Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Round 2

Now that I've received a copy of the Sporting News 2011 Fantasy Baseball magazine, I can make better evaluations as to players who are "sleepers." Round 1 consisted of players who I thought would fall down on draft boards regardless of value, but Round 2 will list guys who I feel will greatly outplay their "mixed league dollar values." So, without any further adieu, I give you Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Round 2...

2B, Gordon Beckham - Chicago White Sox
Beckham had a very solid rookie year in 2009 placing 5th in Rookie of the year voting. Last year, however, his numbers dipped down all across the board. This time last year, Beckham was on a lot of watch lists as a middle infielder with substantial power. This year, they have him ranked as the 15th best 2nd baseman. In the about the last 60 games before Beckham was shut down last season, his numbers were actually back on the incline. He batted .300+, hit 7 HRs, and drove in 30 over that span. His ability to bounce back from such a slump speaks volumes about how this 24 year old has matured. Power numbers are rare for 2nd basemen and shouldn't be taken lightly. While Chase Utley and Robinson Cano remain the elite talents at the position, it's not incredibly deep after them. At $14, he's a much better player than everyone behind him and he has much greater upside than most of the players in front of him. I would take him as a top 8-10 player at that position. I predict 20 HRs, 80 RBI, and a .275 AVG at 2nd base for him.

RP, Drew Storen - Washington Nationals
Lost in all the pomp and circumstance of the Nationals drafting Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper is the fact that they might just be sitting on one of the top closers in the game. Sure, Storen was also a first round pick. And like most first rounders rushed to the majors, he took some lumps in his first year. But the Nationals are committed to him. With the Nationals in full rebuilding mode, I suspect that they will give Storen all the opportunities in the world to prove himself as a reliever. That notion is confirmed by the fact that the Nationals refused to include Storen in trade talks for Greinke and Carmona. As you know from my post earlier in the week, I think the Nationals will win 80+ games and without workhorse starters, someone will need to fill out those games. The Sporting News ranks him as the 25th best Relief Pitcher, but his upside alone should make him better than that. With so few relievers having their roles locked down, I think Storen is worth a shot. I would estimate 25-30 saves and solid peripheral numbers.

SP, Trevor Cahill - Oakland Athletics
I don't expect him to repeat his 2010 performance with 18 wins. As a matter of fact, a good portion of last year's stats were based on his opponents .237 batting average on balls in play (BAbip). 18 wins for the dreadful Oakland Athletics was just that much more impressive. Based on his ground-ball to fly-ball ratio, however, I would argue that Cahills stats are just as much skill as they are luck. Oakland has made some improvements to their team, but you can still expect the dueling 22 year olds of Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson to be the cornerstone of the franchise. As is typical with the Athletics, expect them to milk their young pitching for everything it's worth for the next three years, then trade them all away as damaged goods while getting a ridiculous return. 16+ wins is a very reasonable prediction for Cahill based on the amount of innings he pitches and his low WHIP. Whether he repeats last years stats or regresses a bit, he's certainly better than the $12 value he's been given by The Sporting News. Look for Cahill to give up more runs and hits this season, and it's doubtful he'll repeat as an All-Star or appear so high on so many Cy Young ballots, but he will almost certainly be a fringe top 20 SP option. I'm guessing 17-9, 132 Ks, 3.20 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP.