1. Evan Longoria- Turning 24 and already having two 27plus home run season is not something you see often. Longoria has nearly mirrored his 2008 power numbers and slash line but has seen a significant increase in RBIs and runs. Be happy and confident if you've got him as your 3B for now as well as the future.
2. Alex Rodriguez- A-Rod's getting up there in age, but still has the ability to put up excellent numbers, even at the age of 34. If you're worried about his health in any way, it's a safe bet to pass on him and take the number three player on this list. But if you have no concerns about his age, as I do, be happy knowing you're getting a player with the ability to put up elite numbers across the board.One can make a very strong argument to take him over Longoria, but in the keeper/dynasty setting, you may just go with the younger of the two.
3. Kevin Youkilis- Earlier this season, "The Greek God of Walks" celebrated his 30th birthday and will end the season as a top five 3B in fantasy baseball. Youkilis has missed some time this season but only has two less HR and is hitting over .300. He has also seen an increase in his walk rate, bringing him back around normal career averages. If he can remain healthy, expect Youk to put up the same numbers he has in his previous two seasons.
4. Chone Figgins- Figgins has partially been the beneficiary of a 4.2% spike in BB% which is nearly twice as much as Bengie Molina's total in 2009. Figgins is walking at a 14.2% clip when his career average is 10% Couple this with a high BABIP and you have some inflated run and stolen base numbers. Now, Figgins is a free agent after this season, but my guess is that he'll return to LA, where he can put up 35 + SBs and score anywhere from 80-110 runs, while hitting around .280-.290
5. Michael Young- If you'd have asked me a year ago how I felt about Michael Young, I'd totally write him off. Now, Young has had a HR/FB% of 15.1 this season as opposed his career average of 9.7% I don't think Young will repeat his power numbers next year, but I do think he can remain fairly successful and give you a decent average and frankly, 3B drops off pretty heavily after Young.
6. Gordon Beckham- Another young prospect who was successful in his rookie season is Gordon Beckham. Beckham's got all the tools to be a successful hitter in the MLB and has shown flashes of excellence in 2009. If you go into 2010 with Beckham as your 3B, it's possible you may see some regression but I think he'll be just fine for you.
7. Mike Lowell- Lowell has had numerous DL stints in the 2009 season but has still managed to put decent fantasy numbers. He's seen a small decrease in his BB% and still has an OPS of over .800 and has put up power numbers consistent with his previous three seasons, while hitting near .300. If you draft Lowell, you may want to grab another player just in case he sneezes and breaks his hip.
8. Brandon Inge- Inge has had a very solid power season, yet has killed you with his .231 average. We've seen this type of season from Inge once in 2006. In that season, Inge his 27 home runs and had a HR/FB% of 14.3. In the 2009 season, Inge has hit 27 home runs and has a HR/FB% of 15.8. You seeing a trend here as well?
9. Alex Gordon- I know, I know. People have lost all faith in Gordon after his poor 2009 season. I'm ranking him here based on upside alone. Gordon's got the talent to be a power hitting corner infielder with speed, but has yet to put it all together. Gordon's GB% is a bit higher than his career average and he's hitting less line drives than in past seasons. If Gordon can manage to bring his LD% up, we can see an improvement. I'm not holding my here, but if you draft him, make sure you grab someone else in case he falters again.
10. Adrian Beltre- Beltre's value lies more in his defense than his offense, but that's not something that will help you win your fantasy baseball leagues. Not that Beltre will help you win them either. He's put up a horrible 2009 season and has been injured for a significant amount of time. Beltre has seen his BB% drop as well as his HR/FB% drop to 5.6% from his career 13.1 rate. I think Beltre can return to his 20+ HR form while hitting around .270 and stealing 10 or more bases. I would consider 2009 to be an off year for Beltre and he'll likely come at a large discount because of it. If Beltre doesn't sign with the Mariners again, he could be moving to a better ballpark for right handed hitters. Keep that in mind.