Underrated Players, Part I
March 22, 2009
Many fantasy baseball managers go after household names on draft day. Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, David Wright, Miguel Cabrera and Manny Ramirez to name a few. It’s easy to brag about a team that has Pujols, but not too many of your friends are going to consider you sane if you start ragging on them for not having Derek Lowe. Yet, in many leagues it is the consistent, more obscure player, that determines the standings. Behold the unsung heroes, the second and third tier players who perform at a high level without the glaring media attention. This article reviews a few of them.
Nick Markakis
Experienced fantasy ballers will recognize Markakis as a top fantasy baseball outfielder. Yet, there are a surprising number of fans who do not yet know about Markakis. Over the past two years Markakis has quietly hit .300 and .306 with 23 and 20 homers respectively. A pure five category player, Markakis also provides 10-16 steals and ~100 runs scored. Only 25, Markakis’s power is still developing and he could become a 30 homer player this season.
Derek Lowe
Lowe has become one of the most consistent pitchers in the National League, but he gets very little fanfare. He is a virtual lock for 12-16 wins, a mid 3 ERA and a good WHIP. His K’s aren’t as high as many of the elite pitchers, but the 147 he’s racked up in each of the past two years won’t hurt you. Now with the Braves, we think Lowe will get more wins and a slightly higher WHIP than last season.
Adam LaRoche
With mashers like Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols sharing his position, you won’t win too many bragging rights with LaRoche as your starting first basemen. But don’t let that dissuade you from drafting him. Take a look at his stats over the past three years:
BA HR RBI
2006 – .285 32 90
2007 – 272 21 88
2008 – 270 25 85
Pretty good for a virtual no name. LaRoche has a tendency to slump in the first half and get hot in the second. If he can ever put it together in April, watch out; he could hit 35 homers with a .280 batting average. Not bad for a late round first basemen.
Placido Polanco
Batting average is perhaps the most overlooked category. We admire the long ball, and crave players like Ryan Howard, Adam Dunn, and Dan Uggla, even if they destroy our team’s batting average. Polanco is at the other end of the spectrum. His stats hardly look glamorous, but he’s precisely the type of player that you should use to fill out your roster. He’ll do wonders for your batting average, and help balance out the .230 hitters on your team. Polanco hit .295 in ‘06, .341 in ‘06, and .307 in ‘08. And he’s not a one category player, he will also get close to 100 Runs, and rack up a respectable 60 rbi’s. Better yet, he can usually be had in the late round of a draft, or for under $10 in an auction.
Ryan Zimmerman
Playing for the lowly Washington Nationals, Zimmerman is often left off the list of top National League third basemen, even though he has the potential to be one of the best. Perhaps an injury-plagued 2008 season is part of the cause, but Zimmerman should definitely be on your radar as a low cost, good value option on draft day. He is only 24 and has already put up a .287-20-110-11-84 season (in 2006) and now has more protection in the lineup with the addition of Adam Dunn. Zimmerman has the potential to hit .290-26-105-8-100 in 2009.
Most managers in your league are familiar with these players and their track record, so they don’t fit the bill as “sleepers”. But they are underrated in most leagues and will help your team. Stay tuned for Underrated Players, Part II.
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4 Responses to “Underrated Players, Part I”
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Not sure how you can Markakis – a guy who is a consistent top 4 round pick – underrated, but nonetheless…
Three guys I would add to this list:
1) Jose Lopez (Seattle’s 2B) – he’s overlooked because of where he plays, but take a look at his numbers – 297 average, 41 doubles, 17 hr, 89 rbi and 80 runs – at the age of 24. He’ll be cheap, and very worth taking.
2) Jason Giambi (Oakland’s DH) – yes, his average isnt great and he doesnt score very many runs, but he did hit 32 home runs and drive in 96 last year, and is back in Oakland. You can probably get him cheaply, but he’s worth considering as a power source.
3) Shin Soo Choo (Cleveland’s OF) – He’s a full-time starter this year now, and hitting well in the WBC. After taking over the starting role last year, he hit over 300 with 14 homers and 66 rbi. Take a flyer – at the very least, he’ll make your all-name team.
Jesse, Thanks for your comments. A few quick points: first, the title of the article is underrated players, not undervalued. It’s a subtle distinction, but a material one nonetheless.
As for Markakis, I specifically note that experienced fantasy baseball managers do not underrate him. But there are a surprising number of roto neophytes or more casual players that don’t know about him like they should. The article is geared toward them.
Lopez and Giambi are good additions; I planned to include Giambi in Part II. As for Choo, I view him as more of a sleeper than someone who is underrated.
Underated Players:
Pablo Sandoval (C/3B Giants)
Wandy Rodriguez (P Astros)
Joe Saunders (P Angels)
Raul Ibanez (OF Phillies)
Brad Hawpe (OF Rockies)
jair jurrjens, (sp, braves
javier vazquez ( sp, braves, yeah,now he’s back in nl)
bobby abreu