Sleeper Watch

Remember Esteban Loaiza, last year’s surprise story? Loaiza had been a 5+ ERA and 100 strikeout pitcher, but prior to last season’s drafts, word was that he had added a new pitch and was on his way to improving significantly. And we all wondered if that was true. Did you believe it?

Fantasy owners who did were rewarded with 207 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.90, not to mention 21 wins. Now, everyone is searching for this year’s Loaiza. One player who seems to be in a similar situation is Tampa Bay’s Dewon Brazelton. Picked third overall in 2001 after Joe Mauer and Mark Prior, Brazelton has always had raw talent. Now, he has worked to refine his mechanics and has also added another breaking pitch.

Brazelton has a good frame and reaches up to 94 mph with his fastball. In the Arizona Fall League, his ERA was below 3.00 and he notched a k for every inning pitched. Those numbers might not translate into instant success in the majors, but they’re encouraging signs of improvement. If he can spot his pitches better, particularly on the inside part of the plate, he could finally be on the way to reaching his potential.

Expecting him to be the next Loaiza might be a stretch, of course, but Dewon Brazelton is a young pitcher worth keeping an eye on. And thanks to his ugly 6.89 era in 2003, he’ll be an extremely cheap pickup for those willing to take a gamble.