Hunter Pence ranks third this Spring among national league players in batting (.500), second in slugging pct. (1.083), second in on-base pct. (.571), second in total bases (26) and tied for second in rbi’s (11).
Our Instinct: Hunter Pence is a top 25 outfielder. He hits the magic age of 27 right after the season starts. We might be discussing him in the top 10 before the season is over if he can carry this momentum into the season.
Precision Instinct: 2009 was Pence’s 3rd season in the big leagues. He hit .282, with 25 home runs, 72 runs batted in, 76 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. While the rbi’s totals were down, he is still improving the power numbers as well as getting quicker on the base paths, though he was a little sloppy getting picked off 11 out 25 attempts.{+}
Pence is entering the prime years of his career. He’s healthy, confident and being asked by the Astros to be their team leader. To put this franchise on his shoulders and help them to win in the National League Central. Pence is up to the challenge that GM Ed Wade has put on him. He’s a gamer, the kind of kid who admits to not being able to sleep at night because he loves playing the game so much that he keeps himself up at night. Hunter is looking to build up some respect this year. Most people would rather talk about who he is dating after the game than what he hit during the game.
Hunter Pence is currently ranked #24 on our Outfielders list. Here’s a look at our projections:
| AB | BA | R | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | GS | RBI | BB | HBP | KO | SB | CS | FPTS | 16T$ | 12T$ |
| 600 | .285 | 77 | 171 | 104 | 35 | 5 | 27 | 0 | 85 | 60 | 2 | 111 | 13 | 8 | 639 | $18* | $138 |
Pence is on the rise. He’s not quite a #1 outfielder in most formats, however he could very well be, and as soon as this season. He’s a solid 2nd outfielder to have. Views in fantasy baseball are mixed. Some people love him and then there’s those who don’t know much about him. He’s on the same level as Josh Hamilton and is more likely to stay healthy, yet you can count on Hamilton trading at an unrealistic premium. $18 is a reasonable expectation for performance out of Hunter in 2010, but he certainly has upside. If you can land him for $13-$15, consider that a steal. $16-$20 is a reasonable investment for owners who know how to add value in other positions. I can’t recommend paying over $25 for Pence. While he is capable of reaching that mark, counting on him to produce that much this season may be asking for a bit much. Again, remember investment, not love affair. As I keep saying love affairs cost people titles. While I’m excited about Pence this season, I would be excited to see him for $25 or more….on someone else’s team. I don’t think you can really label him as a sleeper, but you have to like the upside and should look for him as a bargin.
* Upon request, in our projections, we have added values for 12 team leagues to go along with our 16 team league values. These values hold up pretty well for the elite players in any size of a league, however the smaller the league the better the end gamers are and the lower their values will be. Typically, 12 and 16 team leagues are standard size points leagues. Subscribers – if you have a unique sized league and would like a more detailed value on a player, e-mail Geo@Baseballinstinct.com and I will be glad to formulate it for you.
Precision instinct is an in-depth look at players in the news to give our premium subscribers an edge in their quest for a fantasy baseball title.
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