Brendan Ryan, St. Louis Cardinals
Ryan impressed fans and teammates during his 67-game introduction to the major leagues in 2007. He batted .289 with four home runs, 12 RBI, scored 30 runs and stole seven bases. The departure of longtime Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein opens the door for a full-on competition during camp for the starting job. Veteran Cesar Izturis is a better glove man, but Ryan's bat will be too hard to ignore as the Cardinals seek to boost run production after a down 2007 season.
http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy/story/7786550/Infield-sleepers:-Loney's-a-road-warrior
Chris Duncan, St. Louis Cardinals
The Cards expected Duncan to improve on his tremendous introduction to the game in 2006 when he hit 22 home runs with 43 RBI and a strong .293 batting average in 280 at-bats. Instead, he regressed at the plate as his strikeout rate soared to one in every 3.04 at-bats. He maintained his power production by hitting 21 home runs with 70 RBI, but a sharp decline in his batting average in the second half is cause for concern. He batted .288 in the first half of the year before seeing his average drop precipitously to .209 in 139 second-half at-bats. Part of the drop-off can be attributed to the sports hernia injury that ultimately ended his season, but the difference at the plate was noticeable. He's expected to be fully healthy for camp, so owners can expect strong power numbers in front of Albert Pujols. He'll need to improve his contact rate to sustain a higher average and make himself a more well-rounded fantasy option.
Colby Rasmus, St. Louis Cardinals
Rasmus generated huge power numbers for Double-A Springfield in 2007 and will have the opportunity to compete for the outfield slot vacated by Jim Edmonds this fall. Rasmus slammed 59 extra-base hits, including 29 home runs with 72 RBI. He also stole 18 bases for good measure. He did strike out 108 times, but his 70 walks indicate he's learning on the job. A robust .381 on-base percentage is a nice start. He's a future five-tool performer, and the clock may begin ticking as soon as the Cardinals report to Florida.
http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy/story/7790230/Outfield-Sleepers
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