4 Newcomers That Will Open Eyes This Spring

Who will be the next Tim Lincecum, Francisco Liriano or Buster Posey?

Last year, the players that impressed the most were Mike Leake, Jaime Garcia, Jason Heyward, Buster Posey and Austin Jackson.

I have put together a short list of newcomers to watch this year. These are the guys to monitor and possibly add/draft to your fantasy team.

J.P. Arencibia: C Toronto Blue Jays

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DUNEDIN, FL - FEBRUARY 23: JP Arencibia #9 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses during photo day at the Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex on February 23, 2009 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Sure, this guy might be turning 25, but he’s at the majors, and he’s ready. Last year in Triple-A, he hit .301 and with 32 homers in a little over 100 games.

In Toronto, he pretty much has the starting gig locked up. While his batting average will never be the same and his OBP isn’t going to be very high, his power should translate well to the majors and you can expect about 20 dingers.

I wouldn’t draft him to be your starting catcher right away, but put him on your bench and see what he does, because he likely won’t be drafted in many leagues. He could develop into something more than a bench warmer this year.

Freddie Freeman: 1B Atlanta Braves

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 01: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves against the New York Mets at Turner Field on September 1, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This is another guy that has his job all but locked up. He is a great contact hitter, with a knack for finding the gaps in the outfield to leg out doubles.

He probably is not going to be the next Joey Votto or Albert Pujols, but he’s a guy that you know is going to get at-bats, and he is capable of hitting around the .280 range his first year.

Jeremy Hellickson: SP Tampa Bay Rays

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OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 20: Jeremy Hellickson #58 of the Tampa Bay Rays bats against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 20, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This guy is probably as ready as they come. He has a four-pitch arsenal and commands all of them well. Throughout his career in the minors, he compiled a 2.71 ERA and averaged nearly 10 strikeouts per 9 innings. In other words, he is capable of keeping a solid ERA under 4, and will help boost your team in strikeouts, while providing a quality WHIP.

The Rays traded away Matt Garza, and expect Hellickson to step right into his shoes and perform. The only red flag is that he has not appeared in a game at Triple-A, but experts believe he is ready right now.

Domonic Brown: RF Philadelphia Phillies

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CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Domonic Brown #9 of the Philadelphia Phillies poses for a photo during Spring Training Media Photo Day at Bright House Networks Field on February 22, 2011 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

He hits around .300 in the minors with decent power and speed, a somewhat rare combination. He is a multi-tool talent who seems like the logical choice for the vacant right field spot left by the departure of Jayson Werth, but the Phillies don’t seem to want to commit to him just yet.

It looks like he has a few problems, such as hitting the major league change-up and pitch recognition, but the only way he’ll be able to improve on those is to get at-bats in the majors.

In a worst case scenario, I see him being able to produce enough to keep him in the lineup, with the upside to develop into something special. By the end of the season, he could find his way into your starting fantasy lineup.