Fantasy Baseball's Next Big Thing: Toronto Blue Jay 3B Brett Lawrie

Many of you probably know of him, or at least have heard of him, but Canadian born Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays has the makings of a future star.

After being drafted 16th overall in the 2008 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Lawrie came out with a line of .274/.340/.436 with 13 HR and 19 SB in 424 AB in 2009, between Single A and Double A. You might not think that's all too special, but in his first professional season and as a 19 year old, it's pretty impressive.,

He followed that up in 2010 with .285/.346/.451 8 HR 30 SB in 554 AB in AA. The increase in AVG and SB was nice to see, but the regression in HR wasn't. During this time, however, he was playing 2B, so a 8/30 at 2B is very valuable.

After the 2010 season, Lawrie was dealt to the Blue Jays for SP Shaun Marcum. It was a deal that gave the Brewers a top SP, while the Blue Jays got a top prospect. After receiving word that he would be going back to his homeland in Canada, he was also told that he would be moving to 3B. After hearing about the position change, I was hesitant about it because 3B is usually a source of home runs, and if Lawrie didn't have the pop, then he wouldn't be as valuable there.

Boy did that change in 2011.

In 292 AB in AAA, he had a line of .353/.415/.661 with 18 HR and 13 SB before going down with a broken hand. After the hand healed and a few more ABs in the minors, the Blue Jays decided he was ready for the show. He made a name for himself by posting an OPS of .953 with 9 HR and 7 SB while batting .293 with an OBP of .373. It was great to see his HRs increase, as that was the one thing I was worried about.

I don't think he'll be able to keep the pace he had in 2011 into 2012, but a line of .280/.330/.450 with 15 HR and 15 SB is definitely within reach. He might exceed those numbers, but if he's still available in a dynasty or keeper league your in, you need to snatch him up.