Who???
Fantasy baseball sleepers are the most highly coveted commodities when it comes to preparing for your fantasy baseball draft. However, in this age of excessive information, it’s pretty difficult to keep any of your sleepers a secret. Every fantasy baseball web site and every fantasy baseball magazine produces a sleepers list of some kind and there are constant updates on lesser known players who may provide you with added fantasy value at some point during the season. It’s just a matter of sifting through the names and finding which ones make the most sense for your team and your style of fantasy baseball league.
So with that, I’m going to start up a series that began last season which seemed to work pretty well for a lot of you. I won’t be discussing the more well known “sleepers” like Jeremy Hellickson or Domonic Brown as these guys are getting even more press than most veterans. I’m talking about the guys that will be available late in your draft that other owners will just casually bypass or, even better, say “Who the hell is that?” when you pick him up. So without further ado, here are the first 5 guys on my fantasy radar…
Jake McGee, RP TB – He’s a favorite of mine and has been mentioned on the site before during the Tampa closer’s debate. While Kyle Farnsworth may have the inside track right now and has an incentive clause in his contract for games finished, I firmly believe that McGee will end up the Rays’ closer this season. The lefty has outstanding arm action, deceptive velocity, and a solid arsenal of pitches from which to choose; among them a changeup, curve and slider. He began his minor league career as a starter, but after posting an impressive 0.52 ERA in 11 relief appearances while striking out 27 in just over 17 innings of work, the Rays wised up to what they had. He got a quick call up last season and posted a 1.80 ERA in 8 appearances for the Rays while striking out 6 in 5 innings and looked very comfortable on the mound. He’s also extremely determined as he told reporters that he wants to be the team’s closer, and apparently, that drive has caught Joe Maddon’s eye. Keep an eye on him this spring and consider him as a very late round pick up in your draft.
Bobby Wilson, C LAA – While most people will tell you that Hank Conger is the backstop to watch in Angels camp, I’m going to steer you towards Wilson. Conger is a fantastic prospect and likely the catcher of the future for this team, but if you’re looking for immediate value, then Wilson could be your man. Mike Scioscia has always been one to prefer his veterans and, as evidenced by his willingness to start Jeff Mathis over Mike Napoli last year, he is a defense first manager when it comes to work behind the dish. With that, I am very skeptical about Conger winning even the backup job this spring. Now while Mathis comes in as the favorite for the starting job, Wilson could find himself working into a lot more playing time. He’s got solid experience, is known for his plus defensive skills, is lauded for his handling of pitching staffs, and actually has some good pop in his bat. He had 4 HR and 15 RBI in a very limited 106 at bats last year, but his isolated power number shave been pretty solid throughout the years. The biggest knock on him has been injuries, but after an off season in which he dropped 30 pounds while still retaining his strength, he looks like a much better bet to last all season long. If his defense remains strong, I think he’ll be able to outhit and eventually outplay Mathis.
Danny Espinosa, 2B WAS — After showing tremendous promise in the minors with displays of both power and speed, Espinosa got fast tracked to the bigs last year and hit quite a number of stumbling blocks. He came out of the gate strong with a 2 homer game in his first week of big league action, but then floundered at the plate, striking out at an alarming rate. He got shipped back down to the minors where he then posted a 20-20 season between Double and Triple-A earning him a call up in September, but he didn’t show much then either. This off season, Espinosa worked on shortening up his swing which should help him in the strikeout department if he keeps a level head. The Nats will be starting him at second base this season, so the dual eligibility in the middle infield will be a huge bonus. He might struggle in the average department a little as he gets his feet wet, but that 20-20 potential is for real. For what he will cost you in the later rounds, I think he’ll make for a fantastic sleeper as one of your middle infielders.
James McDonald, SP PIT – Whaaat? Draft a Pirates starter?? Are you crazy??? Maybe so, but I think McDonald has tremendous upside here. Obviously, wins will be tough to come by pitching in Pittsburgh, but he could be a sound middle of the rotation guy for your fantasy team this year. He posted solid numbers in the minor leagues while being touted as one of the Dodgers top prospects, but after being bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen, the Dodgers gave up and dealt him to the Pirates last year. Once in Pittsburgh and handed a rotation spot, McDonald didn’t disappoint. In 11 starts, he finished 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 64 innings of work. However, that was after a bit of a rocky start. Once he got more comfortable and was throwing more regularly, McDonald took off, posting a 2.31 ERA in 6 September starts with 30 K’s in 35 innings. Along with the rest of the Pirates staff, McDonald will be overlooked by your fantasy competition, so if you want to take a late round flier on some low budget pitching, McDonald makes for a nice choice.
Jon Jay, OF STL – With every spring day that passes where Lance Berkman can’t drag his tired, old ass out to play a little defense, Jay loses his sleeper status. However, being listed as a 4th outfielder still helps. We’re not looking at phenomenal power here, nor are we looking at blinding speed, but we are looking at a decent all around ballplayer who will do a little bit of everything while maintaining a solid batting average. The majority of his playing time, early in the season, should come as a defensive replacement for Berkman around the 6th or 7th inning, so the at bats will be limited. However, we all know Berkman’s age and injury history, and we also know that Tony Larussa has a bug up his ass about Colby Rasmus’ attitude the last couple of years. That could spell even more playing time. Imagine the young lefty with the solid OBP skills hitting in front of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday at some point this season? Fantasy deliciousness at a serious bargain price.
I’m sure there will be a few more in this series as we move through 2011 Spring Training, so stay tuned. There are plenty of 2011 fantasy baseball sleepers to start outing this spring. And remember to stick with The Fantasy Baseball Buzz all year for the best in free fantasy baseball advice, tips, insights, and winning fantasy baseball strategies.
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
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