2004 Fantasy Baseball Surprises by Glen Stroup (WiredTiger)
Fantasy baseball is a very fickle master. No matter how much time you put into preparation and research, it’s often those surprise players that end up making the difference between finishing in first place and finishing in the middle of the pack. Here are some guys that were drafted late or picked up off of waivers in many leagues. Those teams that were insightful enough to pluck these guys up have been very happy.
Jason Frasor – The closer position is one where surprises seem to happen on a regular basis. Frasor was an unknown at the beginning of the year (he doesn’t even have a photo in his ESPN player bio!) but he has taken over the closer role and not looked back.
In 47 innings Frasor has a 2.09 ERA and a WHIP of 1.18. More importantly he’s saved 13 games on top of his 4 wins. Frasor has provided a big boost in the bullpen for those lucky enough to snag him off waivers.
Ben Sheets – The Milwaukee Brewers seem to have a bright future and Ben Sheets is a big part of it. The 26 year old looks like he has put it together to become one of the best starters in the game. Sheets has a 2.76 ERA in 150 innings, 162 strikeouts and 9 wins. At the beginning of the year I don’t think many people were clamoring to pick up starters on the Brew Crew but they have rallied around pitching coach Mike Maddux and become a welcome fantasy surprise.
Carlos Guillen – Guillen has always been a talented but inconsistent player. He’s had some very odd injuries (inflamed pelvis?, tuberculosis?) that have slowed his career but it now seems like he has found a home in Detroit. The big shortstops have struggled a little bit this year and with Arod’s move to 3b Guillen has actually been among the tops at the SS position. He’s batting .326 with 17 HRs, 78 runs, 79 RBIs and 7 stolen bases.
Victor Martinez – Martinez has been a welcome surprise in the thin catcher ranks. He’s batted .304, scored 59 runs, driven in 80 and hit 17 home runs and is fighting with Ivan Rodriguez to be the top fantasy catcher. Martinez was a highly regarded prospect but I don’t think many people expected this much hitting this soon.
Matt Lawton – Lawton dropped off the fantasy radar after being traded to the Indians in the Roberto Alomar deal. He was injured off and on and he stopped stealing bases. This year it looks like Lawton has been a lot healthier. He hasn’t missed very many games and he’s stolen 18 bases. With 16 homeruns he’s on pace for a 20-20 season to go along with his .293 batting average and 77 runs scored.
Travis Hafner – Hafner, Lawton and Martinez have given a boost to the Indians and to Fantasy teams. A third tier first baseman when the season started Hafner has fulfilled the promise the Indians had for him when he was traded to them by the Rangers. Hafner has batted .320 with 18 homeruns, 66 runs scored and 78 RBIs.
Oliver Perez – Perez was a key part of the Brian Giles trade the Pirates made last season. He’s hit the ground running and has pitched his way into the top of the fantasy rankings. He’s won only 6 games but that’s more of indictment of the Pittsburgh offense than of Perez’s pitching. His 3.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP are good but what is most impressive is his 143 strikeouts in 118 innings.
Lew Ford – The Twins keep finding good players and Ford is the latest. Ford has been a five category contributor for fantasy squads. He’s batting .309 with 13 homeruns, 57 runs scored, 51 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Ford wasn’t on many draft lists to start the season but he has been a solid OF.