This is the second installation of the “Where are they now?” series. Obviously, catchers have seen a rash of injuries and unexpected bad play, so that edition had much more to offer for a series about disappointments. First base has been rather stable in comparison, so our look will be at players we might call mild disappointments rather than out and out busts. In some ways, that makes the analysis over what they may do in the second half a little more interesting because of the nuance.

For our purposes here, we are looking at players that were ranked in the top 15 at their position on draft day. For most positions, these players have fallen precipitously since then into near obscurity. First base will be a little different given that there are fewer disappointments and the level of disappointment is more minor. We will take a look at what they have done in each of the first three months and then gauge whether they are good bounce back candidates in the second half of the season.

Jose Abreu— Chicago White Sox (Yahoo #3)

What happened?

In the grand scheme of things, Abreu qualifies as a slight disappointment. He’s hitting better than .290 on the season, has 13 home runs and north of 40 runs and RBI on the season. Anyone that wants to call that a bust needs a reality check. In reality, the league has adjusted to Abreu some and his production has taken a hit because of it. He is still the White Sox’ best hitter by a country mile.

What to expect?

I’d expect more of the same from the White Sox slugger. If you are an Abreu owner, you’ve been playing him every day and you should continue to do so. He is still a top ten fantasy first sacker, so unless you can procure someone better, there is no need to make a change. If you are looking for a bump in production, you probably shouldn’t hold your breath, so if you are looking to trade for him then you better be satisfied with what he has been giving so far.

Edwin Encarnacion— Toronto Blue Jays (Yahoo #5)

What happened?

Again, we are talking mild disappointment. In fact, when you look at the numbers broken down by month you can see exactly what is going on. Encarnacion had a bad April. If you take away that month, you have a guy hitting around .260 with 12 home runs, 33 runs, and 37 RBI. Extrapolate that over the course of six months and you have 36 home runs, 99 runs, and 111 RBI. Take away April and Encarnacion has been the same guy he has been the last few seasons.

What to expect?

Encarnacion could be the ultimate buy low candidate. Granted, you need a perfect storm to make this work. The first ingredient has to be a fantasy player that doesn’t pay that much attention. You offer him a decent first baseman and maybe another player and harp on Encarnacion’s overall numbers (namely the low batting average) and see if he or she will bite. If they do, then you laugh all the way to the bank.

David Ortiz— Boston Red Sox (Yahoo #11)

What happened?

We could wax poetic about father time and all that, but this one is fairly simple. David Ortiz has gotten old before our very eyes. Like most aging sluggers, the aging process is often unpredictable, but when it goes it starts to go quick. Still, you are looking at a guy with 13 home runs, so he isn’t completely worthless, but his days as a big time run producer are likely over.

What to expect?

If it were me, I would still keep Ortiz around. Sluggers are notorious for having spurts of tremendous production. Even if he is done as a superstar player, he could still produce like that for a period of a week or two. If you time it right, you can coax superstar production out first base (or utility) even if Ortiz is only in your lineup for a total of 15 to 20 days. Red Sox fans certainly hope they see flashes of the old Ortiz.

Victor Martinez— Detroit Tigers (Yahoo #14)

What happened?

To start, Martinez missed the last half of May and the first two and half weeks of June with injuries. Removing over a month of the season has a way of eating into a player’s production. However, that doesn’t completely explain everything. Martinez got off to a slow start before his injury and his power numbers have all but completely disappeared. However, he’s been back for a week and a half and the old Martinez appears to be there somewhere.

What to expect?

This is a classic buy low and sell high guy. If you are a Martinez owner it is time to put him back in the lineup and enjoy the kind of numbers you were hoping for all along. If you aren’t a Martinez owner, then I’d try to procure him a trade if you can sweet talk his owner by pointing to his overall numbers. Just hope that the owner hasn’t recognized that he’s starting to hit again.