2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

March 14, 2015

Fantasy baseball sleepers come in many different forms. Some are young prospects with high ceilings and a limited sample size of opportunity. Others could come in the form of an aging vet with something to prove. The key here is finding value where others don’t and there’s some players that offer more to the table than their counterparts.

That is why it’s imperative to shy away, or run from the oxymoron that is “popular sleepers.” After doing some extensive research, I’ve compiled a list of true sleepers that will allow you to garner value in your draft that your competition will not.

Complete with the ingredients to give yourself a structured draft plan and have an idea of what your fellow drafters will be doing, Fantasy Couch has offered up a list of 10 sleepers that should be underlined, highlighted and eventually put into your starting lineup. And hopefully, your team takes the form of a playoff contender that has a chance at winning the fantasy baseball championship belt.

2015 MLB Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

A.J. Pollock, Ari OF

Pollock was en route to an impressive 2014 campaign before he took a fastball to the hand that sidelined him for three months. He’s far from being the superstar D-Back fans hope he can be, but the early exit caused by a Johnny Cueto pitch has pushed the former first round pick (17th overall) too far down draft boards. In 265 at-bats last year the 24-year-old Pollock hit .301 with 41 runs, 19 doubles, seven homers, and 12 steals. Pollock also registered an OPS of .851, but that was better than Robinson Cano, Jose Altuve and Freddie Freeman.

Will Myers, SD OF

For a guy with quite the resume, I don’t see the logic in how far Myers has fallen in San Diego; especially given the turnaround in that team’s starting nine. Myers was the No. 10 prospect in 2010, was the main piece in a trade for James Shields in 2012, made it to No. 5 in the prospect rankings before the 2013 season, and eventually hit .294/.354/.478 with 13 homers in a 88 game season en route to the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Yes, his sophomore season was bad. But it’s a shame to see how quickly the opinions change of him after just one poor season.

Collin McHugh, Hou SP

For a guy who had a 2.73 ERA in 25 starts last season, you don’t hear enough about this guy. He offers a nasty curveball for a strikeout pitch that had batters hitting a measly .138 against it with 73 strikeouts.

Collin McHugh back when he was with the New York Mets — Photo credit: slgckgc

While he does play in Houston, they’re a franchise trending in the right direction given the amount of young talent they possess. Don’t let his jersey keep you from drafting him. If he can do what he did last year in Houston, I would expect a much stronger sophomore season out of him.

Marcus Semien, Oak IF

The White Sox had high hopes for him after a 2013 in their farm system but those diminished after a .234 average let them down last season. Like Billy Beane, I tend to believe that season to be an outlier and it was apparent when he dealt Jeff Samardzija almost as soon as he got to Oakland. Semien has shown decent power at a position that doesn’t necessarily need it. If this 24-year-old can show anything close to the .881 OPS and 15 homers he had in the minors in 2013, he should be a regular in Oakland and a regular in your lineup by the end of the season.

Justin Verlander, Det SP

This may seem like a typo given his recent title as an Ace, but like Walker, he’s a guy that’s trending in the wrong direction. Some managers may still be in love with the 2012 version of him… but let them be. The 30-year-old Verlander was recovering from an injury this time last year and it was apparent that he wasn’t 100 percent last year. But when you look at where he’s dropped in some mock drafts, it’s hard to deny the value that he still has when drafted in the same round as guys like Scott Kazmir, Michael Pineda, and Ian Kennedy. Also keep in mind that he has added 20 pounds of muscle to his frame the last four months. The additional pounds might have just been for Kate Upton, but if I draft him, I doubt I’ll care what the motivation was behind it.

Neil Walker, Pit 2B

Walker may not be the most exciting sleeper but boring picks don’t make them bad selections. A good portion of managers will gloss over the name without noticing the 23 homers, 74 runs and 76 RBIs. Don’t make that same mistake as he is just two years removed from a season in which he hit .280 with a lesser lineup surrounding him. Walker may not have the lofty ceiling of some players at his position, but he’s someone that will continue to slip and slide down the draft board come draft day.

Neil Walker of the Pittsburgh Pirates — Photo credit: Keith Allison

Rougned Odor, Tex 2B

Odor’s name was a popular one in some circles prior to 2014, and he was in the majors before he could order a drink. His numbers may not jump off the page at you (.259 average, 39 runs, 9 homers and 48 RBIs), but growing pains were expected as he spent just 30 games in Double-A. If he can show just a little bit of growth this season, he could very well find himself ahead of guys like Brandon Phillips, Aaron Hill, and Howie Kendrick in the 2016 rankings.

Gerrit Cole, Pit SP

Cole came to Pittsburgh in 2013 with a lot of hype but showed the league that it was much more than that after an impressive 10-7 record (3.22 ERA) his rookie year, followed by an 11-5 season in 2014. Although his ERA left something to be desired, much of that stemmed from him falling victim to BABIP. Something else he fell victim too was a stint on the DL that kept him in the minors for a couple months. Fortunately for him and the Pirates, he was able to muster a 4-1 record in eight games with over 10 strikeouts per nine innings. The 6-foot-4 starter hits spots and offers up a filthy arsenal and all signs point towards a promising 2015 season.

Arismendy Alcantara, Chi 2B/OF

Potential owners may be weary of his .205 average in 2014 but you should be encouraged by his 10 homeruns and eight steals in 70 games. With a career minor league average of .284, the 23-year-old has shown an ability to be consistent. He’ll need to cut down on his hacks taken outside the zone, but with time, the plate discipline should come with the switch-hitting prospect.

Yasmani Grandal, LAD C/1B

Grandal registered a full year of being healthy last season after seeing less than 300 at-bat’s in San Diego the two seasons prior. The 26-year-old who split up his time at catcher (76 games) and first base (37), has traded in his dark blue for something a few shades lighter in Los Angeles. While his average may have taken a hit this past season, I would expect to see more of the .310 hitter he was in the minors and the .469 SLG we saw in 2012. He’ll most likely move around the lineup throughout the season but I’d expect to see him somewhere near the top by the end of it.