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 I of fantasy sleepers who will likely be flying way under the radar come draft day.
Anthony Rizzo, First Base, Chicago Cubs: Rizzo, who has been a big contributor to the scrappy Italian team in the World Baseball Classic, used to be a top prospect in the Red Sox organization before he was shipped to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Following a brief stint with the Padres, he was acquired by Chicago general manager Jed Hoyer, who aided in drafting the left-handed slugger while working in Boston. Last year in the minor leagues, Rizzo hit .342 with 23 home runs and 62 RBIs before being called up by the Cubs. After his late June call-up, he hit .285 with 15 doubles, 15 home runs and 48 RBIs in 337 at-bats with the big league club. Playing in Wrigley Field, a known hitter’s park, Rizzo should finally live up to his enormous promise in his sophomore campaign. The upside is tremendous on this guy.
Mike Minor, Starting Left-handed pitcher, Atlanta Braves: After going 5-6 with a 5.97 ERA during the first half of the season, Minor caught fire in the second half and really showed why he’s one of the top young pitchers in the Braves organization. The 6-4, 205-pound hard-throwing lefty went 6-4 with a 2.16 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 87.1 innings pitched after the All-Star break, which cemented himself in Atlanta’s starting rotation. Minor has been impressive this spring and could be in line for a big 2013, especially with the additions of the Upton brothers (B.J. and Justin) in the Braves’ lineup, which bolsters the team’s hitting prowess.
Jason Grilli, Closer, Pittsburgh Pirates: When the Pirates shipped Joel Hanrahan to Boston, Grilli became the team’s closer after being one of the top setup men in baseball a year ago. Despite being 36-years-old, Grilli still has some good baseball left in front of him and is poised for a career-year. Last year, the 6-4, 235-pound right-hander went 1-6 with 90 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched and held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average. After pitching well for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Grilli could be a big help to fantasy owners in the save category in 2013.
Andrelton Simmons, Shortstop, Atlanta Braves: Last year in spring training, before Simmons made the Braves’ squad, future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones was quoted as saying, “he’s got it.” By “it” Jones was talking about the way the youngster played defense and his baseball savvy. But despite being known as a defensive whiz during his climb in Atlanta’s minor league system, Simmons really turned heads with his offense as a rookie. In limited at-bats (166) before breaking his pinkie finger on his throwing hand legging out a double against the Phillies, Simmons hit .289 with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 19 RBI in 166 at-bats. This season, Simmons will hit leadoff in a Braves lineup that features Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann (when he returns from surgery) and the recently acquired Upton brothers (see above). If the World Baseball Classic is any indication (check the stats), Simmons will have a breakout season. And from everything I’ve seen (I watch the Braves a lot), this guy has superstar written all over him.
Steve Cishek, Closer, Miami Marlins: Cishek, a ground ball inducing machine, is a player that will be a small blip on the radar screen, but he’s got a lot of natural ability and may be on the verge of becoming a valuable fantasy commodity. The lanky (6-6) sidearmer has nasty sink on his fastball and his sweeping breaking ball and solid changeup give him the kind of arsenal to become a dominant closer. Yeah, he plays with the Marlins and they probably won’t win much, but he could be a great late-round/free agent pickup in a lot of leagues. Last year, Cishek went 6-2 with 15 saves and 68 Ks in 63.2 innings. He’s also looked really good in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Don’t be scared to grab this guy, whether it’s in the late rounds or as a free agent.
You can email Matt at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @MattLowe777