I was catching up on some MLB.com articles, and saw that Hanley Ramirez will more than likely bat 3rd in the Marlins lineup in 2009. Hanley has apparently put on "25 pounds of muscle" this offseason, and has worked on changing his approach at the plate.
The Marlins haven't yet announced the lineup change, but come February 25th, the Marlins first spring training game, we should see Hanley batting 3rd.
The first question I have is will this lineup change affect Hanley's SB numbers? The MLB.com article written by Joe Frisaro answers this question:
In 2008, Ramirez batted .301 with 33 home runs, 67 RBIs and 35 stolen bases. He was a member of the 30-30 club for the first time.
Asked if he could be a 40-homer, 40-steal player, Ramirez smiled and said: "Playoffs."
Ramirez still expects to steal his share of bases. The days of him swiping 51 (like he did in 2006 and '07) are over. But he can steal 30-40 bases.
I have Hanley in one of my other NL-only keeper leagues, and I expect a 35-30 season from him in 2009. If the added muscle helps his power, we could see 40-30 in 2009.