Sleeper of the Week

After taking a look at Norihiro Nakamura and Keiichi Yabu, it’s time to wrap up the trilogy of potential sleepers joining the major leagues from Japan with a player who just might be the best of these three: infielder Tadahito Iguchi, who signed a two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox.

In stark contrast to Nakamura, who is coming off two consecutive disappointing campaigns, Iguchi’s stock has soared of late. Between 1997 and 2002, the first six seasons of a career spent entirely with Fukuoka of Japan’s Pacific League, Iguchi hit for an average of just .240, with a career high of .261 in 2001, a season in which he also collected 97 RBI and 44 SB. In 2003, however, the second baseman took his game to a higher level, hitting .340, a full 100 points higher than his career average up to that point. The following season, he proved that his astonishing improvement was no fluke, hitting a solid .333.

Iguchi displayed a bit of pop in Japan, averaging just under 25 home runs per year between 2001 and 2004. How well that power will translate to the major leagues remains to be seen, however; don’t expect too much. His speed should be a greater fantasy asset, as he has averaged more than 30 steals a year for the past four seasons.

Tadahito Iguchi will be something of a wild card in this year’s draft, with good potential but considerable risk. If you’re looking for a sure thing, you’ll have to look elsewhere, but considering how shallow the 2B position is in the AL, anytime a player with upside comes along, he’s well worth keeping an eye on.