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