Mining for Gold - Ryan Spilborghs

Somewhere in the mountains of Colorado, on the 150th anniversary of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush, lies an unfound piece of baseball gold. Owned in only 4% of Yahoo leagues, Ryan Spilborghs will bring you fantasy riches this season. After spending last year splitting time in all three outfield spots, and all nine spots in the batting order, it looks as if Spilborghs has finally found a spot to call his own. Spilborghs is currently slotted in as the starting center-fielder and leadoff man for the Colorado Rockies. He is a much different hitter then last year’s three headed leadoff platoon of Willy Taveras, Clint Barmes, and Scott Podsednik. He has a bit more pop and not as much speed. Now before you tell me that you don’t want a slow, power hitter leading off, let me give you one more stat. In 233 ABs last year Spilborghs tallied an OBP of .407. Taveras in over 400 ABs, had an OBP of .299, and the total OBP for all Rockie leadoff men last year was a paltry .308. Isn’t the main job of a leadoff man to get on base and set the table for the hitters behind him? A full year or Spilborghs projects out to be on base nearly 50 times more than the average Colorado leadoff man from last year. The Colorado line-up may seem a bit lighter in the britches without Matt Holliday, but don’t let that fool you. Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton are both healthy and having solid springs. Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins, and the much hyped Chris Iannetta are also looking at 20 HR campaigns to round out a solid, (especially in the thin air of Colorado) punch filled line-up. Spilborghs spilts (vs LHP/RHP and Home/Road) do not show any signs of a platoon, so if Spilborghs can keep up his high OBP, he should be along for plenty trips around the bases. Hoffy’s Ballpark Figures: Ryan Spilborghs – 550 AB / .308 AVG / 16 HR / 76 RBI / 13 SB / 94 R / .384 OBP