Dee Gordon: 2014 National League Sleeper of the Year
Sep 8, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon scores a run against the San Diego Padres in the first inning during the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Every year, people study and study to find the best value picks come draft day. But every year, we as fantasy players show that sometimes we just drop the ball. Case in point, our 2014 sleeper of the year, Dee Gordon.
You want proof? Gladly. Think back to draft day. On average, people were drafting Everth Cabrera more than 100 spots before Dee Gordon. On average, people were drafting Dan Uggla about a round ahead of Dee Gordon.
When we look at the numbers now, it seems so silly.
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But that’s what made Gordon a truly great sleeper. I can rest easy knowing that I really didn’t recommend Cabrera or Uggla this year. Really, while they both went ahead of Gordon on draft day, no fantasy players were exactly rushing to grab either of those guys.
But so few people seemed to realize how much potential Gordon actually had. Look, people miss on guys plenty, but it’s really amazing that so many of us missed on that, especially given what Gordon’s primary skill is — his speed. As the saying goes, speed doesn’t slump.
If Gordon hits a ball to the left side of the infield that’s anything other than a sharp grounder right at the fielder, he’s got a chance of reaching. If he gets on base, he’s a threat to steal not one, but two bases. With guys like Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp behind him, the chances are not at all bad for Gordon to score any time he reaches base.
Now, to be fair, we didn’t know that Gordon was going to be getting this kind of playing time. We certainly didn’t know that he’d be batting at the top of the order. That’s really what makes him a sleeper.
It’s just a little surprising that more people didn’t gamble on that game changing speed a little earlier in the draft. People were certainly doing that with an unproven but undeniably fast Billy Hamilton, why not Gordon?
If you landed Gordon this year, that oversight was your good fortune. Dee Gordon is your National League Sleeper of the Year in 2014.