Tigers Leonys Martin: Deep Fantasy League Sleeper?

The Tigers are in the middle of a rebuild yet are looking to veteran, Leonys Martin, to lock down center field.  Could Martin potentially be a deep league sleeper?

A thirty-year-old vet coming off a year in which he could only muster a .172/3 HR/9 RBI/.513 OPS line over 49 games, is usually not what fantasy owners target. Yet, Leonys Martin not only got another shot in the majors in 2018 but will also more than likely start in center field and hit leadoff for the Tigers.  Is there any fantasy value to be had heading into next season?

Martin’s real-life value and fantasy value differ somewhat. He is extremely talented defensively in center, and that talent is surely one of the biggest reasons that a team was willing to give him another shot. In terms of fantasy, Martin is a tantalizing weapon thanks to his decent pop and speed. With the dearth of  SB producers in the draft pool, his 30 SB upside is hard to ignore.

Last season, was an unmitigated disaster for Martin. He could never find his footing in Seattle, and once dealt to the Cubs,  he entered a crowded situation and only saw 13 at-bats to end the year. As one would predict, Martin did well at AAA while in Seattle, posting a .306/11 HR/39 RBI/25 SB/.838 OPS over 88 games.

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Digging further, it was only two years ago that Martin posted a 15 HR/24 SB  combo for Texas. Even though it was a smaller sample size, 15% LD, 4% GB, 39% GB, 55% Med and 25% Hard contact rates in 2017, those rates were not that far off from his 2016 numbers, 20% LD, 43% GB, 37% FB,48% Med and 30% Hard.

The Tigers lack any traditional leadoff option, and that could even be said for Martin and his .300 OPS. Martin and his speed present the best option though, and even if he does sit some versus lefties, he is still on the preferred side of the platoon.

Martin’s power may be limited around the 15 HR mark, and he seems to profile more like a batter to hit somewhere around .260,  but Ron Gardenhire has made no bones about his teams being aggressive on the basepaths. Even early this spring, Gardenhire has been raving about Martin and has slotted him at the top of the lineup, an early indication of what may come.

If Martin can bat leadoff, he will still have the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Nicholas Castellanos, behind him which will offer the potential for solid counting stats.

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Fantasy owners will not have to fight off any other drafters on draft day when targeting Martin. The Tigers will surely struggle this season, yet Martin could offer fantasy owners a cheap source of SB and counting stats for nothing more than a last round flier. If he can keep up his hot spring, do not be afraid to take the plunge.