Fantasy Baseball 2015: Late Look at Mock Draft and Sleepers Sizzling in Spring

Fantasy baseball players have one final weekend to draft a squad before Opening Day.

Those who waited this long, however, shouldn't feel guilty. They now have the benefit of more information at their fingertips, with starting jobs determined and a slew of mainstays already saddled with injuries.

Plus, they have spring training statistics to kick around. Some gamers would rather enter a draft blind to those exhibition results, but they can help when used properly (and sparingly). 

In anticipation of the 2015 season's arrival, I conducted another mock draft and ran through the March numbers to identify some potential sleeper candidates.

Mock Draft

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On Wednesday, April 1, I partook in a Yahoo Sports mock draft for a pretend 12-team rotisserie league. I went under the assumption of the typical 10 categories. At random, I received pick No. 8.

Here's a full breakdown of my team:

POS	Player	Round
C	Travis d'Arnaud	21
1B	Chris Carter	9
2B	Robinson Cano	2
3B	Kyle Seager	6
SS	Jose Reyes	5
OF	Carlos Gomez	1
OF	Corey Dickerson	4
OF	Nelson Cruz	7
UT	Leonys Martin	11
UT	Lucas Duda	14
SP	David Price	3
SP	Alex Wood	8
RP	Fernando Rodney	12
RP	Hector Rondon	15
P	Masahiro Tanaka	10
P	Lance Lynn	13
P	Luke Gregerson	17
P	Drew Hutchison	18
BN	Gregory Polanco, OF	16
BN	Pedro Alvarez, 1B/3B	19
BN	Brad Boxberger, RP	20
BN	Shane Greene, SP	22
BN	Daniel Norris, SP	23

In hindsight, doing the mock draft on April Fools' Day was a poor choice. Max Scherzer went No. 7, an aggressive but understandable overpay for someone simply trying out a strategy or making an incredibly bullish prediction on the Washington Nationals ace slaying the weak National League East.

Josh Harrison at No. 9 and Devin Mesoraco at No. 16? Yes, that happened. Even without accounting for inevitable regression, those are egregious reaches made by the same person hopefully not taking this seriously.

Although I typically chase high-quality first basemen, this draft unfolded differently. Adrian Gonzalez (No. 25), Albert Pujols (No. 33) and Joey Votto (No. 51) all flew off the board earlier than usual, and I waited one round too many on bounce-back candidate Chris Davis.

Oh well. Chris Carter will smack 35 long balls, albeit with a terrible batting average. My core offensive stars lacked elite power, but hey, Lucas Duda and Nelson Cruz—the latter being a player I typically avoid who dropped ferociously to pick No. 80—solve that potential shortcoming.

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

This draft didn't all go smoothly. I fell asleep at the closer wheel, and someone snatched Kenley Jansen right as I was about to poach the injured star. Fernando Rodney is the type of reliever I usually avoid—erratic control and one of the bottom guys on a closer run—but he's a high-strikeout arm with 133 saves over the last three years. 

On Tuesday, the Houston Astros named Luke Gregerson their closer. Manager A.J. Hinch explained the choice to the Houston Chronicle's Jose de Jesus Ortiz.

“I like Luke’s demeanor. I like his pitch repertoire," Hinch said. "I think he’s having a good spring and he’s very trust worthy with his poise and how he goes about his business.”

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The 30-year-old hasn't posted an ERA below 2.75 since 2010, so there's no reason he shouldn't thrive pitching in the ninth frame instead of the eighth. Not bad for a third closer.

Were this draft real, Masahiro Tanaka would hold the keys to a championship run. If his elbow proves healthy, the New York Yankees ace gives me another stud to anchor the starting staff alongside David Price and breakout candidate Alex Wood. For someone who doesn't spend many high picks on pitching, it's imperative to land big on high-upside gems in the middle and late rounds.

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Spring Sleepers 

A strong spring training doesn't always correlate to regular-season success. Drafters often get teased by short sample sizes that prove insignificant once April rolls around.

Ignoring March, however, is just as risky as fully trusting the data. Researchers want the most information possible, so why shun the most recent numbers that often affect lineup decisions and occasionally forebode real progress?

These three youngsters have boosted their worth heading into Opening Day.

Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners

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Kris Bryant (who went No. 84 in the mock) is another homer away from vaulting into the first round of some last-minute drafts. Meanwhile, no such hype is lavished on Mike Zunino, who trails the Chicago Cubs super-prospect with seven dingers.

The catcher sports a .353/.431/.882 slash line with six walks through 19 games. Colin O'Keefe of Lookout Landing pointed out the significance of those few free passes:

Before going overboard, the 24-year-old has also struck out 14 times. Given his massive 33.2 strikeout percentage last year, those whiffs will limit him to a horrid average. His power upside, however, makes it a worthwhile sacrifice.

If he improves enough to hit .240, he's a startable catcher in all leagues. Even if he carries a .225 clip, the possible 25 homers translate into a No. 2 backstop with more potential than all alternatives in his tier.

Odubel Herrera, 2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Odubel Herrera is a Rule 5 pick who hasn't played a game above Double-A. He's also probably the Philadelphia Phillies' starting center fielder who will likely bat second behind Ben Revere. Meghan Montemurro of The News Journal revealed manager Ryne Sandberg's inclination to use the rookie:

The 23-year-old, who swiped 21 bags in 125 games last year, locked down playing time by hitting .323 with six steals this spring. He also displayed solid plate discipline with a 9.5 walk percentage in 2014.

Be sure to note his positional eligibility. Although he'll play in the outfield, he's eligible for second base and shortstop in Yahoo formats.

In NL-only and deep mixed leagues, he's a noteworthy sleeper for stolen bases. Team record means nothing for fantasy owners, so turn Philadelphia's atrocious outfield into a gain.

Daniel Norris, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Mostly known as the dude who spent spring living in his van outside a Wal-Mart, Daniel Norris should also turn heads for his massive strikeout upside.

After recording 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings through the minors last year, the 21-year-old southpaw has notched 29 punchouts during 24.2 spring innings, issuing only five walks in the process. As a result, the Toronto Blue Jays awarded him a rotation spot, per Sportsnet's Shi Davidi:

Strikeouts are good. Drafters want cheap arms who can compile them in bulk, making Norris the perfect late-round grab. Aaron Sanchez has received a lot of fanfare this spring, but Norris is the preferable Toronto starting neophyte to target. 

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