These speedsters aren’t going to give you any power, but they are going to produce in other ways and are definitely worth a look as the rounds advance.
These are three younger players. They are all brimming with speed. They also have the swing to get on base. Each one is a player on the rise. Their value in drafts will never be better.
Cameron Maybin, Padres, Outfield
Maybin is ready to start producing up to his vast potential. He finished last year strong, and the 24-year-old is going to have a breakout season.
Maybin’s stats were on a steady incline after the All-Star break last year. He improved his eye at the plate and raised his batting average. He ended the season hitting .264.
His increased trips to the basepaths led to more steals. He ended the year with 40 steals and was caught eight times. He led the majors by nabbing 28 of those stolen bases after the All-Star break.
He’s not going to put up big power numbers—especially while playing in Petco Park—but he is going to get you runs, steals, hits and do a decent job with RBIs.
Jemile Weeks, A’s, 2nd Base
It is a thin crop of second basemen, but Weeks showed the promise to be a solid contributor. In 406 at-bats last year, Weeks hit .303.
He is not going to give you any power, but he is going to get you hits, and if the 25-year-old’s batting eye improves, he could post over a .400 OBP. Last season, he had an OBP of .340.
Weeks also has solid speed. He stole 22 bases last season. He was caught 11 times.
Weeks is going to get a ton of at-bats this year, and he will get plenty of hits and runs.
Dee Gordon, Dodgers, Shortstop
Gordon was fantastic after being called up in June last season. He started off solid and was playing like an All-Star in September.
He ended hitting .304 in 224 at-bats. He also had 34 runs and 24 stolen bases, and it was not until September when he offered a glimpse of what he is capable of.
In that month, he hit .372, scored 21 runs and had 12 steals. Gordon isn’t going to give you any power—he had just a .362 SLG last season—but he is going to produce in plenty of other ways.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com