baltimore_boy of RotoJunction.com Forums
The first thing I'd like to clarify is what a sleeper is. To me, a sleeper is someone that is ranked low in the rankings and has nobody talking about them to hype them up. While I love Gerrit Cole and Eric Hosmer, to me, they don't qualify as sleepers. Here is my list:
Sonny Gray - It's no secret that I love Gray. He's on the same level as Wacha and Cole, but is ranked much lower and hasn't gotten the same hype they have. He's going to be an ace, but has gotten no hype.
Jedd Gyorko - Gyorko was underwhelming for most of his rookie season, but at the end, he broke out to end the year with 23 homers. If he can carry that same momentum over and stay healthy, I don't see why he can't hit 30. If you pass on Cano/Kipnis/Pedroia early, Gyorko is a solid guy to target later in the draft.
Xander Bogaerts - I find it amazing the lack of hype this guy has gotten. Whether it was the fact he played in the World Series last year, was one of the best prospects in the minors, or is from Boston, I just thought he would get a lot of hype. He'll have SS/3B eligibility, and is a great value pick late in the draft.
Khris Davis - Davis was quietly one of the best hitters at the end of last year, and if you calculate his numbers from last year out to a full season, he would have hit 32 homers. He is very underrated right now, and will be at least a 20/10 threat with upside for 30/15, so he is easily worth the late round pick.
Wilson Ramos - Ramos has always had great potential, but has just been stuck in a timeshare in his whole career so far. In 2014 though, he is finally ready to take over a full time starter role. I don't like taking Posey, Mauer, or Molina early, so I'll happily settle for Ramos later in the draft and use him as my starter.
Justin Morneau - Morneau was always a productive power hitter in his career, but his concussion issues cost him a few years of his career. Now that he seems to be fully healthy from them, he's moved to Colorado this offseason to join a great lineup and gets to hit in one of the best home ballparks now. He's a great player to draft in the last round and put on your bench and see if he breaks out.
Josh Johnson - Yes, he was one of the worst pitchers last year, but Petco Park always helps pitchers. It wouldn't surprise me to see him have a solid bounceback season. It wasn't that long ago that he was one of the best pitchers with the Marlins.