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2011 Fantasy Sleepers: Mariners Third Baseman Chone Figgins

ST. PETERSBURG - SEPTEMBER 24:  Infielder Chone Figgins #9 of the Seattle Mariners attempts a bunt against the Tampa Bay Rays during the game at Tropicana Field on September 24 2010 in St. Petersburg Florida.  (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG - SEPTEMBER 24: Infielder Chone Figgins #9 of the Seattle Mariners attempts a bunt against the Tampa Bay Rays during the game at Tropicana Field on September 24 2010 in St. Petersburg Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
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In 2010, Mariners third baseman Chone Figgins had a subpar season in his first year in Seattle. I don't know if it was the anemic lineup or the new ballpark that affected Figgins, but his hitting stats fell across the board with the exception of SBs.

In 2010, Figgins hit just .259-.340-.306 with 1 HR, 35 RBIs, 62 runs scored and 42 SBs. His 2009 season saw him hit .298-.395-.393 with 5 HRs, 54 RBIs, 114 runs scored and 42 SBs. Part of the blame for his lower BA was that his BABIP dropped to .314 from a career BABIP of .337. Also factoring into the drop in BA was a drop in the number of line drives he hit. His LD% dropped from 24% in 2009 to 21% in 2010. His BB rate also dropped from 14% to 10.5%.

For 2010, I see Figgins BA and OBP returning closer to his career averages of .287-.359, which should benefit his runs scored and SB opportunities. Figgins will be 33 years old in 2011, so a slight bump in SBs to around 45 is all I am expecting this year, but with the BA/OBP improvement, Figgins could outperform his draft round in 2011.