In Part II of our Outfield Sleepers, we will introduce to you five more Outfielders that should exceed their ADP by a generous amount. Instead of taking a boring low upside player towards the end of your draft, consider drafting these potential studs because their upsides are through the roof.
1. Adam Jones, Bal. Mariners fans like myself sometimes cry ourselves to sleep thinking about how we traded away Jones and Tillman for Bedard. It’s only going to get worse this season as Jones is going to take another step forward and Tillman may be called up at some point. Jones has a scary combination of Speed and Power. He is hitting .367/.415/.551 in Spring Training through 49 ABs. In addition, he has swiped seven bases this spring without being caught once. It appears he will have the green light this year which should mean a 20-20 season is not out of the question, and is actually likely.
2. Travis Snider, Tor. Snider appeared on my Top Prospects List last season, as the #8 prospect. He has continued his development rather nicely, and will be launching balls out of stadiums for the Blue Jays this season. You can’t expect a smooth transistion to the Majors, but a rookie season like Prince Fielders is not out of the question. My prediction for Snider is 75 R 25 HR 83 RBI with a .265 BA.
3. Nelson Cruz, Tex. Cruz looked like he was destined to be a AAAA player for his entire career until he proved himself last season. After hitting .330/.421/.609 in 115 At-Bats last season it appears that Cruz can actually hold his own in the MLB. He has been rewarded by likely hitting clean-up for the Rangers this season. If you plug anyone into the clean-up spot in Texas and they immediately become a great fantasy asset. As long as Cruz is hitting in the top 5 of the lineup he will easily exceed his draft position.
4. Lastings Milledge, Wash. My first impression of Lastings is that he has been a big letdown already in his career. On second look, I realize that he will only be 24 Years old on Opening Day. Lastings will be hitting somewhere in the top three spots of the lineup, and looks as though he may have won the leadoff spot. He hasn’t found his stroke yet in Spring Training, so you may be able to steal him from an owner who is starting to not believe in him. When 2009 is all said and done I foresee Lastings to have 19 HRs and 21 SBs to go along with a generous .280 BA.
5. Felix Pie, Bal. I would not recommend drafting Pie unless your league is very deep (14 or more teams or AL-Only league). I strongly urge to keep your right eye on him. He will likely bat in the 7 or 8 spot to begin the season, but with a strong start or injuries, he could end up in the 1,2,3 or 5th spot. The Cubs had a crowded outfield and couldn’t wait any longer for Pie to develop. In Baltimore he should get plenty of opportunities to learn on the job. In an ideal world Pie hits .285 with 15+ HRs and 15+ SBs. In reality, those numbers are slightly high and Pie will be most useful in a platoon situation, benching him against Lefties.
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