TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
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

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Gavin Stone

has "Setback" With his Shoulder, "Paused" From Throwing
Khalil Mack

Will Play in 2026
MMA

Lone'er Kavanagh Gets Back In The Win Column
Alex Verdugo

Padres Add Alex Verdugo on Minor-League Deal
Joe Musgrove

to Start Exhibition Game on Wednesday
Brandon Moreno

Gets Outclassed
Masyn Winn

Sits Out on Monday Due to Arm Soreness
Marlon Vera

Loses Fourth Fight In A Row
Daniel Jones

Colts Have "50/50" Chance to Get a Deal Done With Daniel Jones
David Martinez

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Daniel Zellhuber

Loses Third Consecutive Fight
King Green

Gets Second-Round TKO Win
Felipe Bunes

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Ryan Blaney

Falls to Eighth Despite Running Most of the Race in the Top Five At COTA
Ty Gibbs

Wins A Stage and Finishes Fourth At COTA
Christopher Bell

Earns First Top-Five Finish of the 2026 Season at COTA
Kyler Murray

"Repeatedly" Linked to Jets
Shane Van Gisbergen

Falls Short of Victory At COTA
Tyler Reddick

Wins At COTA and Makes NASCAR History
Yordan Alvarez

Making Spring Debut on Monday
Dylan Crews

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Dylan Crews' Thumb
David Montgomery

Texans Acquire David Montgomery From Lions
Bubba Chandler

Struggles to Command Pitches Again in Second Outing
Jett Williams

Dealing with Left Quadriceps Soreness
Brice Matthews

Enjoying Hot Start in Grapefruit League
Neemias Queta

Explodes for Career-High 27 Points
Spencer Jones

Flashing Elite Power in Spring Games
Stephen Curry

Out at Least Five More Games
Kristaps Porzingis

to Miss Fifth Straight Game
Konnor Griffin

Launches Third Spring Training Home Run
Cameron Johnson

Exits with Ankle Issue in Loss
Lukas Dostal

Sets New Career High With 24th Win
Andrew Painter

Sharp in Spring Debut, Emerging as Favorite for Starting Role
Klay Thompson

Leaves Game After Second-Quarter Injury
Kris Dunn

Leaves Game After Taking Elbow to Head
Cutter Gauthier

Hits Two Goals in Shootout Win
John Collins

Suffers Elbow Injury Sunday
Robert Thomas

Returns to Action With Multi-Point Effort
Matthew Tkachuk

Dishes Out Three Assists Sunday
Matthew Schaefer

Has First Three-Point Outing
Teuvo Teravainen

Pots Two Goals In Sunday's Win
Arvid Soderblom

Keeps Mammoth Quiet
Bryan Rust

With a Strong Two-Point Game
Arturs Silovs

Earns a Shutout on Sunday Afternoon
LeBron James

Available Versus Sacramento
Zion Williamson

Ruled Out Versus Clippers
Shelby Miller

Officially Placed on 60-Day Injured List
Kevin Love

Resting Monday Against Nuggets
Jacob deGrom

is Nearing Spring Debut
Tristan Vukcevic

Could Miss Game Vs. Houston
José Soriano

Jose Soriano has Start Pushed Back
John Collins

Cleared to Play Sunday
Bobby Miller

Being Viewed as Reliever
Brandon Clarke

to be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Walker Jenkins

is Diagnosed with Hamstring Strain
Caleb Martin

Returns Against Thunder
P.J. Washington

Naji Marshall Ruled Out Sunday
Kyshawn George

Could Miss Game Against Houston
Baylor Scheierman

Cleared to Play Sunday
Rui Hachimura

Set to Return Against Kings
LeBron James

Questionable Against Kings
Jonathan Drouin

Unavailable Sunday
Darcy Kuemper

Won't Play Monday Due to Illness
EDM

Oilers Place Andrew Mangiapane on Waivers
Jabari Smith Jr.

Still Out on Monday
Uvis Balinskis

Out Sunday
Jalen Johnson

Back on Sunday Night
Dmitry Kulikov

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Mark Stone

Exits With Injury Sunday
Merrill Kelly

"Optimistic" About Being Ready by Opening Day
Gabriel Moreno

Can Gabriel Moreno Put Together a Fully Healthy Season in 2026?
Mark Vientos

May Be Limited to Part-Time Role in New York
Kyler Murray

Likely to be Released
Noah Cameron

Can Noah Cameron Repeat His Breakout 2025 Season?
Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Planning to Release Aaron Jones Sr.?
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Nick Suzuki

Enjoys Three-Point Night Against Capitals
Rasmus Dahlin

Collects Three Points Saturday
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Joel Kiviranta

in Concussion Protocol
Joel Eriksson Ek

Available Sunday
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Mark Scheifele

Expected to Play Sunday
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
Adam Wilsby

Exits Early Versus Stars
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Favorable DFS Option for COTA?
A.J. Brown

Patriots "Have Explored Trade Talks" Involving A.J. Brown
Lone'er Kavanagh

Set For UFC Mexico City Main Event
Brandon Moreno

Looks To Bounce Back
David Martinez

Set For UFC Mexico City Co-Main Event
Marlon Vera

In Dire Need Of Victory
King Green

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Zellhuber

Aims To Snap Two-Fight Skid
Felipe Bunes

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
George Pickens

Cowboys Not Interested in Trading George Pickens
Ashton Jeanty

Not in Line for Workhorse Role in 2026?
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Give Anthony Richardson Sr. Permission to Seek a Trade
Kyler Murray

Prefers to be Released
Derek Carr

"Strong Belief" That Derek Carr is "Very Serious" About Unretiring
Andy Dalton

Is Andy Dalton Available for a Trade?
Keith Mitchell

Making The Comfortable Return to PGA National
CFB

Chandler Morris Suing NCAA for Seventh Year of Eligibility
Chris Kirk

Searching for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Brooks Koepka

Making Third PGA Tour Start at Cognizant Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Steady Option at Cognizant Classic
Seamus Power

Seeking More Green in Florida
PGA

Haotong Li Back From a Break as Florida Stretch Starts
Stephan Jaeger

Trying to Put Four Rounds Together in Florida
PGA

Nico Echavarria Again Attempting to Make the Weekend
Patrick Fishburn

Looking for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown

Set for Cognizant Classic Debut
Michael Thorbjornsen

Looking to Bounce Back at Cognizant Classic
Maxx Crosby

Raiders Expect Maxx Crosby to Return
Billy Horschel

Looks to Improve Season at Cognizant Classic
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Falcons Place Franchise Tag on Kyle Pitts Sr.
Joe Highsmith

Returns to Defend at Cognizant Classic
Quinshon Judkins

Out of Walking Boot, Will be Ready for Training Camp
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF