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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Sophomores Who Have Fallen Between the Cracks?

Mark Hulet looks at potential breakouts for 2019 fantasy baseball. These MLB players are being underrated in drafts and should be targeted as sleepers for big profits.

Baseball prospects and rookies get covered extensively around baseball, whether we’re referring to just fantasy baseball or the sport in general. What we don’t do overly well, is cover the players that fall between the cracks. What I mean by that is the players that play long enough to lose their rookie eligibility but not quite extensively enough to garner hype and really show what they’re capable of doing.

The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, a breakout star in 2018, is a perfect example of this gap. He had a decent pedigree as a prospect with some decent numbers in the minors and a fairly quick ascent through the minors into the Majors. But then he hit a roadblock in limited action at the MLB level while playing all over the field for Oakland. He lost his rookie eligibility over a two-season stretch from 2015-16 and was then purged off the A’s 40-man roster and found himself at Triple-A with the Dodgers organization for all of 2017. During that time, while no one was really paying attention, he got good again. And then he got called up again in 2018 and didn’t waste the new opportunity.

Today’s exercise is a look at five players who have fallen between the cracks — too many at-bats to be considered prospects or rookies but they have yet to establish themselves as big leaguers. And, more importantly, they might just be able to help your fantasy team in 2019… if everything breaks just right. Just like it did for Max Muncy last year.   

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Willie Calhoun - OF/DH, Rangers

Calhoun hasn’t yet slipped out of the public’s consciousness and still has some of his residual hype attached but he’ll open the year in Triple-A after a modest spring training performance. And while he’s not exactly the same type of hitter that Muncy is, Calhoun has a chance to be an impact hitter for average and hit for power.

And the beauty of fantasy baseball is that we really don’t have to worry too much about the fact he can’t play defense, really anywhere, as long as we have an open “Utility” slot waiting. With Ronald Guzman unproven at first base, and Shin-Soo Choo now 36, there are cracks in the roster that could crumble enough to allow Calhoun another shot at The Show.

 

Greg Allen - OF, Indians

Allen is one of my favorite sleepers in 2019. He also plays for a Cleveland team that’s expected to do well in the standings and the club has pretty weak depth in the outfield. With that said, the recent signing of Carlos Gonzalez muddies things a bit (and let’s not forget the injured Bradley Zimmer, who almost qualifies for this list, too).

Allen does some things that are important and give him an extra edge for sticking with Cleveland while others like Jordan Luplow and Tyler Naquin might get the heave-ho. The fleet-of-foot outfielder can play all three outfield positions and is a natural center-fielder. He also has the potential to wreak havoc on the base paths and 40-50 stolen bases wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility with 140-150 games played; after all, he stole 21 bases last year but had only 68 hits in limited action.

 

Mitch Garver - C, Twins

The season that Garver had in 2018 is being seriously under-appreciated for a few reasons. Firstly, he doesn’t project to have the lion’s share of at-bats in 2019 because veteran Jason Castro is back from injury. Secondly, Willians Astudillo pretty much stole all the attention in 2018 with his MLB debut. Thirdly, well, Minnesota is just not a media hotspot like New York. Or Chicago. Or L.A… Or… well, you get the idea.

Despite all these obstacles, I’m here to remind you that Garver hit well as a rookie. Among all big league catchers with at least 300 at-bats, the 28-year-old catcher was 10th in weight runs created plus (wRC+) putting him offensively ahead of the likes of Salvador Perez, Willson Contreras, Gary Sanchez, and others that were likely drafted well ahead of him. If he gets a chance to play a reasonable amount, he could be a very good, very cheap option in the catcher’s slot… and a must-have in leagues with two catcher slots.   

 

Franklin Barreto - IF/OF, Athletics

The key piece in the ill-fated Josh Donaldson deal with Toronto, Barreto has already made two abbreviated attempts to stick in Oakland. Unfortunately, his approach has de-evolved at the highest level of play and he’s become more of a hacker. Always a free-swinger, his BB-K rate has turned into a frightening sight at Triple-A and in the Majors but if he can get back to what made him successful between 2013 and 2016 then he has a chance to be a nice little player.

He has the ability to sting the ball despite his modest size and he’s become more of a fly-ball hitter with a propensity for pulling the ball. Barreto may have given up hitting for average but he has 20-20 potential.  A solid spring has earned the young hitter a spot on the A’s team so now it’s up to him to earn enough playing time to be relevant. The first step to doing that will be to carry over his approach from the spring into the regular season, with the injury to first baseman Matt Olson cracking open the door to opportunity.

 

J.T. Chargois - RHP, Dodgers

Injuries have been Chargois’ mortal enemy since he signed out of a prestigious college program in 2012. He threw 16 innings of pro ball that year and then didn’t see the mound again until 2015. Along the path to today, he also missed almost all of 2017. Chargois won’t open the year in the Majors but his fastball-slider combo has a chance to be overpowering once he discovers the command/control that has eluded him thanks to the lost development time.

Along with the raw ability to generate whiff rates in the 10-12 strikeouts per nine innings range, Chargois also induces ground-balls at an elite level, which helps keep the ball in the yard. Mix all of these ingredients up and you have the makings of a high-leverage reliever capable of racking up saves and/or holds.

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF