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Mike's mid-to-late round fantasy baseball sleepers and values from the AL East. His upside hitters and pitchers include Andres Gimenez, Austin Wells, more.
The American League East always intrigues baseball fans. These are five teams that consistently compete for playoff runs and are built to beat each other up annually. This year is no exception; each of the five AL East teams has a chance at the playoffs.
And each of those five teams has a player flying under the radar early in draft season. For this piece, I selected one hitter from each AL East team to profile as a sleeper. We are looking at hitters going past pick 200 in NFBC drafts since March 1.
Read on to learn about some players that are going late in drafts so far that could really help your teams if you missed out on other, more high-profile targets at these positions. It will not cost you a high draft pick or many auction dollars to land these players. Let's dive in.
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Andres Gimenez, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
ADP: 337
Gimenez is being forgotten about in most drafts. But he is guaranteed a starting job on a World Series contender in the Toronto Blue Jays, and he could hit double-digit home runs and steal well over 20 bases. There seems to be lots of love for middle-of-the-pack second basemen this year in fantasy drafts.
Gimenez can be seen as a volume play. Before last season, the veteran second baseman had at least 550 at-bats in three consecutive seasons. In each of those seasons, he hit at least .251 with an average of 13 home runs, 64 RBI, 69 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases, suggesting he carries a reliable high floor.
A bonus is that this year, Gimenez slides over to shortstop in the wake of the loss of Bo Bichette to free agency. Gimenez played through a high ankle sprain last summer and was never 100%, which really impacted his running game, which is his main calling card.
Now completely healthy, look for Gimenez to hit around .250, sprinkle in 10-12 home runs, score 70+ runs, and steal 25 bases. He is an afterthought in many drafts right now, but could provide you with a nice middle-infield solution if your draft takes you in other directions.
Add in that he will have both second base and shortstop eligibility this year, and you have a useful player who contributes in runs and stolen bases, two underappreciated stats you have to fill in standard 5x5 leagues. Take a look at Gimenez when looking to add depth to your infield.
Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles
ADP: 249
Cowser feels a bit like a post-hype sleeper at this point. His batting average was nothing short of horrific in 2025 at .196. On the positive side, he did slug 16 home runs and steal 14 bases in 360 plate appearances. I do not see any way he hits that poorly again.
I have stared at his Statcast page a long time this winter, and I am very intrigued by Cowser's ability to barrel the baseball. Hitting the ball hard is a precursor, oftentimes, to success in any league, from Little League to the major leagues.
As shown in the visual below, his barrel percentage grew from 13.6% in 2024 to 14.1% in 2025. Despite the lack of batting average success, his hard-hit percentage was an above-average 46% in 2025. There is potential here for 30 home runs if he can cut his strikeout percentage.
He played most of the second half with two broken ribs, which must have impacted his results, yet he played through. Cowser is a solid defender with a terrific arm in the outfield, and his defense will give him an extended runway playing center field in Baltimore.
Cowser boasts the elite 14.1% barrel percentage (as previously mentioned) and better-than-average bat speed at 73.6 MPH. His biggest issue is cutting down the strikeouts; his rate went from a woeful 30.7% in 2024 to a putrid 35.6% in 2025.
If he can cut the strikeouts, his batting average should climb to the .230-.240 range, and 20 home runs and 10+ steals are in play for the 25-year-old Cowser.
Austin Wells, C, New York Yankees
ADP: 233
Wells is criminally underappreciated in most drafts, and I do not understand it. He's the starting catcher for an excellent baseball team that should easily hit 20 home runs. I understand that catching is perhaps deeper this year, but let's look at Wells.
In 448 plate appearances in 2025, Wells hit .219 with 21 home runs, 71 RBI, 51 runs scored, and chipped in five stolen bases as well. One of the best framers in all of baseball, Wells is assured of daily playing time.
I would expect Wells to start 120 games behind the plate, hit 20 home runs and 60+ RBI again, with a .230 batting average, and chip in five steals as well, which is great for a catcher. I feel like Wells is being underdrafted in most leagues right now. While Ben Rice figures to carve out some opportunities behind the plate, Wells should remain the primary backstop for them for the majority of the season and a solid No. 2 catcher in all leagues.
Caleb Durbin, 3B, Boston Red Sox
ADP: 222
Durbin has a swing tailor-made for Fenway Park. I envision doubles off the Green Monster all summer. The unexpected trade from Milwaukee to Boston increases his value. Durbin is not going to hit for much power, but his speed profile at a premium position plays up.
What Durbin does do is make contact. He does not swing and miss much. See the snippet below.
Durbin is currently slated to bat sixth in a good Boston lineup. What I have loved doing in early drafts is waiting on third base and then pairing Durbin with a stable Matt Chapman, and attacking the position that way. I am not paying up for the elite options at third base this season.
Durbin could easily hit in the .260 range with 10-12 home runs, 60+ RBI, 60+ runs, and chip in 20-25 bags. At this price, I love the production. You're just not getting steals at this position unless you pay up for Jose Ramirez with a top-5 pick or land on Manny Machado in the third round.
Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays
ADP: 634
If you take a quick gander at the Tampa Bay Rays depth chart, you will see that they plan to start Gavin Lux at second base and Taylor Walls at shortstop. There is not a plethora of competition here. This pick, Carson Williams, is about the potential opportunity coming his way.
Williams had 106 plate appearances in 2025 with the Rays, and it was a mixed bag. While he did hit five home runs and steal a couple of bases, he hit a paltry .172 with an excessive 41.5% K%. That is absurd and cannot happen again if he is to have success in the major leagues.
But the box below shows us some hope: Williams boasts above-average bat speed that, if he learns to make more contact, could yield tangible results for fantasy players.
When he gets an extended chance in 2026, double-digit home runs and stolen bases should follow. Williams is arguably one of the top prospects in Tampa Bay, but is not projected to make the Opening Day roster at this moment.
Projections suggest that Williams could get 100 games at the MLB level in 2026, and if he does, he is a good bet to get double-digit home runs and stolen bases. The batting average could be a struggle. But those home runs and steals could look nice at the back end.
It is the best time of year: draft season. Enjoy the process!
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