Underrated Players, Part II
March 23, 2009
Yesterday, I profiled five players who are underrated in most fantasy baseball leagues. Today, I continue where I left off and profile another five.
Casey Blake
Casey Blake’s so obscure that even his own teammates don’t know who he is. Seriously though, Blake is a solid cornerman, particularly in an NL-Only league. He routinely hits .270-.280 with 18-22 homers and accumulates a respectable number of RBI’s and Runs. The Dodgers signed Blake to a three-year deal and he should man the hot corner for them on opening day. He’s 35, but still has another good season in him and shouldn’t cost much on draft day.
Ty Wigginton
Many New Yorkers remember Wigginton as a hard-nosed, but mediocre, role player for the Mets back in 2003-2004. Fast forward a few years and Wigginton has quietly blossomed into an offensive dynamo. His numbers over the past three seasons have been remarkably consistent. In 2006, he hit .275 with 24 homers, in 2007 he hit .278 with 22 homers, and last season he hit .285 with 23 homers. Now playing in Camden Yards, Wigginton may struggle once again to cobble together 400 at-bats. But even in limited playing time, he is a good bet for 20 homers. He also qualifies as an outfielder, and that positional flexibility makes him more valuable. In many leagues Wigginton can be had in the late rounds of a draft, or for under $6 in an auction.
Raul Ibanez
Ibanez lacks the power of the big boys manning the outfield (e.g. Braun, Lee, Manny, Holliday, Bay, Vladdy, Quentin, Hamilton, etc.), so he is often overlooked on draft day. But he still helps your team with a consistent .290 average, ~23 homers and over 100 RBI’s. Now playing in Philadelphia’s home run pad, there’s every reason to expect Ibanez to continue his offensive prowess, even at age 36. He has good lineup protection, a track record of success, a hitter’s ballpark, and is underrated by most fantasy baseball managers. That’s a good combination.
Jason Giambi
From 1999-2003 Giambi was one of the biggest stars in the game, and would certainly not appear on an underrated list. Yet, a funny thing happened on the way to injecting himself with steroids: he went from hitting .342 in 2001 to .236 in 2007 and .247 in 2008. As a result, many fantasy baseball managers now overlook him for fear he will destroy their team’s batting average. But Giambi still slams over 30 balls out of the park each season. If your team is short on power, Giambi is someone who can help out. A return to his Oakland roots, and getting out of the media spotlight in New York, can only help.
Ted Lilly
Few people think of Lilly when constructing a dominating pitching staff. Big mistake. Huge.(yeah, I can’t believe I just quoted “Pretty Woman” either. My bad). Yet, over the past two seasons, Lilly has averaged 15.6 wins, 172 strikeouts, a 3.86 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. To put that in perspective, that’s better than the two year averages of, among others, Carlos Zambrano, Justin Verlander, Ervin Santana, Cliff Lee, Javier Vasquez, Jered Weaver, Chris Young, and Aaron Harang. His ERA isn’t the greatest, but the wins, strikeouts and WHIP make Lilly a nice addition to any staff.
Any glaring omissions? Include them in the comment section below.
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4 Responses to “Underrated Players, Part II”
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I would add Chris Carpenter to this list. He is going to be the come back player of the year.
Carpenter’s an interesting choice. He was one of my favorites before missing the past two years. I view him more as a sleeper than underrated, but perhaps both are fitting considering the uncertainty surrounding him. Good point – thanks for the comment.
Chris Young????
jair jurrjens