By Steve Nitz

I really wish I would have been the guy to pick up Ben Zobrist earlier this season. Entering Sunday, Zobrist led was second in the Al in OPS, and had rewarded his fantasy owners with a .286 average, 16 homers, 46 RBIs, 43 runs scored, and eight stolen bases.

Who saw this coming from a guy who had never hit more than 12 homers in a season during his professional career? Zobrist has always been good at getting on base throughout his career, but the power is something new. During his time in the minor leagues from 2004-2008, Zobrist averaged just seven homers per season.

Now in his first full big league season, he has 16 before the All-Star break and is an MVP canidate. But he can’t possibly keep this up can he?

Zobrist should have no problem hitting for a decent average and will steal a decent amount of bases, but I can’t believe that his power isn’t a fluke.

For those that picked up Zobrist, you made a great move but don’t hesitate to trade him if you find a good deal. Assuming he does keep up his pace somewhat, forget about drafting him next season, as he will go much higher than he should based on a career year in 2009.