When most think about fantasy sports they think about one thing, drafting good players. There are two different types of players that you can draft, sleepers and breakouts. But most don't really understand what the terms mean. Sleeper is someone who gets overlooked in the draft for one reason or another. A breakout is someone who goes from good to great. I am here to help you out with some picks that could help your fantasy baseball team out. This week we will be getting into the AL picks.
First on my list is Right Handed Pitchers (RHP) Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees. Some potential numbers for him are 17-8 with a ERA of 3.60 over 200 Strikeouts and a WHIP of over 1.100. This was going to be one of the best starters in baseball, and he looked like it at times out of the gate last season. There is some concern about his weight this spring and his noticeable decline in velocity, but his second full season in the majors could make him a more consistent force. If he regains his velocity and stays healthy, he will help a lot of fantasy owners win titles this season. He'll win a lot of games behind that offense.
Sticking with the pitchers, another RHP comes to mind. That is Andrew Bailey of the Boston Red Sox. Some numbers for him are 3-1 an ERA of 2.05 only 70 K's and WHIP of over 1.000 and 40 Saves. Bailey was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2009, but he hasn't made it through a full season healthy since. He has averaged a steady 25 saves per year, but in Boston, he could develop into a 40-save fantasy must-have. The question is health and it won't be something that can be proven until he pitches a full season. It is noteworthy Bailey is in his prime at age 27 and in his money-making arbitration years. It is time to step forward and get paid.
For another starting pitcher to look at would be that of David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays. He is a Left Handed Pitcher (LHP) and can put up some great numbers. He could go 21-7 have an ERA of almost 3.00 over 220 Strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.125. It is hard to believe Price was a sub-.500 pitcher for a postseason team if you look at the peripherals. Price hasn't been an elite fantasy ace for a full season yet, but this figures to be the year as he enters his prime at age 27. Some might consider James Shields over him on draft day, but that would be a mistake. Price has Cy Young talent and has built up for what should be the best season of his career. He is ready to absolutely take off.
Another LHP to look at is Baltimore Orioles Zach Britton. He will be a .500 pitcher as far as records are concerned but I'm not sure about his numbers for next season. If you look at his full-season numbers, it will be hard to remember the start he got off to last season. He was 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA through his first 10 starts, eight of them quality starts. Britton might not have come with the hype of Brian Matusz, but he certainly has the juice to be a front-line starter. He potentially is a great last-round pick, and a sleeper as much as a breakout.
In the way of fielding someone who should be looked at is Brett Lawrie 3rd Basemen (3B) for the Toronto Blue Jays. In a quarter of a season as a rookie, Lawrie posted .293-9-25-26-7. You cannot project 36-100-104-28, but it is clear Lawrie has the potential to be one of the best fantasy third basemen in a hurry. He will be tricky to pick at the right value, but watch the Average Draft Position (currently 54th overall on MockDraftCentral.com and 81st on CBSSports.com). You probably have to draft him by early Round 5 to be sure you get him.
Gordon Beckham is another good fielder to look at for you fantasy team. He's a 2nd Basemen (2B) for the Chicago White Sox's and should help your team. When he came up in '09, he looked like a future leader at second base in fantasy. Now he looks like mixed-league cannon fodder. It is easy to forget he is still just 25-years old. New manager Robin Ventura went through a slow start and broke through, so the new manager should help get the best out of this lost talent.
For your 1st Basemen (1B) you should look in the way of Kansas City Royals Eric Hosmer. The 22-year old didn't look like a 21-year-old rookie last season, going .293-19-78-66-11 (.334-.465) in what amounted to a five-month season. It is pretty clear we are looking at a future fantasy star that can go .300-30-100-100 annually. It won't take much more maturation for him to reach those levels even this year.
Last but not least holding down the fort behind the plate I would go with Minnesota Twins Catchers (C) Ryan Doumit. Doumit just might be in the perfect situation, if healthy. He has never played a full season, passing 400 at-bats just twice, but he is slotting as a DH and can also retain catcher eligibility. That makes him a superb sleeper at the thin catcher position. He might even be capable of posting the above numbers that would make him a top-five fantasy backstop.
These players should be a good addition to anyone's team coming out of the AL. I'm still doing my research for the NL and will get those to you as soon as I'm finished with that.
Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports
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