With the importance of advanced statistics in baseball, one of the traditional stats still carries a lot of weight. You can't watch a baseball telecast, or go to a baseball game without seeing a batting average attached to a player's name. In addition, the number .300 still remains sacred in baseball lore.

When it comes to fantasy baseball, batting average remains a very important stat as well. Almost every league has average as one of the main categories, regardless of format. In addition, a player who hits for a good batting average typically helps in other areas as well, like runs scored, RBI, on base, slugging, etc. Here is a look at the players that could form the top 10 in batting average in 2017.

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2017 Predictions: Top 10 Batting Average Leaders

1) Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros

Jose Altuve emerged as a terrific hitter in 2012, and since then, he’s become one of the best players in baseball. Altuve hit .338 in 2016, just shy of his .341 average in 2014. Altuve should be in that same ballpark once again this year. The second baseman is the defending AL batting champ, and he’s won two of the last three crowns.

2) Mookie Betts, RF, Boston Red Sox

Mookie Betts nearly won the 2016 AL MVP Award, but he fell just short. Expect the outfielder to be a candidate once again, as he cements himself as one of the best in the game (if he hasn’t done it already). Betts got a lot better as the season progressed, and he should continue getting better this season as well. He doesn’t have the luxury of being protected by David Ortiz this season, but Betts should improve on his 2016 numbers.

3) Trea Turner, SS/CF, Washington Nationals

Add Trea Turner to the growing list of young stars in baseball. Turner hit .342/.370/.567 in 73 games last year. While he might not produce those types of numbers over the course of a full season, he’s definitely thrown his hat in the race for potential NL batting champs.

4) Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers

Miguel Cabrera is one of the best hitters the game of baseball has ever seen, and the soon-to-be 34-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down. Cabrera has hit .313 or above in 11 of the past 12 seasons, and 2017 should be no different. Cabrera has won four of the last six AL batting crowns (Altuve has the other two), and he should be right in the mix again.

5) Mike Trout, CF, Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout, the best player in baseball, has been the model of consistency (and dominance) since he set foot on a major league field. Trout is a career .306 hitter, and he has a career-high of .326. If he had more help around him, it would be scary to imagine what he would do as a hitter. Even without a whole lot of help, Trout should still be in the neighborhood of his last year’s impressive batting average.

6) Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians

Francisco Lindor is one of the young, exciting players that have come up to the major leagues the last couple of years. Lindor is hitting .306 in 994 career at-bats, and the switch-hitter has the potential to be even better than that in 2017. Lindor was always known for his tremendous glove work in the minors, but he’s exceeded expectations as a hitter in the major leagues, and he should continue to do that this year as he becomes an even better player than he has already shown to be.

7) Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

Joey Votto will be a hall of famer one day, but in the meantime, he’ll continue to rake for a Cincinnati team that will need every ounce of it. Votto has been criticized for being too patient at times (if that’s even a thing), but his career .313 average is one of the best the game has ever seen. Votto hit a ridiculous .408 after the all-star break in 2016, and while he likely won’t hit like that for a full season, he should continue to be one of the best in the game in that department.

8) Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

Corey Seager was the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, and he finished third in NL MVP voting. Seager had a lot of hype coming into 2016, and he might have even exceeded those expectations. The stakes will be raised a bit for Seager in 2017, and he needs to make the requisite adjustments as pitchers do the same with him. My bet’s on Seager to be able to do that.

9) Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox

It’s hard to believe that this guy is averaging .300/30/103 since he’s been in the major leagues the last three years. Abreu fell off a lot of people’s radars with a terrible start to 2016, but he hit .319/.384/.514 after the All-Star break in 2016. Abreu is one of the best hitters in the game, and he’s in the prime of his career. Expect him to improve on his overall season from last year.

10) AJ Pollock, CF, Arizona Diamondbacks

It’s easy to dismiss a guy that was limited to just 41 at-bats in 2016, but before AJ Pollock got hurt, he established himself as an up-and-comer in 2015. That season, Pollock hit .315 and he ranked seventh in baseball in that stat. A presumably healthy Pollock should retain his spot right at the top of the Arizona lineup, and he should once again establish himself as a terrific player.

More 2017 RotoBaller Predictions

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