| In every fantasy baseball league, there's always | | | | criticized for a too slow curveball which can |
| one guy who makes a surprise pick or two during | | | | bottom out at a middle-schoolish 69. |
| the draft. He's usually the guy who's done his | | | | Fantasy Baseball Dugout sees Kennedy as the # |
| homework on Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Prospects. | | | | 5 starter in the Yankees rotation in a crowded |
| He's the guy who reads Fantasy Baseball Dugout. | | | | pitching corpse that includes Wang, Petitte, |
| Fantasy Baseball Dugout is proud to present its | | | | Chamberlain, Hughes, and Mussina. Kennedy should |
| 2008 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Prospects. The | | | | win at least 12 games in 2008. |
| criteria for qualifying as a sleeper prospect is that | | | | # 5 -- Evan Longoria, third baseman, Tampa Bay |
| the player was not a regular for the 2007 season | | | | Devil Rays |
| and that the season was his first in The Show. | | | | Another name you've heard of, but more likely |
| Most fantasy baseball sleeper players were | | | | because of its similarity to many men's fantasy, |
| September call-ups to The Bigs, but some you | | | | and I'm not talking baseball at all here. Longoria |
| probably would not have heard of unless you | | | | was the third overall pick by the Devil Rays in |
| were an avid minor league fan. | | | | 2006 out of a stellar All-American career with the |
| #1 -- Joba Chamberlain, Starting Pitcher, New | | | | Long Beach State Dirtbags. |
| York Yankees. | | | | Longoria, who played shortstop in college, is seen |
| Once a hefty 272 pound pitcher at D-II | | | | more as a third baseman in the Bigs. His lack of |
| Nebraska-Kearney, Chamberlain lost weight and | | | | speed projects him better at the hot corner |
| was simply dominating at every professional level | | | | where he has soft hands and good body control |
| in 2007. He's an interesting guy--a Native | | | | that will likely push Akinori Otsuka over to second. |
| American member of the Winnebago tribe. | | | | Longoria will get plenty of playing time for the |
| A hamstring injury hampered Chamberlain and he | | | | Devil Rays and is the favorite to be the AL |
| did not make his pro debut until May. He then | | | | Rookie of the Year in 2008. Longoria is a .300+ |
| made it all look easy. | | | | guy with 30+ homers, even in his rookie |
| Chamberlain started at Hi-A Tampa where he | | | | campaign. |
| went 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 40 | | | | Last year, Longoria played at AA Montgomery |
| innings while holding hitters to a microscopic .181 | | | | and AAA Durham in one of the best farm |
| average. He was promoted to AA Trenton where | | | | systems in the MLB. He hit 26 homers while |
| he went 4-2 in seven starts with a 3.35 ERA and | | | | knocking in 97 RBI. Longoria also belted 29 |
| a massive 66 K's in 40 IP's. After three | | | | doubles. |
| appearances at AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre | | | | The knock on Longoria is that he can sometimes |
| where he fanned 18 in 8 innings, Chamberlain was | | | | be too aggressive at the plate, sometimes |
| promoted to the Yanks. | | | | chasing bad pitches. This led to 110 strikeouts last |
| You would think that Chamberlain's meteoric rise | | | | season. |
| would have been too much to put up similar | | | | # 6 -- Brandon Wood, SS/3B, Los Angeles Angels |
| numbers with the Bronx Bombers. Nothing could | | | | In 2005, Wood broke into the pro ranks with 43 |
| have been further from the truth. Chamberlain | | | | home runs for High A Rancho Cucomonga. His |
| worked out of the bullpen and appeared in 19 | | | | season with the Quakes pinned Wood as a |
| games. In 24 IP's, he fanned 34 while walking just | | | | superstar, but his stats since, while good, have |
| 6 and giving up 12 hits. Opponents were nearly | | | | been a bit more pedestrian. He hit 23 homers and |
| invisible against Chamberlain at the plate with a | | | | .272 BA at AAA Salt Lake last year. |
| .145 BA. Chamberlain's ERA in the bigs: 0.38. | | | | Wood has power, but also strikes out a lot. He |
| Chamberlain has the makings of a closer or a #1 | | | | fanned 120 times at Salt Lake last year before |
| starter. Manager Joe Girardi is going to be hard | | | | getting 33 AB's with the Angels. Critics site that |
| pressed to not move him quickly into that #1 | | | | Wood often tries to pull the ball too much which |
| starter role in 2008. Watch his status closely | | | | makes him susceptible to outside pitches. |
| during Grapefruit League games. You could end up | | | | The Angels still have Aybar, Figgins, and Izturis in |
| with a mid-round steal in Chamberlain. | | | | the mix at shortstop, but none of these guys |
| Fantasy Baseball Dugout considers Chamberlain to | | | | have the pop that Wood has. Expect Wood to be |
| be a top 20 pick among all pitchers in the 2008 | | | | the Angels third baseman this season. |
| fantasy baseball draft. He will win at least 15 | | | | # 7 -- Adam Miller, Starting Pitcher, Cleveland |
| games in pinstripes and will be a dominant | | | | Indians |
| strikeout machine with enormous upside potential | | | | Miller has been dominant in the minor leagues, but |
| in future years. | | | | has been injury prone so be sure to check his |
| # 2 -- Clay Bucholz, Starting Pitcher, Boston Red | | | | status before drafting him in March. He only |
| Sox | | | | pitched 65 innings last year at AAA Buffalo where |
| Bucholz is the best home grown pitcher from the | | | | he went 5-4, 4.82. |
| Sox farm system since Roger Clemens. This guy | | | | When he's healthy, Miller can be lights out. He has |
| is certainly no surprise given the fact that he | | | | hit 97 on the gun, although not as of late. Still, his |
| tossed a no-no in just his second major league | | | | slider is very impressive and clearly his best pitch. |
| start last season against the Orioles. He likely | | | | Miller has been more effective as he's matured as |
| would have made the Red Sox post-season | | | | a pitcher and not tried to blow his heater by |
| roster had Boston not shut him down with a tired | | | | everyone. |
| arm. | | | | We see Miller as an eventual starter, but he'll |
| Bucholz was simply dominant in the minors last | | | | probably start 2008 in the Tribe's bullpen or will |
| year and is another strikeout machine for leagues | | | | battle the more experienced Aaron Laffey for |
| who take whiffs into account. Bucholz averaged | | | | the #5 starting job behind Sabathia, Carmona, |
| 12.3 strikeouts per 9 IP last year in the minors | | | | Westbrook, and BallparkBob lookalike Paul Byrd. |
| with AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket. | | | | We're thinking Laffey will earn the # 5 spot just |
| All this despite the fact that Bucholz was not a full | | | | to add a second southpaw to the Indians' rotation. |
| time pitcher until 2005 when he was picked in the | | | | # 8 -- Daric Barton, first baseman, Oakland A's |
| first round supplemental draft by the Sox. Several | | | | Barton was acquired from the Cardinals in 2004 in |
| teams stayed away from Bucholz because of an | | | | the Mark Mulder deal. After moving from catcher |
| April 2004 theft arrest. | | | | to first base, Barton had a streaky year in 2007 |
| The right hander tops out at 95 MPH with his | | | | for AAA Sacramento where he hit .293 with 9 |
| fastball and has a 12-6 curve to go along with an | | | | HR's and 38 doubles. |
| effective change. Most scouts would like to see | | | | He has no wheels and is not a power hitter |
| him rely on his fastball more and it remains to be | | | | despite weighing 205. Recently, he's been getting |
| seen if he can hold up for an entire season as he | | | | more loft on his stroke, but he's basically a line |
| pitched a career high 149 IP's last year and was | | | | drive hitter of the Kevin Youklis mode. |
| gassed at the end of the season. | | | | A left-handed hitter, Barton will likely be the A's |
| Fantasy Baseball Dugout projects Bucholz as the | | | | starting first baseman this year unless Dan |
| # 4 starter this year for Boston behind Beckett, | | | | Johnson can beat him out which appears to be |
| Matsuzaka, and Lester. He'll get his chances to | | | | unlikely. He's strong and hits the ball extremely |
| impress and will probably be the Sox # 2 man by | | | | hard so if Barton can pick up more of a homerun |
| next season. | | | | stroke, he could change his game and be a 20+ |
| # 3 -- Jacoby Ellsbury, Outfielder, Boston Red Sox | | | | homerun hitter. |
| Ellsbury is another guy who is already well known, | | | | # 9 -- Luke Hochevar, Starting Pitcher, Kansas |
| yet still qualifies as a rookie. Ellsbury relieved a | | | | City Royals |
| slumping Coco Crisp in the World Series last year | | | | I know, picking a pitcher on the Royals is crazy, |
| and hit a sizzling .438 in the Fall Classic. This was | | | | but this one is worth a look. Hochevar was the |
| after hitting .361 in September while playing for | | | | number one overall pick in the 2006 draft. His |
| the injured Manny Ramirez. Not to mention, a | | | | stats last year were, quite frankly, not impressive |
| Pawtucket record of a 25-game hitting streak. | | | | either--4.69 at AA Wichita and 5.12 at AAA |
| Ellsbury hit .353 last year in just 116 AB's. He | | | | Omaha. |
| won't hit for much power, but is a force at the | | | | But, that's why we call them sleepers. Hochevar, |
| top of the lineup for a Red Sox team that will | | | | 24, hits 95 with his fastball and has a late-breaking |
| score a lot of runs. And, Ellsbury will help your all | | | | curve that can be devastating. He needs to work |
| important stolen base totals. He swiped 9 in the | | | | on his control and how well he does with his |
| Bigs last year and a total of 50 overall with his | | | | control will determine if he makes the big club in |
| three clubs. | | | | April. |
| The ceiling is high for Ellsbury, but there's no | | | | Expect Hochevar to battle Kyle Davies for a spot |
| guarantee he will be with the club when the Sox | | | | in the Royals' rotation behind Meche, Bannister, |
| break camp. While it is rumored that Boston is | | | | Greinke, and De La Rosa. Based on his less than |
| trying to move Crisp, Ellsbury may have to wait | | | | impressive minor league stats, you'll be able to |
| for a mid-season call up to break the starting | | | | pick up Hochevar in the late rounds and he could |
| lineup if the Red Sox can't move Crisp. | | | | prove to be worth the gamble in large leagues. |
| # 4 -- Ian Kennedy, Starting Pitcher, New York | | | | # 10 -- Jeff Clement, catcher, Seattle Mariners |
| Yankees | | | | Clement can flat out rake. But, there's just one |
| Kennedy is another Yankee who benefited from | | | | problem, the Mariners don't have an opening |
| exposure in a September call up. He started three | | | | behind the plate with Kenji Johjima there. |
| games and had a sparkling 1.89 ERA while holding | | | | Clement broke Drew Henson's national high school |
| opponents to a .191 BA. | | | | record with 75 career homeruns out of Iowa. |
| Kennedy rose through the Yank's farm system | | | | Clement went on to play college ball at Southern |
| like a torpedo last year moving from Hi A Tampa | | | | Cal spurning the Twins offer in the 2002 draft. |
| to AA Trenton to AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre, | | | | The left handed hitting Clement stroked 20 |
| before joining the pinstripers in September. His | | | | dingers last year at AAA Tacoma with a .275 BA. |
| combined record was 13-3 with 178 strikeouts in | | | | He was streaky last year at Tacoma and his |
| 166 IP. | | | | stats suffered from playing at cavernous Cheney |
| Kennedy's best pitch is his changeup which has a | | | | Park in the Pacific Coast League. Clement slugged |
| nice run to it. He can hit 92 MPH, but is often | | | | over 100 points higher while playing on the road. |