Sleeper of the Week

The last thing the Red Sox - not to mention fantasy owners - needed was an injury to starting third baseman Bill Mueller. Unfortunately, it now looks as if the defending AL batting champion will be sidelined for six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery. Yet if it’s true that every cloud has a silver lining, then the ray of light (to brutally mix metaphors) in this situation is that we’ll be getting an extended look at Kevin Youkilis, the Greek God of Walks.

In three years, Youkilis has gone from eighth-round draft pick to gem of Boston’s minor league system to holding his own in the big leagues, reaching base safely in each of his first eight appearances this year. His average is a healthy .318, and he has yet to make an error in the field.

His reputation, however, was built on OBP. In his first three seasons in the minors, Youkilis used patience and an excellent eye to post a BB/K rate of 1.74, walking 270 times in 325 games. At Portland in 2003, his OBP reached .487, giving him an OPS of .952. He’s displaying those skills in Boston as well, with an OBP of .467 so far, and six free passes in his last four games.

It’s possible, of course, that Youkilis is playing over his head. Promoted to AAA Pawtucket last season, his average dipped from .327 to .165, and his BB/K ratio slipped below one. While he has improved on those numbers this season, his AAA stats remain far from impressive: a .258 average in 128 2004 at bats, an OBP of .347, and a BB/K rate of 0.8.

A slight drop-off should probably be expected, and his power numbers will probably never reach traditional corner infielder expectations, but Youkilis should be a decent fantasy fill-in at 3B for those owners scrambling to plug holes created by injuries. In OBP keeper leagues, on the other hand, Youkilis is far more than that, and should be picked up immediately. With Boston’s front office embracing the Moneyball philosophy (see Bellhorn, Mark), the Greek God of Walks is a key piece of the Red Sox’ plans for the future. Consider making him a part of your OBP team’s future as well.