2006 Sleepers

A Position-By-Position Look at some of the players who may help you down the road, yet you wouldn't think of.

Catchers

D. Ardoin/Y. Torrialba (Col) - Whoever starts for the Rockies would be playing 81 games at Coors, that is enough to make them a sleeper in my book.
J. Valentin (Cin) - Take his production from last year, and spread it over 450 ABs, that puts him at 25-30 homers and a .285 batting average. That is solid production from the catcher's spot.
R. Doumit (Pit) - He only hit .255 last year, but with the fact that he didn't play but part time last year, and the lineup they have put around him he should be primed for a breakout year - provided he gets the starting job.
D. Navarro (LAD) - He hit .273 in an August call-up. He is gonna have the starting job this year and they have a pretty decent lineup around him. I expect .280, 10-15 homers and 70 rbi.
J. Mathis (LAA) - Anaheim knew that they had something special in Mathis, so they let Benjie Molina go. While he is a defensive specialist, he still has some pop and I expect a solid freshman campaign from this kid.

First Basemen

P. Fielder (Mil) - He may not be much of a sleeper with everyone picking him to be a ROY Candidate (me included), but he is still worth mentioning. I am expecting 25-30 homers and upwards of 100 RBI while hitting .285.
K. Youkilis (Bos) - He may not be as productive as I would hope with the addition of J.T. Snow, but Youkilis is still the Greek God of Walks. He isn't going to hit for too much power, which is something you look for in a corner infielder, but he will get on base which would translate nicely into some runs scored.
M. Jacobs (Fla) - This guy hit .300 with 11 homers in only 100 at bats! This guy has some pop.
R. Shealy (Col) - Hit .330 while Todd Helton was on the shelf last year, and the Rockies are so high on him that they are going to play him in the outfield during the spring and possibly platoon him in right field with Brad Hawpe.

Second Basemen

R. Weeks (Mil) - Played much of last year with a messed up right thumb, which contributed to his low batting average. I still expect him to have a solid year 20/20 possibly with 30/30 potential.
M. Ellis (Oak) - Only 2 0r 3 players in the majors hit better after the all-star break than Ellis - and he hit 12 of his 13 homers after the break as well. He hit .316 last year and I see no reason for him to hit below .300 again this year.
I. Kinsler (Tex) - He is replacing Alfonso Soriano, but his production will still be solid. He has mucho mucho protection around him in the lineup and will be a great source of runs and steals this year.
H. Kendrick (LAA) - He won't start in the bigs this year, but if you are looking for a great keeper or September call-up he could be your man at the two-bag. Also if Adam Kennedy has some issues early in the year, Kendrick could get the call much sooner.

Short Stop

J.J. Hardy (Mil) - He started off slowly last year, but this is a guy who missed much of his Triple-A season with arm surgery. He hit .308 after the break last year and I can very well see that production carry over to this year.
H. Ramirez (Fla) - He's been an uber-prospect for a couple of years with Boston, but blocked from entry to the majors. When they dealt him to Florida his value skyrocketed. Keep him in mind in keeper leagues.
B. Wood (LAA) - Another guy like Kendrick who is blocked, but may enter later on in the season. He has an amazing bat, and will be a major player for years to come.
R. Cedeno (ChC) - The starting job is all but his, all he has to worry about is Neifi Perez, but Ronnie has a quick bat and could be a great source of steals this season.

Third Base

R. Zimmerman (Was) - Sleeper of the Year. He hit .397 last year, and was only drafted in June. This kid is amazing and is even being compared to Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen defensively. He is that good.
E. Encarnacion (Cin) - He only hit .230, but he is playing in Cincy with no pressure. I can see him upping his numbers considerably this year and being a pleasant surprise for anyone who takes the chance on him.
A. Marte (Cle) - Another uber-prospect that got dealt in the offseason. When Aaron Boone stumbles, and he will, Marte will be thrown into the lineup and will succeed. He is a guy who, down the road, will be hitting 25 homers and 100 RBI.

Outfield

C. Sullivan (Col) - While he won't be a big power guy, he still hit .294 in 139 games last season and would be a good source of steals and runs, especially in deep leagues.
M. Murton (ChC) - .320 in 51 games is worthy of being on my list. Another guy who would be a good source of runs and unlike Sullivan, would be a run producer - especially in the Cubs lineup.
C. Duffy (Pit) - .341 in 39 games and will probably lead off for the much upgraded Pirates lineup. I can see him getting 100 runs this year if he is healthy. Probably not a big homer guy, but he will get on base consistantly.
J. Rodriguez (StL) - .295 in 56 games last year, and if he can win the starting Left Field job he would be a great addition to a fantasy lineup. He is another guy who could get a good 15-20 homers with regular play.
B. Anderson (CWS) - The Chi Sox dealt away Aaron Rowand because they feel that Anderson is Major League ready. He didn't hit too well in his cup of coffee with the White Sox last year, but given a full season he could hit .275.
R. Church (Was) - I think this guy coulda been the Rookie of the Year last year if he woulda played the whole season. Given 500 at-bats, he could be a 15-20 homer guy with 80-90 RBI.

Pitchers

A. Cook (Col) - Yes I am putting a Rockies pitcher on the sleeper list. He came back from injury after the All-Star break and was very good. He finished the season at 7-2 with a 3.67 ERA. That is phenomenal for a Rockies pitcher. And for those who are wondering, he had a 3.76 ERA at Coors field last year...
R. Madson (Phi) - He was a set-up guy last year but this year he wants to start. He has great stuff and the makeup to be a solid big league starter. He was a solid starter in the minors and I think it will translate into success in the Major League rotation.
F. Cabrera (Cle) - Cleveland's closer of the future. A 1.47 ERA in limited work last year has him ready for this season. If Wickman goes down, this is the guy who is going to get the saves for Cleveland and will also be a great source of strikeouts.
T. Gordon (Phi) - He has closed before and I see him having another good year with Philadelphia.
B. Bowyer/J. Borowski (Fla) - The winner of the Florida closer battle would be a good source of saves this year. Bowyer is the closer of the future, but he may need a little more work and they might not want to thrust him into the pressure packed closer role. Borowski has closed before so he may be in the lead to get the job.