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Travis Snider hit .155 in April and nearly lost his starting job.  Where the OBP was solid in the minors, it abandoned him.  Nothing was working.  Then in May, he turned things around hitting .378.  Gaston giveth time, Snider giveth power and OBP until he hurt his wrist and went to the 15-day DL for 62 days.  Wrist injuries can be tricky things.  Maybe when he returned in August with little power he was still nursing it?  Maybe his power didn’t really return until the last week of the season when he hit four homers in 6 games?  Maybe Green Day’s been singing the same two songs for the last fifteen years, one fast and one slow?  I do not have the answers to these questions.  I’d like to think all three are answered in the affirmative.  So why is Travis Snider a 2011 fantasy baseball keeper?

First, and possibly most importantly, you have him for cheap.  If you don’t have him for cheap, then this is all moot, which only seems like it should be spelled mute.  Now if you do have him for cheap, the proverbially ship has not sailed for Snider.  What ship, you ask.  A only 22-year-old ship, I answer.  He has 1412 ABs in the minors and a .302/.376/.530 line.  That blows my mind.  At 22, 1412 minor league ABs?!  That’s a lot of solid experience.  Now he just needs the chance to do it in the major leagues.  If he didn’t lose 2 months to the wrist injury, this post would’ve been a no-brainer.  He would’ve had 25+ homers and a .275 average and everyone and their cousin would’ve been rolling Snider in their sleeves like he was a pack of cigarettes.  Oh, and if this sounds like a 2011 fantasy baseball sleeper post too, take it as one.  And did I mention he has some slight speed?  In 2011, I could see Snider giving 65/27/80/.270/5.  All those numbers are conservative and he’s most definitely a keeper if you have him for the right price.