MLB_Infield of Sleepers

[心得]


[出處] 以下文章引用自:
http://www.thefantasybaseballhalloffame.com/infield-of-sleepers.html
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[文章]

C- Kelly Shoppach - Cleveland Indians - Due to the return of Victor Martinez many people are ignoring Kelly Shoppach. This is a mistake and one that you can take advantage of.

A much better defensive catcher than Martinez, Shoppach proved last season he can hit major league pitching with overall numbers of .261-22 HR-55 RBI in112 games. But he really showed me something in the 55 games he played after the all-star break going .273-14-39.

Meanwhile, Martinez showed a total lack of power, both before and after his injury, hitting just 2 HR's in the 73 games he played. Keep an eye on both players this spring. If Martinez continues to have problems, it would make no sense at all for the Indians to keep Shoppach out of the lineup.

1B - Conor Jackson - Arizona Diamondbacks - Here’s a guy you can get much later in any draft than Dodger first baseman James Loney and get similar production. While neither has shown the kind of power you would like to see from a first baseman, both seem to be growing into steady hitters. A .300 batting average should be the norm for years to come with 90 plus RBI for both. Power should come as they learn and grow as major league hitters.

Here’s a look at their 2008 fantasy numbers:

Avg HR RBI R SB
Conor Jackson .300 12 75 87 10
James Loney .289 13 90 66 7

The numbers are very similar but you can wait twice as long before drafting Jackson. Last season Mock Draft Central had Loney’s ADP at 110, while Jackson exactly doubled that number at 220. In the early mocks this off-season not much has changed as Loney is at 98 and Jackson at 203.

It is better to get a big power hitting first baseman with Jackson serving as my corner infielder. If you miss out on one of the big guns you can live with Jackson at 1B. The fact that Jackson is also eligible at OF makes him even more appealing and he is on my radar in every 2009 draft.

2B - Alexi Casilla - Minnesota Twins - He was off to a great start last season but all that changed on July 29 when he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb. The injury caused him to miss 20 games and when he returned his hitting was never quite the same.

G Avg R HR RBI SB
Before injury 62 .313 38 4 39 4
After injury 57 .246 20 3 11 3

Things got so bad that on August 29 he was moved down in the lineup from second to eighth. Casilla never used the injury as an excuse, but the feeling is that with his team was in a pennant race, he may have come back too soon and the injury never fully healed.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season with a healed thumb he should reclaim the two spot in the order. With the speedy Denard Span or Carlos Gomez hitting ahead of him he will have some RBI opportunities. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will hit behind him which means Casilla will have plenty of runs scored opportunities. Throw in about dozen stolen bases and you can find some great value here at the end of your draft.

SS - Cristian Guzman - Washington Nationals - After missing all of the 2006 season because of shoulder surgery and all but 46 games in 2007 after tearing a hamstring on opening day, then a thumb ligament later on, Guzman managed to stay relatively healthy in 2008. Playing in 138 games he hit .316, scored 77 runs, drove in 55 with nine home runs and six stolen bases. Guzman was named the Nationals MVP by both his manager Manny Acta and MLB.com; Guzman was also the teams sole representative in the 2008 All-Star game.

While his injury history is a bit of a concern, you can draft him so late in a draft that the risk isn’t big at all. No worries about playing time here as he signed a contact extension through 2010 and is an everyday, top of the order shortstop.

3B - Troy Glaus - St. Louis Cardinals - His first season in Cardinal red was a rousing success as Glaus hit .270 with 27 home runs, 99 runs batted in while scoring 62 times. With numbers like that you would think he would go fairly quick in drafts, but that is not the case. He is considered an injury risk to most people but has managed to play in at least 149 games in three of the last four seasons. The only time he failed to reach that mark was 2007 when he played in 115 games where he managed to still hit 20 homers.

The other three seasons his power numbers have been great, averaging 34 homers and 100 runs batted in. He is almost never drafted as a Top 15 third baseman, but can give you Top 10 value. A low risk, high reward pick for sure.