Sleepers: Cleveland Indians
By Adam Forsyth
The Shallow
Shin-Soo Choo – Outfield
In just over 300 AB’s last season, this South Korean gave Indians fans some light on what ended up being a gloomy season. Choo has earned the right to become the starting RF out of spring training, and should be able to increase his AB’s to 500+. Will that multiply his statistical line from last year of .309-14-66-4 exponentially? Probably not. However, what you can expect from this 26-year old is an average around .300, with a line of 20-85-10, and upside to go along with it. He walks a decent amount, which helps his OPS (last year an impressive .946), and he has a decent amount of speed.
His speed may not translate into an abundance of SB’s, but you can count on him to score a decent amount of runs, as he is slotted in the third spot of a fairly potent offense. Choo came out of the gates slow last season after being called up, but once he got some everyday at-bats, along with a vote of confidence from Eric Wedge, Choo set fire to his stats with a final two months along the lines of the MLB’s elite. Enjoy the 2009 season though fantasy owners, as a buyer beware, due to the rumor of a 2-year commitment owed to the South Korean military that may take him out of Cleveland prematurely.
The Deep
Matt Laporta – Outfield
This highly regarded prospect was a key component in the Brewers acquiring CC Sabathia last season, as the Indians assured themselves by demanding the left-fielder as part of their package. Perhaps they were foreshadowing the loss of Choo in 2010, and protecting an investment. Regardless, they now have a stockpile of young studs for their OF positions. Laporta has shown tremendous power through the AA-Ball ranks, powering out 34 HR’s in his first 477 minor league AB’s (14.03 AB/HR), without the typical strikeout issues that a lot of power hitters have.
This kid has a good eye and at the plate, and discipline that isn’t always shown by a prospect with so much fanfare.
With the glut of talent that the Indians currently have in their outfield, the future may have Indians management shifting him over to first base to allow a quicker path to the big league. It would be ideal to have him settle in at AAA-Columbus this season before making the jump, and perhaps get him settled into the new position before throwing him to the wolves; however, most expect the name Matt Laporta to have much fantasy significance for many years to come. Expect that journey to take its’ first few steps sometime in 2009.
