The winter leagues have all but wrapped up, with the Caribbean Series the last of a stellar winter season. These leagues can be a great way for fantasy owners to gauge the value of a player, especially a prospect. Before the 2006 season, guys like Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Braun were proving that they could hit, while pitchers Joakim Soria and Joba Chamberlain were putting their skills on display. To help you decide which players deserve a sleeper tag, UPDATE! collected the most fantasy relevant performers on the rise following the 2007 winter season:
Comment: Botts flashed some of his impressive power with the Yaquis de Obregon team in the Mexican Winter League and the 27-year old knows that it might be now or never for his professional career. Lucky for him, Rangers manager Ron Washington likes his bat, so Botts may have a starting job on Opening Day if he impresses in Spring Training. He's got serious long-ball potential and could slot in nicely in the everyday DH role vacated by Sammy Sosa.
Winter League Stats: 242 AB, .326 AVG, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 41 R, 1 SB
Comment: The 22-year old looked terrific in the Dominican Winter League, and some folks actually believe him to be a better player than fellow Reds hurler Homer Bailey. Cueto has top-notch stuff and could be make a big splash in 2008. The Reds are shallow in starting pitching after Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Belisle and Homer Bailey, so Cueto might even have a shot of pitching in the rotation out of Spring Training. More likely, however, he'll begin the season in the minors — the Reds will try to baby him like they did with Bailey. Still, because the Reds very few starting pitching options at the big-league level, Cueto has a great shot of landing with the team at some point this season. Stay tuned.
Winter League Stats: 4-1, 31.2 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 37 SO
Comment: The 26-year old put up great numbers for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League en route to being named AFL MVP. He led the league with a .492 OBP, and his 10 stolen bases are indicative of the type of speed he possesses. Some people believe that Fuld would not have been named MVP had the baseball World Cup not claimed some of the best hitters from the AFL early (such as Evan Longoria). Fuld hopes to earn a major-league roster spot for the 2008 Chicago Cubs, but he's currently behind four outfielders on the depth chart. If injuries wreck the Cubs' outfield again in 2008, Fuld could see himself starting everyday for a stretch of the season. But more likely, he's going to enter the season as a bench player to be used as a pinch-hitter / runner.
Winter League Stats: 107 AB, .402 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 20 R, 10 SB
Comment: This 22-year old super-prospect had a modest winter with the Scottsdale Scorpions, mostly because he left the Arizona Fall League early in order to play for Team USA in the baseball World Cup, but he deserves mentioning simply because his upside is sky-high. Tampa Bay would be incredibly foolish to let a talent like this toil away on a minor-league roster when the Rays need all the help they can get. The team has options as they can shift Akinori Iwamura to virtually any position in the field in order to get Longoria's bat in their lineup. Longoria has the ability to really help fantasy teams in his rookie season so keep an eye on him in 2008.
Winter League Stats: 65 AB, .308 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 14 R, 0 SB
Comment: Schierholtz turned some heads during his time with the Scottsdale Scorpions this winter. Hopefully, for his sake, the San Francisco Giants are going to take that into consideration when filling out their roster for Opening Day. While he is a natural outfielder, he could be shifted to first base so that the Giants can put his bat to good use. Dan Ortmeier, another player who came up as an outfielder, is the front-runner to earn the first base gig out of Spring Training however. It's likely that Schierholtz is going in to the 2008 season as a reserve outfielder since Dave Roberts, Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn are all currently slated to start. Because Rajai Davis is also in the mix, Schierholtz will need a lot of luck to earn significant playing time this year. The guy to keep an eye on is Roberts. He's injury-prone, and if Schierholtz is going to take over for anyone, it's him. Track Schierholtz through Spring Training to see how he's playing, particularly to see if he edges Davis on the depth chart.
Winter League Stats: 89 AB, .348 AVG, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 15 R, 1 SB
JASON BOTTS
Texas Rangers, OFComment: Botts flashed some of his impressive power with the Yaquis de Obregon team in the Mexican Winter League and the 27-year old knows that it might be now or never for his professional career. Lucky for him, Rangers manager Ron Washington likes his bat, so Botts may have a starting job on Opening Day if he impresses in Spring Training. He's got serious long-ball potential and could slot in nicely in the everyday DH role vacated by Sammy Sosa.
Winter League Stats: 242 AB, .326 AVG, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 41 R, 1 SB
JOHNNY CUETO
Cincinnati Reds, SPComment: The 22-year old looked terrific in the Dominican Winter League, and some folks actually believe him to be a better player than fellow Reds hurler Homer Bailey. Cueto has top-notch stuff and could be make a big splash in 2008. The Reds are shallow in starting pitching after Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Belisle and Homer Bailey, so Cueto might even have a shot of pitching in the rotation out of Spring Training. More likely, however, he'll begin the season in the minors — the Reds will try to baby him like they did with Bailey. Still, because the Reds very few starting pitching options at the big-league level, Cueto has a great shot of landing with the team at some point this season. Stay tuned.
Winter League Stats: 4-1, 31.2 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 37 SO
SAM FULD
Chicago Cubs, OFComment: The 26-year old put up great numbers for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League en route to being named AFL MVP. He led the league with a .492 OBP, and his 10 stolen bases are indicative of the type of speed he possesses. Some people believe that Fuld would not have been named MVP had the baseball World Cup not claimed some of the best hitters from the AFL early (such as Evan Longoria). Fuld hopes to earn a major-league roster spot for the 2008 Chicago Cubs, but he's currently behind four outfielders on the depth chart. If injuries wreck the Cubs' outfield again in 2008, Fuld could see himself starting everyday for a stretch of the season. But more likely, he's going to enter the season as a bench player to be used as a pinch-hitter / runner.
Winter League Stats: 107 AB, .402 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 20 R, 10 SB
EVAN LONGORIA
Tampa Bay Rays, 3BComment: This 22-year old super-prospect had a modest winter with the Scottsdale Scorpions, mostly because he left the Arizona Fall League early in order to play for Team USA in the baseball World Cup, but he deserves mentioning simply because his upside is sky-high. Tampa Bay would be incredibly foolish to let a talent like this toil away on a minor-league roster when the Rays need all the help they can get. The team has options as they can shift Akinori Iwamura to virtually any position in the field in order to get Longoria's bat in their lineup. Longoria has the ability to really help fantasy teams in his rookie season so keep an eye on him in 2008.
Winter League Stats: 65 AB, .308 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 14 R, 0 SB
NATE SCHIERHOLTZ
San Francisco Giants, OFComment: Schierholtz turned some heads during his time with the Scottsdale Scorpions this winter. Hopefully, for his sake, the San Francisco Giants are going to take that into consideration when filling out their roster for Opening Day. While he is a natural outfielder, he could be shifted to first base so that the Giants can put his bat to good use. Dan Ortmeier, another player who came up as an outfielder, is the front-runner to earn the first base gig out of Spring Training however. It's likely that Schierholtz is going in to the 2008 season as a reserve outfielder since Dave Roberts, Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn are all currently slated to start. Because Rajai Davis is also in the mix, Schierholtz will need a lot of luck to earn significant playing time this year. The guy to keep an eye on is Roberts. He's injury-prone, and if Schierholtz is going to take over for anyone, it's him. Track Schierholtz through Spring Training to see how he's playing, particularly to see if he edges Davis on the depth chart.
Winter League Stats: 89 AB, .348 AVG, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 15 R, 1 SB
