We talked about picking up Travis Snider at the tail end of September, so you can imagine that we’re pro-Snider in 2009. (Or at least I am. Not sure why I always say we. I guess I got a We Complex.) I don’t want to get the hype machine going too rapaciously (Word of the Day and I’m not sure it’s used correctly), but Snider’s most similar comparisons are Chris Davis and Jay Bruce. He can’t, obviously, walk on water as well as Jay Bruce and I’ve never seen him cure the Pox like Chris Davis. But Snider can hit home runs and strikeout like those two rookie nookie phenoms. When I went over Matt Wieters’s 2009 fantasy outlook, I preached caution. Take a wait and see approach. Travis Snider is in a better situation than Wieters for 2009 and could be more valuable in fantasy baseball.
Travis Snider September callup in 2008 showed that the Jays are excited about his prospects and they’ve committed to giving him a chance to make the club out of spring training. In the minors, Snider did exactly what should be expected of him in 2009 — home runs and Ks. In 2009, I think Snider will be a bit of a batting average liability, but I think he can evetually move past that. If he gets the OF job out of spring training, Snider could be a cheap source of 20 home run power. Initially, I see him splitting time with Lind and, if he can get off to a hot start, it should mean he’s here to stay. In AL-Only leagues, he’s absolutely draftable. In mixed leagues, I’d be a bit more cautious, but I could definitely see a late round flier taken on him, especially in deep leagues.
