative of how we feel he will pitch this year, don't expect numbers like he posted in 2011.

42. Jay Bruce- 2013 Stats (.262, 30 HR, 109 RBI)
Bruce is a cheap source of power for the 5th round. He is also one of the safest picks of the draft which is why owners will be salivating over him come 5th round.

43. Eric Hosmer- 2013 Stats (.302, 17 HR, 79 RBI)
Hosmer had a strong 2013 season but it was not quite what owners were expecting. 2014 could be the year where he finally gets there.

44. David Ortiz- 2013 Stats (.309, 30 HR, 109 RBI)
Ortiz is one of the most remarkable players in the MLB. At 38 years old he is still putting up MVP numbers and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Only being eligible at DH hurts his stock a little bit, but Ortiz is still a great value for the 5th round.

45. Jean Segura- 2013 Stats (.294, 12 HR, 49 RBI)
Segura is ranked 45 because we believe his first half was a better representation of his abilities than his atrocious 2nd half. If he can maintain the numbers he had for the first few months of 2013, he will be one of the most valuable players in fantasy.

46. Jose Bautista- 2013 Stats (.259, 28 HR, 73 RBI)
Joey Bats proved in 2013 that his 2010 and 2011 seasons were outliers. Sure, he still has tremendous power, but don't expect more than 30 or so home runs this season.

47. Chris Sale- 2013 Stats (11-14, 3.07 ERA, 226 SO)
Sale had a great 2013 campaign and should only improve on those numbers in 2014. A weak lineup is the only thing holding him back from being a truly great fantasy baseball pitcher.

48. Jose Reyes- 2013 Stats (.296, 10 HR, 37 RBI)
Much like Matt Kemp, Reyes' value fluctuates with his health. If he can remain healthy he can put up top 20 numbers but if he gets hurt again, owners will be sorely disappointed that they wasted a 5th rounder on him.

49. Albert Pujols- 2013 Stats (.258, 17 HR, 64 RBI)
Whether Pujols regressed in 2013 because he was injured or because he's getting older is tough to determine. Fantasy owners should hope it's the first because if that was the reason, he should be a major rebound candidate in 2013 and a steal in the 5th round.

50. Yoenis Cespedes- 2013 Stats (.240, 26 HR, 80 RBI)
Cespedes has the talent of an all star but the eye of a little leaguer. Unless he can significantly improve his patience at the plate, his value will be limited in fantasy baseball.

World Series Preview

It has finally arrived. The holy grail of baseball is upon us. These next few days will determine whether the season was a success or failure for the Red Sox and Cardinals, both of whom are no strangers to the World Series. The teams have met 3 times before in the World Series, with the Red Sox sweeping the Cardinals in the most recent meeting in 2004. Both teams won 97 games this year and this series is shaping up to be as even as it gets.

Cardinals Preview- 

The Cardinals rolled through the Dodgers in 6 games in the NLCS after narrowly defeating the Pirates in the NLDS. The starting rotation has clearly been the Cardinals biggest strength so far this postseason and rookie Michael Wacha has been nothing short of dominant in his first postseason. Wacha has maintained a .30 ERA over his past 4 starts, going 29.2 innings and allowing a measly 9 hits to opposing batters. This matchup has the potential to be a true test for Wacha as the Red Sox have hit right handed pitching better than any other team in the league this season. Starters Wainwright, Kelly, and Lynn are also right handed, along with the majority of the Cards pen, so it will be interesting to see how manager Mike Matheny handles this conundrum. The Cardinals batters struggled at times during the NLCS, scoring just 21 runs in the 6 games against the Dodgers, but the offense truly exploded against Clayton Kershaw, arguably the single best pitcher in baseball, in game 6. Matt Holliday and Shane Robinson provided power for the Cards but the true focal point of their offense is Carlos Beltran. Simply put, Beltran is one of the best postseason hitters ever. He has hit .337 in the playoffs to go along with 16 homers and 37 RBI in just 45 games. This, however, will be Beltran's first World Series so it will be interesting to see if his success can carry over. 

Players to watch:

The Cardinals Pen- The Cardinals have one of the best lineups and starting rotations in baseball. Then again, so did the Tigers, yet the Red Sox beat them in 6 games. The way the Red Sox achieved this was by running up pitch counts of the opposing starters early and feasting on the relievers. The Cardinals pen will be nothing short of pivotal in this series. The work that the starting rotation does will mean nothing if the pen cannot close out games for the Cards. Closer Trevor Rosenthol is inexperienced but has the stuff to shut down the Sox lineup, and set-up men Edward Mujica and Carlos Martinez have been fantastic this entire season and postseason. The title hopes of the Cardinals could rest in the hands of their pen.

Red Sox Preview:

Preview- Is there a more fun team to watch in the MLB than the Red Sox? Much like the 2004 team that swept the Cardinals in the World Series, this team is full of jubilant personalities and players that simply love playing baseball. Manager John Farrell echoed this sentiment following the ALDS series against the Rays, "They like to have fun, by evident by the beers and all that stuff. This is a group that loves to be together, and they know how to party together, I know that." The offense has looked shaky at times but they seemingly have a knack for winning games. Two grand slams and counting this postseason have also provided major boosts for the Sox. Koji Uehara and the rest of the pen have also been spectacular thus far and will try to continue the success against the Cardinals batters. The Sox rotation, however, has struggled this postseason, posting a 4.46 ERA so far. Lester has been solid for the Red Sox but after that, the rotation has been very inconsistent. Lackey was brilliant in the ALCS, throwing 6.2 shutdown innings against the potent Tigers offense, but he struggled against the Rays in the ALDS. The key for Lackey will be home-field advantage; during the 2013 season, Lackey had an impressive 2.47 ERA at home while posting a 4.48 ERA on the road. Farrell clearly realized this while setting his rotation for the World Series as he has Lackey slated to start game 2 at home as opposed to having him start game 3 on the road as many predicted. Buchholz had a great regular season but has struggled in his 3 postseason starts, allowing 10 earned runs in just 16.2 innings pitched. Peavy has also been horrendous for the Red Sox, sporting an ERA that is close to 9 in just 8.2 innings pitched over his 2 starts. If the rotation continues to fail to produce, the Red Sox will be in deep trouble against the Cardinals offense. 

Player to Watch-
It will be very interesting to see what John Farrell does with 1B/C Mike Napoli for the road games in St. Louis. David Ortiz certainly won't see the bench for more than one game as he is the Red Sox's star and one of the best hitters in postseason history. Napoli, however, is the hottest hitter for the Red Sox right now and it will be hard to bench him. One option for John Farrell is to have Napoli catch a game behind the plate, play one game at 1st base, and have him sit one game. Napoli has yet to catch a game this season, but if Farrell has him catch Game 3, and then has him rest in Game 4, he would be more than ready to return to 1st base by Game 5.

SERIES PREDICTIONS

*****NOTE- Clay Buchholz has been scratched from Game 3 and will supposedly start game 4 instead. As such, we now predict the Cardinals to win game 3 and the Red Sox to win game 4. 

Game 1- Adam Wainwright vs. Jon Lester
Emotions run high as the series opens at Fenway. Red Sox take this one 5-2

Game 2- Michael Wacha vs. John Lackey
Michael Wacha has been the best pitcher in the MLB over the past month and he shuts down the Sox in this one. 4-1 Cards

Game 3- Joe Kelly vs. Clay Buchholz
As the series shifts to Busch Stadium the Red Sox regain the momentum and win this game 7-4.

Game 4- Lance Lynn vs. Jake Peavy
Peavy struggles in this one as the Cardinals tie the series up 2-2 with a 6-3 win in this game

Game 5- TBA
Late-inning heroics help the Red Sox squeak out a win in this pivotal game 5 to head back to Boston up 3-2. Final score- 4-3

Game 6- TBA
The Red Sox close out the series at home for the first time in nearly a century. 3-1 Red Sox


WORLD SERIES MVP- Xander Bogaerts 

NLCS Game 3 Preview

Game 3: Adam Wainwright vs. Hyun-jin Ryu
As the series shifts back to Los Angeles for games 3 and 4, the Dodgers are starting to feel a sense of urgency. The offense is struggling. SS Hanley Ramirez has been battling a rib injury and might not be available for game 3 or maybe even the rest of the series. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright is on the mound for game 3. Wainwright was brilliant in the NLDS, throwing 16 innings of 2 run ball with 15 strikeouts. He will look to continue this success come Monday night. He will go up against Dodgers starter Hyun Jin Ryu who struggled mightily against the Braves offense in the NLDS. He lasted just 3 innings while allowing 4 ER, striking out just 1. The key to success for the Dodgers will be Ryu; if he can return to mid-season form they have a shot, albeit a slim one, of winning the pivotal game 3 against the Cardinals. If he pitches like he did against the Braves, the Dodgers can say goodbye to their World Series hopes.

Bottom Line: A 9th inning rally, capitalized by a home run from rookie Yasiel Puig who has been struggling mightily recently, will propel the Dodgers to a 4-3 win at home.