Bret Boone

Boone had an all-round off year in 2004. His OBP slipped to .317 and his power numbers fell as well. Even his fielding was down, with as many errors (14) as he had in the previous two seasons combined. Theories abound to explain Boone's miserable year, including vision problems, which required laser eye surgery in the offseason. A better lineup, such as with the signings of Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre, should help Boone this season. And hopefully his vision stays top-notch. He'll come cheaper than in recent years in auction leagues.

Boone had another MVP-quality season last year, hitting .294 with 35 HR and 117 RBI. His OBP was .366 and he won a Gold Glove, too. Boone slumped badly in early 2002, leaving some owners to wonder if 2001 was fluke. Safe to say, no one's wondering anymore. Spacious Safeco Field doesn't hurt him, either, as he hit .298 at home and .291 on the road. There's no reason to think Boone won't have another solid season, and if the M's can add another bat to their lineup, he could do even more.

Everybody knew that it would be difficult for Boone to match his stats from 2001 and everybody was right. The second baseman saw all his numbers drop; home runs (13), runs batted in (34), runs scored (30), batting average (53 points). That being said, Boone is right after Alfonso Soriano among second basemen in the American League.