SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds 39 L/L

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 SF 143 480 147 28 4 49 129 106 117 77 306 440 688 11 3 2001 SF 153 476 156 32 2 73 129 137 177 93 328 515 863 13 3 2002 SF 143 403 149 31 2 46 117 110 198 47 370 582 799 9 2       Best television moments of 2002: 1) Byung-Hyun Kim's defiant toss of the ball into the stands, and 2) Barry Bonds' home run off of Troy Percival in Game One, a smash that quickly proved to the Angels that they couldn't throw him anything over the plate       Bonds followed up his 73-homer season with one that was different, but just as amazing in many respects. He also had an incredible postseason, and came within five outs of exorcising the demons of past playoff series. Despite stiff competition from around the league, Bonds is clearly the best hitter and best player in baseball.

ATLANTA - Chipper Jones 31 S/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 ATL 156 579 180 38 1 36 118 111 95 64 311 404 566 14 7 2001 ATL 159 572 189 33 5 38 113 102 98 82 330 427 605 9 10 2002 ATL 158 548 179 35 1 26 90 100 107 89 327 435 536 8 2       His first season in the outfield was a success. Chipper hit only nine home runs before the break, but found his power stroke in the second half. Still in his prime, one of the top MVP candidates for 2003.

ST LOUIS - Albert Pujols 23 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 A 130 476 151 40 7 19 73 94 38 36 317 373 550 3 5 2001 STL 161 590 194 47 4 37 112 130 69 93 329 403 610 1 3 2002 STL 157 590 185 40 2 34 118 127 72 69 314 394 561 2 4       With the acquisition of Scott Rolen, Pujols' future now appears to be in left field. I have been thinking that, if I could have any player in baseball for the next ten years, it would be Pujols. His youth and ability are unmatched by anyone in baseball.

ARIZONA - Luis Gonzalez 36 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 ARI 162 618 192 47 2 31 106 114 78 85 311 392 544 2 4 2001 ARI 162 609 198 36 7 57 128 142 100 83 325 429 688 1 1 2002 ARI 148 524 151 19 3 28 90 103 97 76 288 400 496 9 2       His performance was a long way from his awesome 2001 season, but Gonzalez remains a solid player. In fact, he is still far better than the Diamondbacks have any right to expect him to be; his four-year career in Arizona has been excellent but remains a mystery.

PHILADELPHIA - Pat Burrell 26 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 PHI 111 408 106 27 1 18 57 79 63 139 260 359 463 0 0 2001 PHI 155 539 139 29 2 27 70 89 70 162 258 346 469 2 1 2002 PHI 157 586 165 39 2 37 96 116 89 153 282 376 544 1 0       He had the season we had been waiting for. There was not much doubt that Burrell was going to be an outstanding power hitter, though it is a bit of a relief now that he has actually gone out and done it. His season is probably the biggest reason that Jim Thome will wear a Philadelphia uniform this year; the chance of having the two of them batting back-to-back is too irresistible for any GM to pass up.

CINCINNATI - Adam Dunn 23 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 A 122 420 118 29 1 16 101 79 100 101 281 428 469 24 5 2000 AA-AAA 94 350 117 22 0 32 74 84 62 82 334 433 671 11 4 2001 CIN 66 244 64 18 1 19 54 43 38 74 262 371 578 4 2 2002 CIN 158 535 133 28 2 26 84 71 128 170 249 400 454 19 9       Dunn is an absolutely huge young man (6'6", 240 lbs) who was highly touted entering the season. He was having a magnificent season until August; he hit just .160 during the dog days, then .179 in September, ruining his season's stats. Did the sophomore slump just bite him late in the season? In any case, Dunn is still very young, has awesome power and remarkable plate discipline. He should be amoung the best hitters in baseball this year.

NEW YORK METS - Cliff Floyd 30 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 FLO 121 420 126 30 0 22 75 91 50 82 300 378 529 24 3 2001 FLO 149 555 176 44 4 31 123 103 59 101 317 390 578 18 3 2002 FLO-BOS 146 520 150 43 0 28 86 79 76 106 288 388 533 15 5       The Mets have been Desperately Seeking Outfielders for the past two seasons; last year they tried out eleven different players in left field, none of whom worked out. The signing of Floyd should give them a power boost in left. Floyd is only 30, does everything well except stay healthy, but has been in the lineup regularly the past two seasons.       Floyd had a goofy month of August, when he hit .325 for Boston, including 27 hits, 11 doubles and four home runs, all of which amounted to only six RBI for the month. What happened? Just a combination of the Sox not putting too many runners on base, and of Floyd waiting for the bases to clear before he knocked his big hits. Anyways, it was just a fluke, though it hurt his RBI total for the year.

MONTREAL - Brad Wilkerson 26 L/L

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 AA-AAA 129 441 130 47 3 18 93 79 87 98 295 415 537 13 8 2001 AAA 69 233 63 10 0 12 43 48 60 68 270 423 468 12 5 2001 MON 47 117 24 7 2 1 11 5 17 41 205 304 325 2 1 2002 MON 153 507 135 27 8 20 92 59 81 161 266 370 469 7 8       Wilkerson was one of the top rookies in the National League. A solid player in the Rusty Greer/Paul O'Neill tradition, can play all three outfield positions, should be a key contributor for whatever team he ends up on in the future.

SAN DIEGO - Phil Nevin 32 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 SD 143 538 163 34 1 31 87 107 59 121 303 374 543 2 0 2001 SD 149 546 167 31 0 41 97 126 71 147 306 388 588 4 4 2002 SD 107 407 116 16 0 12 53 57 38 87 285 344 413 4 0       After his glorious 2001 season, Nevin had a tough year. He moved to first base, and made it clear that he wasn't happy about it. After a good April, he fractured his left arm and was out for several weeks. When he came back in the summer he couldn't hit home runs, and ended his season ingloriously when made an obscene gesture (that would be the upright middle finger) to a fan.       Nevin was once a #1 draft pick, but it took him a long time to live up to expectations. Now we are discovering that he is something of a — complex — character. The Padres attempted to trade him to Cincinnati during the winter (for Ken Griffey Jr!), but Nevin vetoed the deal. Now, Nevin is upset because the Padres want to move him to left field, while he wants to play third base. So, he's not happy in San Diego, but he doesn't want to leave San Diego...       All I can say is that if he hits 40 home runs, you can live with him. If not, then I'm glad he's in San Diego and not my city.       ADDENDUM: Early in spring training, Nevin discolated his shoulder, and might be gone for the season. Thanks for coming out, Phil; obviously, I should have directed the same skepticism towards Nevin that I did with Luis Gonzalez (wrongly) three years ago.       For a short time, slugging prospect Xavier Nady was a good bet to get a chance to play for San Diego. But the Padres acquired Rondell White from the Yankees, so Nady will have to wait until White gets hurt. And that will be, what, mid-April?

LOS ANGELES - Brian Jordan 36 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 ATL 133 489 129 26 0 17 71 77 38 80 264 320 421 10 2 2001 ATL 148 560 165 32 3 25 82 97 31 88 295 334 496 3 2 2002 LA 128 471 134 27 3 18 65 80 34 86 285 338 469 2 2       Jordan had one of his better seasons, though he missed time in the summer with a strained lower back, and had surgery on his left knee after the season. He's a good player, but he's also 35 years old and he used to play professional football.

CHICAGO CUBS - Moises Alou 37 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 HOU 126 454 161 28 2 30 82 114 52 45 355 416 623 3 3 2001 HOU 136 513 170 31 1 27 79 108 57 57 331 396 554 5 1 2002 CHC 132 484 133 23 1 15 50 61 47 61 275 337 419 8 0       If you want to know why the Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908, look no further. Alou had a horrible start to the season, recovered and played better later in the summer. Still, it was a disappointing season... neither the Cubs nor Sammy Sosa needed Alou's "protection" in the lineup, nor his injury history; they needed someone to stay in the lineup and get on base in front of Sammy. Alou is a good player, but given his age and injury history, he can't be counted on to contribute in 2003.

HOUSTON - Richard Hidalgo 28 R/R and Orlando Merced 36 S/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS HIDALGO 2000 HOU 153 558 175 42 3 44 118 122 56 110 314 391 636 13 6 2001 HOU 146 512 141 29 3 19 70 80 54 107 275 356 455 3 5 2002 HOU 114 388 91 17 4 15 54 48 43 85 235 319 415 6 2 MERCED 2001 HOU 94 137 36 6 1 6 19 29 14 32 263 333 453 5 1 2002 HOU 123 251 72 13 3 6 35 30 26 50 287 350 434 4 0       Hidalgo was decent the first half of the season, but suffered through a horrible July and August before his season was mercifully ended with a right hip strain (he hit only .158 after the All-Star break). I am going to presume that the hip problem that ruined Hidalgo's season will be healed by the spring. On the other hand, he was shot over the winter while in Venezuela, and though he is expected to be ready for the start of the season it's still unknown what the extent of the damage is. It's easy to be pessimistic about his future... but he was so good in 2000 that it is premature to say that he couldn't hit 35 home runs again.       Orlando Merced has successfully revived his career after missing the 2000 season. He has always been a good player, a guy who can get on base and hit line drives.

MILWAUKEE - Geoff Jenkins 29 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 MIL 135 512 155 36 4 34 100 94 33 135 303 360 588 11 1 2001 MIL 105 397 105 21 1 20 60 63 36 120 264 334 474 4 2 2002 MIL 67 243 59 17 1 10 35 29 22 60 243 320 444 1 2       Jenkins had a slow start, then dislocated his ankle in June and missed the rest of the season. He's only 29 and the Brewers will doubtless be counting on a comeback, but I'm skeptical; even when he was good he had terrible command of the strike zone. He's not someone I would have expected to age well even if he hadn't had the serious injuries of the past two seasons.

PITTSBURGH - Reggie Sanders 35 R/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 ATL 103 340 79 23 1 11 43 37 32 78 232 302 403 21 4 2001 ARI 126 441 116 21 3 33 84 90 46 126 263 337 549 14 10 2002 SFG 140 505 126 23 6 23 75 85 47 121 250 324 455 18 6       Sanders played in 140 games last year with the Giants which, incredibly, is a career high. Unfortunately, though his durability may be better than ever, his performance is not. Sanders has, remarkably, retained much of his speed, and is still a good base stealer; otherwise, he plays like his age, still has a bit of pop but can't keep his average up.

COLORADO - Jay Payton 30 R/R or Gabe Kapler 28 R/R or Jack Cust 24 L/R

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS PAYTON 2000 NYM 149 488 142 23 1 17 63 62 30 60 291 331 447 5 11 2001 NYM 104 361 92 16 1 8 44 34 18 52 255 298 371 4 3 2002 NYM-COL 134 445 135 20 7 16 69 59 29 54 303 351 488 7 4 KAPLER 2000 TEX 116 444 134 32 1 14 59 66 42 57 302 360 473 8 4 2001 TEX 134 483 129 29 1 17 77 72 61 70 267 348 437 23 6 2002 TEX-COL 112 315 88 16 4 2 37 34 16 53 279 313 375 11 4 CUST 2000 AA 129 447 131 32 6 20 100 75 117 150 293 440 526 12 9 2001 AAA 135 442 123 24 2 27 81 79 102 160 278 415 525 6 3 2002 COL 35 65 11 2 0 1 8 8 12 32 169 295 246 0 1       In left field, the Rockies have too many options and not enough solutions. Jay Payton came over in midseason from the Mets; he had a typically mediocre season, though Coors Field boosted his numbers a bit. Gabe Kapler also came over in midseason from Texas. First dibs on a starting job should probably go to Kapler, who is a better player than Payton, and is also two years younger. But Kapler also gets hurt a lot.       A third option is Jack Cust, who is a decent young hitter and a better long-term option than either Kapler or Payton. Cust has power and patience, but he doesn't make contact with the ball very often. And you can't take advantage of Coors Field if you don't make contact with the ball.

FLORIDA - Todd Hollandsworth 30 L/L

YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 LA-COL 137 428 115 20 0 19 81 47 41 99 269 333 449 18 7 2001 COL 33 117 43 15 1 6 21 19 8 20 368 408 667 5 0 2002 COL-TEX 134 430 122 27 1 16 55 67 40 98 284 344 463 8 8       Two years in Colorado provided Hollandsworth's career with a shot in the arm, but he didn't hit on the road and he didn't hit in Texas. Now, the Marlins are counting on him to be their left fielder. Hollandsworth does a little bit of everything, and would be good as a fourth outfielder; he doesn't do anything well enough to be a valuable player on an everyday basis.

LEFT FIELDERS - BOTH LEAGUES
1 Barry Bonds	11 Hideki Matsui	21 Richard Hidalgo
2 Chipper Jones	12 Brad Wilkerson	22 Geoff Jenkins
3 Albert Pujols	13 Phil Nevin	23 Reggie Sanders
4 Manny Ramirez	14 Carlos Lee	24 Jay Payton
5 Luis Gonzalez	15 Brian Jordan	25 Terrence Long
6 Pat Burrell	16 Moises Alou	26 Kevin Mench
7 Garret Anderson	17 Jacques Jones	27 Todd Hollandsworth
8 Adam Dunn	18 Matt Lawton	28 Dmitri Young
9 Cliff Floyd	19 Randy Winn	29 Marty Cordova
10 Shannon Stewart	20 Ben Grieve	30 Mark Quinn