The new generation of third basemen is making its mark on baseball, with possibly more young superstars than any other position in the game. Evan Longoria and David Wright are perennial All-Stars, and youngsters Gordon Beckham (who will play second base this season for the White Sox), Mark Reynolds and Ryan Zimmerman are well on their way.

The top 10 at the position is pretty sound, but anything after that and you’re wishing on a star with nearly no breakout prospects. Read more »

We will be rolling out plenty of 2010 fantasy baseball coverage in the coming days, weeks and months, but let’s start right here with player-by-player profiles of our rough top 100 preseason rankings. Stay tuned to the site for more player profiles, draft kit information, rankings, sleepers, busts, etc. as Spring Training approaches.

Michael Young, 3B, Texas Rangers
Overview: Reluctantly moved from shortstop to third base last season to make room for rookie SS Elvis Andrus … proceeded to have a resurgent offensive season, despite missing much of September with a hamstring strain … power numbers (22 HRs) were the most pleasant surprise … loses shortstop eligibility this season, so will need to repeat his power performance to be a viable starter as a corner infielder.
2009 numbers: .322 avg., 22 HRs, 68 RBIs, 76 runs, 8 SBs in 135 games
Key splits and trends: Run production suffered, even as he established a new career-high with a .518 slugging percentage … much of his power came after the All-Star break, when he hit .345 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs … mashed at Rangers Ballpark, hitting .347, compared to .297 on the road.
Strengths: Consistency is his most viable strength … is always a contender for 200 hits and has the lineup support to vie for 100 runs and 100 RBIs … wild cards in his fantasy value are HR and SB totals.
Weaknesses: Isn’t likely to repeat slugging performance, which will mean below average HR production … there are signs of erosion; single-season hits total has declined in 4 straight seasons.
Bold prediction for 2010: Young spends more time on the DL, and his hits total declines for a 5th straight season.

Fans and fantasy owners can be remarkably short-sighted.

In trying to project for an upcoming season, the tendency is to look at last season’s results and assume they are going to repeat themselves. Understandably so, too; the fresher information is the safest approach to evaluating players and the best way to feel good about the picks you’ve made.

It takes some guts to reach for a rookie or a player coming off an injury plagued season. We can’t look at the statistics and feel safe in our decision-making, so we tend to avoid those players and only look at them when prices are absolutely right. Read more »

Michael Young didn’t have to like it, but he accepted the Texas Rangers’ plan to move him to third base, the Dallas Morning News reported on its blog Thursday. This clears the way for young Elvis Andrus to debut at shortstop and for Hank Blalock to shift into the primary designated hitter role. 

A very professional move by Young, who came to terms with a position change after taking an adamant stance against it. He cited pride for his initial resistance to the idea, then duties to his teammates and talks with team president Nolan Ryan as reasons for coming around. Read more »