There's always a ton of players who slip through the cracks and end up being extremely valuable. It's especially satisfying when you find these gems late in drafts, but sometimes an early round player can be undervalued as well. I've put together at least one batter from each team worthy of a much higher pick than where they are currently being drafted on most sites. I've listed their adp (average draft position) and where I have them ranked. Some teams have the honor of two or even three players being selected because honestly some of the values were just too great to leave unmentioned.
Baltimore Orioles
Anthony Santander adp 334. My rank 224.
Austin Hays adp 286. My rank 261.
The obvious answer here would have been Mancini, but after undergoing such a serious procedure, no one knows when or if he’ll be back this season. (Update* it has been reported that he will not return for the 2020 season) With his return date in question and the departure of Villar, scoring opportunities may be limited for the Orioles young and upcoming core. There are however, two guys, I’m actually very high on, Santander and Hays. Figured to bat third and first respectively and on a regular basis, I expect these two to provide excellent value so late in the draft. Santander hit 20 doubles and 20 homers last season in 93 games. While Hays, the top prospect for the O’s in 2018, raked in his limited opportunity, posting a .947 OPS in 21 games and even stole a couple of bags.
Boston Red Sox
Micheal Chavis adp 254. my rank 236.
Micheal Chavis is currently going around 250th overall. He's even going undrafted in a few leagues, but is definitely worthy of a roster spot. After hitting 18 HR in 347 AB’s last year, he’s expected to basically be an everyday player this season and qualifies all over the diamond. You’ll have to stomach a low BA and sit him during his lull streaks, but he can hit homers in bunches and his ceiling is high. Benintendi is also a name to monitor. He actually greatly improved his hitting vs lefties, and even though his power disappeared, he could be a nice bounce back candidate taking over for Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot. He hasn't really plummeted too far in drafts despite his unfavorable season last year, so he doesn't really qualify for this list, nevertheless, he's someone to keep an eye out for. If owners in your league shy away from the toolsy Boston hitter worried of a repeat performance, grab him when he falls to you in round 9 or 10 in twelve team leagues.
New York Yankees
Gio Urshella adp 218. my rank 181.
Luke Voit adp 199. my rank 186.
Luke Voit’s playing time was thought to be an issue coming into the season, but with all the injuries taking place he most likely slots into the 2 hole for the still powerful Yankees lineup.
*Update: With the delay this has of course has changed, but I still believe he will get the majority of playing time. I also like Gio Urshella. Everyone is down on him this year thinking he’ll come back to earth, but the majority numbers tell a different story. He did cool off in September, but for most of the season he hit over a .333 ba! Especially In July and August when the weather was warmest, he all but carried the Yankees swatting 12 home runs and leading them time after time with clutch hits. He batted .363 over those 47 games, and while I don’t expect a repeat performance, I do think he can finish with over 20 HR's and a BA over 280. Also a consideration, with the season possibly being played in spring training facilities the warm weather would only help.
Tampa Bay Rays
Yandy Diaz adp 267. my rank 245.
Brandon Lowe adp 193. my rank 178.
Austin Meadows adp 44. my rank 35.
The Rays are always a bit of a tricky pick because of all the platooning they do, but I like Yandy Diaz at his adp. If he can stay healthy he should bat third or second rather regularly. With a slight tweak to his swing, Diaz aka, the man with the biggest arms in baseball, was able to elevate the ball more often last season and his production soared. Grab him at the end of drafts. Brandon Lowe is another player to target and of course Meadows who I like as much if not more than Blackmon and Springer. Owners forget Meadows put up those shiny numbers in only 138 games and Lowe was a force before injuring his leg last season.
Toronto Blue Jays
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. adp 149. my rank 131.
Bo Bichette adp 66. my rank 71.
There isn’t anyone I’m necessarily too excited about at their current adp, but if I had to pick one, it may be Bo Bichette. He just does so much on the diamond that he should help in all 5 categories. His stock is rather high however, so expect to use a 7th or 8th round pick. Gurriel Jr. gets an honorable mention here and may be the better value. He’s only played in 149 games over two seasons, but if you total those 149 games up you get 31 HR's, 85 RBI, 7 SB's and a .279 BA. Not given much thought, the younger Gurriel brother has shown plenty of upside. He smashed 10 home runs in the month of June alone last season and batted a cumulative .348 between injuries during May and June. The kid always looks like he’s having a blast on the baseball diamond, especially alongside his younger teammates he came up with in the minor leagues. He’s surprisingly 6’3", 215 lbs, and should bat third, sandwiched between the Jays young stars.
Chicago White Sox
Jose Abreu adp 73. My rank 56.
Tim Anderson adp 103. My rank 81.
I’m high on a lot of the White Sox players this year, especially at their current adp. If I had to pick one, I’d go with Jose Abreu. He’s currently going after Rizzo and LeMahieu, and I think he’ll outperform both (I still have LeMahieu slightly higher only because he qualifies at multiple positions, including the toughest to fill, Second base). The lineup is stacked around him and he just knows how to hit with runners on, even with two strikes. He doesn’t try to do too much and still hits over 30 home runs. RBI north of 115 is very strong possibility again as well. Tim Anderson has to be mentioned too. Owners and experts anticipate a huge drop in batting average based on his .399 BABIP (he won the batting title last year), but even if it lowers 30 or 40 points, his power/speed combo and the hitters around him make Anderson a terrific value at his adp.
Cleveland Indians
Jose Ramirez adp 19. my rank 17.
Franmil Reyes adp 131 my rank 124.
Jose Ramirez had an awful beginning to last year that really tested the patience of fantasy owners. However, if he can get off to a hot start, and hit like he did in the second half (and for most of his career) all season long, he could be a late second round pick contributing like an early first rounder. Remember, he was going as early as 5th overall in roto drafts just a year ago. Franmil Reyes also needs to get some love at his current adp. 35 HR with 85 RBI might be his floor. The Indians lineup actually added some nice quality to the bottom half (which was awful last season), which should increase everyone’s numbers in general.
Detroit Tigers
CJ Cron adp 243. My rank 222.
The Tigers lineup is pretty terrible, but the newly acquired CJ Cron is expected to finally be given an every day job. He hasn’t hit righties well in the past, but he does enough against lefties to make up for it and still hits homers. He could be a sneaky source of 35 home runs very late in the draft.
Kansas City Royals
Hunter Dozier adp 174. my rank 154.
Hunter Dozier is a somewhat forgotten man on draft boards after dealing with injury issues late last season. When he was healthy however, he reminded Royals fans why he was the 8th overall pick several years ago. He slugged a hefty .522 and bats in the middle of the order with some great hitters in front of him. He could easily flirt with 100 rbi. A healthy Adalberto Mondesi will help the cause.
Minnesota Twins
Max Kepler adp 128. My rank 113.
The Twins are full of capable selections here, but I’m going to go with Max Kepler. Just reaching his prime at 27 years old, Kepler is expected to continue hitting lead off for the home run champ Twins. The addition of Donaldson only makes the lineup scarier and with the possibility of 35 home runs and a great obp., Kepler could sniff 100 40 100 which is a ridiculous steal at 130th overall. One big reason I’m so high on him is he finally learned to hit lefties and actually had better numbers against them than he did righties. Move him up your board right now.
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez adp 38. My rank 27.
Alvarez couldn’t hit against the Yankees in the playoffs, also he battled some knee injuries in the Spring, so owners are a bit wary drafting him so high in 2020. But let me be clear, I am over paying for this guy and I believe he’s an immediate MVP candidate. He may have been exposed for a minute against the Yankees in the playoffs, but when he made the adjustment going into the World Series, the Nationals and all their Cy Young candidates were not able to get him out. Anyone can have a bad series. Think of it as just a blip on the radar over his ridiculous ROY campaign. He hits everything and does not need trash cans or buzzers to do so. If the knees aren’t a continual problem, I would feel comfortable taking him at the beginning of the third round. There's no speed here, but he’s that good and will demolish the other 4 categories.
Los Angeles Angels
Anthony Rendon 20 adp. My rank 13.
Anthony Rendon is going to strive in SoCal this season. The man can hit anywhere, but putting him behind the planets best hitter in year round good weather, and you're looking at an MVP candidate. His numbers are off the charts in almost every hitting metric. I like him more than Bregman, Martinez and Soto. His power may be a bit less than those guys, but none can match his BA and I can make up for the power later in the draft. Whenever I'm granted 12th pick in snake drafts, if other guys don't fall to me, I'm taking Freddy Freeman and Rendon and not looking back. Actually if Ohtani can stay healthy all season and continue to thrive on both sides of the ball, the Angels may be looking at a historic 1, 2, 3 in the MVP voting. Woah.
Oakland Athletics
Mark Canha adp 208. My rank 191.
Canha has always hit lefties well, but last year he was given the opportunity to play everyday and did not disappoint. Changing his approach at the plate helped cut down drastically on swings outside of the zone. Then when he got his fastball, he didn't miss it. The Oakland slugger went from a .270 BA with a .484 SLUG on heaters in 2018, to .326 BA and a colossal .674 SLUG. in 2019. He crushed 26 home runs in 126 games, leading to a 4.3 WAR and actually hit righties much better than lefties! Canha will bat near the middle of the order where his power bat will play nicely rewarding his team and fantasy owners quality home run and RBI totals. His BA may dip slightly, but even when he's slumping, his glove and competency to take a walk should keep him in the lineup. He also qualifies at first base and outfield, further increasing his value. If he puts it all together, he could be a beast this season. Don’t let him fall too far or another shrewd owner will snag him.
Seattle Mariners
Tom Murphy adp 282. My rank 267.
The Mariners catcher is an absolute steal at his near 300 adp. Not being drafted in most leagues, owners have forgotten what he did in a limited role last season and how highly he was thought of coming up in the Rockies system. For some reason he didn’t perform in Colorado, probably because he was never really given a chance. Moving to the great Northwest however, he flourished and hit a whopping 18 home runs in 260 ab’s. Staying pretty consistent all year Murphy destroyed left handed pitching, and as if that wasn't enough to earn regular playing time, he threw out an impressive 39% of would be base stealers and only gave up 3 passed balls in almost 600 innings. Austin Nola is a proficient backup, but Murphy is expected to handle the majority of catching duties this season in Seattle.
Texas Rangers
Willie Calhoun adp 178. My rank 152.
Danny Santana adp 133. My rank 121.
Willie Calhoun should hit third or fourth this year and is capable of a 30, 90 .280 season. He’s going in the mid rounds because he’s fairly unproven, but the 25 year old can hit and actually has a very good eye. After fracturing his jaw by taking a 95 mph fastball to the face in spring, Calhoun's stock decreases slightly, but with the long delay he should be good to go. It actually may even help his value seeing as others were scared off by the injury. (*He has since injured his hip and is doubtful for the start of the season. He should definitely fall a few rounds, but don't let him go undrafted.) 5 tool Danny Santana is also going too late in drafts. He found a nice niche for himself last year in Texas and his numbers were outstanding across the board. He did only hit .219 in August and September, but also mashed 12 home runs and stole 9 bags during that time. An easy 20/20 candidate who qualifies at every position, is more than valuable at 133rd overall.
Atlanta Braves
Freddy Freeman adp 17. My rank 12.
I'm in the heavy minority here, but I like Freeman more than Soto, which is mainly due to the surrounding cast. Opposing managers will have no problem pitching around the young Nationals slugger, happy to face whomever is batting behind him instead. Marcell Ozuna, batting cleanup for Atlanta, should prevent that in Freeman's case. With the two All Stars hitting in front of him as well, the Braves first baseman is a lock for another monster season. (It won't negatively effect Soto's numbers a ton, but its enough for me to put Freeman ahead of him in my rankings.) I also think he’s a safer pick than Bregman, who not only will have to deal with the cheating scandal wrath, but I question his extremely keen batters eye without the help of outside sources. (His swing rate outside the zone was down to 18% and his swinging strike rate was only a minuscule 4% last season) They can claim all they want that they didn't cheat outside of 2017, but until I see how the 2020 Astros respond, I'm a bit wary. I still think Bregman merits an early second round pick, but why take the risk? There’s really no worries when drafting Freeman other than the off-season wrist injury he suffered, which he looked to be well past in the spring. Those other guys mentioned may slightly out perform him, but there's no reason to take the chance with such a high pick. I like to go for the sure thing in early rounds, give me the gift that keeps on giving, give me Freddy Freeman.
Miami Marlins
Corey Dickerson adp 278. my rank 210.
Corey Dickerson! I love this guy at his adp. An afterthought on most boards, this guy is going to bat third everyday with absolutely no pressure for the sneakily decent top of the order Marlins. With speed at the top and adequate power behind him, expect Dickerson to approach 85 RBI with 25 home runs (they moved the fences in again at Marlins Park) and close to a .300 average. He quietly slugged .565 last season albeit he missed a ton of time. If he can manage to stay on the field this season, he could be a huge asset for fantasy owners, especially going so late in the draft.
New York Mets
Jeff McNeil adp 89. My rank 84.
The Mets have a plethora of players I’m high on, but none more than Jeff McNeil. This guy has become one of the more prolific hitters in the league. Adding power to his game in the second half of last season (due to a slight increase in launch angle), McNeil reminds me of former Met Daniel Murphy when he was in his prime. McNeil will challenge for the batting title and will produce in all the other departments as well (may be only worth about 5 sb's) and he qualifies at multiple positions. I’m grabbing him before Muncy, Darvish and Matt Chapman. McNeil is a stud.
Philadelphia Phillies
Didi Gregorius adp 190. My rank 171.
I’m a fan of Didi. Missing half the season last year due to injury, his numbers, most significantly his BA were down, so he’s falling in drafts. I think when he’s right he can carry a team and hit for power and in the clutch. I hope they bat him 5th behind Harper and Hoskins because he can produce like an All Star and should return to a .260+ BA. The main knock on him is his ability to stay on the field, but going 200th overall is just absurd in my opinion.
Washington Nationals
Trea Turner adp 11. my rank 9.
Get Trea Turner if you can. He is extremely deserving of a first round pick. His power speed combo is like no other in baseball other than Yelich and Acuna and if he can finally avoid the fluke injury 100+ runs, 25 homers, 45+ stolen bases and a .290 batting average are highly attainable. There’s a good chance he bats third, which could dip into his steals slightly, but will increase his RBI total significantly.
Chicago Cubs
Javier Baez adp 31. My rank 28.
For the Cubs I gotta go with Baez. While I feel like a lot of his teammates are overrated, I believe Baez is underrated. Still just 27 years old, he is easily capable of a 30/20 season with 100 plus in both run scoring categories. A lot of experts predict a mid range batting average for Baez, but I think his floor is around .275
Cincinnati Reds
Shogo Akiyama adp 268. My rank 249.
Jesse Winker adp 411. My rank 288.
I like Shogo! This guy was a highly sought after International Free Agent who all the writers and tv/radio hosts were constantly debating where he might sign and all the great tools he possesses, and now he's an afterthought at best! No one outside of Cincinnati is even talking about him, partially because of the gluttony of quality outfielders the Reds have. As well as, the signing of Castellanos three weeks later that helped pull the spot light off him. A great thing for savvy fantasy players! Projected to platoon in center field against right handed pitching, I believe his bat (he hit .321 in limited spring training and had a cumulative .400 OBP in Japan over the last 5 years) will force its way into an every day role, leading to a ton of runs scored and quality contribution in all five categories. Draft my guy Shogo and thank me later! I also think Winker is worthy of a roster spot in deep leagues. He will also platoon vs righties in which he has considerable production and management loves him. He's a fantastic fit to pair with another quality platoon player in daily contests and leagues. He is currently owned in about 3 to 4% of leagues, watch that number shoot up to 30 or 40 after the first month.
Milwaukee Brewers
Keston Hiura adp 49. My rank 43.
I am extremely high in Hiura. This guy is going to bat behind Yelich and put up monster numbers across the board. You know what I like best about him? In half a season last year he absolutely crushed right handed pitching and he bats right handed! Once he sees enough lefties and his numbers catch up, the sky’s the limit.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Gregory Polanco adp 316. My rank 249.
Polanco is another player who owners have completely forgotten about and is going undrafted. Out most of last year with a shoulder injury, fantasy players are significantly downgrading him almost off their boards completely, which is a mistake. Returning this spring 100% healthy Polanco slugged a hefty 1.185 OPS in 27 pa’s. Obviously it’s a very small sample size and spring numbers don’t really mean much, but the fact that he looked like his old self and is making consistent solid contact is enough reasons to buy, especially late. His BA will hover around .250, but he should bat in the middle of the order with some good quality OBP guys in front of him. Pit’s brass is high on him and I like him for 20+ homers 80+ RBI and 12 or so stolen bases. With that kind of potential there's no way he shouldn't be given a chance to hold down a spot on your bench with the occasional start.
St. Louis Cardinals
Tommy Edman adp 140. My rank 132.
Edman. This guy qualifies at every position and will produce in all 5 categories. He’s not exactly a sleeper with so many high on him, but I believe he will play practically every day and will most likely be the best value the Cardinals offer in the lineup. A 20/20 .300 season is very possible. Cardinals release of infielder Yairo Munoz is another sign of just how confident they are in him. If nothing else he's a great base stealer. He stole 15 bags in half a season last year while only being caught once. Goldshmidt, going in the 6th and even 7th round (depending on your league size) is pretty nice as well, but the last couple of seasons he’s had some admittedly awful and long lasting slumps that really hindered owners. He's also been receiving some treatment for a sore elbow, but should be good to go whenever the season finally starts.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Eduardo Escobar adp 109. My rank 97.
With all the attention going to the two Marte’s (deservedly so) owners have neglected to remember how good Eduardo Escobar was last season. While the top of the lineup should be credited with getting on base, it was Escobar who was driving them in. He tied for fourth in the National League in RBI (with Nolan Arenado) and this years lineup is even better. He also qualifies at 2b and 3b further increasing his worth. There's a ton of value here in the 10th round.
Colorado Rockies
Sam Hilliard adp 374. My rank 259.
David Dahl adp 140. My rank 110.
Hilliard could turn out to be this years steal of the draft like Pete Alonso or even Ketel Marte last season; then again he could start the year in AAA. His average won’t be great, but he was nearly and 40/25 guy in the minors and showed no signs of slowing down when he got his September call up. He’s worth the gamble in the last few rounds with the possibility he earns the starting job for the Rockies and adds his power/speed combination to an already ridiculous lineup. Just don’t wait TOO long or someone might grab him just before you do. Dahl is also someone I like a lot more than his adp. He’s always hurt, but when on the field, he’s a great asset and he’s due for at least one fully healthy or close to it season. He may even lead off for Colorado this year.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Joc Pederson adp 226. My rank 220.
Corey Seager adp 136. My rank 129.
Most Dodgers are going pretty high relative to their value, some are even overvalued, but if I had to pick one, I gotta go with Joc Pederson. I know he’s only going to start against right handed pitching, but that’s exactly why I value him. Last season he hit 36 home runs vs righties while not hitting any vs lefties to go along with a miserable .206 average. I certainly don't want those stats added to my totals! You cut out most of those vs lefty AB's and his BA increases to .252 which is more than passable when paired with 36 bombs on only 401 ab’s. He also will no longer hit leadoff (where he really never should have been in the first place, but the Dodgers didn’t have a lot of options) which will provide him with a ton of RBI opportunities. He makes for the perfect platoon player in daily leagues and not a bad play for weekly leagues when he's facing mostly right handers. He's someone you can get in the 21st round and may outperform guys taken 5 to 7 rounds ahead of him. Seager also possess a pretty decent value at 136. There's a good chance he'll enjoy a bounce back year after being more than a year removed from his injuries.
San Diego Padres
Eric Hosmer adp 221. My rank 187.
No one WANTS Erik Hosmer as their fantasy first baseman, but just going by the numbers, you could do a whole lot worse. His 2019 stats were indeed better than anyone seems to recall. It's important to remember that he drove in nearly 100 runs with only half a season of Tatis Jr. in the lineup, a total he almost surely would have surpassed if Tatis had remained healthy. Rumored to try and lift the ball more this season, Hosmer could easily push his home run total over the 25 mark and of course, continue to drive in a ton of runs. Tatis, Pham and Machado batting 1,2,3 in front of him will provide an abundance of AB's with RISP (runners in scoring position). Plus, he’s as durable as they come. While other owners spend big on the over hyped, big name first baseman, in the end boring Hosmer could put together very similar numbers. If he’s even anywhere close in production, taken 10 rounds later is enormously valuable. He’s more than deserving of a top 200 pick. If he falls to you in round 21 (10 team league) or later, send thank you letters to the other owners.
San Francisco Giants
Mike Yastrzemski adp 263. My rank 223.
Yaz hit 21 homers in 371 AB's with a .271 avg in his rookie campaign. His history suggests regression, but with his pedigree it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see him make any adjustments necessary throughout the season. He’s 29, so there’s not a ton of room for growth here, but Yaz thrived in his short stint with the Giants and I don't expect a major fall off. He put up nearly a 1.100 ops in AAA before his call up and his MLB batted ball metrics are right in line with his production. He may sit vs lefties from time to time, but being left completely off of draft boards this season seems like a disservice to your fantasy team.