Official fantasy baseball sleeper thread

Jayson Stark wrote something today with a scout saying John Lackey could be the best pitcher in the league this year. I kid you not.

 

He went in about the 10th round in the draft I'm in with a bunch of other media types...

 

I grabbed Joel Piniero really late in my draft on the off-chance that he wins the closer job...

Our baseball writer said Joey Gathright could be good for 40 steals this season... I've never heard of the guy, but that was the response when I said, "Who?" when he was drafted...

 

I wouldn't go that far, but Lackey is an excellent value. No pitcher is a totally safe bet, but big workhorse types like Lackey are a lot more likely to give you something close to what you expect out of them than an undersized guy like Scott Kazmir or somebody with shaky mechanics that can cause injuries like Rich Harden.

 

Gaithright could steal 40 bases...assuming he somehow manages to reach first base more than 40 times.

But he's in a very crowded Kansas City outfield and he's a lousy hitter.

 

Hopefully Cuddyer will land on my team this year. He did rather well for me last year.

 

This might sound insane, but bear with me, 'cause I'm about to suggest a $1 player who might end up back on the pipe or the needle or whatever the hell he did to de-rail his #1 overall pick status a few years back, but still...

Yes, I'm talking about Mattt Leinart/Bachelor Bob lookalike, Josh Hamilton. Sure, he' s a drug washout, but his problems were just that -- drugs -- not serious injury or declining skill (though his skill can only be reliable if he's drug-free, which we assume he is). Last I read he seems to be in the lead for the #4 OF spot on the Reds, and being the #4 OF behind a fragile Junior -- not to mention batting lefty in Great American ballpark -- is not all bad. And again, he was the #1 overall pick at one time for a reason, so he's got the talent in there somewhere, albeit possibly trapped under layers of La Brea-esque bong resin. If you have a buck to spend at the end of your draft (esp. in NL-only leagues) and have an OF spot to fill, Hamilton, I think, is well worth a flier.

 

There is no way in hell Hamilton is a sleeper. His story assures that he'll be selected in every league. And as others have noted on the Hamilton thread, he's got, what, 100 ABs above Single-A? Unless he really is The Natural, he's in for some serious growing pains. Let's just hope he gets thru this season healthy and clean and look to 2009 as a possible breakout season.

Some of the other sleepers on this thread:
--If Michael Cuddyer is a sleeper in your league, again, you are playing with coma patients.
--Dustin Hermanson is an interesting late-round flier, but he hasn't been healthy in two years and there are a lot of closer candidates in Cincy. I'd go with Todd Coffey over anyone in that pen.
--John Lackey won't be the best pitcher in the league as long as Johan Santana is upright. But he could certainly be the second-best pitcher. As outofplace said, he's as safe a bet as there is in the league. Fifteen wins and 180 Ks are almost assured.
--Joey Gathright will surely be drafted by Oz but you can't steal first base.
--Howie Kendrick is a fucking stud.

I'll save my favorite sleepers for after my drafts.

 

Joey Gathright < Alex Cole

 

I believe I got Cuddyer in the 20th round, BYH.

But it is the Some Idiots Allowed league. And spup did take Michael Barrett in the 2nd.

 

You are laughing about someone calling Gordon a Sominex special.. and then you list Russell Martin?

 

Oh, no she didn't!