When talking about sleepers, I want to focus on players who can perform at a much higher level than their ADP suggests. There are plenty of veterans whom I see as value picks in relation to their ADP, but most of those players aren’t sleepers.
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For example, I would often select Alec Burleson ahead of his Yahoo! ADP of pick 228.8. But I see Burleson as a value pick rather than someone who can blow his ADP out of the water. Instead, this article is focused on those who could make a massive impact.
Here are nine men who fit that description.
Go here for my sleeper pitchers.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (Yahoo ADP: 59.4)
Although Cruz enjoyed a productive 2024 season after missing all but nine games the previous year, there is still plenty of room for growth. The 26-year-old might have the most eye-popping Statcast page of any player in baseball, as his average sprint speed, average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard hit rate and bat speed are all within the top 3% of all players. Cruz strikes out more often than he should, but he could make improvements on his 30.2% rate from last season and turn into a 30-30-.270 player who will be drafted in the initial two rounds next year.
Lawrence Butler, A’s (Yahoo ADP: 86.8)
Last season, Butler hit .300 with 13 homers and 12 steals after the All-Star break. Shohei Ohtani was the only player to match his numbers in all three categories. And although the summer surge didn’t completely come out of nowhere, Butler never showed elite potential in the minors. Butler’s skills make it easy to predict a continued power surge, as his average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage and bat speed are each among the top 20% of all players. Butler has 30-30 potential, and a 20-20 season out of the leadoff spot would still make him a worthwhile option in the range of his current ADP.
Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays (Yahoo ADP: 109.3)
There is an excellent chance that in a few years, we reflect back at 2025 as the one season in which you could draft Bichette after pick 100. After all, the shortstop was previously a top 50 pick who could be counted on to hit .290 or better with at least 20 home runs. Everything fell apart for Bichette during an injury-plagued 2024 season, but he’s still in his prime (age 27) and is entering a contract year.
Thairo Estrada, Colorado Rockies (Yahoo ADP: 233.4)
Estrada has found new life in Colorado after being released from the Giants organization. The infielder is still on the right side of age 30, and prior to struggling last year, he averaged 14 homers, 22 steals and a .266 batting mark across the 2022-23 seasons. If he can achieve those numbers while playing half his games at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, he can easily make it happen while calling home to Coors Field.
Matt Wallner, Minnesota Twins (Yahoo ADP: 240.6)
Wallner has quietly become one of the game’s best hitters against right-handed pitchers, logging a lifetime .951 OPS in those matchups. And Minnesota management has taken notice, as they have indicated a plan to bat the 27-year-old out of the leadoff spot against righties this year. Wallner has outstanding power skills (29 HR in 490 career AB) and knows how to get on base (lifetime .366 OBP). He will be useful in all formats and especially valuable in leagues with daily lineup moves.
Jake McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks (Yahoo ADP: 248.5)
McCarthy played well last year, but we still haven’t seen what he can do with a large workload. The lefty hitter logged just 495 plate appearances, but after hitting .284 against southpaws, he should be well-positioned to record 550-600 plate appearances this year. He’s one of the fastest players in baseball (98th percentile sprint speed), and he has steadily reduced his strikeout rate. McCarthy may not hit more than 10 home runs, but he could bat .290 with more than 30 steals and 75 runs scored.
Christopher Morel, Tampa Bay Rays (Yahoo ADP: 248.6)
Morel was a major fantasy contributor in 2023 when he needed just 388 at-bats to hit .247 with 26 homers and 70 RBI. The strikeout-prone slugger struggled last season due to poor batted-ball luck, despite taking positive steps with his whiff rate. Morel gets a fresh start in his first full season with the Rays, and he should enjoy the favorable hitting dimensions of the team’s temporary home at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Nolan Gorman, St. Louis Cardinals (Yahoo ADP: 254.0)
Gorman is coming off a miserable 2024 season that included a 37.6% strikeout rate and time spent in the minors. Still, despite all of those struggles, the slugger managed to produce 19 homers in just 365 at-bats. Gorman is among baseball’s most powerful players, as was evidenced when he went deep 27 times in 406 at-bats in 2023. And although he won’t produce a notable steals total, the infielder can chip in 5-10 swipes. The Cardinals have Gorman ticketed for a full-time role, which makes him more likely to produce 30 homers than anyone else at his late stage of drafts.
Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels (Yahoo ADP: 256.2)
Schanuel already does some things very well, including drawing walks (11.9% career rate) and limiting strikeouts (16.5% career rate). He has thus far struggled to hit the ball hard, but we need to cut some slack to someone who is 22 years old and has already amassed 739 plate appearances. The reality is that he was rushed to the majors and has been developing his skills and physique in front of our eyes while most of his peers were doing the same thing in the minors. Schanuel reached base at a .373 clip in the second half of last season and could take a major leap if he can make strides with his power skills.
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