Any Which Way But Loose: A 2016 All-Star Break Review

How is your fantasy team doing so far? Are you exceeding expectations or have you failed to meet them? If you are anything like me you probably have teams in both categories. I am sticking in there even in the leagues where I'm suffering a bit because rebuilding is for wussies (not really but I like the way it sounds). If you have already dumped entertain yourself with the best sportsbook while you wait for prospects and breakouts to buy with your FAAB dollars.

The most important thing to do in your All-Star break evaluation period is to be as realistic as possible about your chances. How many points can you hope to achieve by your players rebounding to a reasonable level? Which players do you own that might decline? Who can you acquire in trade if you go for it? What if you dump? Where would those trades leave you for the 2017 season?

Below you'll find some ideas to ponder and some are just fun to think about. The first half All Stars are a pretty obvious concept. They include my own biases in combination with statistical review. The second half picks are even less scientific but I feel strongly about most of them.

I'd love to hear about your season thus far and what you think of these lists in the comments or e-mail me if you want.

The 2016 AFB First Half All-Stars:

C Wilson Ramos - The power was expected but the batting average is shockingly good.

C Buster Posey - Posey is so good and so consistent, it's actually rather boring to pick him.

1B Will Myers - He's healthy, playing first base and his promising future is visible again.

3B Josh Donaldson - The A's made a huge mistake not getting more for this guy!

CI Mark Trumbo - I have to give this spot to the MLB homerun leader. He deserves it.

2B Jose Altuve - He might be the best player in fantasy baseball right now.

SS Xander Bogaerts - There are at least six guys that deserve this position,  Xander is the coolest.

MI Jonathan Schoop - He's batting 300 with power and coming into his own. Watch him!

OF Mike Trout - He is still the best of the bunch and the stolen bases are back.

OF Kris Bryant - I want to put the NL homerun leader at third base so badly!

OF Ian Desmond - I want to put him back at shortstop so badly!

OF Mookie Betts - Okay, I'm not writing my wish that Betts was still at second base. But I do.

OF Yoenis Cespedes - He's earning every penny at the plate but the stolen bases are gone.

DH David Ortiz - He's going out in style at the plate, unfortunately for him the Red Sox suck.

SP Jose Fernandez - Even with a rough start to the year he is plowing through MLB with ease.

SP Stephen Strasburg - The fear of injury never goes away, he is a true ace.

SP Clayton Kershaw - Hopefully the back injury is as minor as it sounds.

SP Noah Syndergaard - He is the new Mets ace in a rotation of aces.

SP Madison Bumgarner - This is the guy you want on the mound on the last day of the season.

MR Andrew Miller - He could be the Cubs closer in a week or two.

MR Dellin Betances - The Yankees bullpen is as good as expected, the team is pretty weak otherwise.

MR Justin Wilson - He should be a Yankee too. Cashman makes some strange trades.

CL Zach Britton - The closer for the first place Orioles is a certified stud.

CL Kenley Jansen - He should be one of the most heavily checked free agents this fall.

I tried not to pick the obvious guys every time, though this doesn't stray too far from the statistical best. A fun experiment would have been to use a 260 budget to pick the roster but who has that kind of time? 

The 2016 Honorable Mentions (mostly breakouts and rookies):

OF Jackie Bradley Jr - He is on pace for a 20/20 season if he can maintain his current production.

SS Aledmys Diaz - The Cuban found his mojo when he got DFA'd, now Peralta's old job is his.

SP Kyle Hendricks - His win/loss record shows the dude has no luck at all but he's earned his place near the top of the Cubs rotation.

RP Derek Law - He looks like a future Giants closer.

C J.T. Realmuto - A catcher that hits and steals bases always has a spot on my list.

C Wilson Contreras - The Cubs are so loaded, it just is not fair. They can trade Kyle Schwarber to the Yankees and not miss a beat.

OF Tyler Naquin - The former first round pick has raked this year but the Indians refuse to let him prove its for real.

OF Ezequiel Carrera - He looks like the future right fielder, since Jose Bautista seems determined to move on in free agency.

OF Jay Bruce - He is healthy and back in All-Star form.

SS Corey Seager - He is just as good as expected, if not better.

OF Melvin Upton Jr. - Not bad BJ, not bad at all (obligatory Independence Day Resurgence joke - as if the movie wasn't enough).

3B Jake Lamb - He deserves a slot on the real MLB All-Star team.

These are the guys you have on your roster for cheap who you'll be keeping next year and that your league mates will be bugging you to trade, but you won't. 

The AFB Second-Half Picks: (almost purely guess work but with logic applied)

C Russell Martin - He's switched to a lighter bat and is already showing signs of a rebound.

C Travis D'Arnaud - Since returning from the DL (again) he is hitting with power once again.

1B Carlos Santana - This guy can really hit and the Indians are back in contention.

3B Jake Lamb - I am telling you, get him now if you still can.

CI A.J. Reed - It's just a hunch but I think he's gonna rock after the break.

2B Jonathan Schoop - This is the birth of a star, trust me.

SS Didi Gregorius - He has figured it out. Remember when the D'Backs compared him to Derek Jeter?

MI Carlos Correa - He's already cranking again, did you miss that?

OF Justin Upton - He spent the first two months doing absolutely nothing (his brother was better). He is now awake, we're just waiting for him to get hot.

OF Peter Bourjos - It has been a while but we used to think he'd be good. Now's his chance.

OF Curtis Granderson - The Mets need him to be the version that hits and gets on base.

OF Giancarlo Stanton - The Barry Bonds effect is going to do good things in the second half.

OF Yasiel Puig - You are forgiven if you forgot how young and talented this kid is.

DH Kenny Vargas - He has true power if he can keep the strikeouts at a reasonable level he could have a huge second half.

SP David Price - The skills are still on display, it is just the results that suck - I call it the Red Sox Effect.

SP Yordano Ventura - The Royals Effect is much better than the Red Sox Effect.

SP Michael Pineda - Too many skills here, he can be the Yankees ace.

SP Luis Perdomo - Another pitcher with skills and mediocre results.

SP Marcus Stroman - I have a feeling that the playoff push kicks him into gear.

SP Chris Archer - He is too good to suffer this way. Getting his center fielder back can't hurt.

MR Liam Hendricks - Since coming off the DL he looks like the bullpen ace he was last year.

MR Carl Edwards Jr. - CJ is the bullpen cog the Cubs have been missing.

MR Dylan Bundy - He has proven healthy again now he just needs a bigger role.

MR Shane Green - He really should be in the rotation but the Tigers need him in the bullpen.

These are basically the guys I would be working to acquire in trade talks (a couple may even be free agents in some leagues). They are not playing like studs (most of them) and they present the opportunity to be better in the second half and also potentially add to your keeper list.

2013 All Fantasy Baseball Sleepers Team

The annual All-Sleeper Team has arrived. This report has taken many forms but as always it is jam packed with names for your consideration. There are at least three names listed at every position. If you like this article please share it (with strangers if not your league mates).

Catchers

Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners

Here are some stats for Montero that you may have missed - he hit 310/343/498 last year when playing behind the plate; on the road he batted .295/.330/.438 with nine homeruns in 258 at-bats; and his HR/FB was a healthy 13.4 percent on the road. Did you know that in 2012 Safeco Field tended to reduce right-handed power by 30 percent? Runs were reduced by 22 percent. The Seattle Mariners are attempting to move their park factors closer to neutral in 2013 by bringing in the outfield walls. Safeco will still be a tough park for hitters but it should be a little less intimidating this season. Montero still has superstar potential.

UPSIDE: .280/.330/.480 with 25 homeruns

Erik Kratz, Philadelphia Phillies

Erik Kratz has been around for a while. He has a great reputation as a defensive catcher. Supposedly, pitchers love to throw to him. His bat looks better than the average catcher and his power looks like it could be around league average if not a bit better. Last season in the minors he hit .266/.326/.540 with eight homers in 141 plate appearances. He was called up to the Phillies and received 157 PA in which he batted .248/.306/.504 with nine homeruns. He was scheduled to spend 2013 in the majors as a back-up but thanks to Carlos Ruiz getting himself suspended, Kratz figures to get an extra month of starter at-bats. He should be more than worth his purchase price.

UPSIDE: 350abs, .250/.310/.460 with 15 homers and a few stolen bases.

Others to Consider: Jason Castro, Houston Astros; John Jaso, Oakland Athletics; Rob Brantley, Miami Marlins

First Basemen

Ike Davis, New York Mets

Davis began the 2012 season recovering from the Valley Fever which can severely weaken people for long periods. Davis chose not to complain about it but after the season finally admitted that he was not right the first few months of the season. His second half was a better indication of what Davis can do. He batted .255/.346/.542 with 20 homers in his last 251 at-bats. Davis has seen more than his fair share of injury and illness in his short career. It is possible that some of your league mates will perceive him as injury prone or even as a mediocre hitter. Do not believe it. Davis has very good power and has the patience and discipline to hit for a solid batting average (a skill becoming more rare). 

UPSIDE: .275/.365/.500 with 35-plus homeruns

Others to Consider: Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants; Logan Morrison, Miami Marlins;

Second Basemen

2B Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

 In the minor leagues Matt Carpenter has produced numbers that would mediocre at best coming from your first baseman or outfielder. But at second base (particularly in NL-only leagues) he would be a very solid fantasy option. He hits for a solid to good batting average with a strong on-base percentage driven by above average walk rates and improving contact skills. He has average or maybe slightly better power and should safely hit in the 10-15  homer range every season with more a clear possibility as he gains experience. He does not have great speed but will steal the occasional base given the opportunity. Best of all, manager Mike Matheny seems to like him and has projected him as a potential leadoff hitter. He only qualifies at the corners for now in most leagues but should be eligible at second within the first week or so of the regular season.

UPSIDE: .290/.370/.470 with 15-18 homeruns and a few stolen bases and a ton of runs scored

Others to Consider: Dustin Ackley, Seattle Mariners; Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox

Third Basemen

3B Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics

Donaldson’s numbers as a major leaguer look mediocre overall. It would be pretty easy for a fantasy owner to overlook a player with a .232/.280/.386 slash in 328 plate appearances. However, he hit a very solid .290/.356/.489 with eight homers, 26 RBI and three steals in 47 games after returning from a stint at Triple-A. Donaldson is just 27-years old and general manager Billy Beane has declared that Donaldson will be the starter at third base in 2013. While 47 games is just a small sample of Donaldson’s season – his line at AAA Sacramento was .335/.402/.598 with 13 homers and five steals in 234 plate appearances. Donaldson has BABIP issues. Last season in the majors it was just .278 (far below average) and an indication that his poor start to the season was at least to some degree bad luck. 

UPSIDE: .280/.350/.450 with 15-20 homers and 5-10 stolen bases.

Others to Consider: Brett Lawrie, Toronto Blue Jays; Lonnie Chisenhall, Cleveland Indians; 

Shortstops

SS Cliff Pennington, Arizona Diamondbacks

Cliff Pennington is not popular among fantasy owners. He does not hit for much power and his batting average at times has been pathetic. So why is he listed here? He has skills and tools that indicate he has not reached his full potential just yet. Pennington has tremendous speed and solid base stealing skills. He has solid patience at the plate and makes decent contact. Now he is moving from Oakland's tough pitcher centric park into the Diamondback's Chase Field which favors hitters. He has been working with Diamondbacks hitting coach Don Baylor on shortening his swing. If his BABIP bounces back from his career low .259 in 2012 towards his career levels he could have a very nice season at a weak fantasy position.

UPSIDE: .275/.350/.425 with 10-12 homers and 25-plus stolen bases and a truckload of runs if he leads off.

Others to Consider: Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles; Jean Segura, Milwaukee Brewers

Outfielders

OF/1B Chris Carter, Houston Astros

Chris Carter is seen as a player with tremendous power who is not a talented enough hitter to be a star in the Major Leagues. In actuality, 2012 was Carter’s first extended opportunity to play in the major leagues. He does in fact have massive power but he also has more patience at the plate than his K-rate would seem to indicate. His strikeout rates were not so bad in the minors and he even showed some ability to hit for average. He is moving from one of the better pitchers’ parks in baseball to one that actually boosts right-handed power stats. In 2013 you could see a decent batting average with gargantuan power (nice to have with overall power numbers dropping).

UPSIDE: .270/.370/.550 with 30-plus homers and a few stolen bases

OF Jose Tabata OF Pittsburgh Pirates

How good does Travis Snider have to be to keep Tabata on the bench all season. Admittedly Tabata has fallen off the last few years. But he was once lauded for his power potential and showed a knack for base stealing. He kicked off Spring Training looking determined to win back at least a share of the job starting in the outfield corners. At this point it looks like Snider will start but Tabata has made the team. His price should be ultra low and Snider has not been much better than Tabata as a major leaguer. He makes an excellent flyer in deep NL-only leagues or in deep mixed leagues with bench spots. 

UPSIDE: .275/.340/.400 with ten homers and 20-plus stolen bases

OF Jordany Valdespin, New York Mets

His Spring Training performance has probably jacked up his price on those of us with post-Easter drafts this year. The Mets have no established outfielders on their roster coming into the 2013 season. This has provided Valdespin and others with a fantastic opportunity for Major League playing time. He is not a patient hitter but makes excellent contact. He has the power to hit 15-20 homers and the speed to steal 20-plus bases in a full season. 

UPSIDE: .280/.340/.440 with 15-plus homers and 20-plus stolen bases

OF J.D. Martinez, Houston Astros

He is a tough pick since he will begin the season in the minor leagues. With a career batting line of just .252/.313/.375 it would be easy to dismiss Martinez as just another mediocre Astros outfielder. You would be missing out on a player with huge breakout potential. In the 603 at-bats that led to the line above Martinez hit 17 homeruns and collected 90 RBI. It becomes even more encouraging when you know his career minor league batting line was .334/.397/.532 in over 1200 minor league at-bats. He certainly has no obstacles to consistent playing time. Special thanks should go to my friend Dave McKay of thefantasysportsbrain.com who likes him even more than me. 

UPSIDE: .300/.360/.450 15-20 homeruns and the odd stolen base

OF Andy Dirks, Detroit Tigers

It would be easy to dismiss Dirks as a BABIP fluke and pass on him during fantasy drafts. That might be a mistake. Dirks has a track record of high BABIP and high batting averages in the minors. Dirks is a strong contact hitter with some patience at the plate. He swings at too many pitches out of the zone but makes much better than average contact. He is not a power hitter but with an uptick to his plate discipline he could hit for average power. His Achilles issue kept his decent speed under wraps but Dirks has the skills to steal bases. There is some talk of Dirks platooning with Avisail Garcia. That seems unlikely but even if true; Dirks would be on the strong side of it.

UPSIDE: .300/.350/.450 with 15-20 homeruns and 10-15 steals

Others to Consider: Colin Cowgill, New York Mets; Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks; Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals; Peter Bourjos, Los Angeles Angels; Nolan Reimold, Baltimore Orioles

Middle Infielders

MI Eric Young, Jr., Colorado Rockies

Eric Young has been neglected by the Rockies for a long time. He has awesome stolen base potential. He makes excellent contact and has shown patience at the plate. He should hit for average if given consistent at-bats and new manager Walt Weiss seems determined to make better use of Young. He only qualifies at outfield in most leagues at this point but could see time all over the field. He came up as a second baseman. 

UPSIDE: .290/.350/.425 with 40-plus steals and a few homers

Others to Consider: Luis Cruz, Los Angeles Dodgers; Eduardo Nunez, New York Yankees

Corner Infielders

3B Matt Dominguez, Houston Astros

His strength as a Marlins prospect was his excellent glove. Scouts believed in the potential in his bat but there was very little statistical evidence that he could hit. Last year he began to work on his swing with coaches and changing his hand position to create less movement and a shorter swing path. The results have been promising. At his present ADP he will cost nothing so the risk is minimal. The payoff could be pretty good especially relative to his cost.

UPSIDE: .290/.330/.450 with 15-plus homers

Others to Consider: Justin Smoak, Seattle Mariners; Brett Wallace, Houston Astros

Designated Hitters

DH Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays

After his stint in the minor leagues Lind was an above average player in every remaining month of the season. Health is obviously the largest obstacle between Lind and a full season of statistics worthy of a major league first baseman. In an off- season where the Blue Jays have filled every hole on the roster and added a ton of depth, they have done nothing to indicate they have lost faith in their first baseman (well, besides move him to designated hitter). See my article for an expanded look at Adam Lind.

UPSIDE: .280/.350/.500 with 30 homers

Others to Consider: Jeff Keppinger, Chicago White Sox; Raul Ibanez, Seattle Mariners

Starting Pitchers

SP Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers

Not every pitcher develops as quickly as Stephen Strasburg. Justin Verlander took a few years to put it together. The same is true with Cole Hamels and David Price. Scherzer showed many signs of reaching his incredible potential during the 2012 season. His K9 took a big jump supported by a similar jump in his swinging strike rate. His solid control and strikeouts limit the damage down by his less than ideal HR9. 

UPSIDE: 20 wins, 3.50 ERA and 250 strikeouts

SP Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals

The fraying in his shoulder will keep a lot of owners away from Jaime Garcia. It will also bring his price way down, possibly into the lower single digits. That provides you with an opportunity to purchase a very talented pitcher on the cheap. Garcia has a great swinging strike rate with a solid K9 that should improve. He has good control and a nice groundball rate. He plays for a very good Cardinals team with a nice defense.  For what should be a very small investment you could win big. Garcia is already throwing and will face hitters today (Saturday, Feb. 16^th). 

UPSIDE: 15 wins and an ERA< 3.50

SP Phil Hughes, New York Yankees

The mini-Rocket has not reached the once lofty heights the Yankees were hoping he would. He has been solid and flashed some of the greatest but has not been able to sustain it for any great length of time. In 2012 his swinging strike rate jumped back up and his K9 jumped with it. With some regression to his HR/FB, Hughes could have a big season in 2013 leading into his first shot at free agency. 

UPSIDE: 15 wins and an ERA < 4.00

SP Kyle Kendrick, Philadelphia Phillies

Kyle Kendrick has been nothing if not inconsistent in his time spent as a major league pitcher but has usually posted acceptable ERAs and WHIPs. But his strikeout rates have left much to be desired. He won't be confused with Stephen Strasburg anytime soon but thanks to a change in his pitch usage he seems to have hit on the key to greater dominance. He has reduced his use of the cutter in favor of his 2-seam fastball (a sinker) and his change-up. The result was a K9 over 6.0 for the season and approaching 7.0 K9 in the second half. If the improved strikeout rate sticks with his control (2.60 career BB9) and strong groundball rate (45.8 career GB percentage) he could be a huge breakout pitcher this season.   

UPSIDE: 12-plus wins and an ERA < 4.00

SP Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers

Many forget that Porcello is still just 24-years old. He spent very little time in the minors and has been forced to develop his skills on the major league stage. Given the way he has been thrown to the metaphorical wolves, Porcello has done quite well. The perception of Porcello is no doubt as an average or perhaps slightly above average starting pitcher. What is not as obvious to most observers is how much the Tigers awful defensive infield hurts Porcello. Porcello is a groundball pitcher (52.3 career GB percentage) and defense matters to him a great deal. His velocity has been on the rise and he now pitches in the low to mid 90’s. His strikeouts have been lower than fantasy owners would like to see but his K9 has seen small increases the last two seasons and his swinging strike rate has also risen to nearly average. If his slider had been more effective in 2012 it may have gotten all the way there. He has been emphasizing his curveball as an alternative to the slider this spring with great results. This is a pitcher who could explode on the scene if traded to a team with an effective infield defense (the Orioles would be a great spot for him).

UPSIDE: 15 wins and an ERA < 3.75

Others to Consider: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians; Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles; Jacob Turner, Miami Marlins; Erasmo Ramirez, Seattle Mariners; David Phelps, New York Yankees

Relievers

MR Christian Garcia RHP Washington Nationals

He will be a bit late to start the 2013 season but in keeper leagues that should not be a major problem. His late arrival will also reduce his already low cost. Garcia was a top prospect of the New York Yankees but a series of elbow problems prevented him from pitching much and eventually robbed him of his stellar stuff. After two Tommy John Surgeries and a third procedure to remove bone chips, the Nationals picked him up and placed him in the bullpen. His high nineties stuff was back and his hammer curve was back and his change-up is solid. Saves are probably not in his near future but stranger things have happened.

UPSIDE: 65 IP, 2.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10K9, 3.00BB9,  

MR Sean Doolittle LHP Oakland Athletics

The one pitcher that you should be looking for in the Athletics bullpen is Sean Doolittle. He was drafted with the 41st overall pick as a first baseman but knee injuries almost ended his career. The A’s converted him to pitching and rushed him through the system in 2012. From Class A to the Major Leagues - 17 games, 26 innings, 1.04 earned run average, 50 strikeouts, 8 walks. He has a very deceptive delivery and a blazing mid-90s fastball. He could stabilize the A’s closer position for several years.

UPSIDE: 20 saves with a ridiculous K9

MR Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals

Herrera has it all. He has the strikeout rate, excellent control and a great ground ball rate.Herrera is good enough to be worth drafting in deeper leagues even without the possibility of saves.If the Royals regain faith in Herrera's health they could potentially place him back in a starting role where he would have frontline pitcher stuff.

UPSIDE: Superb ratios with 15-plus saves and 80-plus strikeouts

Others to Consider: Jake McGee, Tampa Bay Rays; J.J. Hoover, Cincinnati Reds; Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox

2013 Sleeper: Jaime Garcia

The fraying in his shoulder will keep a lot of owners away from Jaime Garcia. It will also drive his price way down, possibly into the lower single digits. That provides you with an opportunity to purchase a very talented pitcher on the cheap. Garcia has a great swinging strike rate with a solid K9 that should improve. He has good control and a nice groundball rate. He plays for a very good Cardinals team with a nice defense.  For what should be a very small investment you could win big. Garcia is already throwing and will face hitters today (Saturday, Feb. 16^th).

Jaime Garcia will face hitters for the first time today since his abortive two-inning playoff performance against the Washington Nationals last October when he throws batting practice to a group of Cardinals position players headed by David Freese.

Today is the first day that pitchers will throw batting practice. Following Garcia, who had shoulder problems much of last season, will be Shelby Miller, who will pitch to a group of hitters including Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter.

Garcia made nine starts at the end of the 2012 season but was forced out of a playoff game after just two innings against the Washington Nationals after experiencing some shoulder stiffness. Garcia was declared fully healthy in November after several sessions with the Cardinals coaching and medical staffs. He has been throwing regularly since early January without set-backs or problems.

Said pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, "He looks incredibly strong. His arm strength is there and he's in a good frame of mind. We look for good things from Jaime."

"It was one of the toughest things I've had to experience in my career," Garcia said. "But you move forward, you learn from the bad and take the good things and move forward and that's what I did this offseason. I went home and had a good, positive mentality and I did everything asked of me to do and worked as hard as I possibly could and I've been saying this the whole time since the Winter Warm-up but I'm feeling healthy, I'm strong and I just want to take it one day at a time.

"I came into camp like any other pitcher and obviously there's things I have to take care of which are a part of my career, doing my rehab stuff (between starts), but that's just part of it. But checkups with doctors, we're all clear of that. It's been normal the whole time."

2013 Sleeper: Josh Donaldson

Donaldson’s numbers as a major leaguer look mediocre overall. It would be pretty easy for a fantasy owner to overlook a player with a .232/.280/.386 slash in 328 plate appearances. But if you look at Donaldson’s entire history he becomes a bit more interesting. Last season after his 3-for-32 start he was optioned to the minors. He was called up again in May to cover for Yoenis Cespedes’ first DL stint but was, again, rather useless at the plate. He was sent back to the minors in June and stayed there until Brandon Inge went on the disabled list in August.

This is where it gets interesting. He hit a very solid .290/.356/.489 with eight homers, 26 RBI and three steals in 47 games after returning from Triple-A.  Just 27-years old, general manager Billy Beane has declared that Donaldson will be the starter at third base in 2013. While 47 games is just a small sample of Donaldson’s season – his line at AAA Sacramento was .335/.402/.598 with 13 homers and five steals in 234 plate appearances. Donaldson has BABIP issues. Last season in the majors it was just .278 (far below average) and an indication that his poor start to the season was at least to some degree bad luck.

UPSIDE: .280/.350/.450 with 15-20 homers and 5-10 stolen bases.

2013 Sleeper: Erik Kratz

Erik Kratz has been around for a while. He has a great reputation as a defensive catcher. Supposedly, pitchers love to throw to him. His bat looks a better than the average catcher and the power looks like it could be around league average if not a bit better. Last season in the minors he hit .266/.326/.540 with eight homers in 141 plate appearances. He was called up to the Phillies and received 157 PA in which he batted .248/.306/.504 with nine homeruns. He was scheduled to spend 2013 in the majors as a back-up but thanks to Carlos Ruiz getting himself suspended, Kratz figures to get an extra month of starter at-bats. He should be more than worth his purchase price.

UPSIDE: 350abs, .250/.310/.460 with 15 homers and a few stolen bases.