Fantasy Baseball 2010 Sleepers: Hitters

Everyone wants to know who the next greatest player is going to be. Some people call them sleepers and some consider them undervalued based on draft position. Whatever you call these players, to make this list we're banking on them turning a corner in 2010 and giving us equity on our belief in their rising star status.

"Show me the money!"

You won't win a fantasy baseball league by drafting each of these hitters and using this as your fantasy roster. But, that's not how you should use this list anyway. Pick and choose a few of these and mix them into your current draft strategy. Remember that you don't win your fantasy league in the first few rounds. It's the later portions of the draft where you solidify your championship run. Remember that the teams last season who grabbed Aaron Hill, Kendry Morales and Justin Upton late in drafts, usually did very, very well.

---

---

Catcher

Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks -- With a .316 batting average and 11 home runs, you have to figure that Montero put up a decent stat line in 2009. Now consider that those were his numbers after the All-Star break. Stop and let his second-half performance sink in and wonder what this kid who'll turn 27 years old this season can do with a full season of those breakout-like stats he put up. Don't expect a batting average over .300 due to his inflated hit rate, but if everything rolls right for Montero, he could hit .280 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI.

First Base

Billy Butler. Royals -- After hitting .301 with 21 home runs in 2009, Butler was named the Kansas City Royals' Player of the Year and anointed the starting first baseman for the 2010 season. Sure those accolades are fine, but what's important to fantasy baseball nuts is finding the answer to the question of whether or not Butler can get better this season. The answer is a resounding yes. Butler's fly ball rate stayed identical from 2008 to 2009 at 34.6 percent. But, his home runs jumped from 11 to 21. The difference was in his HR/F ratio. More of the fly balls that Butler hit were leaving the ballpark. Call it growing as a hitter or even adding strength to a young hitter's frame. Whatever you call it, expect it again in 2010. Butler could continue to add strength -- he's only turning 24 years old this season -- and seeing him blast 30 home runs isn't terribly far-fetched.

Second Base

Scott Sizemore, Tigers -- When the Tigers decided that they no longer wanted Placido Polanco during the offseason, Sizemore was instilled as the starting second baseman in Detroit. The 25-year-old Sizemore played last season in the minors and hit .308 with 17 home runs and 21 stolen bases. The talent is there to produce those kinds of numbers at the big-league level, but give him a year or two to get his feet wet. Especially since he's coming off of ankle surgery after busting his ankle in the Arizona Fall League. He'll do just fine in 2010 -- expect him to reach double digits in stolen bases and home runs -- but he won't truly shine as a fantasy second baseman until he takes over at the top of the batting order for Johnny Damon.

Shortstop

Jhonny Peralta, Indians -- When a player has an off year due to a statistical anomaly, further investigation is needed when projecting the following year. Peralta had a down 2009 season, hitting only 11 home runs after two seasons of 20-plus production. The culprit of Peralta's decline in power was an increased ground ball percentage. He hit 50.2 percent of his batted balls on the ground, a spike from 43.6 percent a year before. Any time that a hitter gives up fly balls and starts hitting grounders, his home run figures will drop. Since Peralta has never ventured above the 50-percent plateau in ground balls prior to last season, I expect him to return to normal in 2010 and to approach 20 home runs -- which would be a nice value for the late rounds of fantasy drafts.

Third Base

Brandon Wood, Angels -- The Angels, in my opinion, have always done Wood wrong. Wood has power for days and has even provided glimpses of stolen base potential in the minors. However, the Angels have slowed his development at times by promoting him to the major-league level and platooning him or giving him at-bats off of the bench. The fixtures that were blocking Wood from full-time at-bats are gone in Anaheim, and so are Woods' options. Watch, with wonder, what this kid can do with 500-plus at-bats and the calming state of mind of not having to look over his shoulder in anticipation of that bus ticket back to Salt Lake City.

Outfield

Travis Snider, Blue Jays -- With the way Snider hits against left-handed pitching, he's going to have to fight for a full-time job in Toronto this spring. If he heads north knowing that he'll be playing every day, Snider could rack up some serious power numbers. He knocked 14 home runs in Triple-A Las Vegas last season in only 204 plate appearances, and his .304 career minor-league batting average shows that he can figure things out at the plate. He showed some growth in the second half upon his return to Toronto, hitting six home runs in 168 plate appearances, but it will be his approach to hitting lefties this spring that gives an indication of whether he'll play enough to produce the 25-plus home run numbers he's capable of in full-time work.

Julio Borbon, Rangers -- There isn't a player on this list that I am higher on than Borbon. In 157 plate appearance in 2009, Borbon hit four home runs and stole 19 bases. He's already been given the starting job in center field and the leadoff role. Knowing that -- barring injury -- Borbon is going to amass 600-plus plate appearances in 2010, what do you think his numbers will look like? I felt no shame in expecting 45-plus stolen bases and 10 or more home runs. With that stacked lineup in Texas, he could even cross the plate 100 times. I'm not expecting him to finish with a .300 batting average again with his inflated hit rate, but he doesn't need to with the speed and power he's shown thus far.

Kyle Blanks, Padres -- What a travesty. I'm shocked that in mock drafts all preseason long, Kyle Blanks has been hovering in the 25th-round area and sometimes not even drafted at all. I know that he's a train wreck against left-handed pitchers, but he hit 10 home runs last season in only 148 plate appearances and the kid is only 23 years old. He's still developing, and his power is already here. He's also going to be playing full-time in the Padres outfield and batting 5th in the lineup. How can anyone be leaving Blanks off of their draft board?