The Drop of the Hat

Sleepers, Creepers, and Clowns

SLEEPERS Almost every draft list for every manager has a list of guys to take chances on in the later rounds. Unproven hopefuls that have a shot to make it in the Major Leagues, but have never had the opportunity until now. My list will only deal with players that have played less than 20 Major League games.
First and foremost the most coveted sleeper is Kaz Matsui , shortstop for the New York Mets. He is good enough to displace Jose Reyes, so he is definitely worth your attention. With the fantastic combination of power and speed, he is being compared to Ricky Henderson and will give the Mets a great double play tandem. At 29 years old, I expect him to adjust very quickly to playing in the States and would love to snatch him off the board before Orlando Cabrera or Jimmy Rollins. Next is Joe Mauer, a Minnesota native who will be taking over the full-time catching job in the Metrodome after the departure of All-Star AJ Pierzynski. The former number one pick is a rare left-handed hitting catcher with power and strength. This is a guy who hit .567 over his high school career with only ONE strikeout. A major pick-up in a notoriously weak position, he just may be the hero that the Twins are looking for. Finally, Adam LaRoche, projected to be the starting first baseman in Atlanta makes the list, but unfortunately is known more for his defense. He can be an offensive contributor though, as he is hitting .324 in the Puerto Rican league with 5 HR. Keep your eye on him when players like Ryan Klesko and Kevin Millar go off the board.

CREEPERS This group is comprised of players that have been in the majors for at least a year and are now in a position to show their true worth. Some names you know and some you don't but all are worth a look on draft day.
Johan Santana of the Twins showed last year that he is a star in the making. A hard-throwing lefty that isn't afraid to come inside; he put up 12 wins and 169K in 158 innings last season, let's just hope that he can hold up to throwing 200 innings this year. Cliff Lee of the Indians only threw nine games last season but his 2/1 K/BB ratio looks good and his ERA was 3.61. Draft him before the human donut David Wells and Tom Glavine. Even the Milwaukee Brewers have a star now and his name is Scott Posednik. He hit .314 last year for the miserable Brewers and managed to score 100 runs to go along with 43 SB. Why he hasn't been on the radar before now is a shock but draft him before Luis Gonzales and Johnny Damon. Finally, we have one more breakout pitcher in the NL in Brandon Webb. Although not completely hidden from the public eye after a solid season last year, 10 wins and 172K in 180 IP, he is moving up the draft rankings quickly to the top 20 SP. Don't ignore him early on and draft him before Matt Morris or Kevin Millwood. Other notables include Mark Texiera, Eric Hinske and Josh Phelps.

CLOWNS or PAYASOS, for my Spanish readers. Finally I get to my favorite part, the losers that everyone thinks are heroes. If you are soft at heart and can't handle the truth, I suggest that you stop reading right now. These next few guys have been stars in the past or have had great careers, but as fantasy players they just don't put up the points to go with their draft position. First up are two overrated clowns from the Big Apple, Derek Jeter and Gary Sheffield. Yes, yes I know that Sheff was a major swinger last year, but what will he do now that he has his huge contract? Answer, absolutely nothing. Last year were his best totals since 1996, his last contract year. He is a selfish player and now that the Yankees have other producers, Sheff will slip down to his role as a fair producer, but not worth drafting in the first two rounds. Let someone else in your league take a chance on him and pick Manny Ramirez or Preston Wilson instead. Derek Jeter has always been a mediocre fantasy player, but somehow every year he gets mentioned in the same sentence with Nomar. Over the past two seasons he has 28 HR and 127 RBIs with almost a 2/1 K/BB ratio. His SB have dropped and he has no power. So why is he an early pick each year? You tell me. Next is Javy Lopez. The second player on this list who just signed a big contract, after career highs last year in HRs and RBIs; let him fall to your newest league manager and wait until a later round to draft a catcher. Championships are won by paying what you should for players and Javy, Sheff, and Jeter just aren't it. Some other notable clowns who will be drafted too early this season are Jeff Kent, Esteban Loaiza, and Roger Clemens. Kent's numbers last year prove that he misses a guy like Barry Bonds in his lineup. He lied last year about his wrist injury and you will be lying to yourself this year if you think that he is worth a pick in the first 8 rounds. Wait and take Jose Vidro, Michael Young, or Junior Spivey in a later round. Loaiza has thrown more than 200 innings only once so an early pick on him is very risky. Lastly, we come to Troy Glausa career .253 hitter, whose numbers have declined every year since his stellar 2000 campaign(47 HR, 102 RBI), he strikes out too much and even the addition of Vladimir Guerrero to the lineup won't allow him to travel back in time. Be patient and draft Aramis Ramirez or Eric Hinske two rounds after someone drafts Glaus.

Up next will be stars returning from injury that you'll want to keep an eye on.
Questions or Comments? Email me<\/A>