Derek Jeter

The Captain had a fantastic 2012, producing at a .308/.354/.411 clip before the All-Star break, and stepping it up to a .325/.372/.449 line in the second half. Jeter's power recovery wasn't just a Yankee Stadium aberration, as he hit nine of his 15 homers on the road. Jeter is slowing down on the basepaths, stealing a career-low nine bases in 2012, and while he should return from his postseason ankle injury fairly close to Opening Day in 2013, that speed decline is likely to continue. The aging curve has to kick in before too long for the 38-year-old Jeter, but he seems likely to put up at least another season or two of good batting average and decent power for a middle infielder.

Jeter is unquestionably on the decline, but he was a different player after a stint on the DL in late June, hitting .331 over the last three months of the season. Jeter's power is all but gone, and he has led the league in groundball percentage in each of the last two seasons. Despite that, he can still provide a decent batting average with 10-15 steals, and the Yankees continue to put him in position to score a significant number of runs. Don't make the mistake of overpaying for him on draft day, but he still likely has another productive year or two left before he ends his Hall of Fame career.

The negotiations got messier than we would have expected, but Jeter is back in New York as everyone knew he would be all along. Debate over whether his disappointing 2010 season was an aberration or the start of a decline colored his contract talks, and the same issue will be debated in fantasy circles throughout the spring. He no longer looks like the player he was just a couple of seasons ago, but he was also victimized by some really bad luck, hitting just .307 on balls in play, nearly 50 points below his career mark. We expect that number to normalize, which should result in a bounce-back season, but don't count on a return to his 2009 form.

For all the talk of declining skills and poor UZR figures, Jeter certainly didn't look like a player on the downturn of his career in 2009. An offseason workout regimen designed to recapture his lateral quickness and agility paid dividends, as Jeter was noticeably sharper defensively and stole 30 bases for just the fourth time of his career. He seemed comfortable in his new leadoff spot (.406 OBP) and he clubbed 18 homers in power-friendly Yankee Stadium. Despite his advancing age, another highly productive year could be in store for 2010, though his name will likely rocket him up draft boards higher than he should go. Be careful not to overpay here.

In what turned out to be his worst year since 2003, Jeter capped off another strong season by most standards with double-digit homers and steals along with a .300/.363/.408 line. Now in his mid-30s, Jeter isn't the elite offensive option that he once was, while a declining defensive skill set may ultimately force a move over to first base. That shouldn't be a concern just yet, but fantasy owners should again be careful not to overpay for his production. Jeter still makes plenty of contact and should be a source of a good average (.300+), but a dozen homers and steals seem to be the ceiling as his power and speed have noticeably faded.

Jeter turned in another strong season, finishing second among shortstops in on-base percentage (.388) and in the top five in runs, hits, doubles, walks and batting average. While he continues to be a reliable piece in the Yanks' offense, fantasy owners should take note of the considerable drop-off in steals (15) from a career-high 34 in 2006, and power, which has been spiraling downward over the last three seasons. He's still an excellent option given the track record and virtual lock for a .300 average and 100 runs scored, but don't overspend on him because of the name.

There were some who questioned why Derek Jeter wasn't selected as the American League MVP in 2006. The Yankee shortstop ranked in the top 10 in batting average (.343), steals (34), runs scored (118) and OBP (.417) while winning his third consecutive Gold Glove. Jeter has proven that he still has the skill set for 20-homer power or 20-steal speed, and he's a virtual lock to bat .300 and score 100 runs, despite being the face of the franchise for the league's ultimate high-pressure club.

The Captain has come home at least 110 times in eight of the last nine seasons and is a machine in the runs scored category. In fact, he's a model of consistency across the board. While he's not likely to approach 30 steals again, he'll be good for 12-15 with his usual strong batting average, solid power numbers, and those runs scored. Don't put Jeter in Miguel Tejada's class, but don't undervalue his all-around contributions either.

Jeter was mind-numbingly bad over the first two months of last season, hitting a whopping .189 through May 25. That he finished with his usual numbers imparts just how well he played the rest of the way. Expect a hot start from Jeter in 2005 to match that hot finish. His average, power/speed combination and all those runs scored are tough to beat.

After starting slowly in 2003 due to his Opening Day dislocated shoulder, Jeter ended up competing for the batting crown with a .324 AVG. His plate discipline was still there but his power numbers continued to slide as he only had 10 home runs in 482 at-bats. Jeter spent the offseason strengthening his shoulder and ruptured tendon in his thumb, which may help him regain his opposite field power he used to sport, but it doesn't look like he's going to evolve into that 30-30 guy people had prognosticated years ago. He's a very solid option and will deliver great average, on-base, runs and stolen bases but his marquee name usually makes people overpay for him simply because he's a shortstop. Check on his health in the 2004 preseason.

Jeter had another great fantasy year in 2002, with 18 homers, a career-high 32 steals and 124 runs scored while playing shortstop. But his OBP, SLG and batting average all declined for the third straight season, and his range at shortstop is among the worst in the majors. Still, Jeter did get on base at a .373 clip, and his plate discipline, while not spectacular, hasn't gotten any worse. Jeter is still just 28, so a repeat of last season's numbers (minus a few steals) isn't too much to ask for.