2009 FBS Breakout Player: Mike Jacobs

Team: Kansas City Royals
Bats: Left

Position: 1B

Once a top prospect for the New York Mets, Jacobs has come into his own over the last couple of seasons, especially in the power department. In 141 games in 2008, Jacobs hit 32 homers and drove in 93 runs. The thing that will keep Jacobs available in your drafts until very late is his batting average. Since first coming to the majors in 2005 when he hit .310, Jacobs average has been steadily declining, bottoming out at the .247 he hit last season. While he might look like a poor man's Adam Dunn, at just 27 years old, Jacobs still has time to improve his batting eye. Over his minor league career, Jacobs consistently hit better than that, and if he could ever get his average to around the .275 range, he is a fantasy steal. There's no doubt that his power is legitimate, and he will most likely be hitting cleanup for the Royals. He likely won't be drafted until around the 19th round according to MDC, and even if his average doesn't improve he should be a great bench option in case of injury.

Prediction: .265, 38 homers, 98 RBI, 87 runs scored