Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012: Rookies Not Worth Gambling On

Taking a chance on a rookie is just about as big a risk as you can take in fantasy baseball. Even if he ends up putting up decent numbers, you look like a genius—but if he's a major bust once he gets a taste of the Show, you're furious that you believed the hype and wasted a roster spot on him.

So many young players don't live up to the enormous expectations that are often heaped upon them by their own teams and the media. Here are some of this year's young players you should be wary of heading into your fantasy draft.

Mike Trout, OF, LA Angels

Twenty-year-old Trout was drafted as the 25th pick in 2009, but the outfielder has been battling shoulder tendinitis during spring training, and only on March 26 did he get the go-ahead to resume throwing. He's getting some at-bats in exhibition games at DH, but there are no guarantees as for when he'll return to the outfield.

Trout has been the Angels' Minor League Player of the Year for each of the last two seasons, but he lost nearly 10 pounds in the offseason due to illness and now, with the shoulder issue adding to his troubles, it's unclear if and when he'll get up to the big club.

He's had 123 at-bats in the majors, all last season, and hit .220 with 20 runs, six doubles, five homers and 16 RBI with an OPS of .672.

Tyler Pastornicky, SS, Atlanta Braves

Pastornicky and Andrelton Simmons are battling for the starting shortstop job, and though Pastornicky is the favorite, his upside is questionable. As of March 26, his performance at the plate was improving—he was riding a four-game hitting streak, hitting .471 during that stretch and .228 overall.

The Blue Jays picked up the 22-year-old in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, and in four seasons in the minors, he's hit .278 with a .345 on-base percentage and a .719 OPS. The most stolen bases he's registered were 57 in 2009, and that number has declined as he's advanced through the system.

If he does win the starting job, he might be able to rack up some stolen bases, but since there's no guarantee (yet) as to whether or not he'll play to start of 2012, he's too risky.

Jose Iglesias, SS, Red Sox

After they traded both Jed Lowrie and Marco Scutaro, it seemed as though the Red Sox might be gunning to make Iglesias the everyday shortstop, but that time hasn't come yet. While they love his defense, the Red Sox have recognized that he's too much of an offensive liability right now to get the start at short, and as of March 27, he was optioned to Triple-A to start the season. He lost out on the starting job to Mike Aviles.

Iglesias could be back at some point during the 2012 season and could be stashed in larger formats, but even when he does play, his offense (or lack thereof) could hurt you.

The 22-year-old signed with Boston as an amateur free agent in 2009 and has been one of the organization's most highly-touted prospects since.