👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2017 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Hunter Renfroe

In This Article hide

Those who follow prospects in any way at all should be familiar with Hunter Renfroe. He is a former first-round pick and a top 100 overall prospect the last two years. He was also MVP of the Pacific Coast League last season, mashing to the tune of an .893 OPS with 30 HR and 105 RBI. It marked the third out of four minor league seasons in which he totaled at least 20 HR and 75 RBI.

This hardly seems like sleeper material, but the fact is that Renfroe's current ADP may be way too low. Rookies are hard to trust in fantasy drafts, but if you're looking for upside in the power categories, Renfroe may trump some bigger names that are being selected ahead of him.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

Bargain Hunter?

Minor league stats aside, Renfroe enjoyed his first cup of coffee in the majors toward the tail end of last season. Padres fans enjoyed it quite a bit too, as they saw the Futures All-Star light up big league pitching in his 11-game stint. Renfroe collected 13 hits in 35 at-bats (.370 AVG), while smashing four homers and driving in 14 runs.

He showed good discipline for a slugger as well, striking out just five times. That means his 11.1% HR% and 13.9% K% were almost identical. For perspective, Kris Bryant toted a 5.6% HR% and a 22.0% K% in his MVP 2016 season. Of course, Bryant played much more than 11 games, so it is misleading to make too much of these limited statistics for Renfroe.

Small sample sizes are often the death knell of many a fantasy team. Miguel Sano pulled this trick on us last year and he was an even higher-rated prospect than Renfroe. The difference is that Renfroe isn't swinging for the fences every time, but is more prone to contact. Sano was a .257 hitter in the minors, whereas Renfroe hit .281 over four minor league seasons, including averages of .333 and .306 in 2014 and 2015. Renfroe could stand to take more walks, so leagues that use OBP and/or points leagues that include walks may lower him just a bit in their rankings. This type of upside is hard to ignore, however, given his recent track record and clear path to playing time.

Early data from NFBC rankings indicate that Renfroe is the 55th outfielder taken on average, with an ADP of 236 overall. Players taken just ahead of him include Max Kepler, Randal Grichuk, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson. Once you get past the first few tiers, there is risk involved with any pick. After a torrid stretch, Kepler fell hard and ended the season hitting .235. Grichuk didn't fare much better, with a .289 OBP and a temporary demotion to the minors at one point. With two full seasons under his belt, Pederson is a .224 hitter with 311 strikeouts.

Renfroe comes with a bit of uncertainty, but he projects for a much higher average than all those players with the potential to match or surpass their power numbers. Chances are that a prospect like Renfroe would be valued much higher if he were playing in a big market rather than San Diego. Renfroe shouldn't just be valued highly in keeper leagues. He has a legitimate chance to be a solid fourth outfielder in re-draft leagues for 2017.


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jarrett Allen

Still Out Tuesday
Anthony Black

Remains Out Tuesday
Jalen Suggs

to Miss Second Consecutive Game
Kon Knueppel

Probable Tuesday
Nique Clifford

Kings Plan to Re-Evaluate Nique Clifford in One Week
Moses Moody

Stretchered Off With Knee Injury
Luke Clanton

Might Have a Problem in Houston
Sam Stevens

Happy to See Houston This Week
Keith Mitchell

Tries to Rebound After THE PLAYERS Championship
Will Zalatoris

Returning This Week at Houston
Wyndham Clark

Trending in the Wrong Direction Heading to Houston
Shane Lowry

Seeking Better Luck in Houston This Weekend
Kurt Kitayama

Poised to Bounce Back at the Houston Open
Jake Knapp

More Suited for a Course Like the Houston Open
Tony Finau

Continues Playing Well Heading to Texas Children's Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler

Returns to Action for Texas Children's Houston Open
Sam Burns

Looks to Carry Momentum Into Houston
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong Finalizing Long-Term Extension
Cam Thomas

Bucks Waive Cam Thomas
Kyle Kuzma

Won't Play Against Clippers
John Collins

Misses Monday's Action
Kawhi Leonard

Available Monday Night
Caleb Martin

Brandon Williams Remain Out Monday
Brandon Ingram

a Late Scratch Versus Jazz
Sahith Theegala

to Rebound at Texas Children's Houston Open
De'Anthony Melton

Moses Moody, De'Anthony Melton Available Monday
Kristaps Porzingis

Ready to Rock Monday
Cody Williams

Ruled Out Monday
Immanuel Quickley

Jamal Shead Starting With Immanuel Quickley Out
Stephan Jaeger

Hopes to Jumpstart Season at Texas Children's Houston Open
Collin Murray-Boyles

Rejoins Raptors Lineup
Adam Scott

Hopes to Get Back on Track in Houston
Drake Powell

Slated to Miss Monday's Matchup With Portland
Peyton Watson

Ruled Out Tuesday
Blake Snell

Targeting a May Return
Obi Toppin

Cleared to Play Against Magic
Aaron Nesmith

Will Play Monday
PGA

Sungjae Im Looks to Carry Hot Play to Houston
Nicolai Hojgaard

to Get Back on Track in Houston
Hunter Greene

Reds Place Hunter Greene on 60-Day Injured List
Chris Gotterup

to be a Popular Choice at Texas Children's Houston Open
Blake Whiteheart

Returns to the Browns
Min Woo Lee

Looks to Keep Strong Season Going in Title Defense in Houston
J.J. Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt Makes Cardinals Opening Day Roster
NFL

Ty Simpson Expected to be a First-Round Pick
Jake Bobo

Seahawks Match Offer Sheet for Jake Bobo
Tommy DeVito

Becomes QB2 in New England
Quentin Johnston

Chargers Unlikely to Trade Quentin Johnston?
Nick Pivetta

to Start on Opening Day for Padres
Brandon Woodruff

Makes Brewers Opening Day Rotation
Zack Wheeler

to Start Rehab Assignment on Saturday
Carson Benge

Makes Mets Opening Day Roster
D'Andre Swift

Facing Playing-Time Questions Heading into 2026
Travis Kelce

Officially Signs New Contract With the Chiefs
NFL

Can Denzel Boston Overcome Speed and Athleticism Concerns at the NFL Level?
NFL

Jadarian Price's Dynasty Stock is Rising as the 2026 Draft Approaches
NFL

Can Chris Bell Make an Immediate Impact in the NFL?
Seiya Suzuki

to Start the Season on the Injured List
Travis Homer

Signs With Steelers as RB Depth
Lerone Murphy

Suffers His First Loss
Dennis Santana

Won't be Pirates' Primary Closer
Movsar Evloev

Edges Out Lerone Murphy
CFB

Notre Dame Ranks No. 1 in Returning Production for 2026
Michael Aswell

Jr. Drops Decision At UFC London
Michael Aswell

Luke Riley Outclasses Michael Aswell Jr.
DeVonta Smith

Wide Range of Possible Outcomes for DeVonta Smith in 2026
Woody Marks

to Serve as Backup in Sophomore Season?
Puka Nacua

Extension for Puka Nacua isn't Expected Soon
Sam Patterson

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Michael Page

Wins Lackluster Decision
Austen Lane

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Joshua Dobbs

Patriots Planning to Release Joshua Dobbs
Spencer Strider

to Start the Season on Injured List
Iwo Baraniewski

Delivers 28-Second TKO
Lawson Crouse

Picks Up Three Points in Overtime Win
Jahmyr Gibbs

in Line for a Career Workload
Filip Forsberg

Takes Predators Past Blackhawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Becomes Highest-Paid Wide Receiver in NFL History
Alex Ovechkin

Scores 1,000th Career Goal
NFL

Eli Stowers' Athleticism Should Not be Overshadowed
Nate Schmidt

Exits Early Due to Illness
NFL

Kenyon Sadiq's Low Production at Odds with His Elite Athleticism
Matt Grzelcyk

to Miss Four-Game Road Trip
Mikko Rantanen

to Return to Full Practice
NFL

Carnell Tate Part of a Loaded Ohio State Rookie Class
A.J. Greer

Handed a Three-Game Suspension
Jonathan Taylor

Still Headlines Colts Backfield
Troy Terry

Wins it for Anahiem
Tyler Reddick

Overcomes Adversity for Fourth Victory of the Season At Darlington
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Darlington Victory Despite Domination
Ryan Blaney

Recovers From Pit-Road Struggles to Score Career-Best Darlington Finish
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Finish Fourth at Darlington
Kyle Larson

Decent Performance Ends with Technical Issues At Darlington
Ilya Sorokin

Earns Shutout Over Columbus
Ethen Frank

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Grayson Rodriguez

to Open Season on Injured List
Brett Pesce

Questionable to Return This Season
Stefan Noesen

Done for the Season
Yan Kuznetsov

Misses Fourth Consecutive Game Sunday
Connor Zary

Out Sunday
Mike Trout

Returns on Sunday
Anthony Duclair

Misses Sunday's Game
Ryan Pulock

Unavailable Sunday
Nick Lodolo

Exits Early With a Blister
Jeremy Peña

Astros Not Ruling Out Jeremy Pena for Opening Day
Cristopher Sánchez

Phillies Sign Cristopher Sanchez to a Six-Year Extension
Tyler Reddick

the Clear Favorite at Darlington
Kyle Stowers

Placed on Injured List with Hamstring Strain
Kyle Larson

a High-Risk, High-Reward Driver at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Is Getting Better at Darlington
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not Slowing Down at Darlington
Chris Buescher

Should be a Top-10 Contender at Darlington
Austin Cindric

a Sleeper at Darlington
Erik Jones

Quickest in Practice at Darlington
Morgan Geekie

Records Three Assists Against Red Wings
Steven Stamkos

Notches Three Points in Win Over Golden Knights
Cole Caufield

Records Career-High Five Points in Saturday's Win
Denny Hamlin

Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Chase Briscoe

Is One of the Top DFS Options of the Week for Darlington
Nikita Kucherov

Takes Over Scoring Lead With Four-Point Effort
Tyler Tucker

Out Week-to-Week
William Byron

Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Christopher Bell

Could Christopher Bell be Considered A Decent DFS Option for Darlington?
Chase Elliott

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Darlington This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano

May Not Have the Speed to Warrant A Darlington DFS Lineup Spot
Ross Chastain

Should DFS Players Trust Ross Chastain at Darlington?
Kyle Busch

Could Kyle Busch Be A Worthy DFS Option for Darlington?
Brad Keselowski

May be A Contriarian DFS Tournament Option At Darlington
Seiya Suzuki

Won't be Ready for Opening Day
Gleyber Torres

Clear to Return on Monday
Konnor Griffin

Assigned to Minor-League Camp
Gleyber Torres

Scratched From Lineup on Saturday With Lower-Back Tightness
Lerone Murphy

Set For UFC London Main Event
Movsar Evloev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Michael Aswell

Jr. An Underdog At UFC London
Luke Riley

Set For UFC London Co-Main Event
Sam Patterson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Michael Page

Set For Welterweight Bout
Austen Lane

In Dire Need Of Victory
Iwo Baraniewski

A Favorite At UFC London
Akshay Bhatia

Withdraws From Valspar Championship
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Drawing Positive Reviews at Georgia Tech
CFB

Anthony Colandrea Impressing in Nebraska's Spring Practices
J.J. Spaun

Offers Upside Despite Poor Course History at Innisbrook
Aaron Rai

Looks to Bounce Back at Valspar Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF