Jeter, A-Rod baseball's most-marketable

5. David Ortiz: Six years ago, Big Papi was a little-known player toiling for the Minnesota Twins, with 20 home runs and 75 runs batted in serving as career bests. Today, he is famous as the designated hitter for a once-woebegone franchise that has captured two of the last four World Series. Deals have been struck with New Era, Reebok and others, and Boston’s Ortiz is a favorite in the New England market. A towering figure at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, the 32-year-old has a few more years to capitalize on his engaging personality.

6. David Wright: The young New York Mets third baseman has everything going for him. He plays for a large-market team with a strong shot at the World Series this year. In three seasons, he already has appeared on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” read the No. 1 item on David Letterman’s Top Ten list and served as the face of baseball during 2007 All-Star Game advertisements. Topps Cards and VitaminWater (where he made a stock killing when the company was taken over last year) are among his endorsement pacts. Though his fielding may be suspect (64 errors in three years), the 25-year-old’s marketing future is not.

7. Albert Pujols: Sports Illustrated estimated $3.5 million in endorsements for the 28-year-old last season, which were helped by his introduction to the nation during the 2006 World Series. A slugger in his prime, the first baseman is only hampered by playing in small-market St. Louis.

8. Kosuke Fukudome: Entering his first major league season, the superstar from Japan is already featured in Chicago Cubs ad campaigns, though he’s never set foot in Wrigley Field for a game. International appeal for the Japan Central League MVP is strong; the key to establishing a national footprint is to develop a following on superstation WGN (had Harry Caray been alive to flub his name, it would be a guarantee) and leading the Cubs to their first World Series championship in a century (well, everyone can dream).

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