Who will be the Adam LaRoche of the 2013 fantasy baseball season? Adam was amazingly drafted in the 19th round in my National League fantasy baseball league draft, basically an afterthought pick due to his injury plagued 2012 campaign, but he went on to have the best season of his career, posting 30 homers and 100 RBI. The following is a list of sleeper candidates to help you find the Adam LaRoche for the 2013 fantasy baseball season.
- 2013 NL Fantasy Baseball Deep Sleeper Picks
List of deep sleeper picks, or lottery ticket players, for the 2013 fantasy baseball season.
Adam Eaton, OF, Arizona Diamonbacks
With the unloading of Chris Young to the A's, the centerfield position is now Eaton's to lose. In 22 games last season the 23 year old batted .259 with 2 homers and 2 steals. He also showed a good knowledge of the strike zone collecting 14 walks to go along with a .382 OBP. Eaton was a .355 career hitter in the minors over 1200 at bats and also stole as many as 44 bases in a season so he has the tools to make an impact for your fantasy team. More importantly, he had a amazing .459 OBP in his minor league career. If he can come close to this he will be a lock to be the lead-off hitter the Diamondbacks have been sorely missing the last several seasons.
Juan Pierre, OF, Miami Marlins
Source: Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Juan Pierre, OF, Miami Marlins
The perennially under-appreciated Pierre, just signed by the Marlins, is one of the best kept secrets in fantasy. It's a shame he has not been a starter the last few seasons because when he plays he performs and produces. He stays in great shape and he should be the keystone at the top of the order for the Marlins in 2013. After their recent fire sale he is now the second best player on the team behind Stanton. He stole 37 bases last season in only 439 plate appearances last year with the Phillies and has stolen over 20 every season he has played. The .297 career hitter should start in center and will steal over 40 bases in 2013.
Homer Bailey, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Lost in the Reds' post-season collapse was the arrival of Homer Bailey as a big time starting pitcher. At the end of last season he had what bike racers call "the revelation" which is the term used when an athlete's performance suddenly jumps up several levels. The 26 year old Bailey finished 2012 with 33 starts, a 13-10 record, 3.68 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 208 innings pitched, and 168 strike outs, all career bests. The highlight of his year had to be his no hitter against the Pirates on September 28th. He won't be among the top NL starters in the draft and may be available after round ten. Be sure to target him if he falls in the draft as he will build on his impressive season with another great campaign in 2013.
Norichika Aoki, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
The first year Japanese player Aoki quietly put together a solid season for the Brewers by contributing in all categories while at the same time limiting his strike outs. One of the unsung heroes of the head-to-head format along with Prado and Scuturo. This may be difficult for many to believe but he had year end point totals than Brandon Phillips, Ian Desmond, Jason Kubel, Joey Votto, David Freese, and Dan Uggla to name just a few. The 30 year old Aoki finished 2012 with 520 at bats and batted .288 with 10 homers, 37 doubles, 81 runs, 50 RBI, 30 stolen bases, 43 walks, and only 55 strike outs. As I mentioned earlier, he contributes in all categories and is fairly slump proof so let others draft Uggla, Freese, and Kubel while you sit back and wait for Aoki. I will be targeting him in my fantasy drafts.
Jonathan Lucroy, C, Milwaukee Brewers
Source: Getty Images
Jonathan Lucroy, C, Milwaukee Brewers
Most will look at his numbers and move on to the more brand name NL catchers like Posey, Molina, or McCann, but if not for a freak accident where his wife broke his hand, he would have been right up there in counting stats with the other big names. In spite of the injury, which cost him not only 6 weeks of playing time but also lost momentum and strength in his hand, he still finished with A .320 batting average, 12 homers, 58 RBI, and .881 OPS in 346 at bats. Only 26 years old he should break out in 2013 with a monster season. I see him hitting .300 with 22 homers and 85 RBI as one of the key pieces of the Brewer lineup.
Logan Morrison, OF, Miami Marlins
One of the few players left standing after the recent Marlin fire sale. A balky knee derailed Morrison's 2012 campaign before it ever really got started. He had surgery in the spring and never really seemed physically right at any time during the year. He played in only 93 games and batted only .230 with 11 homers and 36 RBI. He is only 24 years old and should be have a healthy knee to start 2013 for the Marlins, that is if he isn't traded between now and opening day.
Ross Detwiler, SP Washington Nationals
The lanky left hander was the fifth starter in a dominant Washington rotation and consequently played under the radar in 2012. The 26 year old finished the season with 27 starts, 164 1/3 innings pitched, 105 strike outs, 1.22 WHIP, and a 10-8 record. With a fastball the touches 96 he should be someone to target to 2013. Target him in rounds 10-12 of you fantasy draft.
Josh Rutledge, 2B-SS, Colorado Rockies
Rutledge, who will be 24 at the start of the season, saw extended playing time for the Rockies down the stretch in 2012 and surprised many with his across the board offensive output. In only 277 at bats he hit .274 with 8 homers, 37 RBI, and 7 steals and put himself in the running for the Rockies starting second base job in 2013. Currently, he may only be eligible at short stop where he played the majority of his games last season (57). He only played 7 games at second but will likely play there with Troy Tulowitzki returning for duty at short. He could put up some nice numbers batting second in the Rockies lineup.
Justin Ruggiano, OF Miami Marlins
Source: Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Justin Ruggiano, OF, Miami Marlins
Due to an onslaught of injuries to the Marlins roster Ruggiano found himself a starter for the first time in his career and ended up being one of the few bright spots in an overall dismal season for Miami. The 30 year old displayed an intriguing blend of speed and power last season and ended up hitting .313 with 13 homers and 14 stolen bases in only 288 at bats. He should be one of the starters in 2013, but there are concerns. First is his health as he seemed to struggle with nagging injuries, particularly his back last season. He also has yet to play a full season in the majors, but he was a .296 hitter in the minors with close to 3,000 at bats under his belt. If he plays full time I think he can cobble together a 20-20 season for the Marlins.
Starling Marte, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
When I first saw him play, the 24 year old Marte struck me as a younger version of Andrew McCutchen. If he comes anywhere close to McCutchen's level then Pirates fans will have something to cheer about for years to come. However, there is the Clint Hurdle factor in his way. Ideally, he should handle him like Joe Torre managed Matt Kemp his first few seasons. Torre batted Kemp 7th or 8th in the lineup and just left him alone to struggle and figure out major league pitching without have the pressure to bat in the top of the order. However, I don't see this happening with good old Clint. I'm sure he will bat Marte leadoff where he will at times struggle and end up being benched for underperformace, Marte's confidence will suffer. Marte is a raw talent that still needs time to develop. Overall, I think he did pretty well last season in his short time up. He showed flashes of brilliance, but also appeared overmatched at times, which is typical for a rookie. He finished the season batting .257 with 5 homers and 12 stolen bases in only 182 plate appearances. He also struck out 27.5% of the time.
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