Spring is in the air and that can only mean one thing. Baseball will soon be back!
With baseball right around the corner, many of us will be preparing for our upcoming fantasy baseball drafts and I could not be more excited. Baseball is my favorite sport and when it comes to fantasy baseball, I’m all in.
Each year I do this sleepers series, offering my favorite sleepers per position leading up to draft season. Typically per position I will offer my three favorites, while offering five sleepers for the outfield, starting and relief pitchers.
We’ll kick this series off the way we normally do, with catchers. Catcher is a position I preach year-in-and-year-out to not draft high. This is due to the limited play time that even the best of catchers get due to the hardships of the position. In my opinion it’s much better to get a player earlier on that will see 600-plus plate appearances and not a catcher who will peak out at around 500.
Now there is a big drop off between top tier catchers to even the middle tier and that can be enticing to get a leg up in the position that way, but beyond the top guys, there is not that big of a separation for the middle to lower tiers.
Use your earlier selections on more important positions such as first base, third base, the outfield or pitching.
With that being said, let's jump into things!
Logan O’Hoppe (Los Angeles Angels)
2023 Stats: 199 PA, .236 BA, 14 HR, 23 R, 29 RBI, 0 SB & 48 SO
2024 Projection: 301 PA, .255 BA, 15 HR, 37 R, 41 RBI, 3 SB & 67 SO
ADP: 199th
Position: 14th
O’Hoppe’s stats from a season ago do not jump off the page at you but he spent an extended period of time on the IL with a shoulder injury. He started the season hot, becoming a waiver wire darling before the injury. He came back following his injury and over the final month of the season hit .258/.317/.581 with nine home runs and 31 runs-plus-RBIs. That also came with a 47.8-percent hard hit rate and a 20.9-percent barrel rate. O’Hoppe is a guy that is currently being drafted in the 16th round of 12-man leagues and is currency being drafted as the 14th catcher off the board. He has the potential to be your everyday catcher for your fantasy baseball teams and is being drafted outside of the top twelve.
Luis Campusano (San Diego Padres)
2023 Stats: 174 PA, .319 BA, 7 HR, 27 R, 30 RBI, 0 SB & 21 SO
2024 Projection: 292 BA, .273 BA, 10 HR, 38 R, 40 RBI, 3 SB & 65 SO
ADP: 290th
Position: 20th
Campusano has quickly become one of my favorite overall sleepers for the upcoming draft season, not just in the catcher position. Like O’Hoppe, following a hot start to his 2023 campaign, he was derailed by injury. He came back in mid-July and since July 19th of last year, he hit .331/.375/.500 over 152 PA. Now, you’re not going to get the power numbers out of Campusano but if you have a power hitting friendly lineup around him, he’s the type of catcher that won’t tank your batting average while contributing in other statistical categories. He’s more of a fit in categories or roto leagues more than points leagues, but he still is going to offer his fair share of points as well. He also enters this season as the starting catcher without any form of competition around him. He’s projected to hit sixth in this very good Padres’ lineup as well.
Shea Langeliers (Las Vegas Athletics)
2023 Stats: 323 PA, .205 BA, 22 HR, 52 R, 63 RBI, 3 SB & 143 SO
2024 Projections: 460 PA, .225 BA, 19 HR, 51 R, 61 RBI, 5 SB & 127 SO
ADP: 318th
Position: 23rd
If you’re looking for some power numbers out of your catcher position, Langeliers is your guy. Langeliers comes with elite exit velocity and barrel percentages. He has 25-to-30 home run potential. His batting average isn’t eye catching but it’s also one that won’t tank the category in your lineups. In a points league, Langeliers can be the steal of your draft. If you’re looking for a catcher that will add to the power stats in roto or categories, he’s also your guy. He is projected to make 75-percent of starts for the Athletics this season and will likely hit fifth. Again, this could be the overall steal of your drafts.
*All stats and projections were provided by Baseball Reference
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