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2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers Include Twins Japanese Import Tsuyoshi Nishioka

If all goes according to plan (i.e. if Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau can stay healthy), the Minnesota Twins will be the team to beat in the AL Central in 2011. With all respect to the retooled and reloaded Detroit Tigers, no other team in the division can match the kind of talent the Twins have up and down their roster.

The Twins didn't make too many moves this offseason, but one of the more curious transactions they made was signing Tsuyoshi Nishioka from Japan to play second base.

An eight-year veteran of the Chiba Lotte Marines, Nishioka boasts a career average of .293, but not much else. He doesn't hit for a whole lot of power, and he collected just 300 RBIs and 174 stolen bases during his career. The average and stolen base numbers are certainly solid, but not much else about Nishioka's resume is likely to light up a fantasy owner's eyes.

Not even the experts are expecting much out of Nishioka. ESPN has him ranked No. 18 among second basemen, and CBS Sports has him ranked No. 17. The obvious indication is that neither of them think he's worthy of being your starting second baseman. Yet, when it comes to fantasy, one man's trash is another man's steal. And Nishioka could definitely end up being the latter.

As I see it, this year's second base crop is as week as it's ever been, and it's even weaker now that Chase Utley is out for the immediate future. Therefore, once you get past Brandon Phillips, it's all wild cards, and that's where Nishioka's scouting report comes in handy.

Nishioka is supposed to be a great contact hitter, and his good speed could mean big things if he can hit some balls into the gaps at Target Field. As for what he's done to make you think he's capable of hitting American pitching, well, how about his .346 spring training average, which included a 13-game hitting streak? That should do the trick.

In all likelihood, Nishioka is going to be around well after most of the "top" second basemen are off the board. If you're feeling bold, you can pick up the players others are passing on, and then make your move for Nishioka later.

If it turns out to be a great move, you can thank me however you wish.

For more baseball coverage, check out our Opening Day Lineup Projections for All 30 Teams.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Will Be Good to Owners Who Reach for Brett Gardner

Much like saves, stolen bases drive fantasy baseball junkies mad. It's a stat that requires drafting specialty players, and passing up a slugger like Adam Dunn to draft a speedster like Juan Pierre is just never going to feel right. But alas, it must be done if one is to have any hope of winning his league.

As always, the key when it comes to finding steals is to try and get them after the big boppers are off the board. At the same time, such an essential truth is oftentimes overruled when fantasy pundits put players like Jacoby Ellsbury on the same level as Andre Ethier. If we're going to do something like that, we may as well do it with Brett Gardner.

Come to think of it, why isn't Brett Gardner valued as highly as people like Ellsbury and Shane Victorino? Sure, he's not going to get as many extra-base hits as those guys, but he should be able to at least equal their stolen base totals.

In 2010, the New York Yankees' left fielder stole 47 bases and scored 97 runs. Gardner also hit a solid .277, all while primarily batting ninth in Joe Girardi's lineup. These are all numbers that should make fantasy owners drool, yet Gardner has typically been going around 100th overall in both ESPN and CBS Sports leagues. Ellsbury, on the other hand, is going as high as the 50s in ESPN leagues.

But wait, it gets better. Girardi has hinted that Gardner will bat leadoff against righthanded pitchers, which should lead to more steals and more runs. When you consider that most of the hurlers the Yankees face will be righthanded, the jump in Gardner's stats could be considerable. And if his stats increase, that means your stats will also increase.

Clearly, Gardner is a guy you want on your team.

For more baseball coverage, check out our Predictions for the Winners for Every Major Award.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Will Be a Fun Time if Jason Bay Can Recapture His Form

As soon as the New York Mets signed Jason Bay to a four-year, $66 million deal back in December of 2009, just about everyone in the world knew that the Mets and GM Omar Minaya were making a huge mistake.

This turned out to be true. Before a concussion ended the left fielder's season after 95 games, Bay hit just .259 with six home runs. Coincidentally, Minaya was fired this past October.

Coming into 2011, fantasy baseball junkies across the land have generally been treating Bay like a leper. He's pretty far down there on the outfielder rankings (No. 45 on both CBS Sports and ESPN), and it seems that people have all but forgotten that Bay had hit at least 30 home runs in four of five seasons before 2010. That's what six home runs and 81 games in Citi Field are going to do for one's fantasy stock.

Yet, there is hope for Bay. He's hitting at a respectable .333 clip so far this spring, and he has apparently abandoned an attempt to change his stance.

"I put my hands back to where they used to be and it felt like me," Bay told the New York Post. "I kind of feel like my spring training has started over the last five games. I feel a lot more comfortable. I wasn't giving myself the chance to see the ball real long. I wasn't giving myself the chance to walk, which is a big part of my game. Everything is in a better spot and there's no thinking."

Contrary to what you might be thinking, this is a good thing. The idea behind changing his stance in the first place was to get him to hit the ball up the middle more frequently. That might be good for Bay's batting average, but his power is more towards left and left-center than it is up the middle. For a guy's who's offensive game is all about power, trying to change that in the first place was foolish.

Even with all this being said, I can understand if you're still very hesitant to take Bay. But really, what do you have to lose? Bay is going to be readily available when you're looking for a third or fourth outfielder, and I've always thought that taking a player with a good track record is a better idea than taking a youngster who might blossom in the coming season. Besides, that youngster you're eyeing will probably be there in the next round.

In other words, drafting Bay leaves you with everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

For more baseball goodness, check out our Predictions for Which Players Will Win the Major Awards.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Could Be Where Chicago's Hard-Throwing Lefty Makes His Mark

Coming into spring training, one of the more interesting position battles was that of the closer's role on the Chicago White Sox. Bobby Jenks bolted for Boston during the offseason, and Ozzie Guillen was tasked with finding his replacement (once he stopped ripping Jenks, of course).

A little more than a week ago, Ozzie Guillen made the decision to hand the job to hard-throwing lefty Matt Thornton. Missing out was another hard-throwing lefty, 21-year-old (22 on Wednesday) Chris Sale.

Sale got a chance to showcase his upper-90s fastball and nasty slider in 21 appearances with the big club last season, and he looked pretty good. He posted a 1.93 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, and he struck out 32 batters in a mere 23.1 innings. Unfortunately, he really struggled with his control early on in spring training, and had given up seven runs in 8.1 innings leading up to the day Guillen made his decision.

With nothing more than strikeouts and holds in Sale's future, he wouldn't seem to be much of a fantasy option. Nevertheless, trust me when I tell you that you should still draft him.

On the one hand, the fact that Sale is going to get his fair share of strikeouts while keeping men off the bases could make him a valuable asset on your roster, especially if you're one of those guys who doesn't believe in chasing saves. Secondly, I'm personally not very convinced that Thornton has a vice-like grip on the closer's role. Up until he converted eight of 10 save chances in 2010, he converted only nine of 28 from 2005-2009. Not all of those came in the ninth, mind you, but it's enough to make me think that he might not have all the goods to be a closer.

But what about Sales' struggles in the spring? Well, I'm probably contradicting myself by saying this, but spring training results don't mean jack. The one thing that did concern me is the fact that Sale was struggling with his control, but he has apparently gotten things straightened out.

The other reason you should draft Sale is simply because he's so going to be able to be had very easily in the later rounds. Both ESPN (click on Sale's name) and CBS Sports generally have him going 227th overall, and he's only owned in 19 percent of ESPN leagues and 42 percent of CBS leagues. There are plenty of closers-in-waiting out there, no doubt about that, but it just seems to me that Sale is the one with the best shot of not only taking the job, but holding onto it.

If he does, you can feel free to send him a gift basket.

Or you could send me one. Your choice.

For more baseball coverage, check out our Opening Day Lineup Projects for All 30 Teams.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Won't Be the Only Area Kyle McClellan Will Excel This Year

When it was announced that Adam Wainwright was going to have to undergo Tommy John surgery, fans of the St. Louis Cardinals weren't the only people that cried out in despair. Fantasy baseball junkies did too.  

Shortly thereafter, hope for both parties appeared on the horizon in the form of Kyle McClellan. A year removed from posting a 2.27 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in the bullpen, the 26-year-old righthander was tasked with taking Wainwright's spot in St. Louis' rotation, and the early returns have been very encouraging.

In five spring starts, McClellan has compiled a 0.78 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and an opponents' batting average of .158. In a word, that is beastly.

Despite McClellan's hot spring, not everyone is convinced that he would be a worthy addition to your fantasy rotation. The folks at ESPN say that he's a good target if "you have a few bucks at the end of your NL-only draft." The folks at CBS Sports are of the mind that McClellan is an "intriguing late-round Fantasy option."

Only Brad Evans of Yahoo! Sports sees McClellan's potential.

"Because [McClellan's] not the overpowering pitcher denizens of Fantasyland do back-flips for," writes Evans, "most will continue to ignore him. But his ability to attract groundball outs (career 1.53 GB/FB) should definitely pique owner interest. If command over his secondary offerings improves, he's capable of becoming an NL-version of John Lackey, a dependable back-end starter who won't hurt you in any single category."

Evans also realizes the impact that Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan could have on McClellan's development as a starter. He calls Duncan a "verifiable Dumbledore," and points out what he's done with pitchers like Ryan Franklin, Joel Pineiro, and even Chris Carpenter.

"Point blank: Give St. Louis' other 'Wizard' a heaping pile of garbage, and he'll turn it into gold," writes Evans.

Well played, Mr. Evans. And let's not forget that another pitcher that Duncan helped ease into the rotation was the very man McClellan is replacing: Adam Wainwright. He won 14 games in his first season as a starter in 2007, and he was a Cy Young contender by 2009.

Am I suggesting that McClellan will contend for the Cy Young? Heck no. But I am suggesting that McClellan is at least a much better target than people are making him out to be. He's only owned in 30 percent of CBS leagues, and is typically being drafted 218th overall. McClellan is better than that, and you could be the one bragging about it later on.

After all, bragging is what it's all about, am I right?

For more fantasy baseball coverage, check out our Opening Day Lineup Projections for All 30 Teams.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Just Got Great News Concerning Seattle's Hard-Throwing Rookie

Fantasy baseball junkies everywhere should be rejoicing right about now. The news came out earlier on monday that the Seattle Mariners have decided to insert 22-year-old righthander Michael Pineda into their starting rotation. Pineda is one of the best prospects in all of baseball, and he has all the right tools to turn into a fine co-ace alongside Felix Hernandez.

What are those tools, you ask? Well, his biggest asset is a high-90s fastball, and he's exhibited surprisingly good secondary pitches so far this spring. If you want proof, his 2.12 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in four spring starts should suffice.

Now, you might be scared off by Pineda's youth. After all, how often do these hot prospects actually pan out, am I right? But the truth is that Pineda has more experience than his age would indicate. He has been in the Mariners organization ever since he was a mere 17 years of age. In five seasons of minor league action, he's posted a 2.49 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a K/9 of 8.8.

The good news for fantasy owners is that Pineda can certainly be had. CBS Sports has his average draft position at around 226th overall (though he should jump now that he's in the rotation), and he's only owned in 49 percent of CBS leagues.

However, there is bad news for fantasy owners regarding Pineda. The Mariners offense still sucks, so it's entirely likely that Pineda will have an even tougher time picking up wins than Hernandez, who of course won the AL Cy Young with just 13 wins.

Nevertheless, Pineda could emerge as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate if all goes according to plan. If this does indeed happen, it will be reflected by his low ERA and WHIP, and probably high strikeout totals as well. When it comes to fantasy, you know as well as I do that these things matter far more than wins.

My advice: do whatever you can to draft Pineda. If you need to reach for him in the 12th round when pitchers like Josh Beckett are still available, then so be it. Pineda is a gamble, but the potential payoff is considerable.

For more fantasy baseball goodness, check out our list of The Top 40 Late-Round Draft Steals.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Comes with a Very Deep Crop of Talent at First Base, but Davis Could Be the Steal of the Bunch

There are plenty of talented first basemen for fantasy owners to pick from this season. Albert Pujols is a consensus No. 1 overall pick, and he will be followed by Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, and Adrian Gonzalez.

As always, the one thing you're looking to get out of your first baseman is power, and the best of this year's crop are going to provide plenty of that. The question is whether or not it's a good idea to go to the well at first base more than once, perhaps in the later rounds when you're looking for a good guy to fill your utility spot. The answer is yes, and the one guy you should keep in mind is Ike Davis of the New York Mets.

Because Davis emerged to hit 19 home runs in his first big league season last year, this might sound like something of a no-brainer. But there's still not much love for Davis out there. ESPN, CBS Sports, and Yahoo! Sports all have Davis stashed somewhere in the 20s in their first base rankings, which indicates that he should come nowhere near your starting position at first.

Oh, ye of little faith. The truth is that Davis could end up being a fine option for your team, whether you want to use him at first or in your utility spot. Do not be frightened by the fact that he posted a .264 average last season. He hit .344 in September, with a .445 OBP and a .533 slugging percentage. He has also been good in spring training, hitting over .300 in games coming after March 11.

The major concern about Davis is whether or not he will go through a sophomore slump. This is a legit worry, especially if pitchers start feeding him a steady diet of offspeed stuff.

In response to that, I will refer back to ESPN: "If you're worried about opposing pitchers testing him with breaking pitches in his sophomore year, consider this: He saw the fourth-most curveballs of anyone in baseball (12.9 percent of all pitches) and seventh-fewest fastballs (50.9). Pitchers were already testing him, and he proved up to it, so growth in 2011 is more likely than regression."

But wait, it gets better. Davis is going to be right in the middle of the Mets' lineup, quite possibly in the cleanup spot in between David Wright and Jason Bay. That should mean an increase to as many as 30 homers for Davis. And because Jose Reyes is playing for a contract at the top of the lineup, 100 RBIs is a real possibility.

All this for a guy that typically gets drafted in the 170 range in CBS leagues. Not bad. Not bad at all.

For more fantasy baseball goodness, check out our list of The Top 40 Late-Round Steals.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Could See the Return of Kung Fu Panda

It still fairly boggles to mind that the San Francisco Giants managed to win the World Series despite getting relatively nothing out of Pablo Sandoval, the very man who hit .330 with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs in 2009.

We all know why Sandoval's production dropped to .268, 13, and 63 in 2010. It's because the guy absolutely ballooned, and his bat speed suffered accordingly. Clearly, he needed to get in shape.

He did just that, and Giants fans everywhere are pretty darned excited about the idea that the Kung Fu Panda they came to love in '09 will be back. So too, I think, are many fantasy owners.

That being said, there are still a lot of "ifs" surrounding Sandoval, and the general consensus appears to be that he is barely worthy of being your starting third baseman. ESPN has him ranked No. 11 among third basemen, and CBS Sports has him at No. 12 in their rankings. When you consider how weak the third base crop is this year, that's even worse than it sounds.

As far as both ESPN and CBS Sports seem to be concerned, owners are going to be forced to pretty much roll the dice at third base once Jose Bautista (who is something of a risk in his own right) is off the board. The way I see it, if I'm going to roll the dice on a player, I'd rather take Sandoval than somebody like Martin Prado or Casey McGehee.

It's all about upside, folks. And the best part about Sandoval is that he showed us in '09 what he's capable of, and I'm of the mind that banking on him getting back to that level is not as much of a risk as people are making it out to be. For one, the weight is gone. Secondly, it's hard not to be encouraged by the fact that Sandoval has hit .290 with three homers and 12 RBIs this spring.

If I may be so bold as to steal from ESPN, there's also this possibility to consider: "pitchers might be more apt to throw to him now that he no longer inspires as much fear and he shouldn't be so unlucky this time around."

Basically, Sandoval could be treated as the weakling on an elementary school softball team. If so, Sandoval will make them pay. And if you follow my advice, you could be the lucky guy reaping the benefits while the others do rain dances in hopes of getting something out of their third baseman.

For more baseball coverage, check out our list of Each Team's Biggest Target Heading Out of Spring Training.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Is Your Chance to Capitalize on Milwaukee's New Full-Time Closer

Saves. The very word inspires feelings of hate and fear in self-respecting fantasy baseball veterans. These people have long since come to grips with the notion that finding saves is something of a necessary evil, but the blasted things are indeed evil nonetheless.

This year, the crop of stud closers seems relatively dicey. Mariano Rivera is another year older, Rafael Soriano is no longer a closer, Brian Wilson is hurt, and Texas may have done too much tinkering with Neftali Feliz. As such, I would advise you to let other owners in your league go for these guys, allowing you to wait until the later rounds to start hunting for bargains.

If you can buy into such a strategy, the one closer I would suggest you keep in mind is John Axford of the Milwaukee Brewers. True, because Axford notched 24 saves last season, some would say that calling him a "sleeper" is a bit of a stretch. But they miss the point. We're not looking at a guy who can post 30-odd saves. No sir, Axford is the kind of guy who could save 40 or more games this season, which is something that you obviously want a part of.

The reason Axford was able to get save chances last season was because Trevor Hoffman was on and off the mound with injuries. Axford left no question about who was the more capable pitcher, as he posted an insane 11.79 K/9 and a 2.48 ERA. Opposing hitters also hit just .204 against him, and he allowed just one home run in 58 innings.

With ninth inning duties his to lose, Axford nearly did by getting off to a really slow start in spring training. But he hasn't allowed a run in his last four outings, and he said his intensity level is starting to rise.

"The intensity level is there, and I can feel it on the mound," Axford said after his most recent outing. "Before, physically I felt great, and mentally I felt great. It was just the intensity level I was at last year, I just couldn't bring it back. Today, it felt great to be in that moment."

Sounds good, but when can you look to grab Axford? Good question. One way or another, Axford is not going to fall too far. He may be a sleeper, but he's not a secret. He is owned in 89 percent of CBS Sports leagues, with his average draft position being around 150th overall.

A good time to start looking Axford's way would be at or near the 10th round of your draft. Some of the "top" closers might still be available by then, but I'm of the opinion that Axford is worth reaching for. Once Zack Greinke returns from his rib injury, the Brewers are going to have perhaps the best rotation in the NL Central, and they're going to hand Axford plenty of opportunities.

He'll convert them. Trust me.

For more fantasy baseball coverage, check out who's on our list of Fantasy Sleepers From Every Major League Team.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Should Be Your First Introduction to Toronto's Young Gun

In what was something of a foregone conclusion, the Toronto Blue Jays have penciled 23-year-old righthander Kyle Drabek into their starting rotation, a move that was made official when the team determined that fellow righty Brandon Morrow would have to start the season on the disabled list with a right forearm strain.

According to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, Drabek will occupy the two-spot behind Ricky Romero and in front of Brett Cecil. As far as your rotation is concerned, however, Drabek could make a fine No. 4 or No. 5 option. And considering his talent, he might just be a No. 1 by the time the season is over.

Drabek, who the Jays got from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Roy Halladay trade, throws in the mid-90s with a curveball that one ESPN guru said is already a "major league out pitch." He also tends to get a lot of ground balls, which should help in a division that is fair teeming with sluggers.

Toronto did call up their youngster for three starts at the end of last season, but I wouldn't recommend looking too closely at the numbers he put up (hint: opponents hit .295 against him). However, he did post 14 wins with a sub-3.00 ERA and a 7.3 K/9 at Double-A last season.

Not that it matters, but Drabek also performed pretty well in three spring training starts, posting two wins and a 3.27 ERA.

If this all sounds good, I suppose the question is when you can look to draft Drabek. The truth is that you should be able to wait until the much later rounds. The folks at CBS Sports have his average draft position at around 237, and he is only owned in about 49 percent of CBS leagues. This has a lot to do with the fact that most pundits think he's more of an AL-only sleeper, and some might be scared off about what's going to happen with him once Morrow returns.

These are reasonable concerns, but there's no denying that Drabek has the goods to be a major league pitcher. Even if he doesn't develop into Cy Young material this season (which is admittedly quite a stretch), he's exactly the kind of guy you want if you're in a keeper league.

For more baseball coverage, check out our list of The Top 20 AL Central Players to Watch in 2011.