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.

Yovani Gallardo, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Overview: Young pitcher who re-established himself as a viable, trustworthy fantasy starter last season … rebounded from a torn ACL that ended his 2008 season after just four starts, making 30 starts and ranking 10th in the majors with 204 strikeouts … has plenty of room for improvement as he distances himself from the knee injury.
2009 numbers: 13-12, 3.73 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 204 Ks in 185.2 IP
Key splits and trends: Fatigue may have been an issue as he reached the second half of the season … labored his way to a 3-5 record and 5.33 ERA in his last 9 starts … rising strikeout total was a nice surprise, but it also led to more walks and a higher WHIP
Strengths: Has clean, repeatable mechanics and throws strikes … at his best, is virtually unhittable, allowing opponents to hit just .219 last season … at just 23 years old, still has time to improve his efficiency and drive his ERA back down to the 3.00 range.
Weaknesses: Inefficiency and durability were points of concern last season, but look for improvements in both categories … with a full season under his belt, should make better, more efficient use of his arsenal.
Bold prediction for 2010: Numbers improve across the board, namely in ERA, but win total stays between 12 and 14.

Well, after initial reports by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. signing a one-year deal worth $2 million plus incentives with the Braves, the report was quickly denied by Griffey, who officially signed with the Seattle Mariners Wednesday.

This news coming from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which also reports that a phone call from Willie Mays gave Seattle the edge over Atlanta for good in the Griffey sweepstakes. Read more »

Every season it happens. At least one player goes on such a tear through the postseason, gets so much attention that his fantasy stock soars the following season. That kind of buzz, of course, factors into a player’s value on draft day, but does a breakout playoff performance really change who that player is? The answer, in my opinion, is: sometimes.

Two types of players can grow from playoff experience to the point where a career season will immediately follow. Others can use good postseason play to cash in via free agency — Carlos Beltran, then with Houston, and Jeff Suppan, then with St. Louis, are recent examples — but they fool fantasy owners into thinking their games have changed. Read more »