Deep Keepers: May 24

Today we’re looking at a couple of deep sleepers for keeper leagues that are intriguing but a little old for the leagues that they’re dominating.

Jerry Sands | 1B | Los Angeles (NL): Sands, 22, got off to a slow start to his pro career with two seasons in short-season ball. Last season, he split the year between short-season and low-A ball. Combined, he produced a triple-slash line of .306/.386/.590 in 288 at-bats but struggled to hit for average in low-A ball. Overall, he slugged 19 homers. Back in low-A to begin 2010, the right-handed hitter is batting .378/.456/.750 in 156 at-bats. He’s slugged 14 homers and driven in 34 batters in 43 games. At 6’4’’ 225 lbs, he’s even swiped eight bags in nine attempts. He’s creaming southpaws with a 1.275 OPS; his career OPS against left-handers is 1.122. Given his age and level of play, you definitely want to be cautiously optimistic over his output. Sands, though, could turn into a pretty intriguing prospect if he can continue to hit for both power and average at upper levels of the system.

Cody Overbeck | 3B | Philadelphia: A 2008 ninth round pick out of the University of Mississippi, the third baseman struggled in ’09 after he was pushed to high-A ball. He hit just .230/.282/.399 in 361 at-bats. His approach was clearly the issue as he posted a walk rate of 5.9 BB% and a strikeout rate of 29.1%. Left back in high-A for 2010, Overbeck has impressed the organization with the improvements that he’s made. He’s currently hitting .329/.393/.621 with 10 homers and 33 RBI in 43 games. Overbeck has been a real run producer for the club and is hitting .400 with runners in scoring position. He’s also made strides in both his walk and strikeout rates. Placido Polanco is not the long-term answer at third base for the big league club, so Overbeck could end up with a key role if he continues to develop.