Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Part II

Every year in major league baseball, new players emerge, a number of reliable veterans have down years and some team comes out of nowhere to make the playoffs. That’s just the way game goes.

But in fantasy baseball, it’s always good to stay ahead of the competition by attempting to gauge what players are in line for a breakout season or just another great season in general. That’s how you win your league. It’s also important to understand the scoring setup and to keep up with what’s going on with player personnel on a daily basis.

Look, fantasy baseball is a lot different than fantasy football. Whether in a by-weekly league or a daily league, there are a lot more games to be played, more players to choose from and a lot more transactions that need to be made. Those three elements allow owners extra opportunities to make up for poor draft decisions/injuries, and allow smart owners to strengthen their team during the duration of a season.

Here’s Part II of fantasy sleepers who will likely be flying way under the radar come draft day. Considering Part I had a National League flavor, I’ll throw out some American League guys who may be undervalued entering this season.

Michael Morse, Outfield, Seattle Mariners: Morse was reacquired by Seattle (also traded for him in 2004) when the Mariners sent catcher John Jaso to Oakland and the A’s sent minor league pitchers A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen and a player to be named later to Washington. Through 14 games this spring, Morse hit .311 with three doubles, six home runs and 11 RBI in 39 at bats. Although he does strike out a lot, Morse could be a solid source of power in the later rounds of your draft in the more hitter-friendly AL. To put it bluntly, this guy can smash a baseball. Bid accordingly.

Yoenis Cespedes, Outfield, Oakland A’s: Although many in the fantasy world know who Cespedes is, don’t be shocked if he is somewhat undervalued on draft day. Ryan Braun, Mike Trout, Matt Kemp, Andrew McCutchen and Justin Upton should be considered the top five outfielders on the board in my view, but Cespedes is a player that can do a lot of damage in a number of areas for a fantasy team. The 27-year-old showed good presence at the plate by hitting .293 in 487 at-bats a year ago, but he also displayed good power by posting 25 doubles, five triples and 23 home runs despite battling a number of nagging injuries. Cespedes is also a threat to run as evidence by his 16 stolen bases. Look for better numbers in 2013 from this emerging all-around player.

C.J. Wilson, Left-handed pitcher, Los Angeles Angels: Despite being a high-profile free agent signee by the Angles a year ago, Wilson failed to pitch like a top-of-the-rotation starter for much of the year. Although he finished the season with respectable numbers (13-10 with a 3.73 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 202.1 innings), at times, he didn’t look anywhere near the same pitcher that ranked fourth in the AL in wins (16), seventh in ERA (2.94) and sixth in strikeouts (206) during his final year in Texas. But in his second year in an Angels’ uniform, I expect Wilson to bounce back with a year similar to the one he had when he played for the Rangers in 2011. With the lineup the Angles have, Wilson will be in for a big win spike if he can regain his mojo.

Nick Swisher, Outfield/First Baseman, Cleveland Indians: Swisher is hardly a sleeper fantasy player, but it’s very easy to forget what he does (supply power and run production) on a yearly basis. The guy consistently hits 25-to-30 home runs and drives in 85-90 runs, not to mention he’s a doubles machine. If you like to bolster your pitching and infield positions like I do early on in the draft, then Swisher is a player you should be able to add in the middle-to-late rounds who can give you consistent production. Whatever route you decide to go, don’t forget about Swisher, who will likely be in a lot of lengthy, high-scoring games with the Indians.

Kyle Seager, Third baseman, Seattle Mariners: In only his second year in the big leagues, Seager led the Mariners in hits (154), home runs (20), RBI (86) and several other categories. He also had 13 stolen bases. Considering Seattle is moving in its outfield fences due to the lack of offensive production in Safeco Field, Seager’s number should only continue to get better in 2013. Third base is an important position to get anchored down in fantasy, and I like carrying at least two guys on my team that can play the position. There are about six players right now that I rank ahead of Seager entering this season, so don’t be scared to grab this guy and pencil him in at the hot corner. He’s a good young player with a ton of upside.

Part I can be read here: https://www.lindyssports.com/mlb/column/fantasy-news/five-fantasy-baseball-sleepers-part-one/80915