Opening Day in Major League Baseball is closer than you think.
So if you’re prepping for your 2023 fantasy baseball season, now’s the time you’re starting to think about sleepers, some of whom you might have seen playing in spring training.
And that’s what this list is for: A collection of sleepers from around the American and National League, 30 of them to mark on your cheat sheet for your upcoming draft.
Of course, they may not end up being sleepers by the time you’re drafting. We’ll still list them here and hopefully, they’ll continue to be well-kept secrets as the first day of the season approaches:
1
Boston Red Sox: 1B Triston Casas
I like taking some shots at some cheap 1B options later in drafts, so I’ll throw a pick at him for sure.
One of Fangraphs’ projections for Triston Casas for 2023 is the following:
.256 / .352 / .440 / 18 HR / 120 wRC+
Do you think Casas will exceed these projections?pic.twitter.com/BAib4efWpI
— BallPark Buzz (@BallParkBuzz) March 9, 2023
2
Toronto Blue Jays: SP Jose Berrios
Is it worth betting on him after he struck out 204 batters just to seasons ago? Why not, right?
3
Tampa Bay Rays: SP Zach Eflin
A team that never spends big on free agents hands the ex-Phillie a large contract. Hmmm. Given what we know about Rays pitchers thriving, I’d want to bet on him to do well after they gave him $40 million.
Free agent starter Zach Eflin gets 3 years, $40 million contract from the #Rays. It’s the biggest free agent contract in #Rays’ history
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 2, 2022
4
Baltimore Orioles: SS Jorge Mateo
Dude swiped 35 bags last year. Cheap steals in the later rounds? Absolutely!
5
New York Yankees: OF Harrison Bader
He’s probably going to start the year on the IL, but when he comes back, he could put up some decent speed and power numbers.
6
Kansas City Royals: C/OF MJ Melendez
Does he count as a sleeper after the year he had last year with 18 dingers? Probably not. But I’ll still put him here and remind you that he has catcher eligibility and that’s huge.
7
Chicago White Sox: SP Michael Kopech
A post-hype guy if I ever saw one. He pitched decently last year and could be better as a starter.
8
Minnesota Twins: SP Tyler Mahle
He showed flashes with the Reds and a change of scenery could boost his value.
9
Cleveland Guardians: SP Cal Quantrill
Have you noticed he’s had an ERA of 3.38 or lower in each of his last three years? Hmm.
10
Detroit Tigers: OF Austin Meadows
He only played 36 games last season. The year before? He knocked in 106 runs. I’m intrigued.
11
Oakland A’s: OF Esteury Ruiz
He’s been dealt a bunch but we know this: He has speed, he’s playing on a bad team which means he could play a lot, and he’ll come cheap.
12
Houston Astros: SP Hunter Brown
I know everyone’s all in on him as a sleeper, but looking at the situation – pitching for the defending champs – you get it.
Hunter Brown's 2 1st Inning Ks. pic.twitter.com/vGq2z2cl6d
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 6, 2023
13
Texas Rangers: 3B Josh Jung
Not the best of call-ups for him last season, but maybe he learned something in 26 games and five homers.
14
Los Angeles Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon
It’s been an awful tenure for him after the Angels handed him a massive contract. But maybe he’s healthy? And at the price you’ll pay, isn’t it worth a shot?
15
Seattle Mariners: OF Jarred Kelenic
Another post-hype guy who was all the rage in drafts just a year ago. This is the perfect time to take a flier and see if 2023 is the breakout year for the former top-10 prospect.
.@jarredkelenic just cleared the batter's eye 😳 pic.twitter.com/TjhjcCa5dR
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 5, 2023
16
Atlanta Braves: SP Mike Soroka
You may have to wait, especially given his most recent injury. But given the potential – he had a 2.68 ERA in 2019 – he could be worth it.
17
New York Mets: SP Kodai Senga
Will he find command with his “Ghost Fork” pitch? If he does, he could pile up the strikeouts in his first year out of Japan.
Kodai Senga, 98mph Fastball and 83mph Ghost Fork, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/KTsYqTwqOJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 5, 2023
18
Miami Marlins: OF Bryan De La Cruz
EVERYBODY is putting him on a sleeper list. With 13 homers in 115 games last season, there’s good reason for that. The power is there.
19
Philadelphia Phillies: OF Brandon Marsh
Double-digit dingers and swipes? He did it last year. And now he’s playing in a very hitter-friendly park.
20
Washington Nationals: SS CJ Abrams
You know what’s fun? Waiting to take a guy who was very recently considered among the best prospects in all of baseball. He’s just 21, which means his rookie-year struggles aren’t a big deal at all.
CJ Abrams hits a single and James Wood advances to third base pic.twitter.com/J92E7ucsE0
— Kev (@OnePursuitTakes) March 1, 2023
21
Cincinnati Reds: OF TJ Friedl
With eight dingers and seven stolen bases in 72 games last season, he’s a deep sleeper who could end up with double digits in both categories.
22
St. Louis Cardinals: 3B Jordan Walker
The preseason hype is going to turn the slugger from sleeper into a possible breakout star, but if you’re reading this and see he’s dropping in your drafts, queue him up fast.
HE'S ONLY 20 YEARS OLD!
Jordan Walker's spring:
.500 AVG
1.167 SLG
1.667 OPS
3 HR
6 RBI pic.twitter.com/sUhNnKjEOR— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 4, 2023
23
Milwaukee Brewers: OF Jesse Winker
He underachieved last year for the Mariners, but his line in 2021 was .305-24-71. Hmmm.
24
Chicago Cubs: OF Cody Bellinger
It’s been a while since he was NL MVP. Since then he’s fallen WAY off. But I like buying into the change of scenery now that he’s no longer in L.A. and maybe the lack of the shift will help?
25
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Mitch Keller
Remember when he was among the top prospects? Feels like a while ago. But check out last year’s numbers: 138 Ks in 159 IP and a 3.91 ERA. He’s got room to grow, even on a middling Pirates team.
26
San Francisco Giants: SP Alex Cobb
One of my favorite things is to draft Giants starting pitchers, especially those who had a sub-4.00 ERA and could end up with double-digit wins.
27
Arizona Diamondbacks: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Try to ignore last year’s numbers with the Blue Jays. It was just two seasons ago that he had 21 dingers and 84 RBI. The year before? A .308 average. At the price you’ll pay, it’s worth seeing if he’ll bounce back.
28
San Diego Padres: 2B Ha-Seong Kim
With Xander Bogaerts at short, he’ll play a lot at second, and I like his all-around abilities at his ADP, and maybe he’ll actually break out with the increase in playing time.
29
Los Angeles Dodgers: 2B Miguel Vargas
He hasn’t swung a bat at all after a pinkie fracture, but when he does, you’ll see that he’s going to have a chance to break out in the middle of a packed lineup. He’s a solid bet to be a Rookie of the Year candidate.
30
Colorado Rockies: SS Ezquiel Tover
The hype for the 21-year-old is justified, assuming he wins the job in spring training. He can hit for power and steal bases, and obviously playing in Colorado helps a ton.
Ezequiel Tovar – Colorado Rockies (1)* pic.twitter.com/VZZwvjjy8p
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) February 28, 2023
