With the 2012 MLB season almost upon us, it’s time to get down to the crux of the fantasy baseball rankings, which always starts with the sleepers.
While there are big names due for breakout seasons, the following players will all have amazing seasons and you could pick them up in the middle or later rounds.
Grab these players as late as you can in the draft and laugh all the way to the fantasy baseball bank.
While 12 wins in 2011 is a solid season that could be deemed worthy of a selection in deeper fantasy leagues, new Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Trevor Cahill will be so much more than that.
With 18 wins the previous season in Oakland, the more powerful offense that Arizona boasts will help bring his record back to where his ERA and WHIP depicts it should be.
Add in over 200 innings pitched each of the last two seasons, and the 24-year-old star will be a huge part of the reinvention in the desert. I expect 19 wins, a 3.11 ERA and 144 strikeouts.
Sean Marshall
With the recent news that new closer Ryan Madson had been diagnosed with an elbow injury and will be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, the new closer in Cincinnati will be Sean Marshall.
Marshall was one of the best setup men in MLB last season, posting a 2.26 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 75.2 innings of a work with the Chicago Cubs last season.
The former Cub was brought in to help Madson take the full reins of a team, but it will be him taking the reins. While there are uncertainties around him, Marshall will do fine and put up 33 saves and a 2.66 ERA.
Wilson Ramos
After a wild offseason that has the Washington Nationals young catcher thankful to be alive, Wilson Ramos looks to dominate at the plate this season.
With a Nationals team that is getting stronger by the day, Ramos is a big key to the success of the team now and going forward. While his .267 batting average in 2011 isn’t that impressive, this season will be different.
With a full MLB season under his belt, Ramos will hit closer to .285 this season with 25 home runs and 80 RBI. That’s a sleeper if I ever heard of one!
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