Panzram
02-23-2006, 01:38 AM
Good luck with your keeper-league bargain hunting.
1 OF Delmon Young, 20, Devil Rays
Think: A right-handed Ken Griffey Jr.
2005 stats: Triple-A (52 games) -- .285 average, six homers, 28 RBI, 33 runs, seven steals (.447 slugging percentage, .303 on-base percentage) / Double-A (84) -- .336-20-71-59-25 (.582-.386)
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His breakthrough 2005 (.315-26-99-92-32 combined in 558 minor-league at-bats) puts the 20-year-old on the cusp of big-league stardom. Assuming he can win the right-fielder's job this spring, Young has to be considered the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors. If the Devil Rays decide Aubrey Huff can play first base, they could slot Jonny Gomes at DH and play a young studly outfield of Carl Crawford in left, Rocco Baldelli in center (eventually) and Young in right. The new regime in Tampa Bay says it won't unnecessarily hold him back in order to slow his arbitration clock. All he needs is an opportunity.
2 OF Jeremy Hermida, 22, Marlins
Think: Shawn Green
2005 stats: Majors (23) -- .293-4-11-9-2 (.634-.383) / Double-A (118) -- .293-18-63-77-23 (.518-.457)
If you were one who got the second-half boost by Francoeur in 2005, you'll want to hone in on this guy. Hermida grades a little better than his Braves counterpart across the board, and when you consider his ability to get on base far more consistently through walks, you have a rock-solid NL Rookie of the Year favorite. He'll head to spring as the Marlins right fielder, a status he should keep until he threatens to bust the seams of the tight purse in Florida.
3 1B Prince Fielder, 21, Brewers
Think: Ryan Howard
2005 stats: Majors (39) -- .288-2-10-2-0 (.458-.306) / Triple-A (103) -- .291-28-86-68-8 (.569-.388)
The Brewers wouldn't have shipped a solid veteran like Lyle Overbay out of town this winter if they weren't confident Fielder is big-league ready. The son of Cecil, who was a former 50-homer slugger himself, handled the highest levels of the minors faster than Howard, the reigning NL ROY. Although Fielder won't out-produce his Philly counterpart in his first year, he's a solid source of power in any Fantasy league.
4 RHP Matt Cain, 21, Giants
Think: Kerry Wood
2005 stats: Majors -- 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA, 24 hits allowed, 19 walks and 30 strikeouts in 46 innings / Triple-A -- 10-5, 4.39, 118 hits, 73 walks and 176 Ks in 146 innings
Cain can sustain mid-90s heat and even kick it up close to triple digits on occasion. All he needs now is control and experience. Pitching is more art than skill, so Cain could struggle at times in his first full season, but the Triple-A strikeout leader has to be considered the top rookie pitcher in baseball (the rookie eligibility of the Mariners' Felix Hernandez expired last season). Only Hernandez was younger in the big leagues last season. After Cain's outstanding results in his September call-up, the Giants aren't hesitating to slot him in their rotation. He should better the rookie numbers of Scott Kazmir from 2005 (10 wins, 3.77 ERA and 174 strikeouts).
5 LHP Francisco Liriano, 22, Twins
Think: Johan Santana
2005 stats: Majors -- 1-2, 5.70, 33 hits, seven walks and 33 Ks in 23 2/3 innings / Triple-A -- 9-2, 1.78, 56 hits, 24 walks and 112 Ks in 91 innings / Double-A -- 3-5, 3.64, 70 hits, 26 walks and 92 Ks in 76 2/3 innings
Forget the uneven results in his cup of coffee in '05, the minor league's strikeout leader is a big-time talent. The Twins have given him the No. 5 starter's job to lose and we see a young Santana in the making. Imagine facing the apprentice and then emperor on back-to-back days this season. Forget it. The best part about Liriano -- and the reason we can compare him to Fantasy's No. 1 pitcher -- is his control. He walked just 50 hitters in almost 167 minor-league innings. Those numbers are even better than Santana's were at a similar stage. Like many Dominicans who pitch year round in winter ball, Liriano's arm is ready for the 162-game haul. Although he might not post big win totals, his strikeout potential makes him a top-notch sleeper.
6 RHP Anthony Reyes, 24, Cardinals
Think: Mark Prior
2005 stats: Majors -- 1-1. 2.70, six hits, four walks, 12 Ks in 13 innings / Triple-A -- 7-6, 3.64, 105 hits, 34 walks, 136 Ks in 129 innings
While he isn't as top shelf of a talent as Prior, a fellow USC Trojan, Reyes has been given a rotation spot in one of the best situations in baseball. Name a Cardinals starter who hasn't won at least 13 games in each of the past two seasons? You won't find one. That bodes well for Reyes' Fantasy prospects, even if he is raw, and says a lot about what his organization thinks of him. The Cards won't be quite as good as they have been, but Reyes still should post 12-plus wins with a solid ERA, WHIP and close to a strikeout per inning. That's not something we say about a rookie pitcher very often, even if it's the third time you heard it in this list. Reyes doesn't boast the lightning stuff of the two arms ranked above him, but he has the better supporting cast.
7 2B Ian Kinsler, 23, Rangers
Think: A right-handed Chase Utley
2005 stats: Triple-A (131) -- .274-23-94-102-19 (.464-.348)
2006 All-Rookie Team
(players with jobs this spring)
C -- Jeff Mathis, LAA
1B -- Prince Fielder, MIL
2B -- Ian Kinsler, TEX
3B -- Ryan Zimmerman, WAS
SS -- Hanley Ramirez, FLA
OF -- Delmon Young, TB
OF -- Jeremy Hermida, FLA
OF -- Jason Kubel, MIN
RHP -- Matt Cain, SF
LHP -- Francisco Liriano, MIN
RP -- Craig Hansen, BOS
It says a lot about what your organization thinks of you if it trades a potential 30-30 second baseman in Alfonso Soriano to clear the position. Such is the case with Kinsler, who has a slim Utley-like build with the rare middle-infielder pop to go with it. Kinsler has progressed rapidly through the system and gets his shot years before Utley. It could take longer for Kinsler to hit his full stride, but we see one of the more potent Fantasy 2Bs down the road. He's not quite in the Rickie Weeks class of speed and power, but take a flier on Kinsler late in mixed leagues.
8 1B Conor Jackson, 23, Diamondbacks
Think: A right-handed Lyle Overbay
2005 stats: Majors (40) -- .200-2-8-8-0 (.306-.303) / Triple-A (93) -- .354-8-73-66-3 (.553-.457)
Veteran Tony Clark went .303-30-87 with a .636 slugging percentage last season, but that's not good enough to start at first in Arizona, where they're handing the job to Jackson this spring. Clark will be his tutor. That's a staggering thought that speaks volumes of Jackson's upside. His minor-league numbers are eerily similar to Overbay's at this point, but we like the OPS hog Jackson to develop more power as a rare slugger who won't strike out very often. (He posted better than a 1-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio (32-69) in Triple-A). Clark's presence will be a drain on Jackson's value on Draft Day -- as well as during the season if the prospect starts slow -- but that only makes him even more of an attainable sleeper.
9 C Jeff Mathis, 22, L.A. Angels of Anaheim
Think: A right-handed Jason Varitek
2005 stats: Majors (5) -- .333-0-0-1-0 (.333-.333) / Triple-A (112) -- .276-21-73-78-4
Mathis rebounded from a disappointing 2004 campaign (.227-14-55-57-2) to earn honors as the heir to Bengie Molina in Anaheim. It's rare a contender puts its pitching staff in the hands of a rookie catcher -- Joe Mauer being the most recent exception -- but Mathis has long been rated as a future All-Star backstop. His bat will be given time to develop, but it's promising enough in his first year to warrant a late-round flier in mixed leagues. We say Mathis outperforms the other young catchers -- the Pirates' second-year man Ryan Doumit included -- and puts the 2005 failures of J.D. Closser and Chris Snyder to shame.
10 3B Ryan Zimmerman, 21, Nationals
Think: A right-handed John Olerud
2005 stats: Majors (20) -- .397-0-6-6-0 (.569-.419) / Double-A (63) -- .326-9-32-40-1 (.528-.371) / Low Class A (4): .471-2-6-5-0 (1.059-.471)
A perfect example of how the economics of today's game puts the onus on draft and development. Zimmerman was the fourth overall pick in the June draft (Virginia) and made the quickest position-player rise to the big leagues since Olerud. Like so many of the prodigies ranked above him, a veteran was let go in the offseason (Vinny Castilla) to clear an everyday spot at third base. It's clear Zimmerman can become a .300 hitter; he handles the bat well to all fields, but it's uncertain how much power he'll develop. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, you would think he'll become a slugger, but he's more of a line-drive gap hitter at this extremely early stage. Assuming those doubles become homers, he might be more like the next Hank Blalock and not Joe Randa. Posting top-notch mixed-league Fantasy numbers in his first year will be tough after only 250 minor-league at-bats, especially in the pitcher's haven in D.C., but Zimmerman is a solid late-round flier.
Other rookies who can win jobs this spring:
11 RHP Justin Verlander, 23, Tigers
Think: Jake Peavy
2005 stats: Majors -- 0-2, 7.15, 15 hits, five walks, seven strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings / Double-A -- 2-0, 0.28, 11 hits, seven walks, 32 Ks in 32 2/3 innings / High Class A -- 9-2, 1.67, 70 hits, 19 walks and 104 Ks in 86 innings
A sore shoulder ended his 2005 early, but the Tigers are saying it was due to the workload and his "getting after it" in his first professional season. They're confident he can compete for the fifth-starter's job this spring. His minor-league numbers and talent are top notch, so there's no reason he can't win the job and surge to the front of this list. He was orginally listed at No. 25 here because it was believed they would start him off slow before slotting him in their rotation this summer. Just looking at those minor-league numbers makes you believe the possibilities are endless.
12 1B Mike Jacobs, 25, Marlins
Think: A left-handed Craig Wilson
2005 stats: Majors (30) -- .310-11-23-19-0 (.710-.375) / Double-A (117) -- .321-25-93-66-1 (.589-.376)
The oldest player thus far on this list had the biggest impact in Fantasy 2005, hitting 11 homers in just 100 at-bats. The two-time Mets minor-league player of the year rebounded nicely from shoulder woes that ruined his 2004. He has moved from catcher to first and was dealt to the Marlins in the offseason, where he should at minimum get all the at-bats at first base vs. right-handed pitching. The right-field porch in South Florida requires a homer longer than a 100-plus yard kickoff return, but Jacobs has a sweet swing that can generate power anywhere. All he needs is an opportunity, which he'll get. While we rank him as an NL-only rookie to target, he could be the highest riser on this list, becoming a potent mixed-league sleeper.
13 C Kenji Johjima, 29, Mariners
Think: Paul Lo Duca
2005 stats: Japan (116) -- .309-24-57-70-3 (.557-.381)
Johjima, a three-time 30-plus homer catcher in the Japan leagues (the stats equivalent of the Triple-A PCL), was signed this winter by the Mariners, who consider him more of a gap hitter in Seattle's pitcher's park. The success of Japanese position players is hit (Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki) and miss (Kaz Matsui), so Johjima should be considered a risk in mixed leagues on Draft Day. He'll be an everyday catcher with upside, however.
14 2B Josh Barfield, 22, Padres
Think: A young Bret Boone
2005 stats: Triple-A (137) -- .310-15-72-74-20 (.450-.370)
Another player with pedigree whose position was cleared this winter. Josh is the son of former 40-homer slugger Jesse Barfield and is Mark Loretta's heir apparent at second base in San Diego. You might think it's a tough park for a young Fantasy prospect, but right-handed power plays there (think: double-play 'mate Khalil Greene's 15 homers). Barfield will be less tempted to allow his swing get long -- as it had at times in the minors. He has been considered a bigger prospect than Robinson Cano, but Cano's 2005 numbers should be considered the higher end of Barfield's projections. Pick him up as an NL-only sleeper on Draft Day, but watch the notoriously streaky hitter in mixed leagues as a stopgap.
15 OF Jason Kubel, 23, Twins
Think: Mark Kotsay with more pop
2005 stats: DNP in 2005 after reconstructive knee surgery
Kubel is the wild card of the 2006 rookie class after missing all of last season to a knee injury suffered in an outfield collision during the 2004 Arizona Fall League. Before the injury, Kubel was slated to be the Twins' everyday right fielder with the potential to go .300-20-80 as a Kotsay-type with a higher ceiling. If he's healthy this spring, he's a must-have outfielder in AL-only leagues and a potential sleeper in mixed leagues.
1 OF Delmon Young, 20, Devil Rays
Think: A right-handed Ken Griffey Jr.
2005 stats: Triple-A (52 games) -- .285 average, six homers, 28 RBI, 33 runs, seven steals (.447 slugging percentage, .303 on-base percentage) / Double-A (84) -- .336-20-71-59-25 (.582-.386)
2006 Owners Manual and Draft Guide
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His breakthrough 2005 (.315-26-99-92-32 combined in 558 minor-league at-bats) puts the 20-year-old on the cusp of big-league stardom. Assuming he can win the right-fielder's job this spring, Young has to be considered the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors. If the Devil Rays decide Aubrey Huff can play first base, they could slot Jonny Gomes at DH and play a young studly outfield of Carl Crawford in left, Rocco Baldelli in center (eventually) and Young in right. The new regime in Tampa Bay says it won't unnecessarily hold him back in order to slow his arbitration clock. All he needs is an opportunity.
2 OF Jeremy Hermida, 22, Marlins
Think: Shawn Green
2005 stats: Majors (23) -- .293-4-11-9-2 (.634-.383) / Double-A (118) -- .293-18-63-77-23 (.518-.457)
If you were one who got the second-half boost by Francoeur in 2005, you'll want to hone in on this guy. Hermida grades a little better than his Braves counterpart across the board, and when you consider his ability to get on base far more consistently through walks, you have a rock-solid NL Rookie of the Year favorite. He'll head to spring as the Marlins right fielder, a status he should keep until he threatens to bust the seams of the tight purse in Florida.
3 1B Prince Fielder, 21, Brewers
Think: Ryan Howard
2005 stats: Majors (39) -- .288-2-10-2-0 (.458-.306) / Triple-A (103) -- .291-28-86-68-8 (.569-.388)
The Brewers wouldn't have shipped a solid veteran like Lyle Overbay out of town this winter if they weren't confident Fielder is big-league ready. The son of Cecil, who was a former 50-homer slugger himself, handled the highest levels of the minors faster than Howard, the reigning NL ROY. Although Fielder won't out-produce his Philly counterpart in his first year, he's a solid source of power in any Fantasy league.
4 RHP Matt Cain, 21, Giants
Think: Kerry Wood
2005 stats: Majors -- 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA, 24 hits allowed, 19 walks and 30 strikeouts in 46 innings / Triple-A -- 10-5, 4.39, 118 hits, 73 walks and 176 Ks in 146 innings
Cain can sustain mid-90s heat and even kick it up close to triple digits on occasion. All he needs now is control and experience. Pitching is more art than skill, so Cain could struggle at times in his first full season, but the Triple-A strikeout leader has to be considered the top rookie pitcher in baseball (the rookie eligibility of the Mariners' Felix Hernandez expired last season). Only Hernandez was younger in the big leagues last season. After Cain's outstanding results in his September call-up, the Giants aren't hesitating to slot him in their rotation. He should better the rookie numbers of Scott Kazmir from 2005 (10 wins, 3.77 ERA and 174 strikeouts).
5 LHP Francisco Liriano, 22, Twins
Think: Johan Santana
2005 stats: Majors -- 1-2, 5.70, 33 hits, seven walks and 33 Ks in 23 2/3 innings / Triple-A -- 9-2, 1.78, 56 hits, 24 walks and 112 Ks in 91 innings / Double-A -- 3-5, 3.64, 70 hits, 26 walks and 92 Ks in 76 2/3 innings
Forget the uneven results in his cup of coffee in '05, the minor league's strikeout leader is a big-time talent. The Twins have given him the No. 5 starter's job to lose and we see a young Santana in the making. Imagine facing the apprentice and then emperor on back-to-back days this season. Forget it. The best part about Liriano -- and the reason we can compare him to Fantasy's No. 1 pitcher -- is his control. He walked just 50 hitters in almost 167 minor-league innings. Those numbers are even better than Santana's were at a similar stage. Like many Dominicans who pitch year round in winter ball, Liriano's arm is ready for the 162-game haul. Although he might not post big win totals, his strikeout potential makes him a top-notch sleeper.
6 RHP Anthony Reyes, 24, Cardinals
Think: Mark Prior
2005 stats: Majors -- 1-1. 2.70, six hits, four walks, 12 Ks in 13 innings / Triple-A -- 7-6, 3.64, 105 hits, 34 walks, 136 Ks in 129 innings
While he isn't as top shelf of a talent as Prior, a fellow USC Trojan, Reyes has been given a rotation spot in one of the best situations in baseball. Name a Cardinals starter who hasn't won at least 13 games in each of the past two seasons? You won't find one. That bodes well for Reyes' Fantasy prospects, even if he is raw, and says a lot about what his organization thinks of him. The Cards won't be quite as good as they have been, but Reyes still should post 12-plus wins with a solid ERA, WHIP and close to a strikeout per inning. That's not something we say about a rookie pitcher very often, even if it's the third time you heard it in this list. Reyes doesn't boast the lightning stuff of the two arms ranked above him, but he has the better supporting cast.
7 2B Ian Kinsler, 23, Rangers
Think: A right-handed Chase Utley
2005 stats: Triple-A (131) -- .274-23-94-102-19 (.464-.348)
2006 All-Rookie Team
(players with jobs this spring)
C -- Jeff Mathis, LAA
1B -- Prince Fielder, MIL
2B -- Ian Kinsler, TEX
3B -- Ryan Zimmerman, WAS
SS -- Hanley Ramirez, FLA
OF -- Delmon Young, TB
OF -- Jeremy Hermida, FLA
OF -- Jason Kubel, MIN
RHP -- Matt Cain, SF
LHP -- Francisco Liriano, MIN
RP -- Craig Hansen, BOS
It says a lot about what your organization thinks of you if it trades a potential 30-30 second baseman in Alfonso Soriano to clear the position. Such is the case with Kinsler, who has a slim Utley-like build with the rare middle-infielder pop to go with it. Kinsler has progressed rapidly through the system and gets his shot years before Utley. It could take longer for Kinsler to hit his full stride, but we see one of the more potent Fantasy 2Bs down the road. He's not quite in the Rickie Weeks class of speed and power, but take a flier on Kinsler late in mixed leagues.
8 1B Conor Jackson, 23, Diamondbacks
Think: A right-handed Lyle Overbay
2005 stats: Majors (40) -- .200-2-8-8-0 (.306-.303) / Triple-A (93) -- .354-8-73-66-3 (.553-.457)
Veteran Tony Clark went .303-30-87 with a .636 slugging percentage last season, but that's not good enough to start at first in Arizona, where they're handing the job to Jackson this spring. Clark will be his tutor. That's a staggering thought that speaks volumes of Jackson's upside. His minor-league numbers are eerily similar to Overbay's at this point, but we like the OPS hog Jackson to develop more power as a rare slugger who won't strike out very often. (He posted better than a 1-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio (32-69) in Triple-A). Clark's presence will be a drain on Jackson's value on Draft Day -- as well as during the season if the prospect starts slow -- but that only makes him even more of an attainable sleeper.
9 C Jeff Mathis, 22, L.A. Angels of Anaheim
Think: A right-handed Jason Varitek
2005 stats: Majors (5) -- .333-0-0-1-0 (.333-.333) / Triple-A (112) -- .276-21-73-78-4
Mathis rebounded from a disappointing 2004 campaign (.227-14-55-57-2) to earn honors as the heir to Bengie Molina in Anaheim. It's rare a contender puts its pitching staff in the hands of a rookie catcher -- Joe Mauer being the most recent exception -- but Mathis has long been rated as a future All-Star backstop. His bat will be given time to develop, but it's promising enough in his first year to warrant a late-round flier in mixed leagues. We say Mathis outperforms the other young catchers -- the Pirates' second-year man Ryan Doumit included -- and puts the 2005 failures of J.D. Closser and Chris Snyder to shame.
10 3B Ryan Zimmerman, 21, Nationals
Think: A right-handed John Olerud
2005 stats: Majors (20) -- .397-0-6-6-0 (.569-.419) / Double-A (63) -- .326-9-32-40-1 (.528-.371) / Low Class A (4): .471-2-6-5-0 (1.059-.471)
A perfect example of how the economics of today's game puts the onus on draft and development. Zimmerman was the fourth overall pick in the June draft (Virginia) and made the quickest position-player rise to the big leagues since Olerud. Like so many of the prodigies ranked above him, a veteran was let go in the offseason (Vinny Castilla) to clear an everyday spot at third base. It's clear Zimmerman can become a .300 hitter; he handles the bat well to all fields, but it's uncertain how much power he'll develop. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, you would think he'll become a slugger, but he's more of a line-drive gap hitter at this extremely early stage. Assuming those doubles become homers, he might be more like the next Hank Blalock and not Joe Randa. Posting top-notch mixed-league Fantasy numbers in his first year will be tough after only 250 minor-league at-bats, especially in the pitcher's haven in D.C., but Zimmerman is a solid late-round flier.
Other rookies who can win jobs this spring:
11 RHP Justin Verlander, 23, Tigers
Think: Jake Peavy
2005 stats: Majors -- 0-2, 7.15, 15 hits, five walks, seven strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings / Double-A -- 2-0, 0.28, 11 hits, seven walks, 32 Ks in 32 2/3 innings / High Class A -- 9-2, 1.67, 70 hits, 19 walks and 104 Ks in 86 innings
A sore shoulder ended his 2005 early, but the Tigers are saying it was due to the workload and his "getting after it" in his first professional season. They're confident he can compete for the fifth-starter's job this spring. His minor-league numbers and talent are top notch, so there's no reason he can't win the job and surge to the front of this list. He was orginally listed at No. 25 here because it was believed they would start him off slow before slotting him in their rotation this summer. Just looking at those minor-league numbers makes you believe the possibilities are endless.
12 1B Mike Jacobs, 25, Marlins
Think: A left-handed Craig Wilson
2005 stats: Majors (30) -- .310-11-23-19-0 (.710-.375) / Double-A (117) -- .321-25-93-66-1 (.589-.376)
The oldest player thus far on this list had the biggest impact in Fantasy 2005, hitting 11 homers in just 100 at-bats. The two-time Mets minor-league player of the year rebounded nicely from shoulder woes that ruined his 2004. He has moved from catcher to first and was dealt to the Marlins in the offseason, where he should at minimum get all the at-bats at first base vs. right-handed pitching. The right-field porch in South Florida requires a homer longer than a 100-plus yard kickoff return, but Jacobs has a sweet swing that can generate power anywhere. All he needs is an opportunity, which he'll get. While we rank him as an NL-only rookie to target, he could be the highest riser on this list, becoming a potent mixed-league sleeper.
13 C Kenji Johjima, 29, Mariners
Think: Paul Lo Duca
2005 stats: Japan (116) -- .309-24-57-70-3 (.557-.381)
Johjima, a three-time 30-plus homer catcher in the Japan leagues (the stats equivalent of the Triple-A PCL), was signed this winter by the Mariners, who consider him more of a gap hitter in Seattle's pitcher's park. The success of Japanese position players is hit (Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki) and miss (Kaz Matsui), so Johjima should be considered a risk in mixed leagues on Draft Day. He'll be an everyday catcher with upside, however.
14 2B Josh Barfield, 22, Padres
Think: A young Bret Boone
2005 stats: Triple-A (137) -- .310-15-72-74-20 (.450-.370)
Another player with pedigree whose position was cleared this winter. Josh is the son of former 40-homer slugger Jesse Barfield and is Mark Loretta's heir apparent at second base in San Diego. You might think it's a tough park for a young Fantasy prospect, but right-handed power plays there (think: double-play 'mate Khalil Greene's 15 homers). Barfield will be less tempted to allow his swing get long -- as it had at times in the minors. He has been considered a bigger prospect than Robinson Cano, but Cano's 2005 numbers should be considered the higher end of Barfield's projections. Pick him up as an NL-only sleeper on Draft Day, but watch the notoriously streaky hitter in mixed leagues as a stopgap.
15 OF Jason Kubel, 23, Twins
Think: Mark Kotsay with more pop
2005 stats: DNP in 2005 after reconstructive knee surgery
Kubel is the wild card of the 2006 rookie class after missing all of last season to a knee injury suffered in an outfield collision during the 2004 Arizona Fall League. Before the injury, Kubel was slated to be the Twins' everyday right fielder with the potential to go .300-20-80 as a Kotsay-type with a higher ceiling. If he's healthy this spring, he's a must-have outfielder in AL-only leagues and a potential sleeper in mixed leagues.