Now that the NL Central has made its annual three games and out trip to the playoffs, we can start looking at the offseason for not only the Cubs but the rest of the division. At the start of the season I ranked the division players at each position, now its time to do it again based on this season. Today first base and second base.

First base
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals (Preseason rank: 1)
The best player in baseball will win the NL MVP for the second season in a row and despite a no-show playoff effort he remains the best first baseman in the division. His offense speaks for itself and his defense isn't bad either, he isn't as good as Derrek Lee, but he might be the next best. His range to the second base side is amazing, but it gets him in trouble sometimes.

2. Prince Fielder, Brewers (Preseason rank: 3)
Prince elevated his game this season and cemented himself as an elite player in baseball. His breakout season closed the gap between him and Pujols a bit, though Prince doesn't have the defense that Pujols does. Prince has made himself a MVP candidate in the NL for the next 10 years and as long as his weight doesn't become an issue he should be a cornerstone in Milwaukee.

3. Derrek Lee, Cubs (Preseason rank: 4b)
I said Derrek would slip below Joey Votto during the season, but I was very wrong about that. D-Lee had a bounce back season and has become a star again. He hit for average and power, had his best RBI season ever, and his defense hasn't slipped at all. He might not go towards second as well as Pujols, but his range to the foul line combined with his ability to catch bad throws makes him. He might only have another year or two of production left, but for now he's back to being a great player.

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4. Joey Votto, Reds (Preseason rank: 4a)
When Votto wasn't in the nuthouse this year he was a really good player for the Reds. He is a doubles machine and looks like another star blossoming in front of us. He is an excellent candidate to be next season's Prince Fielder, and as long as his mental issues are taken care of the Reds are set at first base for a very long time.

5. Lance Berkman, Astros (Preseason rank: 2)
Nobody fell off more than Berkman, and that had a lot to do with injuries. Still Lance didn't have a great season by his standards. He still posted a .907 OPS which is awesome, but this division is loaded at first and Berkman is the lowest of the elite right now. I wouldn't be surprised if Berkman was back to being himself next season and jump ahead of somebody.

6. Garrett Jones, Pirates (Preseason rank: NR)
Once Adam LaRoche was moved at the deadline Jones came up and had a brilliant rookie season. He hit 21 homers in 82 games and posted an OPS of .938. He did play some right field at times, but odds are he sticks at first in the end. It is really amazing how good the first basemen in the division are since Jones has the potential to be a star.

Second base
1. Brandon Phillips, Reds (Preseason rank: 1)
Phillips had another solid season all around. He still doesn't understand the value of the walk, and his bat is streaky, but his fielding is really good. He ended up being a 3 WAR player thanks a lot to his position and his defense. Still his is around a .800 OPS which is pretty good for a second baseman.

2. Felipe Lopez/Rickie Weeks, Brewers (Preseason rank: NR/3)
Weeks was well on his way to a breakout season before suffering a season ending wrist injury. He was worth 1.6 WAR in just 37 games thanks to good offense and defense. Lopez was his replacement and finished the season worth 4.6 WAR splitting time in Milwaukee and Arizona. He was elite defensively and was a solid leadoff bat that will get some big money on free agent market.

3. Jeff Baker, Cubs (Preseaosn rank: NR)
This might seem like a bit of a homer pick, but Baker made up for a lack of time with a nice bat and a solid glove. Odds are the Cubs will move him around to a number of different positions next season, but he has earned the second base job if the Cubs want him to have it. His was worth 1.4 WAR this season despite having few at-bats.

4. Skip Schumaker, Cardinals (Preseason rank: 6)
Schumaker ended up being pathetic on defense which was expected after making the spring training transition to second. His bat was still pretty useful and despite a UZR of -13 he posted a 1.2 WAR. He should still probably be in their outfield where he doesn't kill them on defense, but at this point they will probably just leave him there.

5. Kaz Matsui, Astros (Preseason rank: 4b)
Matsui remains as "just there" as any player in baseball. He isn't good at hitting or fielding, but the Astros have to send somebody out there. He was worth 0.5 WAR this season which ended up being about the same as Mike Fontenot, which means he wasn't very good at all.

6. Delwyn Young, Pirates (Preseason rank: NR)
Young took over for Freddy Sanchez after he was traded and was learning to play second. He wasn't good at defense and his hitting is still developing, but he has shown a bit of promise. If he can cut down on his strikeouts and improve his walk rate he might become a decent player.

Next up: Shortstops and Third base.

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