Sleeper Watch

By Arlo Vander, Fantasy Baseball Cafe

Back in the year 2000, we were all in love with Charles Johnson, who joined the elite fantasy catchers by smashing 31 round-trippers while hitting over .300 for the Orioles and White Sox.

But the following season, our infatuation began to fade as Johnson’s numbers dropped off across the board in his return to Florida, the team he helped to the 1997 World Series title.

In 2002, his value hit rock bottom. Six home runs, 31 RBI, 18 runs, and a dismal .217 average. The once-mighty Johnson had fallen hard.

Yet we had hope heading into last season. Many a hitter has seen his production skyrocket at Coors Field - why not Johnson? Unfortunately, many expectations proved to be all-too-lofty. The ten-year vet did slug 20 homers, but his .230 average wasn’t exactly what many owners had in mind.

Now, Johnson is off to a blazing start, hitting .321 with 3 HR and 10 RBI, with a phenomenal 1.395 OPS. And even though he has only played seven games, once again, many are considering turning to Charles Johnson to solidify a very shallow position. But is this a good move, considering his history? The answer is yes.

No, Johnson won’t keep up his current torrid pace, but he doesn’t have to. Even if he only repeats last year’s numbers, he’ll again be a very valuable commodity in leagues with daily transactions.

Few players had as large a gap between their performances at home and on the road last season as Johnson. Away from Coors, he was an opposing pitcher’s best friend, hitting just .153 (no, that’s not a typo), with 18 RBI and a .561 OPS. But playing at home, Johnson was a different player altogether, compiling 12 HR and 43 RBI along with an average of .306 and an excellent .980 OPS in just 56 games. Needless to say, that amounts to fantastic production from the catcher position.

If your league uses daily lineups, don’t be deceived by Johnson’s overall 2003 totals. Pick him up, and play him in a platoon role, leaving him on the bench when the Rockies are on the road, and reaping the benefits of Charles Johnson’s games at Coors.