Welcome back to our weekly series running through November looking at players at each position who experienced breakout campaigns. I'll also run another segment detailing the busts at each position.

Previously we looked at breakouts and busts up the middle (2B, SS, C). Here we will be focusing on the hot corners. No, Paul Goldschmidt returning to his place as the No. 1 first basemen does not count as a breakout.

In addition to focusing on breakout players and what went right in 2015, I'll provide some context as to whether the production is sustainable or if we were witnessing a fluky season. Let's get started.

 

Breakout Players at 1B

Eric Hosmer (KC - 1B)

2015 Statistics: 667 PA, .297/.363/.459, 77 R, 19 HR, 81 RBI, 6 SB

Now this is what the Royals were looking for when they made Eric Hosmer the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. Hosmer set career-highs in runs, RBI's, on-base percentage, wRC+ (125), and wOBA (.355) for the 2015 World Series champs. He finished the year as the No. 7 fantasy first basemen, ahead of Jose Abreu, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, and Adrian Gonzalez. Each of those guys was drafted ahead of Hosmer.

It was the most complete season Hosmer has put forth to this point and the numbers lead me to believe he's here to stay. Hosmer showed significant improvement to his plate approach in 2015. He swung at 12% fewer pitches outside the strike zone which in turn helped increase his walk rate. By being more selective he was able to hone in on his pitches, as evidenced by his improved line drive rate.

The only statistic I have trouble believing will be replicated is the average. Hosmer was boosted by a spectacular July where he batted .385. Take that out and he hit .279. For reference, his career average is .280. It'd be nice for Hosmer to nab double-digit steals like he did from 2011-2013, but fantasy owners will let that slide if he reaches 90/90 again for R+RBI. Steamer has him projected for a .285/.348/.448 split with 77 R, 19 HR, 81 RBI, and 6 SB. The splits and the power sound about right, but write me down for Hosmer eclipsing the R+RBI marks.

 

Mitch Moreland (TEX - 1B, OF)

2015 Statistics: 515 PA, .278/.330/.482, 51 R, 23 HR, 85 RBI, 1 SB

Moreland getting back to the 20 HR mark he attained in 2013 wasn't the shocker of his campaign. It was the across the board improvement in his slash line. In 2013 (his last time eclipsing 500 PA) Moreland posted a .232/.299/.437. Far from fantasy-friendly.

Moreland set career-highs at RBI, wRC+ (115), and wOBA (.348). He didn't see drastic improvements in his plate discipline; his walk rate actually declined while he still struck out a ton (21.7% K rate). So what allowed Moreland to make such a jump?

Take a look at his 2014 heatmap.

 

And here's 2015.

Notice the improvement for pitches low and away. He hounded pitchers who threw it in his wheel house. He wasn't afraid to go the other way either, hitting .321 with six HR to the opposite field.

There's no doubting the power is real with Moreland. The issue going forward is the average. Moreland's 2015 stat line was heavily influenced by a ginormous June (.323, 9 HR, 25 RBI). Remove that month and he hit .266 with 14 HR and 60 RBI.

Steamer currently projects Moreland for a .253/.313/.432 slash with 63 R, 20 HR, and 70 RBI. Those are fair projections, but Moreland losing the OF tag will hurt his draft value come March. Among first baseman Moreland finished 21st in fantasy points. Unless you play in a deep league with CI slots, give Moreland a pass come draft day.

 

Breakout Players at 3B

Kris Bryant (CHC - 3B)

2015 Statistics: 650 PA, .275/.369/.488, 87 R, 26 HR, 99 RBI, 13 SB

I had the privilege of watching Kris Bryant during his time at the University of San Diego. He was a can't-miss prospect and every at-bat was must watch material, the reason you attended the game. But even I was taken by surprise by his debut.

It wasn't that I doubted Bryant's talents, it was how quickly he translated that skill set to big league pitching. Bryant took baseball by storm after arriving in the second week of the season, winning NL Rookie of the Year in an unanimous vote. He finished in the top 5 in runs (5th), RBI (3rd), stolen bases (2nd) and OBP (3rd), easily eclipsing his ADP coming into 2015.

If there's a downside to Bryant, it's he loves to swing. His 30.6% K rate was third worst among qualified hitters. It's not like he chases crappy pitches either; his 16.5% SwStr% was fourth worst among qualified hitters. Not the best sign, but at least he's shown he has the plate discipline to succeed (his 11.8% walk rate was second among 3B).

Had we known Bryant would basically play a full campaign he likely would've been a top 40 pick. Going into 2016 he's a shoe-in for the first two rounds, given the drop-off at third base after the top four (Josh Donaldson, Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Kris Bryant). Consider Bryant a great bet for a 30/100 campaign with a slight dip in average. The real question becomes to you draft him or....

 

Manny Machado (BAL - 3B)

2015 Statistics: 713 PA, .286/.359/.502, 102 R, 35 HR, 86 RBI, 20 SB

Machado really doesn't belong on this list. He broke out in 2013 when he hit .283 with 88 R and 51 doubles while playing gold-glove winning defense. A 2014 knee injury limited him to 82 games and saw him drop to the 10-12 rankings among third baseman going into 2015.

Safe to say he won't be available in drafts that late this time around. He had an incredible season, finishing as the No. 3 third baseman while setting career-highs across the board and posting the only 35/20 campaign (shout out to Goldschmidt for his 33/21). If it wasn't for Donaldson and Arenado he'd be getting way more praise for his season.

Machado's excellent season really started kicking into gear after a crazy June (.365, 23 R, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 4 SB) and finished with a bang after hitting nine HR in September. There's not much to not like about Machado. The numbers versus LHP need some work (.258, 7 HR), but the AL East is quite barren of good lefties (assuming David Price leaves town).

He's an excellent power/speed combo in a fantasy-friendly ballpark. The one question is how much he'll miss Chris Davis' presence in the lineup. My guess is not much since Adam Jones resides after Machado, although the run total may take a hit. Draft Machado with confidence in the first 20 picks.

 

Justin Turner (LAD - 2B, 3B)

2015 Statistics: 438 PA, .294/.370/.491, 55 R, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 5 SB

Everyone loves a late bloomer. Turner, 30, had only eclipsed 400 PA once in his career (2011) and only got a shot in 2014 after injuries to Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe depleted the Dodgers depth. He responded by hitting .340 in 322 AB. Considering his .404 BABIP, many folks called for regression. Real shocker there.

Even more shocking is they were wrong. One year after posting 21.4 runs above average, Turner posted 20.9. In just 117 more PA, he hit nine more homers and drove in 17 more runners. Sure the average plummeted, but I think most everyone would take a .294 average. He was especially helpful in OBP-leagues, finishing third among 3B (if he qualified). A troublesome knee hampered his August (.161) and he never fully recovered. He had microscopic surgery on the left knee and should be ready for Spring Training.

One of the biggest strengths to owning Turner in 2015 was his versatility. He qualified at 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B in Yahoo! leagues, but going into 2016 he's losing the 2B and SS tags after not reaching the minimum. That severely hinders Turner's draft value. Look for similar numbers with a slightly depressed on-base percentage, which leaves him just outside the top-10 for third basemen for 2016.

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

 

Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!