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Baseball is back with a vengeance! MLB teams are wheeling and dealing like fantasy managers on a bender, but who is complaining? Not me.
The season starts on April 7, so your fantasy draft or auction is right around the corner. I am here to help with seven sleeper options in AL-only leagues.
Who is going to fill your outfield spots? Which pitchers should you grab late in my drafts? How are you going to get enough steals? Find out the answers to those questions and a whole lot more below.
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Bobby Dalbec, 1B/3B, Boston Red Sox
Bobby Dalbec will get every opportunity to be the Boston Red Sox starting first baseman in 2022 after his strong finish last season. Dalbec might be just holding the spot warm for elite prospect Triston Casas, who hit .284 with 13 homers in 77 Double-A Portland games last season, but the slugging first baseman finished with a decent season overall.
Dalbec slashed .240/.298/.494 with 25 home runs and 78 RB along with a .792 OPS. However, he struggled to start the season to the extent of being on the verge of being sent back to the minors. Dalbec finished the first half slashing .219/.264/.409 along with a .673 OPS. His potential demotion lit a fire in Dalbec that proved that he could hit in the big leagues.
After the All-Star break, Dalbec proved how lethal he could be, slashing .269/.344/.611 along with .955 OPS. He smacked 15 homers with 42 RBI and lowered his strikeout rate to 28.8%.
His inconsistency is maddening, but the power is absolute. A top-notch 20.2% barrel rate along with a promising second half last season has Dalbec as one of my favorite corner infield options at his current 119 ADP.
Andres Gimenez, 2B/SS, Cleveland Guardians
Andres Gimenez was acquired from the New York Mets in the Francisco Lindor deal, and it seemed he put too much pressure on himself to fill Lindor's shoes. He was named the starter at shortstop in spring training and hit only .179./226/.308 in 29 games before he was sent down to Triple-A Columbus.
While at Columbus, Gimenez posted stats that reminded the Cleveland front office why they wanted him in that trade. He hit .287 with 10 homers and 31 RBI in 52 games.
The talented infielder received consistent playing time when he was recalled to the big leagues. Cleveland traded away second baseman Cesar Hernandez and inserted Gimenez at second base to prove himself.
Gimenez performed well to finish the 2021 season. He slashed .271/.307/.457 and a .340 BABIP on his way to three homers and nine RBI with four stolen bases in his final 23 games.
At just 23, Gimenez showed enough promise at the end of last season to warrant being projected to make a fantasy impact. His ZIPS projections display an infielder that can swipe 20 bases with 15 homer pop. Additionally, the late-round value at MI looking for speed makes Gimenez an infielder worth targeting.
Jose Miranda, 3B, Minnesota Twins
Jose Miranda came out of nowhere to be the organization's Minor League Player of the Year. Miranda slashed .344/.401/.572 with 30 homers and 72/40 K: BB ratio across Double-A and Triple-A.
His offensive explosion allowed him to be ranked seventh in the Minnesota Twins system by MLB Pipeline. Miranda hit for power and average and finished in the top-five in several MiLB offensive categories, including hits (first) and batting average (seventh).
On Monday, the Twins made a blockbuster trade by sending third baseman Josh Donaldson to the New York Yankees. This move opens the door wide open for Jose Miranda to seize the opportunity.
This season, we should see Miranda in a Twins uniform, and Steamer projects Miranda for a .282/.329/.459 line with 15 homers in just over 100 games. Miranda should step right in and take over with the opening at third base.
Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
An outstanding camp led to an impressive start to his season in Triple-A Worcester, leading to his MLB debut in July. Unfortunately, his first taste of the big leagues proved to be a disaster. He looked utterly overmatched. In 33 games in Boston, he batted .215 with a .578 OPS. However, he surprisingly flashed his power with three doubles, two triples, and two homers. Unfortunately, he also struck out 40 times, leading to a dismal 35.7% strikeout rate, ranking 15th-worst in the league.
His embarrassing performance led to a demotion to the minors and fueled Duran to find his swing again. Duran tore apart Triple-A pitching to the tune of hitting 16 homers and 11 doubles while swiping 16 bases in 60 games. His improvements led to his return to play games at Fenway and were counted on to spark the Red Sox.
Duran settled down in August, slashing .250/.273/.359 along with a .632 OPS and .366 BABIP. Four of his 16 hits were for extra bases; however, he still exhibited poor play discipline by striking out in a third of his bats.
Duran has the opportunity to step into the green grass at Fenway and patrol the outfield but will need to cut down on his strikeouts. He has the talent to be a multi-tool difference-maker for the Red Sox. His plus speed and defense should be his ticket to being in the everyday lineup. For Duran to continue, he will need to produce the power numbers he exhibited in the minors and develop better strike zone management. Nevertheless, he possesses the high potential and a floor that will allow fantasy managers to take Duran as a breakout sleeper option at his current overall 200 ADP.
Brandon Marsh, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Brandon Marsh was regarded as the top-rated prospect in the Angels farm system. Marsh hit .300 in his 96 games at Double-A, where he also stole a notable 18 bases while getting on base 38.3% of his at-bats. He arrived in spring training last season and hit .286 with two triples in 12 spring training games which allowed him to be assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season. In 24 games, Marsh batted .255 with three homers, five doubles, three triples, and eight RBI while scoring 26 runs.
In July, the Angels called up Marsh to help their depleted outfield with the entire outfield on the injured list. Marsh made his MLB debut on July 18, struggled out of the gate, but starred in August. The left-handed-hitting outfielder slashed .309/.369/.436 with a .805 OPS and .560 BABIP. He knocked in 11 runs while hitting five doubles and two triples while achieving nine walks across 29 games.
Marsh struggled to finish the season but finished slashing .254/.317/.356 with two homers, 12 doubles, three triples, and 19 RBI while stealing six bases across 70 games.
Marsh offers promise with his ability to get on base, and his power/speed upside is legit. The downside with Marsh is that he strikes out too much at 37.2%, but that should improve with experience gained now that he has his rookie season under his belt. However, he is proven to be a plus defender, and there is even talk of having Marsh play centerfield to allow Mike Trout to move to the right to save the wear and tear on Trout.
I am a big fan of his upside, and I wouldn't sleep on Marsh in your AL-only drafts.
Bailey Ober, SP, Minnesota Twins
Bailey Ober is a formidable figure at 6'9″ and 260 pounds and utilizes his height and length to deceive hitters. In the minors, Ober produced a combined 18-3 record with a 2.41 ERA across four seasons in the Minnesota Twins system.
The right-hander was called up from Triple-A St. Paul to make his MLB debut in May with injuries, and struggling starters took over the Twins rotation. Since May, Ober pitched out of the starting rotation and got increasingly more effective throughout the season.
In five June starts, Ober struggled, posting a 5.23 ERA. In July, Ober went to the bump five times, posting a 3.97 ERA while posting a season-high 9.9 K/9. Finally, the month of August saw the right-hander post a 2.30 ERA with a season-best 1.098 WHIP.
In his 20 total starts, Ober posted a 3-3 record with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP while producing a 9.4 K/9. His 96/19 K/BB ratio was impressive as a rookie that includes a 27.5 percent whiff rate on his slider and a special 5% walk rate.
Unfortunately, his season ended abruptly with a right hip strain, but he pitched himself to securing a spot in the Twins rotation this season.
His pinpoint command with a four-pitch arsenal makes this homegrown talent emerge as a viable pitching sleeper candidate for fantasy managers.
Joe Barlow, RP, Texas Rangers
After playing endlessly on the closer carousel, the Texas Rangers found their closer in their backyard. Joe Barlow is a homegrown pitcher who the Rangers drafted.
Barlow started the 2021 season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he produced a 2.57 ERA with a 12.4 K/9 and a 0.76 WHIP across 17 relief appearances. The 26-year-old right-hander got his first taste in the big leagues when he was called up on June 21.
Barlow was placed in high-leverage situations immediately and pitched 12.2 consecutive scoreless innings from July 7 through August 15. Barlow set a team record during one stretch by striking out eight straight batters.
His development led to the trade of then-closer Ian Kennedy, which thrust Barlow directly into the Rangers' closer role. Overall, Barlow posted a 1.55 ERA and 0.83 WHIP across 29 innings and struck out 17 while producing a .124 BA. He thrived as the closer, producing 11 saves in 12 opportunities.
While Barlow was dominant as a closer, he will not produce a 1.55 ERA consistently. The numbers bear this out, with Barlow producing a 3.42 xERA and 3.45 FIP. Still a solid ERA, but not the dominant numbers that get you excited. Another downside for Barlow is his lack of control. He averaged 5.8 BB/9 during his minor league career and followed that up by allowing 3.7 BB/9 in his rookie season.
Fantasy managers are constantly seeking saves. How and where they can pad the saves category is irrelevant. Barlow will be the primary closer for the Rangers in 2022 and could reach the 30-save plateau and help with strikeouts. However, his ERA and walks will force fantasy managers to make up that difference with other pitchers on your roster during draft day. BUT saves are saves!
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