Fantasy Baseball 2012: Why Johan Santana Is a Home-Run Pick in the Later Rounds

Too often in baseball drafts, I see guys coming off injuries from the previous season being forgot about. And from what I've seen so far, Johan Santana has fallen victim to this phenomena.

I realize that Santana is coming off major surgery and hasn't played a regular season inning since 2010, but he's still a great talent and the unquestioned ace pitcher for the New York Mets.

Even as a Mets fan, I can safely tell you that wins won't be his strong suit this season. I watched this club squander away countless wins for the former Cy Young winner a few seasons ago, and I fully expect similar events to take place in 2012. That being said, though, Santana is getting back into his old routine, pitching every five days, and his health looks to be at 100 percent so far this spring training.

"I'm feeling good. It's a process. And I'm building up." the hurler told ESPN New York.

He's not going to be as dominant as his 2006 self, but in the two drafts I've had this March, he's gone undrafted in an eight-team league with huge rosters and went in the 24th round in a standard 10-team league I'm in.

Both CBS Sports and ESPN's Tristan H. Cockroft believe that Santana is certainly an injury risk, but in the later rounds, there's risks with any pick. Santana gives you an upside that pitchers around his average draft position just don't give you.

Sure, Santana is another year older and another injury into his career, but he's still got downright nasty stuff and could make a run for the Cy Young. Can you say that about guys like Mark Buehrle and Colby Lewis who are getting drafted ahead of or around the same time as him?

The Venezuelan hurler isn't exactly ancient at 33, and while he's been out of the game for awhile, the Mets have handled his rehabilitation as carefully as you can ask for someone coming back from a major injury.

Santana is a great sleeper if you ask me, and the fact is that many casual managers in your draft are going to forget about him as the excitement of the draft goes on. For the potential payoff you could get from him, there's no reason not to draft the former Twin and see how he responds to his return to the mound.