With the abundance of fantasy baseball magazines and fantasy baseball websites out there, it’s nearly impossible to find a sleeper that no one has heard of or isn’t on some guys radar. Even the most hidden of “hidden gems” are unearthed somewhere in print or on the internet. Yet, there are still some guys that seem to slip through the cracks for one reason or another. Until now that is. Here’s my second installment of Fantasy Baseball Sleepers where I call out a handful of players that you’ll want to keep your eyes on later in your drafts. I’ll continue this piece until Opening Day rosters are announced so that no stone is left unturned. Remember, I don’t “out” guys like Nyjer Morgan or Justin Upton. Those guys have already had their breakouts and are easily on most people’s radar. These are the guys that are likely fighting for a job or have little or no major league track record but that could still have an impact on the 2010 season.
Bud Norris, SP HOU – At first glance, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why in the world would he be hyping a player who has a career minor league record of 12-25?” Understandable. But in looking a little deeper at Norris’ totals and the progress with which he has made over the past few years, I genuinely think there could be a home for him on your fantasy squad. The talent is definitely there. His fastball averages 94 mph and was clocked as high as 98. He’s also got a great breaking ball that hovers somewhere in the 90-93 mph range and a pretty good changeup as well. He’s steadily improved on his K/BB ratio, although the walks are still a little higher than I’d like, but his K/IP and H/IP ratios have been better and better over time. Crazy stat geeks will also point to his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) which helps you see how well a pitcher pitched regardless of how well his fielders fielded. The numbers are pretty solid if you go for the mathematical stuff. He’s only pitched in the bigs for 55+ innings, but he looked real good posting nearly a K per inning along with a 3-0 record and 1.57 ERA over his last 4 starts in September. He’ll probably only be good for 150 or so innings in 2010, but he could definitely be a nice strikeout guy to grab late in your draft.
Steven Pearce, 1B PIT – Maybe I’m a fool, but I’m still holding out hope for Pearce. He went from being one of the top prospects in the Pirates system to a wash-out who even forgot how to hit lefties last year. His minor league numbers show that there is definite power potential and prior to 2008, he was hitting in the .300s regularly. So what happened to this kid? Did he lose a family member? His dog? I’m not sure what it was, but he took a nosedive in 2008 and didn’t recover at all last year. But I just can’t think a kid with this talent could suddenly be washed up without an explanation. He went from hitting well over .300 with almost a .400 OBP in the minors in ’07 to dog doo in ’08? There has to be more to the story. Maybe the move from the crowded outfield to first base will help him out. I’m not saying invest heavily, but he is in the prime of his career (27 this year) and has just Jeff Clement (another wash-out) sitting ahead of him on the depth chart.
Jason Heyward, OF ATL — Now this should be an interesting situation to watch this spring for the Braves. As it stands right now, they’re going with an outfield of Melky Cabrera, Nate McLouth and Matt Diaz. But lately there have been rumblings out fo Atlanta that Heyward just might break camp with the big club given his potential Chipper Jones gave his endorsement and Bobby Cox seems to be on board as well. He’s got fantastic power potential and surprisingly good plate discipline for a 20 year old – he had a 1 to 1 K/BB rate last year as he climbed from Single to Triple-A. Now he’s only got 11 Triple-A at bats…that’s as high as he got last year…so he might need a little more seasoning, but we’ve all seen what Melky and Diaz can do and Heyward’s ceiling is definitely higher. Monitor the battle throughout the spring. He could develop into a very interesting late round steal…especially in keeper leagues.
Austin Jackson, OF DET – Again, not too much of a sleeper as Jacosn’s name reached the spotlight as he was one fo the main components coming back to the Tigers in the Curtis Granderson trade. Experts know who he is, Yankees fans know who he is, and Tigers fans now do, as well. But there’s a good chance he still gets overlooked in your draft this year, and what a bonus for you if he does. He was supposed to be the next big-time centerfielder for the Yankees, but they opted to go with proven talent in Granderson than Jackson’s upside. But Yankees Triple-A hitting coach Butch Wynegar says that Jackson is ready for the bigs and Tigers manager Jim Leyland seems conviced enough to start hitting him at leadoff this spring. Last year, in Triple-A, Jackson hit .300 (.354 OBP) with 4 HR and 24 stolen bases. If he succeeds this spring and hits leadoff in Detroit, you’ll probably be looking at upwards of 30 to 35 steals. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of competition for him in Motown, so the job could be his even if he struggles a bit to start.
David Freese, 3B STL — How do you not give this guy a look this spring? Starting third basemen for a prolific offense with no one lurking over his shoulder? Barring a late veteran signing, the job looks like it belongs to Freese. It could have been his last season, but he started off in the minors and some ankle issues led to surgery. But he’s back now, and just like Pearce, is in the prime of his life — good ol’ 27 again. His minor league totals dictate solid power and a high batting average, so if he can just work on his plate discipline and lower the strikeouts, he coul dfind tremendous success this year. He’ll hit near the bottom of the lineup, most likely, but there’s definitely a chance that he moves up to maybe the 2 hole if his OBP is up there and Colby Rasmus hits one of his usual cold streaks. Keep him in mind late in draft day. I’d be more inclined to take a shot on him than say…Adrian Beltre (see the other day’s Burning Questions comments section to get that one)?
Only 8 more days until pitchers and catchers report, so get ready!! Your fantasy draft will be here before you know it, so stay prepared. You know I am!
Missed Part 1 of this article? Just click here!
Looking for Part 3? Right here, baby!
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Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
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