Throughout this fantasy baseball season, there have been many players who have had breakout years. A few, such as Mark Reynolds, Aaron Hill, Jayson Werth, and Adam Lind, have been noticed and universally owned. But then there are others; those whose numbers aren't as mind-boggling as the aforementioned players, but numbers that warrant them being owned in a much higher percentage of leagues. So, this list of the ten most overlooked hitters in fantasy baseball is comprised of players who should be owned in a majority of leagues, but instead, are owned in less than 50%. With the following players, it's all about value. They might not put up the same numbers as the elite at their position, but they can put up numbers fairly close to it and you won't have to overpay for the big names. They are, in no particular order...
Casey Blake (49.6%) - Ok, so Blake barely makes this list, but frankly, Blake is a useful fantasy contributor that many seem to overlook. Blake has put up 18+ HR's and a .270+ BA the past few seasons, and he's on pace to do so yet again, currently hitting .281 with 14 HR's, 68 RBI's, and 66 runs. With those numbers, he's on pace to hit .280 with 20 HR's and 90+ runs and RBI's. Not to mention, Blake is eligible at 1B and 3B. Because of the depth at 1B, he's not going to be a starter there. But Blake could definitely be a starter at 3B and is an extremely useful bench player. You can plug him in at a bunch of places and he can produce pretty solid numbers.
Kurt Suzuki. It's always a challenge to find a worthy player to fill that catcher position on your roster. While the pickings are slim, Suzuki usually goes un-drafted and sits on the waiver wires of many leagues. With 10 home runs, a .275 average, and 55 runs batted in, these really aren't such bad numbers for a catcher by season's end.
Denard Span (41.7%) - I will admit, OF is a very deep position, so many people may already have great OF's. But for those of you who need one more quality OF, look no further than Denard Span. Span's numbers up to this point are a .305 BA with 70 runs, 6 HR's, 47 RBI's, and 19 SB's. Over a full year, Span would produce a .300+ BA with 107 runs, 9 HR's, 72 RBI's, and 30 SB's. Sure he's not a HR hitter, but he doesn't hurt you anywhere and can be a valuable source of SB's without having to overpay for a guy like Ichiro or Crawford.
Michael Cuddyer: It seems like every Minnesota Twin gets less respect than he deserves. Why should Cuddyer be any kind of exception to the rule? Well, he isn't. Cuddyer is on pace for about 26 home runs this season, over 90 RBIs, and an average over .280. Guys like Vladimir Guerrero do the same thing and are drafted in early or mid rounds, yet Cuddyer goes unnoticed. Go figure.
Cody Ross. One of the streakiest hitters in baseball, catching Ross on the upswing can be extremely rewarding. Looking at his season's numbers so far, his 20 HRs, 65 runs batted in, and his .270 batting average (much higher than usual) are all pretty good for a guy who's owned in less than one out of three leagues.
Billy Butler: The Kansas City Royals first baseman is beginning to realize some of the potential that the baseball world has draped him with. With a .300 batting average and some respectable power stats (15 and 66), Butler is looking better by the season and puts up some pretty numbers for the Royals this season.
Well, that's my list of the top ten most overlooked hitters in fantasy baseball. Soon, I will be coming out with my list of the ten most overlooked pitchers in fantasy baseball. Hopefully, these two articles will enlighten you about players you may not have thought were doing so well and maybe even help you win your league championship.
Casey Blake (49.6%) - Ok, so Blake barely makes this list, but frankly, Blake is a useful fantasy contributor that many seem to overlook. Blake has put up 18+ HR's and a .270+ BA the past few seasons, and he's on pace to do so yet again, currently hitting .281 with 14 HR's, 68 RBI's, and 66 runs. With those numbers, he's on pace to hit .280 with 20 HR's and 90+ runs and RBI's. Not to mention, Blake is eligible at 1B and 3B. Because of the depth at 1B, he's not going to be a starter there. But Blake could definitely be a starter at 3B and is an extremely useful bench player. You can plug him in at a bunch of places and he can produce pretty solid numbers.
Kurt Suzuki. It's always a challenge to find a worthy player to fill that catcher position on your roster. While the pickings are slim, Suzuki usually goes un-drafted and sits on the waiver wires of many leagues. With 10 home runs, a .275 average, and 55 runs batted in, these really aren't such bad numbers for a catcher by season's end.
Denard Span (41.7%) - I will admit, OF is a very deep position, so many people may already have great OF's. But for those of you who need one more quality OF, look no further than Denard Span. Span's numbers up to this point are a .305 BA with 70 runs, 6 HR's, 47 RBI's, and 19 SB's. Over a full year, Span would produce a .300+ BA with 107 runs, 9 HR's, 72 RBI's, and 30 SB's. Sure he's not a HR hitter, but he doesn't hurt you anywhere and can be a valuable source of SB's without having to overpay for a guy like Ichiro or Crawford.
Michael Cuddyer: It seems like every Minnesota Twin gets less respect than he deserves. Why should Cuddyer be any kind of exception to the rule? Well, he isn't. Cuddyer is on pace for about 26 home runs this season, over 90 RBIs, and an average over .280. Guys like Vladimir Guerrero do the same thing and are drafted in early or mid rounds, yet Cuddyer goes unnoticed. Go figure.
Cody Ross. One of the streakiest hitters in baseball, catching Ross on the upswing can be extremely rewarding. Looking at his season's numbers so far, his 20 HRs, 65 runs batted in, and his .270 batting average (much higher than usual) are all pretty good for a guy who's owned in less than one out of three leagues.
Billy Butler: The Kansas City Royals first baseman is beginning to realize some of the potential that the baseball world has draped him with. With a .300 batting average and some respectable power stats (15 and 66), Butler is looking better by the season and puts up some pretty numbers for the Royals this season.
Well, that's my list of the top ten most overlooked hitters in fantasy baseball. Soon, I will be coming out with my list of the ten most overlooked pitchers in fantasy baseball. Hopefully, these two articles will enlighten you about players you may not have thought were doing so well and maybe even help you win your league championship.
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