Sleeper Watch

In fantasy baseball, one owner’s trash truly can be another’s treasure. Take Mark Bellhorn, for example. In standard roto leagues, Boston’s second baseman is just one of many marginal players at a shallow position, thanks in part to his lowly .236 batting average. In more sabermetrically-oriented leagues that have replaced average with on-base percentage, on the other hand, Bellhorn can be a solid contributor.

So far this season, Bellhorn is averaging nearly one walk per game. His total of 33 free passes is the second-highest in the AL, behind only Chicago’s Frank Thomas. Bellhorn’s excellent .398 OBP ranks him ahead of such .300-hitting 2Bs as Alfonso Soriano (.302, average .342 OBP), recently-injured Marcus Giles, (.339, .381), Marlon Anderson (.342, .357) or Mark Loretta (.300, .353). In 5×5 OBP leagues, Bellhorn’s across-the-board numbers (4 HR, 18 RBI, 23 R, 2 SB) give him a value comparable to Giles (approximately $15, just $2 behind high draft pick Soriano). Surprisingly, Bellhorn is still available in many such leagues.

There may be one cloud on the horizon: Nomar Garciaparra’s eventual return will make for a crowded infield in Boston, although Pokey Reese and Cesar Crespo seem more likely to lose playing time than the switch-hitting Bellhorn. Until that time, if your scoring system counts OBP, look beyond the box scores and consider adding Mark Bellhorn to your roster.