New Studs on the Block takes a look at the next potential stars of the fantasy baseball season. Yes, that includes you, Pablo Sandoval.
Pablo Sandoval, Giants -- What do you call a 22-year-old kid who hits .345 in 145 major league at-bats with three home runs and 24 RBI, all while playing games at first base, third base and catcher? You call him anything he wants, and you thank him for his time and versatility.
In addition to Sandoval's 145 at-bats at the big-league level, he also split time between Advanced-A San Jose and Double-A Connecticut, hitting .350 in 448 at-bats with 20 home runs and 96 RBI. With that kind of plate discipline and power stroke you can bet that Sandoval has a spot on the Giants' major league roster moving forward. You'll enjoy his three-position eligibility on your fantasy team in '09, but he'll most likely be the everyday third baseman for the Giants. His insanely high hit rate means he probably won't repeat his .345 batting average in 2009, but by looking at what he's done in winter league play (.396 batting average with 12 home runs and 33 RBI in 192 at-bats), you can tell that Sandoval is determined to continue breaking out. His power numbers are real. This kid can hit.
Josh Anderson, Braves -- Anderson spent a little time in Atlanta in the first half of the season but arrived to stay as a late-season call-up. In 136 major league at-bats in 2008 he hit .294 with three home runs, 12 RBI and stole ten bases. It's the stolen base potential that had everyone talking about Anderson as a fantasy option in 2009. In Anderson's last three seasons of minor league ball he's stolen more than 40 bases each year. If you give him 500 at-bats at the pace he swiped bags in '08, he'll likely steal 37 bases in 2009. The only reason that Anderson isn't a sure thing to be a big-time breakout candidate is the fact that he's being pushed by fellow Braves prospect Jordan Schafer. They'll be locked in a battle this spring (one that most people think Anderson will win) to determine who the everyday center fielder will be. If Anderson wins that job, and how long he holds on to that job during 2009, goes a long way in determining how much value to place on his fantasy worth.
Jose Lopez, Mariners -- Lopez broke out about as quietly as you can do so. The 25-year-old second baseman belted 17 home runs and drove in 89 while batting .297. You may not have noticed because Lopez already had 1,524 major league at-bats prior to the 2008 season. Lopez saw growth in just about every aspect of his game at the plate. He walked more, improved his contact rate and hit more line drives in 2008, all of which improved his batting average. His home run per fly ball ratio went up last year in addition to experiencing a huge post-break spike in fly ball rate. This led to a career year in home runs and foretells of more power to come in 2009. With the improved plate approach that Lopez showed in 2008, it looks like he has all of the tools to be a .300 hitter going forward. With the improved power stroke it's easy to see Lopez hitting 20 or more home runs as well.Tommy Hanson, Braves -- Hanson is a 22-year-old pitcher who just finished his third professional season after being drafted by the Braves in 2005. He split time in 2008 between Advanced-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Mississippi, compiling an 11-5 record with a 2.41 ERA and a 3.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio (163:52) in 138 innings. As good as those numbers are, it's what he did to Arizona Fall League hitters that vaulted Hanson to fantasy relevance for the upcoming 2009 season. In seven starts during AFL play, Hanson was 5-0 with a tiny 0.63 ERA. In 28.2 innings of work he struck out 49 and only walked seven batters en route to being the first pitcher to ever win the AFL's MVP award. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.00 and strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio of 15.38 showed that he can be a dominating force. Currently, Hanson is set to fight it out in Spring Training for a Braves rotation spot. He doesn't stand much of a chance to win that spot, but he could hang on to a bullpen spot if the team feels he'd help out in Atlanta more than throwing in the minors. If he gets sent back down, he'll be the first starter promoted if anything happens to the Braves rotation. Baseball America just listed Hanson as the fourth best prospect in all of baseball.
