Wake up, it's sleeper time. Let's talk to the pros. Welcome in everybody to Fantasy pros. This is the Fantasy Baseball Podcast, and this is me be Joey b Jopi's And today we're continuing our onslaught of all teams.
That's right.
We had our all Breakout team yesterday with Erl Cone. Then we had our All Bus team which was very depressing with Jason Collette. But today we've got one of the greats, a legitimate journalist with us, the one, the only, Steve Gardner from USA today to help us do the all Sleeper team. And Steve Gardner, you and I mean legitimate, like you vote for the Hall of Fame. It's been
year three of you doing that. I feel like when you got that ability, it was like something for all of us all of a sudden, we can vicariously live through you after.
All these years.
So I want to know who made your ballot for twenty twenty two slash twenty three.
Who was on there? Who'd you vote for?
Well? I liked I'm a big Hall guy. I didn't think I was going to be until I actually had the vote and the ballot in my hand. But I voted for nine ten This year, I voted for seven. I believe Scott Roland for one. Congratulations to him. Uh Todd Helton might make it in this next year. I voted for him, voted for Billy Wagner, voted for Andrew Jones, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Beltron first year on the ballot, and also Jimmy Rollins. So those were my guys, and I
felt pretty good about it. Not not going to get into the mix with Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, those guys just because they they failed their drug test. And if you do that, you know now that Major League Baseball has been testing for that for a long long time. That's that's kind of a disqualifier for me. And so that's that's kind of how my mindset.
Was, and and that is absolutely fair. Welsh knows. I can't get enough with the steroid era of baseball. I wanted all day long. I want those guys all back.
Everybody, just monitor everybody, just you know, grandma falls down, breaks or hip they give us steroids.
You know, I'm just saying.
Maybe too, I think that's a I would say that.
I do think you I'm getting part of it.
But I think that's one of the problems with baseball though, is like Steve, you can have that opinion, and I think a lot of people share that, but then there's literally the exact opposite opinions, and I think having that big of a gap and that Baseball can't step in and figure out and just be like, hey, you need you can't consider this or you like, I think this is what makes this whole thing messy because there are because I don't personally agree, I go on, the stats
are going, the players there might have been cheating. There was cheating in the seventies in different ways and stuff like that. So to me, it's a non factor. But like that baseball doesn't come in and step in and try to.
Get this fixed.
It kind of stinks because then you know you're everyone's put in a weird situation. Like see, if you're putting a weird situation, especially if someone wants to do like a gotcha with the steroid guys.
You just have the perfec argument.
But it's like you and the next Hall of Fame writer who's voting could have completely different ideological reasons.
But push it off to the piers.
Now, like I think that's it, right, You're sort of you're you're allowing now the players that they played with to vote them in, and I think that is a.
Perfectly good way of doing it.
Also, I mean, I don't think we're gonna get this deep into the Hall of face up, but I love I can talk about this all the time.
It's the players of their era, you know.
Before the testing, you know, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens. I'm perfectly fine with those guys and was perfectly fine until they dropped off the ballot. It's just that once major League Baseball finally took a stand, you know, and Bud Selig wasn't just saying go ahead, I don't see anything. We're making lots of money, you know, once you have the testing and people test positive. That to me is the difference between the Manny Ramirez and the A Rods versus the bonds Is and the Clemenses.
Thank goodness, Steve Gardner voice of reason.
Too, because I don't think I knew that, Steve, that that's what your stance was on those guys, because you just I think it's really important that you differentiated those two because I kind of assumed you were clumping all of that in together makes a lot of sense, makes a lot of sense to what you're saying.
I don't have a line somewhere, and that's where I particularly choose to draw it, and at least that way, I try and stay consistent, and that that's what you want if you're, you know, listening to people's arguments as long as they don't you know, go all over the place and say it's it's good this way and bad that way. You just have to have some consistency. And that's what I try and do now.
I don't know if any of the names we're gonna talk about today are going to end up on the ballot for the Hall of Fame voted by Steve Gardner, but we're gonna get to some of these names because they should be on some of your draft lists. So let's start here with the All Sleeper Team. These are the again, sleepers are a notion that gets overdone, overwrought, but really players that are undervalued, underrated, maybe underappreciated, and that's what give some love here.
I do want to tell you I struggled with this one because we just didn't all breakout team, and I'm not gonna lie to you guys that the all Breakout, the all Sleeper kind of live in a similar They live in a similar building. They might be on different floors, but they're in a similar building. So like, I had to work a little bit harder to not throw all the names that you guys expect. I think I did throw one that I just can't help but put on here because I think they qualify it both, but they.
Kind of do.
I even did this, by the way, and we've talked to this with a jillion times, I was like, what is the definition that the Internet.
Says of sleeper?
Because I think there's four hundred different ways killed sleepers.
Because that's the problem is everybody talks about them so much that they end up becoming inflated almost and then they have to return too much of whatever that perspective value is and that becomes the trouble here. But I think this list of you guys put together is really good.
So let's start with the catcher here, Welsh, why don't you kick things off with yours, which is actually a player we talked about with Frank Stample, we talked about with Aeron Con a catcher who made this team for you, Logan o'hapi.
Yeah, and I think again, I don't know which one. You guys would all kind of fine, what's better the all sleeper, they all breakout team. I think he kind of fits into both. Logano Hopy, I completely agreed with it when it was brought up almost his entire minor league career. It's a sub twenty percent K percentage, good walk percentage, good batting average, has really big power. I personally love the guy. It's a unique little fact about him. He loves to talk to fans. He did this in
the AFL. He would walk up, he would stand right by the nets. He would turn around, and he would start talking to people. And one time there were these
two guys I'm not gonna go along about this. They were talking about Bryson Stott and they were like, ooh, did you know the Bryson Stott is blah blah blah this in Baseball America's ranks, And Logano Hoppy turned around to these gentlemen just sitting there in the stands watching this game, and he goes, that's too low, and Logo Hoppy's like, that's too low for Bryson Stott, And I just I always got a kick out of that is
my weird anecdotal thing with o'hapi. But like in his own right, he was such a talented and is such a talented player. He hit fifteen homers with the Phillies in double A last year and eleven with the Angels.
There's big power.
It's being undersold by projections. I personally believe the low k rate gives him a really good low baseline, and he's essentially almost had a two hundred ice so it's probably around one ninety his entire career that that really can equate to twenty plus homer and power if he can take over the gig from Max Stassy. I think he's a massive sleeper. He goes outside of like the
top twenty in catchers. He's a no brainer in two catcher leagues, and if you fall flat kind of in a fifteen team, I would try to pick him up and see if he can take a majority of the gig because he's got twenty plus homer and power in him.
Easy.
Now, Steve, you got a veteran on your list, which is great because I love that because to me, sleepers are not always just the young players. The improven player. Sometimes it's undervalued veterans, and yours is Yasmani Grandal.
Yeah, I liked him for several years just because of the plate patients and the ability to hit for power, and he had none of that really last year. It was just a lost season for him, injuries to the back, the knee, everything. But from all indications he's healthy this spring. And the White Sox had injury up and down the roster last year, so it was kind of a lost season. You know, there was the Tony LaRussa experiment, experience, whatever you want to call it. It wasn't great for the
White Sox, so I think everybody suffered there. And you look at Grundal, He's got a track record for power, had four consecutive twenty plus homer seasons from twenty sixteen to twenty nineteen, and then hit twenty three of them in twenty twenty one. So he's still got the power and if he's healthy, a this is a solid White Sox lineup, and I think he's getting overlooked outside of the top two hundred for sure, and I think he's somebody that you could definitely get late and be very happy with.
I'm fascinating to see what that White Sox lineup is when it's healthy, and now that Tony L. Russ is not in the dugout, I kind of want to see the combination.
Of that and see what this team comes.
Yeah, yeah, all right, let's get to the first basement here, Welsh, want you kick things off.
Who made your first base list for the sleeper team of twenty.
Three qualifies that?
Think it multiple of the breakout or sleeper conversation, but I'm going to do it, especially when you look at ADP here it is Miguel Vargas, and we've talked a ton about him. This is in that rookie camp. Miguel Vargas shows up at first base as the twenty ninth first baseman, still with an overall ADP outside the top two hundred, the only place I think a CBS where he's inside the top one hundred. Also, I don't think i've seen this across where we've talked a lot about like projections and stuff.
That there's the bat and the bat X.
By Derek Cardy and the BATEX I think has a few more ballpark factors. Miguel Vargas breaks his system because in the bat the normal bat, he's projected twenty homers with ten stolen bases. The bat X is thirteen homer, six stolen bases with a really really high batting average, low strikeouts. Again, I love playing that, and he's a cheat code because he's qualify at second base.
He's gonna have that gig all year.
Miguel Vargas had that little I think it was a hairline fracture in his wrist or his finger, and he hasn't been swinging and he's still getting walked like. He's just such a unique individual, who's gonna steal, who's going to hit homers. He might not be your traditional first basement, but how often can you get double digit stolen bases out of a first baseman who will also quite qualified
a position you're going to move him out. So if you want to talk about sleepers, getting a guy for a high powered offense, I'll have multi position eligibility and is a really really high floor prospect. Getting him outside the top two hundred is big time sleeper team stuff. So I'm gonna pick micgal Vargas as my first basement here.
All right over to you, your first basement for twenty twenty three. All sleeper team is who's Steve.
Well, it's Brandon Belt, another old veteran and another injury problem from last year. But I like the situation. Everything seems to be lining up well for him going from San Francisco to Toronto. Number One, Apparently the knee is fine. They're still trying to bring him along kind of slowly this spring, but you know, all indications are he feels fine, and you know, coming off a lost season last year, twenty nine home runs two years ago, you know in
San Francisco. Now he comes to Toronto, where they brought the fences in, especially for left handed power, it's going to be wonderful. It's going to be enticing for him, and the fact that he's going to be able to DH and do that against primarily right handed pitching. So you know, he's got a barrel rates and up with the top players in the major leagues. I think ninety fourth percentile barrel rate in twenty twenty one, ninety six
percentile last year. Despite the injuries. He knows how to hit it, and I think in Toronto that's a great place for Brandon Belt to land. So even though he's thirty four something like that. I think he's got a shot at possibly even hitting thirty homers this year.
Brandon Belt's a fascinating case.
I always wonder if he had stayed healthy and not played in that ballpark for his career, what Brandon Belt might have been because in the minor leagues, this was a guy who you know, that rare elite three four five slash where three hundred and four hundred OVP five hundred slugging. You know, when you see that in a player, that usually a special indicator. And most of the players that have that in the minor leagues they tend to
become really good players in the major leagues. And you look back at what Brandon Belt was doing back then and what he could have been.
And some of those classic what if stories.
But you're right in Toronto, perhaps a player that's being grossly underappreciated, undervalue too and in deeper leagues should pay attention to, especially with corner being so tough this year. I mean, corner is a yeah, you get it's very top heavy at first and third. That's all you can say about it. All right, let's continue all of the infield here. Let's go to second base. Welsh, you are up, who is on the second base side for you? In the all sleeper realm?
I went deeper than I think I've probably gone. I guess on these last couple of names, this is a guy that I find myself drafting really at every single spot that I possibly can in deeper leagues. If I miss out on second base, middle, infield, he's a target. And it's Colton Wong with the Seattle Mariners fifteen and seventeen.
Quietly last year with Milwaukee while hit two fifty one projection see double digits on both sides again, does not strike out a whole bunch is another thing you can consider. Hitting theoretically at the top of a Seattle lineup, I think really works in his favor. And I think the run totals could come up. I don't think the RBIs will come up. I think he could run a little bit more. We talk about, you know where will all these new found stolen bases come from? Top middle bottom?
I think those middle guys really stand out to me as players that could move into a next level of stolen bases. Would not be shocked if Colton Wong dropped into twenty And if you've got fifteen to twenty.
Out of him.
Even if you got even if you've got fifteen fifteen or ten to fifteen, either of all of those will break the adp that he is coming at. Where it's in like the two fifties.
Just a twice two second base line on Fantasy Pros.
And if you want to see that again fantasypros dot Com slash rankings, you could see the rankings there for the MLB and two forty nine. I agree with you in those rural formats where you're looking with the spots for corner guys, I mean a middle infielders, why not.
Twenty eight second basement. When you look at the get on Fantasy Pros here, and.
If he hits at the top of that order, Welsh, that's the big key.
That's a game changer.
That's the game changer with Coulton long Oh, and again doesn't strike out a whole bunch, he can walk, makes pretty solid contact, and you're in the spot here where this team likes to run. They're gonna other than not quite the powerhouse, and maybe some of these other teams are. I think there's a little bit of manufacturing that happens in general. But what if Kelnick is rocking, Julio keeps going, and you've got Colton Wong near that top of the lineup.
It's a recipe for a huge sleeper at the middle endfield at a position that not everybody likes.
At second pace, and when you're practicing all those mock drafts over the draft Wizard at Fantasy Pros, I mean, this is a great opportunity for you to go and look for some of these guys too and see who the ADPs.
Are, especially if in those deeper leagues.
I mean to me, that's why it's such a great tool, because you could really start to find some of these guys where they're buried in ADP. And again, if you haven't already checked it out, check it out. Fancybros dot com Slash Draft Wizard. Go there, run some mock draft simulations. You can run by yourself. The mock draft lobby is open. You get draft against other people. You get sent links and create them with just your friends or your enemies, however you want to do it.
Fancybros dot Com Last Draft as the roads. Download the app. The app is the way to go. Apps are great.
It's an app for everything except for you know, for what isn't there an app for at this point?
Welsh At this point, I mean there's apps.
That's one.
Appetizers, that's what weird.
There you go, well the sleep, there you go. All right, So let's uh, it's continue on here. Let's get you a second basement here for your team? Who is it, Steve Gardner?
I'm going with Tyro Estrada again. You know, Uh, wels Go's a little bit deeper. I'm a little shallower this time and a little younger than my other two's. Uh that I that I've picked so far. He's entering age twenty seven season, and I don't think he's getting anywhere near the love that he should have. I'll tell you a quick story from last year. I had Tyro Estrada in the f SGA Champions League and was looking to
make a trade to get some more pitching. I had Carlos Korea as well on that team, and I was looking to see who I could trade, and in checking out their stats was right there in terms of productivity with Carlos Korea, and I was like, you know what, I could trade Carlos Korea, get pitching and just plug Estrata in as my shortstop and I'll be fine. And it worked out tremendously. I think I got like Blake
Snell for Carlos Korea. Blake Snell went on a heater the second half of the season and carried me to a championship. Can I say that here with the humbly all day. Maybe that wasn't the key to It wasn't the only thing. But I still think even looking at his his stats and where he's sitting, I had to move him up in my rankings. I was even undervaluing him in my rankings this year. So yeah, first year, last year, played more than fifty five games for the
first time, had fourteen homers, twenty one steals. Now he's got the job all to himself. He doesn't have to worry about anybody looking over his shoulder. He could be a twenty twenty guy. And you know, he's I think one to fifty somewhere in there in terms of ADP's. That's a pretty good guy to have on your roster. And he can play also shortstop or second So I'll slot him here at second base and be very happy.
You know, the power is something with him that I'm slightly concerned with. But if you look at the minor league track record, he had two eitighty six for his minor league career five hundred plus games, so that's a pretty good sample.
So there might be an.
Upticken batting average that we haven't seen yet as well. I think I might buy that before more of the power.
But you're right.
I think Estrado's one of those players that people last year kept waiting for the bottom of drop out and it just never quite did. And he was just a very productive player and there's certainly opportunity for him this year. Let's go over to third base to the hot corner. Who is a hot sleeper for you? The Welsh?
Well, I went with the Max Mounsey, the Max Monsey with the Los Angeles Dodgers. You know, he's actually funny. I was taking a look. I was like, is there an advantage on the shift? I just don't want to throw this anomaly out to you guys when you talk about, you know, the shift could change some of these guys.
He actually had a three thirty.
One wow being shifted to twenty one, but on non shifts, so that's like a really weird unique one. But he's like a weird, unique contact type of player. Hit what was the second lowest or third lowest of his career hitting under two hundred. It was the third lowest in those same years where he had really low babbbs that were like under two thirty, he would hit under two hundred.
That's a little bit of an anomaly. He also got very what of the things if you're looking at the game, I hope he can fix he's he got really pull centric and that also led to him being like getting the ball really high up in there is what I'm trying to tell you, Like he had a twenty percent where was it a twenty percent launch angle or a twenty degree launch angle, which was like five higher than the previous and that coincided with his poll rate being
astronomically bigger than usual. Guy was pressing the whole year while also suffering injuries. Projection systems are not on that Max Muntzi is going to have another sub two hundred batting average. The bat x is at two thirty six. The highest is actually the bat at two point forty seven. He's got thirty home ru In potential can be a little bit higher in a lineup with the Dodgers. He can move around a little bit. Positions not great. I'll take thirty home run power on one of the best
offenses in baseball. I guess I got two Dodgers already in here, but there's reason to be because he is cheaper than in previous years. One of the things that almost made me not put him on here was he still is a little costly. It felt like when I've seen in drafts, but on the Fantasy Pros consensus ADP, he's actually the ninth third baseman. But at a one thirty two to EIGHTYP thirty plus homers is worth right around a one hundred overall pick at a really bad position.
I'm gonna go with Max Munsey on the bounce back, and I think he's a sleeper.
I know we're not going back and forth in every single player here, but Steve, what are your thoughts on Max Munsey because this is one that I have a tough time with. Whenever you hit a buck ninety four in a season, to me, that's a huge red flag like something else is wrong. I don't know if he's just hit his limit. I don't know if it was just the injuries, whatever it was, Welsh's right, there's still power there. He's still with the twenty one home runs
in one hundred and thirty six games. But I mean I can find twenty home runs from Brandon Drury or maybe Miranda or Matt Chapman a few rounds later. So is there any plus to taking Max months you or is he a sleeper? In Welsh, you're just saying, hey, this is a down year, wipe it away and then just continue on.
Yeah, I think last year his numbers were rescued a bit because of the elbow injury and coming along slowly and spring training. I think he may have rushed to get ready for the season, and then when you do that, sometimes your performance is not what it should be. I think he hit a lot better towards the end of the season, so I'm willing to give him a pass for last year. And you look at his track record too.
I mean, he is very consistent, especially in terms of power over the last several seasons that it makes last year look like the anomaly. So I know you won't get a great batting average, but you know that you will get power, and at third base you need power, and I think that's you know, He's a guy that I've been targeting. I haven't gotten yet in drafts, but I would not mind having Max Monsy at all.
And to Steve's point, he hit two thirty in the half of the season, so if you want to look twoy's not the greatest thing in the world.
I don't know if that's really helping it's but I want to.
Point out though, when he was hitting two thirty, though, when he was a two thirty two to forty guys, he was going easy inside the top one hundred, and now you know you're going around one thirty, maybe even a little bit later. It's just kind of some fun qualifications you can get out of him. But I thought this was a tough one. I'm gonna be honest with you that that third base, third basement.
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So no purchase necessary. Again, that's fantracks dot Com slash Fantasy Pros for your chance to win the fan Tracks Game Day Experience giveaway. And now back to the action. Let's move on to of course Steve's and overachiever. He's got two names here, potentially for third base. So is this a position battle? What's going on?
Well, you know, I started to think that DJ Lemayhew is one of those, you know, bounce back guys for last year. But I didn't want to have too many of those injury bounce back guys because you know, I kind of get in the rut. I like a little variety, so I'm gonna go a little bit deeper, you know, Whilst taking Max Muncie, who's you know, got a pretty decent ADP. I'm going way into like three hundred Jamer Candelario, all right, hear me out on this one. Okay, everybody
hates the Washington Nationals this year. They may be the worst team in baseball. But I think they made a smart move in getting Candelario because he coming off a bad year with the Tigers. Everybody had a bad year with the Tigers, gout of be in the White Sox syndrome. But you look at two years ago, he had sixty
one extra base hits, sixteen homers, forty two doubles. Playing his home games in k America, which is one of the toughest, if not the toughest pitchers park in all of Major League Baseball, so much that they had to move the fences in. He then goes to Washington where he's pretty much the unquestioned starter. He's gonna get a lot of opportunity there, and those doubles that he hit in Detroit could very well turn into at least some
of them into home runs in Washington. So they don't have a whole lot, but he's gonna hit higher in the lineup and we've seen many times examples of bad teams. But if you hit, you know, I think of the Pirates with with Brian Reynolds and Brian Hayes and those guys. You know, they're gonna get so many played opportunities, and they'll eventually, at least if they're not putting up great you know, batting averages and stuff, they're gonna get you
counting stats. And I think that's where Candelario can really be a factor and help people because he's practically free in drafts.
And Candelario is definitely free ADP of four thirty. He was also good in the twenty twenty COVID shortened season two.
He had a good season there.
He at two ninety seven, at seven home runs at fifty two games. So it's not like again, playing time. That's what's all about, and there's nobody else to take it away from him. Same thing reason we like cj Abrams so much on the show. We always say it's free, we go take it now, shortstop. By the way, c j Abrams made your list, so we might as well stay with you said you're going on the all national side of the left side here on the Indie.
Steve maybe maybe there's a little local bias here. Maybe I need a reason to watch the Nationals here in the DC area. So but no, I like C. J Abrams obviously, you know, coming to Washington and the one Sodo trade, lots of prospect hype. And while you probably know a lot more about C. J. Abrams and his growth than I do, but he's still only twenty two. And that's what I like, the fact that he's got room to grow. He's got room to grow physically and
as a baseball player, and there's still that speed. And I think this year we talk about the bases being a little bit larger, the pickoff rules, things like that, I think that's tailor made for cj Abrams to take advantage of. And so in Washington they want him to settle into the leadoff spot. The Nationals, you know, ever since Trey Turner left, have not really had a leadoff guy.
C J Abrams could be that guy for them. And you know, again, just multiple plate you know, plate opportunities, chances to get on base, like to see the OBP a little higher. I think he can do that. And once he does get on base, you know, it's off to the races. So CJ. Abrams again not getting a whole lot of love in terms of ADP. But he's got a lot of room to grow and I think that, you know, maybe he takes that step forward this year and.
He's got a lot of love on this show because again cheap, he's got the job.
He's got upside.
Just be patient, you know, because the Nationals have to be patient with him too. They have to show something.
I keep saying, they have to show something for that trade. See James are gonna have to be that guy, and like he's not gonna be won Sodo.
Nobody's gonna be won soda. That's why he's so special. But can he get a good everyday player? And I think the answer is yes.
And from fantasy him on my all Breakout team to I think he was my second.
And I've talked about him before and thinking like guys outside of ADP, I think we did we did a show on that that I he he was on my list, so a lot of people smarter than me and Welsh see Steve Gardner over there talking about it. All right, let's get to your shortstop. And this is one of my favorite guys, one of my favorite guys last year. We talked about him so much, and all he did last year was hit thirty one home runs.
Let's talk about him. Go ahead, Welsh.
Yeah, I'm I'm turning even more and more, and I'm gluing this all in with my dislike of this back end of the deep shortstops that we like episode yeah. Yeah, just like in that muddy water. Of those back end guys, the only one that I really like Williadamas and Williadamas, I think it's just.
So impressive that you can have a career.
Low batting average under a career low babbit, and you have a career high in home runs. He also his RBIs were through the roof. He really found a spot in a place to hit. He's a two hundred ice so guy. He also lowered his strike you think of this, think of this. His batting average and his babbit were lowered babbit accuading to batting average dip down. He also lowered his strikeout percentage from the previous year twenty six percent,
which was tied. If you want to get into the decimals, it was a little bit higher than one year, but twenty six percent is a career best of what he can do, so, he lowered his strikeout percentage while struggling from Babbit. The Homers were there. Projections want the batting average to kick back up because the Babbitt tells us the story it is, but the Homers don't. I don't buy that. I think Willia Domins could be a thirty
five homer player. And when he's sitting around a territory of a consistently inconsistent Carlos Korea with injury worries Tim Anderson who can't play one hundred and twenty games, and littany of a couple other players, I just think Williadomas is one of the better deals. I think he's a sleeper. Even though this is like a top one hundred guy. I think Willi Domas has got top fifty upside that
you're getting ADP shows around ninety. I've seen him go post one hundred and plenty of drafts and he's actually really not the target. When everyone's like, oh, the position so deep, give me Tim Anderson. No one's trying to get Willia Domas.
But isn't it every year we do this to ourselves, where we go, oh, this is the really deep position, and then like by June, we look up and go, what happened to that position? It just got decimated or whatever it is. And you know what, just because it's deep, like, don't take.
It for granted. You know, if you can get will that's my point.
And if you can get Willy at your middle infield spot somehow, it's.
My two favorite thing to do, now, Joe, my favorite thing to do. That's it right there is. I want one of those higher end shortstops if I am too, even the ability padded also want it because it's good.
I don't care like I about chasing the other things and chasing talent.
I want to take him off the pool though, too, because everyone's like, oh so deep. I want him to be gone. I want him at my middle infield. Your middle infield this year most likely should be a shortstop. I don't really want it to be Jeremy Panina. I don't need it to be Carlisle career.
I'd rather I love the depth.
If I were to go and take an on'eal cruise, I'm taking on a lot of batting average risk. But I don't even hate the idea of getting Willia Damas because you know, if I've got some insecurity at shortstop, specifically with him. I want another guy.
You just had. You know, it's funny.
I was looking at the Wonder Franco home road splits today too, and he struggled at home last year. And I just you know that batter's eyes is not great in Tampa. And I just I know Wonder Franco's not going anywhere for the next I don't know five hundred years he's in that contract on how long it is. But you see these guys when they get out of Tampa, what they're able to do.
It's I mean, it's not easy.
You know.
It's funny about Willia Damas too. If everyone doesn't remember, Williadamas was actually the core piece when David Price was traded and no one knows who the hell he was.
Everyone was like, who is this Willy? What was this trade? You looked at David Price like what is this trade about?
And everyone's like, watch out for Willia Damas who was at the Tiger system. And now Willia Domas, you know he is, uh. I mean, imagine trading David Price for Willia Domis right now, just think about that.
All right, Let's get to the outfielders here and on your list, I've Gardner, You've got Jesse Winker, who is one of my favorite guys that keep talking about because he was one of my biggest.
Dayaways last year.
He's one of my biggest targets this year because it's all business, is not personal with me.
The ADP is free in Milwaukee.
By the way, all these guys in Milwaukee, Oscar Colas and Harrison Batter. So let's talk about these three guys, your outfielders. What's special about them potentially in twenty twenty three where you think they're sleepers?
All right? Winker, obviously we liked the hitting environment in Milwaukee, so coming back to the National League where he had so much success in Cincinnati playing in the NL Central and he's healthy too. Again, that's kind of a theme that runs through a lot of these sleepers. For me, the neck and the knee and whatever else he had go wrong, you know, personality conflicts or clashes in Seattle.
But deep down there's still that all star from twenty twenty one that hit three zero five, three nine four five point fifty six in Cincinnati, And you know, the one thing that you could knock him for in that All Star season was that he didn't hit left handed pitching well, had just like a ops under six hundred against left handed pitching. He hit left handed pitching better than he hit right handed pitching last year. So you
put all that together. Healthy in Milwaukee taking advantage of that, I see a big bounce back from Jesse Winker.
I love that.
Let's talk about the other guys too. It's it's funny, you know, Welsh. I say the same things, but it sounds much better when Gardner says.
It doesn't sound much smarter.
Well, when a Hall of Famer mentions it. Yeah, when a Fantasy Baseball Hall of famers.
So much, he's much better. All right.
So all right, So let's get to Ocar Colos, which is one of Welsh's guys in Bader, give me your your lowdown on those two.
Okay, Baier, I think another one of those guys that has the potential to steal a ton of bases this year. Obviously with the Yankees, they're gonna have to worry about, you know, opponents will have to worry about Aaron Judge, and I think this is an opportunity. Bater's going to full time center fielder He's the only center fielder really on the roster, so he's going to be in the lineup every single day. And he was putting together a succession of a better slugging seasons in Saint Louis until
the injuries last year. Had a four to sixty slugging percentage in twenty twenty one. I think he's got the potential to hit twenty home runs there in New York and steal twenty maybe thirty bases if he can stay healthy. I think the potential is there in New York that Harrison Bader can continue his growth and be, you know, a factor there for the Yankees on a team that
really needs him. You know. I think they showed when Aaron Judge was kind of carrying them through all of the second half of last year they needed somebody like Bater to come in and he did performed for them in the postseason. But getting a full season there in New York, I think can only help it.
And colas a player who's going again pretty much free three seventy two Chicago White Sox, we know the talent that he brings potentially is the matter of how much playing time he's going to get and do you think he is going to be one of those guys from the jump that gets it.
Yeah, this could be. You know, he may be playing for a job, a starting job in spring training. I think he's going to make the roster. He progressed through the minor leagues, was very successful at Double A and Triple A last year, and the only guy in front of him, it seems like, is Gavin Sheets. And when you've got a twenty four year old with this kind of raw talent, I don't think that it's going to
take him long to overtake Sheets. The one issue with him in the minor leagues is the strikeout rate, and he's done exceptionally well in improving on that so far this spring. Obviously small sample sizes, but you've got a guy who can hit for power, can steal bases, and you know, if he's not striking out, there's a better chance he's going to be getting on base again. I like the bounce back for all of this, you know,
White Sox offense. Yeah, Coulos could be part of that and a very big part of that.
Now it's a special day on the show because we're recording this on the ninth of March and Welsh.
I had the the over on.
This, but you've hit the under the amount of times you can mention Lars Newpar So that's it. You've now officially you're done, hit your limit. The quote is done, so the rest of the year you can't mention him. But he is one of your three outfielders, so if you want to mention him, you ken. But just no, this is it for you. I might do the other guy, but like do the other guy, but I just everybody knows new Bar was on the list here because Welsh has the man crush on him for sure.
I was also gonna put Jeffrey Springs, but like, I just can't keep doing I understand it, but I was just struggling with it, like I am so susceptible. By the way, if Corbyn, Carroll and large newpar are not good this.
Year, well I'm gonna hear it. Corbyn Carroll, you know I'm all in on.
I mean, the more I watched, the more I watch it, it's just I think he's just such a He just handed up so fast.
Well, he's got such.
Strong quick hands to the baseball, his athleticism. I just wrote this up in a piece for Fantasy Pros too. It's up on there my must haves. He's one of my must haves this year. I think he's almost slump proof because of the athleticism, because of the quick stroke, because like the amount of that paths is gonna get.
I know, like maybe I'm jinxing it, but I really.
Want that was a little jinxy, but like I'm with you.
I mean, honestly, you know that on this show the last couple of years. And I mean, how many years have we've been doing shows together when you and I agree on a player and were this excited?
How often are we wrong? We? I mean, so I'm.
Gonna like we did like bold predictions last year in mine we're the silliest ever, and they weren't like in agreement. This is a full agreement. And like I said, I'm just the conductor of these trains. There's a lot of people with it and with me on it.
Uh, it's just very tied to it.
Large new bars and another one I've talked about it at nauseum, but like if you're talking about it belongs on my sleeper. Here's the other guy then that I can pivot to is Taylor Ward. I think Taylor Ward is coming at an exceptional cost. Outside the top one hundred.
You're probably looking easily at a twenty to twenty five home run season batting averages to eighty last year, XBA maintained almost a two seventy hits both righty and Lefti's good hit too, sixty eight against lefties to eighty six against righty's and maintained both halves, which is pretty solid to eighty six in the first half to seventy five in the second half. Just a consistent hitter that's gonna have a lot of opportunity for running RBI in that
that angels Ligne up. And I think he's a pretty good deal. My other outfielders that I threw out to you, I'm actually gonna pivot. I want to give you this guy first. This is a cheating one, but I want to talk about him because he's not doing a outfielder anymore.
Yeah, but we don't get to talk about d it.
We don't talk about you two guys in any of these.
I love it.
I drafted him yesterday and I drafted him at I drove him yesterday in the league, and I drafted him today in the RST slam. I drafted it, and that's why I wanted to bring up aunt.
Another Dodger in jad Martinez. And I know he's not technically an outfielder, but JD. Martinez is cheat code stuff. With the Dodgers still hit two seventy four last year, but obviously struggled totally offensively. Batting average looks like a going to maintain projections. Love a huge bounce back in power to the twenty five range, and I guess at the end of the day, like I'm not, I like.
A lot of the Dodgers, but it's just a why wouldn't you.
It's a big, huge, powerful lineup, and I keep picking on Dodgers that are coming at costs that are way cheaper than they were in previous years, and their bounce back stuff. I mean, Munsey and uh and Jadie Martinez are bounced backs. Miguel Vargas just hasn't gone there. I think he's just kind of a no brainer that everyone forgets about because he's util only. I don't think he's gonna at the outfield stuff, but he's.
Just they don't sort in the draft, and how many guys are sitting there where he is an ADP where you could legit say there's a chance he goes thirty ninety like that. That's that's absolutely the range of outcomes for him. And it's not absurd like it's just he came off a down year. We're going to know right away. I think in the first month or two if Jady Martinez is washed or if Jady Martinez is gonna have a renaissance, I really do go ahead, Steve.
You know, guys, there's another reason that I'm bullish on JD. Martinez as well. Coming to the Dodgers, they hired the guy that turned his swing around. Remember when JD. Martinez was essentially a nobody and all of a sudden, wow, where did this come from? The guy's named Robert van Skyak, And he wouldn't he wouldn't tell me. I remember interviewing him like the year after that, and he wouldn't tell me the guy's name, and he wanted to keep it secret.
He didn't want anybody going there. That finally got out and the Dodgers hired him as hitting coach or assistant hitting coach or he's with the Dodgers this year, so reuniting the two of them, you know, whatever might have been broken last year for JD. Martinez. I think there's a pretty good chance that it gets fixed.
It's one hundred worth a shot at the ADP too. I think that's what Welsh is driving home. So you've got Taylor Ward, You've got Martinez nut bar. I'll give you one more Welsh since I didn't let you use your nude bar today.
Yeah.
No, I wanted to talk about this one.
This is important because I actually walked myself into this one because I was not about this guy at all. I was on a bench with Bubba, our dear friend, Casey Bubba, and we were talking about the Diamond will be on.
The show tomorrow, by the way, on the Friday mock Draft show. So there you go.
Go and listen to that. Yeah, there you go, you guys and check us out. Well.
In that show, I started to have this revelation about Lordis Curriel and I had brought up the idea. I said, listen, I'm not sold. When you look at roster, rest of resource tells you that Jake McCarthy's a guy. I don't believe in it, and I don't know if the contact skills are there enough. I also believe you know, the stolen
baser are going to come from Carol. Whatever, it doesn't matter, I said, look out, because the perfect type of guy to hit three for a team like this is actually a guy like Lordis Gurriel.
We know what ended up happening. Spring started.
He's starting almost every single game hitting three for the Diamondbacks. It's spring training. Things can change, of course they can. But Corb and Carroll against Righty's leading off Kateel Marte is firmly at two, and I want to point out, in every one of these games, Katel has hit two and Lord has has hit three. Walker comes in at four. It seems like a foregone conclusion that Lordis Guriel is
going to hit three. Now, why is that important? You have Corbin Carrol maybe going to lead the league in solo basis, even if it doesn't, is going to be a threat. The fastest man in baseball is your lead off hitter. You've got to tell Marte, who is noticeably trying to still hit for contact, not for power. Lords is not exciting, but he's dirt cheap, dirt cheap, and what if those RBI numbers start to represent what he did in twenty twenty.
One with the with the Blue Jays.
What if it's into the eighties, what if he gets to fifteen homers, He's going to hit for a high batting average. I think it's a cheap, free opportunity when outfields stinks so bad that you might be able to get a couple really good categories outside the top two hundred.
And I just wanted to point out Lordis Gurriel because I kind of walk myself into this him hitting three thing, and it has been happening all spring long, and I think it's something we should really really pay attention to for a diamondback team that is going to try to manufacture, it might be a tiny bit better than a lot of people expect.
All right, let's get to the pictures. Here the three pictures on your list. Steve Gardner has actually got four because again overachiever Lucas Gilito, one of my favorite bounce backs. Also a guy drafted yesterday in our Fantasy Bros.
Draft.
Freddy Peralta who we've had mixed things about, so I want to definitely get your input on him. Tyler Molly and Tyler Anderson. So two Tyler's a Freddie p and a Lucas g So let's talk about these guys. We'll take them one at a time, first Giulito, and then run through them for us here, Steve.
All right, Gilito, I think we have mutual love the Welsh and I on him. I just I think last year again it's the white Sox thing. Maybe that's that's another theme for today. But where did that, folks, that's the sleepers or where did that come from? That's what I want to know. I mean, he'd been he turned things around since leaving Washington and going to Chicago. It's a huge buying opportunity. I mean, the k rate still above a strikeout per inning, he's still missing bats last
year at the seventy first percentile. I just seems to me like there was just a mirage last year and Gilito is a guy that can come back to ACE level. And again you're talking about where he's going in ADP. I got him as my second starter in the al Labor draft over the past weekend and he was sixteen seventeen dollars and uh, you know he was somebody.
Last year, by the way, can we I mean he was just out of shape?
You mean wait, yeah, he noticed a lot. He said he lost like thirty five pounds.
Yeah, he came up with two forty five this year. He was too eighty last year.
I mean obviously the mechanics had you know, it threw that off, It threw off the stem, and it.
Threw off everything.
So I mean, just coming into camp better shape. I think that hopefully's gonna be enough. Steve, I'm with you one hundred percent. What about paralitic, because that's a guy's very polarizing because Nick Pollock, I mean literally I didn't sleep the entire night after we had him on. He talked about Freddy Pearulter's shoulder. But everybody keeps saying he's fine and he looks healthy in the spring.
But what do you think, Well, I'm buying into the fact, and maybe I should be, uh taking this with a grain of salt. But if they say that he's healthy and all indications are at this point that he's healthy entering spring training, then I love Freddy Peralta where he's
going right now. I mean we saw what he could do over a full season a couple of years ago with that era under three one hundred and ninety five k's and he just the one thing I like about him the most is he doesn't give up hard contact and home runs. So you know, when you can limit that in Milwaukee and get the you know, your team to hit a few extra home runs, that's where Freddy Peralta can be, you know. And he's not even the number one of the number two guy there in Milwaukee.
He's their third starter, so the expectations aren't anything that he has to deal with. And the strikeout rate again high. It's been over ten k's per nine for for a couple of years. Was down a little bit last year, but I attribute that to the injuries. I'm looking for the bounce back here and I'm buying.
At the dip okay, and then you got Tyler Molly and Tyler Anderson on your list.
Let's talk about those two guys.
Yeah, I'll get real quick again. Tyler Molly two years ago struck out two hundred and ten batters at a three seventy five e RA in Cincinnati in a pitcher's park. You put him in Minnesota with Carlos Carea, Brian Byron Buxton or Michael A. Taylor in centerfield. You know those guys up the middle there good defense. I think that's Taylor made for him to come back and and be maybe not an ace, but certainly much better than the sp five or six or whatever. He's being drafted. And
Tyler Anderson, I don't, I don't get it. I mean, yes, he's not impressive to watch, but he does get ahead of hitters. That's one of the He's one of the best in the majors at getting ahead of hitters, or was last year, and that's what I think contributed a lot to his two five seven e r A and one point zero zero whip. Going to the Angels, it's different. You know, we won't have the Dodgers, won't be shifting, and you know they were the one one of the
best teams at shifting. But still the mentality of getting ahead and nobody batters chased balls on him as much as they do almost any other pitcher in all of Major League Baseball. I think that's the kind of skill that can translate to a new environment. So Tyler Anderson, again way outside the top two hundred, I'm buying.
All right now.
Welsh you have ge Alito on your list, Andrew Heeney, George Kirby at a mornings to be said about Giolito, but Welsh, if you got something there, drop it. Let's get to Heeni and Kirby as well. Why do these guys make your all sleeper team?
Yeah, the only thing I would add with the Gilito as well. On top of the weight loss, he was pitching inside his body and you could pretty visibly see it where he kept his arm inside kind of like really close to the vest and then he would explode on it. That was something that he changed from years prior. Went to drive line again. That's gone, so he's kind of changed his delivery. He lost a whole bunch of weight. It seems very much like an anomaly. I'm just very much in on him.
We've talked a lot about Kirby.
Kirby was a.
Big guy that Nick Pollock was in on, and you know, I've kind of been pretty vocal about it as well. I like the nine k per nine. I love that he is a command zone pitcher. He's just going to pump all across his zone with a multitude of pitches. I think he's going to take a big step up. I love the spin rates. I just love everything about George Kirby I've seen him touch one hundred as well, so I think there's always something in the tank for him.
A little bit bigger. Just saw him today actually in camp. You know, he's just adding a little bit more muscle onto his body. I think George Kirby set to really break out. And you know, Andrew Heeney is someone I haven't really talked about recently, but like he was kind of Jacob de gram light with what the Dodgers changed with him. He only had seventy innings last year, which is also a Jacob de Gram light. But okay, Joe,
you're giving me a reaction there. Joe thirty five point five K percentage, which was over thirteen K per nine. Of all pitchers who pitched seventy or more innings, Spencer Strider had the best K minus Walker twenty nine point seven number two Andrew Heeney twenty nine point four percent. The Dodgers, like they do, were able to fix him. I'm very hopeful that that is going to come over and that is going to take part in Texas, because that is an increase in K prinine. He lowered his
walk per nine last year. He didn't give up as many Homers. This is a guy if you can get the innings out of him, is crazy, crazy valuable at low rounds that people are just not targeting. That has him around one hundred and forty innings. Like I said, this is like a goodwill version of Jacob de Gram. I love the strikeout numbers. I think Texas is going to be way better than people are giving credit for.
So Andrew Heeney is a target. I think he's a sleeper and if he gets one hundred and ten hundred and twenty innings, he's going to smash his value.
Sorry, I just still trying to come down from the Jacob de gram comparison there.
But like Jacob, it's like goodwill, goodwill. Jacob de Grod thirteen k per nine is the second best case. Can also only pitch seventy innings.
I mean, I was gonna say the most Jacob de gram as thing he can do.
He's seventy four innings this year. That's probably gonna be uh somewhere in that rage.
All right, let's close x fip better than his HERI yeah.
Let's close things out with the closers.
Justin Mason has a great piece on fantasy pros right now, the all undrafted team, and this guy's on it.
Well, so let's talk about your relief pitcher.
Uh, as far as relief pitchers go, this is interestingly all undrafted.
One.
I've got Alexis Diaz with the Cincinnati Reds, who's actually out right now for the I believe he's I'm trying to remember what team he is, but he's out in the WBC. And Alexis Daz is just one of those dudes that this is. Also I believe he's brothers or cousins with Edwin Diaz, so you can obviously kind of get excited there. This is a bad team with a lockdown closer. So this is kind of like similar to like Daniel Bard how you would view it, except I think the stuff can be bigger head of one eight
four era last year. The worrisome stuff is the walk numbers are really high, and technically his ex FIP was like at nomically higher, so he got away with a lot of stuff.
But it is.
Big strikeout numbers, doesn't give up homers, and he has the gig and he's going to keep down that gig for quite a while.
So I think as far as the.
Sleeper goes Ario Cohen talked about alex slang you could look at him. Daniel Bard is kind of fun with Colorado. But Alexis Diaz, to me, I think has the most real, true life closer stuff and if that control can be a little bit under control, if you will, then Alexis Diaz has a potential to be like a top twelve. I actually really think this is like its like Daniel Bard where you know Daniel Bard, I guess you got him probably like twenty fifth or something encloser and he
could return top fifteen. I think Alexis d has a easy going to do that, and if he has a gig all year controls those walks, I think he could finish top probably ten enclosers. So he's a guy that I'm trying to drop absolutely everywhere.
Yeah, he's playing for Team Puerto Rico. All right, though, let's go for you, Steve Gardner. Close us out here. And this is a closer that I take in almost every mock draft that we do. He has very little competition as far as I'm concerned, and I do agree with Welsh. I think Texas is going to be better than people realize. I'm not sure how. It's just they've just knock the talent on their roster the.
Well.
But no, but look, they went out there and they've spent money and they've run into major league talent and that's something that roster's lacked the last three years, let's be honest. So that just off the bat is a good thing. So the closer there, jose lea clerk, that's your guy.
Steve Yes indeed, and uh, you know, if de Grom and and those guys can get further into the game and maybe take some of the pressure off of the bullpen in Texas to get it to the ninth inning, jose Le Clerk is going to be. Uh. It seems to me the no doubt closer there. They just did sign Will Smith this past week, who does have closing experience. But again, you like to see the right hander as
the closer and use the left hander in situations. And you know, coming back after Tommy John surgery a couple of years ago, made it back to the roster throwing ninety six again last year, and he has closing experience. I mean, he's done that for a couple of years, and now it seems like the job is his I think he's in a perfect situation and everybody seems to have forgotten about him, at least in drafts that I'm in, where you know, nobody knows who's going to close for
Texas because nobody had many saves for them. He's the guy he came back in, you know, towards the end of the year and took the job over. I think he's going to keep it all season long. And if you can get a closer who has the job all season long and not get traded, then you've got gold, especially where he's going.
I love that we've come full circle here this week because after the show with Collette he had so many of my favorite names on his All Bus team. You've got a lot of names that I like Steve Gardner on your all sleeper team.
So now I'm feeling a little bit better. It could rest easy.
Those names are at Catri Gasmani Grondal at first, Brandon belt Estrata, Candelario Abrams make the rest of the infield. Then you've got Jesse Winker, Oscar colos Ha Bader in the outfield, the pitchers, Giolito, Peralta, Molly and Anderson, and the closer, jose Leclerk, Welsh's all sleeper team, the slap of Yo Hoppy as Ariel Cohen calls him. Miguel Vargas, Colton Wong, Max Munsey, William Domas, Lars newtbar Taylor, Ward, Lords,
Guriel JD. Martinez, then Kirby Heeney and Gildo will Alexis Diaz at the end.
So some really good names there.
Obviously, go practice getting these names on your roster over at fantasypros dot com slash Draft Wizard, download the app, run those mock draft simulations. We got a draft show, as I mentioned, coming up tomorrow with Bubba. We're gonna do head to head Rhodo categories. I think we should all draft right next to each other. Welsh, what do you think like five six, seven tomorrow.
That's a pretty yeah, all.
Friends after Still, I think we should do that. Steve Gardner go follow him on the Twitter machine at Steve A.
Gardner. He is first class for a reason, one of.
The best guests, one of the best baseball people I've ever met in one of the big reasons I'm still kicking in this industry. So Steve, just thank you again for your time and coming on sharing your knowledge with everybody. It's also one of the best fantasy baseball players out there too. If you're ever in a league with Steve Gardner, I'm just gonna tell you he's gonna kick your ass like it's just I've experienced it myself on more than
one occasion. So one of the best there is. And check out the USA today that's coming out the special Fantasy Edition very soon. I want to thank the sponsor of today's show, and that's fan Tracks. Head over to fantracks dot com slash Fantasy Pros today for your chance to win the fan Tracks game day experience for your entire fantasy baseball league. Again, that's fantracks dot com slash Fantasy Pros. And while you're there, join the Black Book
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Check that out. Join it's free. The winner gets a Fernando Tattist autograph jersey.
That'll do it for us, but the story of the game goes on for Steve Gardner and the Welsh I'm Joey P.
We'll see you next time. Kids.
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