Mar 12 2009
Ryan Howard vs. Mark Teixeira
Many times during your fantasy baseball draft you will be presented with the challenge of deciding between two nearly equal players at the same position. However many times because we are presented with a very short time limit to ‘quick decide’ who to take, I have provided a detailed overview of which player to draft if you find yourself debating between them.
Ryan Howard - 1B - Philadelphia Phillies
As a real life major league baseball MVP, Howard could be a perennial fantasy baseball MVP if he didn’t carry around his lousy batting average baggage. And with two straight seasons of posting a batting average under .270, including a .224 batting average against lefties in 2008 and a .225 batting average against lefties in 2007, it just doesn’t seem reasonable to assume a change in batting average during the 2009 season.
2009 Projections: 100 runs scored, 45 homeruns, 135 rbi, .265 batting average
Mark Teixeira - 1B - New York Yankees
Aside from being just a great pure hitter, the best thing going for Teixeira entering the 2009 season is that a lot of the usual would-be New York pressure, will likely be dispersed among CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and now Alex Rodriguez’s injury and steroid issue, instead of solely on Teixeira. This alone should give Teixeira an added boost of confidence so he does not feel like he has to play to please the crowd, since not all the pressure will be placed squarely on him. Therefore unlike some previous big name signings by the Yankees who have completely flopped under the pressure, Teixeira should have an excellent chance to succeed in New York in 2009 and well beyond.
2009 Projections: 110 runs scored, 35 homeruns, 120 rbi, .300 batting average
ADVANTAGE: Mark Teixeira
When it comes down to it and you need to decide between drafting Ryan Howard or Mark Teixeira, Teixeira gets the pick. Since both have proven experience, are injury free, and are clear no doubt stat producers in 2009, then the only major difference between Howard and Teixeira is that Howard will get you around 10 more homeruns and 10 more rbi, while Teixeira will get you around 40 plus points in batting average. And making up 10 homeruns and 10 rbi is a lot easier than making up 40 points of batting average over the course of 162 games.
I would have to choose Ryan Howard. Even though Teixeira is a great defensive player Howard changes games with a swing of the bat. Teixeira, like you said, has to deal with the New York pressure and as we all seen with A-Rod gets to you. We’ll see how good he handles it, but I’m thinking it gets to him.
I agree, the pick goes to Teixeira. Howard may be better in real life, but Teixeira beats him in fantasy. Great article and very helpful!
Don’t forget one major detail guys - Ryan Howard is one of the leading-candidate for strikeouts every year, and that’s a lot of negative fantasy points. He’ll get you plenty of homers and RBI, but think about how many points you’re losing if he strikes out 200 times. If you’re playing in a league where K’s count for 1 point each, that’s -200 off of his total for the year!