2012 Bloomberg Sports Draft List: NL TOP 50                                         Print

Bloomberg-Rank (B-Rank), compares player stats and positional value to rank each player's projected performance according a standard 5x5 league.
A custom B-Rank can be tailored for your fantasy league categories and league settings if you purchase Front Office 2012 at BloombergSports.com.   
Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | P | TOP 100 | AL TOP 50 | NL TOP 50

B-RANK 2012 PROJECTIONS
RANK NAME POS TEAM 2011 2010 AB R HR RBI SB AVG IP W SV K ERA WHIP
1. Roy Halladay P PHI 2 4 243 15 0 222 3.24 1.13
The 34-year-old Halladay didn't repeat as a Cy Young Award winner last season, but he pitched just as well as he did in 2010. For the second straight season, Halladay didn't miss a start, and he led his league in strikeout-to-walk ratio for the fourth straight season. He led his league in complete games for the fifth straight season, showcasing his ability to go deep into games. One of these years, advancing age will rob him of some of his stuff, but for now, Halladay remains perhaps the most dependable ace available.
2. Cliff Lee P PHI 5 30 237 15 0 223 3.29 1.13
The 33-year-old lefty Lee had another fine season after returning to Philadelphia. He set a career high in innings pitched and strikeout rate, and as usual kept walks to a minimum. Lee is a four-category star who remains on the short list of the best pitchers in baseball and should be drafted accordingly.
3. Clayton Kershaw P LAD 6 37 219 13 0 239 3.07 1.18
It didn't take long for the young southpaw to fulfill his potential. The former top prospect held his own as soon as he reached the majors at age 20 in 2008, and flourished in a Cy Young award-winning campaign last season. Kershaw led the NL in strikeouts and WHIP while topping 200 innings pitched for the second consecutive season. He's a four-category stud and should be one of the very first pitchers off the board.
4. Joey Votto 1B CIN 8 3 582 109 33 105 9 .299
The Reds first baseman followed his MVP season with another fine showing. Though Votto's home runs declined, it was likely the result of the opposition throwing fewer strikes over the heart of the plate. With Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder now out of the National League, Votto is the league's premier first baseman. Expect a season of 30-plus home runs, 100-plus RBI, and a .300-plus average.
5. Matt Kemp OF LAD 9 187 611 99 32 105 29 .282
At age 26, Kemp broke out with an MVP-caliber campaign. Offensively Kemp improved drastically across the board, leading the NL in runs, home runs, and RBI while increasing his stolen base totals and efficiency under the tutelage of Davey Lopes. Don't expect an improvement in last season's numbers, but Kemp is in his prime and should be on the short list of potential picks early in the first round.
6. Troy Tulowitzki SS COL 15 12 549 95 32 105 12 .300
7. Carlos Gonzalez OF COL 23 9 554 92 30 99 21 .295
8. Ryan Braun OF MIL 13 53 562 94 28 100 19 .304
9. Justin Upton OF ARI 17 299 591 98 29 100 21 .282
10. Stephen Strasburg P WSH 18 200 164 10 0 177 3.03 1.12
12. Cole Hamels P PHI 27 47 222 13 0 212 3.60 1.19
13. Zack Greinke P MIL 22 185 212 12 0 222 3.58 1.21
14. Adam Wainwright P STL 32 1295 197 12 0 185 3.37 1.21
15. Hanley Ramirez OF FLA 31 22 567 88 22 87 27 .287
16. Giancarlo Stanton OF FLA 30 463 579 95 39 112 6 .258
17. Matt Cain P SF 37 38 222 12 0 186 3.51 1.23
18. Josh Johnson P FLA 40 243
19. Andrew McCutchen OF PIT 36 154 603 98 20 83 27 .274
20. Hunter Pence OF PHI 38 101 615 89 24 95 12 .287
21. Jay Bruce OF CIN 33 237 581 92 33 106 7 .266
22. Mat Latos P SD 55 31 208 12 0 202 3.66 1.24
23. Matt Holliday OF STL 41 55
24. Jose Reyes SS FLA 45 83 580 92 11 56 32 .298
25. Pablo Sandoval 3B SF 35 261 588 90 24 97 4 .296
RANK NAME POS TEAM 2011 2010 AB R HR RBI SB AVG IP W SV K ERA WHIP
26. Brandon Phillips SS CIN 65 66 641 101 19 70 16 .279
27. Brian McCann C ATL 48 96 508 78 24 85 4 .273
28. Chris Carpenter P STL 56 48 211 12 0 172 3.60 1.25
29. Ian Kennedy P ARI 66 150 218 12 0 201 3.82 1.25
30. Craig Kimbrel P ATL 53 328 69 4 33 102 2.97 1.25
31. Starlin Castro SS CHC 63 270 651 95 9 65 18 .292
32. Brandon Beachy P ATL 57 761 173 10 0 193 3.62 1.25
33. Ted Lilly P LAD 73 84 189 10 0 164 3.80 1.20
34. Ryan Zimmerman 3B WSH 61 42 553 89 24 89 3 .286
35. Yovani Gallardo P MIL 70 140 204 11 0 215 3.79 1.29
36. Jonathan Papelbon P PHI 83 155 64 4 31 75 3.23 1.16
37. Shaun Marcum P MIL 77 82 195 11 0 163 3.78 1.24
38. Cory Luebke P SD 161 711 166 8 0 159 3.56 1.23
39. Tommy Hanson P ATL 89 81 174 9 0 172 3.68 1.25
40. Rafael Betancourt P COL 86 253 61 4 28 71 3.24 1.11
41. Dan Uggla 2B ATL 90 14 578 87 31 99 2 .255
42. Corey Hart OF MIL 78 89 555 86 26 82 8 .269
43. Michael Morse 1B WSH 68 193 551 81 27 95 1 .277
44. Buster Posey C SF 67 73 495 71 17 76 3 .282
45. Michael Cuddyer OF COL 99 80 526 75 22 85 6 .286
46. Paul Goldschmidt 1B ARI 609 1689 519 81 30 92 8 .259
47. Michael Bourn OF ATL 76 348 640 92 3 45 53 .265
48. Shane Victorino OF PHI 82 208 563 90 15 63 22 .273
49. John Axford P MIL 79 103 66 4 31 76 3.35 1.26
50. Jose Altuve 2B HOU 963 -- 600 86 13 63 16 .283