Prince Fielder

2013

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2012

Fielder continued his stellar career in 2011, hitting .299/.415/.566 while reducing his strikeout rate and increasing his walk rate over previous seasons. He inked a nine-year, $214-million deal with the Tigers this offseason. The lefty slugger will slide into the middle of the Tigers' lineup alongside Miguel Cabrera. Fielder is expected to be the Tigers' primary first baseman, but he'll also see time at designated hitter.

2011

Fielder continued to alternate good and great seasons by having just a good season in 2010. He hit .261/.401/.471 with 32 home runs and 83 RBI, which is a down season by his standards. He's known for getting off to slow starts and last season was no different. Fielder will be in his contract season in 2011 and will be looking to cash in big when it's over, while trade rumors will continue to swirl if the Brewers aren't in a position to contend when the July 31 trade deadline approaches.

2010

Fielder had what may have been his best season in 2009 at age 25. He hit .299/.412/.602 and was the first Brewer ever to walk more than 100 times in one season. People are always concerned that his body type is going to slow him down, but he's still relatively young and hasn't shown any signs of that happening. He's got two more years left in Milwaukee until he becomes a free agent so there is always a chance he'll get traded to the American League, but it's doubtful it will happen before the next offseason.

2009

It's hard to hit .276/.372/.507 as a 24-year-old and be considered a disappointment, but Fielder pulled that off in 2008 due to all of the expectations coming off of his 50-homer 2007 season. While the overall numbers may not stand out, he rebounded from a slow start to hit .283/.392/.533 after the All-Star break. It's likely that he'll bounce back at the plate with a better season in 2009, but his defense will likely slide even further. The Brewers will put up with it for the next few seasons and then he may need to move to an AL team where he can DH for the remainder of his career.

2008

Fielder hit 50 home runs in just his second full season in the major leagues and made a run at the MVP award. He didn't wear down in the second half either, putting up a 1.034 OPS after the All-Star break. He gets a slight downgrade for his defense, but more than makes up for it with his offense. There really isn't anything that would point to last season being a fluke. In fact, his .286 BABIP could mean that he's got room for an even better season in 2008.

2007

Fielder had what would usually be a Rookie of the Year type season as a 22 year old, but still finished well behind a few other rookies in the voting. He hit .271 with 28 home runs and even stole seven bases during his first full year in the majors. His defense wasn't very good, but it was sufficient and will improve. The Brewers are hoping he can develop into the middle-of-the-order power hitter that they desperately need. Expect big things from Fielder in 2007 as he matures and continues to improve his strike-zone judgment.

2006

Fielder crushed the ball for Triple-A Nashville, hitting .289 with 27 home runs in 374 AB before being called up to Milwaukee. He held his own at the major league level and should be starting for the Brewers this year, with Lyle Overbay now a Blue Jay.

2005

Fielder's stats fell off a little bit at Double-A Huntsville, but some family issues that didn't surface publicly until after the season may have contributed. He was still able to hit .272 with 23 HR in the pitcher friendly Southern League, while also walking 65 times. Fielder is still only 20 years old and will get another year in the minors at Triple-A. A strong showing there could get him a late season call-up, but he probably won't make an impact with the Brewers until 2006.

2004

Fielder was the Midwest League Player of the Year in 2003 and won a few national Minor League Player of the Year awards as well. He may start the year at high Single-A High Desert but will probably push his way up to Double-A or higher. He's still a little too young for the Brewers roster, but could be ready by 2005.

2003

Fielder has the most power potential of any of the lower level’s top prospects. The son of “Big Daddy” Cecil Fielder could actually offer more power than his 50 home run hitting father. Unlike his father, Prince has a beautiful swing from the left-handed side of the plate and projects to hit for a higher average than Dad did. The result of growing up in a big league environment gives Fielder a far more advanced understanding of hitting than 18-year-olds are supposed to have. The fact he was taking batting practice with the New York Yankees when was 12 years old, and launching upper deck shots, gives him an edge few others ever experience. All signs point to him having a better career than Cecil, but concerns are like as well. His weight has been as high as 300 lbs, although he’s currently around 265. At this point in his life, the weight is less of a concern but the body type suggests it will be as he ages. He’s a better athlete than his father, but that still projects to a below average first basemen. 2003 should see him in A-Ball but it’s possible they won’t be able to contain his bat, and he may advance to Double-A as a 19-year-old. While many consider him a Boom or Bust type, it should be noted he’s better in all facets of the game than his father was, and Big Daddy had a pretty good career.