2012 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers – Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes

OF Yoenis Cespedes – Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Here is the first of many 2012 fantasy baseball sleepers I will be profiling. If you are not a baseball junky like me, you may have never heard of a Cuban outfielder named Yoenis Cespedes until earlier this week. February 13th is when the Oakland Athletics surprised the baseball world and signed one of the most hyped Cuban baseball players ever. The small-market club with a highly questionable quartet of outfielders found a centerpiece to a potential future in San Jose and fantasy baseball domination. Let’s take a look at Cespedes and his potential on the field and on fantasy scoreboards.

For a player who has never suited up in the Majors, Cespedes garnered a healthy contract of 4 years and $36 million. Even the New York Times said Cespedes looked like Bo Jackson. The amount of money alone is enough to raise eyebrows on this man’s potential in the big leagues. While many international players have come in with hype, the only high-profile player who met and exceeded those high expectations, in my opinion, was Ichiro Suzuki, who embarrassed his critics along the way. That could be a cause for concern to some but not me. Cespedes is a special type of athlete who will not be fazed by the bright lights of The Show.

Cubans can play ball, there is no question about that. When the USA assembles an all-star squad of players for the Olympics and World Baseball Classic, that red-white-blue squad could hardly compete with the Cubans. In 2011, Cespedes broke a Cuban league single season home run record with 33 while hitting .333. He racked 175 homers in his Cuban career that started at 18 years of age. Cespedes played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as the starting centerfielder for the Cubans. He hit a slash line of .458/.480/1.000, numbers that disgrace a pitcher in a way comparable to Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols.

What’s even scarier is the fact that scouts believe Cespedes is a five-tool talent. He can hit for average and power, run, throw and field. His defensive position will be in the outfield with Oakland. While Cespedes still needs his worker’s visa before he can suit up and play, the man has enormous amounts of potential that has scouts, fans and fantasy owners licking their chops at baseball’s next potential future phenom. Cespedes has some surprising speed that manager Bob Melvin, who loves playing small ball, might want to set in motion on the base paths. On top of Fantasy Couch’s projection of a .285 BA with 22 HR’s and 89 RBI’s for Cespedes, fantasy owners should not be surprised if Cespedes snatches 10-20 bases this year. The steals may come as a bonus but should not surprise anyone.

In short, it is not every day that an unproven position player garners the hype, money and attention that Cespedes has (unproven pitchers get the hype, money and attention all the time!). I look forward to seeing this guy on a Major League diamond soon and it is sure to be one hell of a show!

Come back and visit Fantasy Couch for more player profiles of fantasy baseball sleepers. I will be posting fantasy baseball sleepers often. Follow me on Twitter @Dan_Deo and make sure to follow the one, the only @fantasycouch