With spring training underway, it’s time to start thinking about baseball once again. Even though the crackdown on steroids has robbed the game of some of its better power hitters, there are still some hitters out there that no pitcher wants to face.

Who are the top five most feared hitters in baseball? Let’s take a look.

5) Prince Fielder
This 23-year-old Milwaukee Brewer hasn’t even hit his prime yet and he has already made this list. In 2007, Fielder hit 50 homers and drove in 119 runs. He gets some bonus scary points for being Cecil Fielder’s son because Ol’ Cecil wasn’t a player you wanted to mess with.

4) Albert Pujols
Even though he’s coming off of a relatively down year, Pujols still is a nightmare matchup for any pitcher. He hit a career-low 32 homers last year but don’t expect Pujols to stay down for long. This year the big St. Louis Cardinals slugger should hit close to 50 bombs.

3) Ryan Howard
Over the last two seasons, Howard has hit 105 homers and has driven in 285 runs for the Philadelphia Phillies. The 28-year-old has room to get even better, which is a scary thought. In 2008, Howard will once again be an MVP candidate and will have pitchers finding a way to pitch around him.

2) Alex Rodriguez
Last season, Rodriguez put up sick numbers. He hit .314, smashed 54 homeruns and drove in 156 RBIs. If you are pitching in a regular season game, this is the last player you want to see in the batter’s box. He’s quickly becoming one of the best hitters in the history of baseball.

1) David Ortiz
While Rodriguez is the king of the regular season, Ortiz is the playoff assassin. In a clutch situation, Ortiz almost always comes through. While Rodriguez may be the best hitter in the game, no one has pitchers shivering in fright as much as Ortiz. If there’s a chance he can beat you, chances are he’ll beat you.