Red Sox vs the AL East: first basemen
By Conor Duffy
Sep 16, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman James Loney (21) at bat against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
4. James Loney, Rays
Loney, who appeared to be finished as a reliable major leaguer after a miserable 2012 season, continued his resurgence in Tampa Bay with his second consecutive solid year in 2014. Playing in 155 games for the Rays, he slashed .290/.336/.380 and remained a high-average threat in Tampa Bay’s lineup. Loney has plenty of faults– he has virtually no power (particularly for a first baseman), plays unspectacular defense, and doesn’t walk as much as one would like given his lack of power. However, his consistently solid batting averages lead to a relatively high floor for Loney and that’s more than one could say for Teixeira.