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 the regular season approaches.

Pablo Sandoval, 1B/3B, San Francisco Giants
Overview: Everybody’s sleeper last year, Kung Fu Panda did not disappoint … for the second straight season, hit for a .330+ average, this time adding 25-homer power to the mix … is an unconventional, pudgy free swinger in the Vladimir Guerrero mold … saw most of his action at third base last season, but played 26 games at first base and 3 as a catcher.
2009 numbers: .330 avg, 25 HRs, 90 RBIs, 79 runs, 5 SBs in 153 games
Key splits and trends: Hit over .300 in all but one month, and hit .298 in that month … hit .361 at AT&T park, 60 points better than road average … destroyed left-handed pitchers at a .379 clip … hit .500 against division-rival Diamondbacks … power numbers surged in his first full season with 74 XBH and a .556 slugging percentage.
Strengths: Durable and athletic despite pot belly build … qualifies at both first and third base in most leagues, and at catcher in leagues with loose eligibility requirements … brings power and average to the table and, at just 23 years old, still has room to grow.
Weaknesses: Has to prove he isn’t a one-year wonder; his build and lack of plate discipline don’t inspire confidence.
Bold prediction for 2010: His average falls closer to the .300 range, but with another run at 25 HRs and 90 RBIs.

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 »

Little was made of Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds this winter. He came off a season in which he hit just .239 and struck out 204 times and entered a situation where playing time was no guarantee in the Arizona infield. Too many variables and not enough certainty justified fantasy owners who passed him over, on average, 200-plus times in preseason drafts.

But, what Reynolds has done is helped turn the third base position in fantasy on its ear. He has led a new wave of young talent at the hot corner while familiar names Alex Rodriguez and David Wright, for their own reasons, have drifted back to the pack. The power structure and dynamic at the position have changed as names like Reynolds, Evan Longoria, Pablo Sandoval and Ryan Zimmerman have made it one of the most talent-rich in the game. Read more »

The end of a season is just about the only time where fans and fantasy owners can sit back and appreciate what their favorite players have accomplished. All things are equal then, so all numbers count the same. But, up until that point, there’s an ebb and flow to every player’s season, where hot streaks, cold streaks and fundamental changes should alter how he is viewed by fantasy owners.

There are all kinds of ways to split the numbers and get a deeper sense for a player’s long-term value. One of the easiest, most common ways is to take periodic snapshots of his production. Constantly take looks at the last seven days, the last two weeks, this month, last month, before the All-Star break, after the All-Star break. The numbers and the trends reveal stories and tell you where players have been and where they could ultimately be going. Read more »