Identifying a sleeper is one of the most exciting things for any analyst. It’s the first chance to plant your flag on a player that you think will burst onto the scene and become a star! After all, the goal is to become the first person to be in on that player, right? That part is up for discussion, but the general idea when choosing a sleeper is precisely that. You’re looking to find a player that most people aren’t aware of who shows the skills to become something special. As I start identifying sleepers, I have several fundamental principles.
2) Identify repeatable skills
3) Avoid the small sample
While I technically have Triantos inside my Top 100 prospects, he’s too good of a hitter not to latch onto. The 2021 second-round pick has consistently performed throughout his career, posting a slash line of .289/.349/.417 with 24 homers, 80 extra-base hits, and 86 steals in four pro seasons. In addition to hitting for a high average, Triantos has maintained a strikeout rate of just 14.6% and has solidified himself as one of the most underrated hitters in the minors.
Everything starts in Triantos’ pre-load setup. His weight and hands are already loaded in the back part of his operation. As he begins the swing, he uses a quick, simple leg lift before driving through the zone. Simplifying his swing has helped his overall contact improve since joining the minors. His contact rate, which started around 80% early in his career, jumped to just under 87% in 2024, with an in-zone rate of over 92%.
His power output increased last season, as Triantos hit seven homers in his split between Double-A and Triple-A. Although the data improved over previous seasons, Triantos’ underlying data from Triple-A is underwhelming. He posted an 85.9 mph average EV, 104 mph max EV, and a hard-hit rate of 28%. On a positive note, his 90th percentile EV was just under the MLB average at 102.4 mph. Given his ability to consistently make contact and his upward trajectory with quality of contact, I still see a path to 10-15 homers in the long term. It’s also worth noting that Triantos stole 47 bases in 2024. Interestingly, his pre-draft grade for his speed was 45, but it’s also important to remember that Triantos had knee surgery in 2023. The sudden burst of stolen bases could signify things to come, as Triantos is generally regarded as an outstanding athlete.
Sal Stewart, 2B/3B, CIN
Stewart was one of the Reds’ two first-round picks in 2022, joining one of my favorite prospects, Cam Collier. The 21-year-old has done nothing but rake since joining the organization and is coming off a terrific season in 2024. In 80 games at High-A Dayton, Stewart slashed .275/.396/.415 with eight homers, 23 doubles, and 10 steals while producing a 144 wRC+. A 14.8% walk rate sparked his .396 OBP, which has become the norm for Stewart. Throughout his career, Stewart has 138 walks to 139 strikeouts, an overall rate of 18.9%.
Plate approach and discipline are staples of Stewart’s profile. Beyond the high walk rates, Stewart rarely expands the zone and has very little swing-and-miss in his game. His contact skills also improved last season, bumping his overall rate to 83%, up from just under 80% in previous years. He is lauded for his ability to find the barrel and drive the ball to all fields. While we don’t have specifics about his quality of contact, Stewart has flashed plus exit velocities and has a hard-hit rate of over 45%. His in-game power has not fully developed, but the signs of a potential breakout are here. Stewart hit his first home run this Spring, mashing a ball over 104 mph to dead center.
I’m excited to see Stewart’s continued development in 2025. It’s likely he spends most of the season in Double-A, but I’d love to see him jump to Triple-A so we can get additional data points on him. His bat is well-rounded and has the potential for significant impact down the road. I’d encourage you to grab Stewart in anticipation of a breakout this season.
Mike Boeve, 3B, MIL
In a system loaded with intriguing high-upside players like Jesus Made and Jacob Misiorowski, many overlook infielder Mike Boeve. Boeve was a second-round pick in the 2023 Draft following a stellar career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Boeve slashed .356/.462/.521 in four seasons with UNO with 14 homers and 57 extra-base hits. The most impressive stat for his career wasn’t his 94:74 walk-to-strikeout ratio but rather that he had just 16 strikeouts over his final two seasons on campus. Boeve was an elite contact hitter along the same lines as Jacob Wilson during his time at Grand Canyon.
Boeve has carried over his contact skills to the pro game. He uses a simple swing with extended barrel time in the zone, making consistent contact. Boeve can drive the ball to all fields, playing gap-to-gap with above-average barrel and high line drive rates. In 395 career at-bats, Boeve has a .336 average with two homers and 14 doubles. His strikeout rate obviously ticked up as a pro, but it still sits at an impressive 20% with a walk rate of just under 14%. Boeve has advanced his bat-to-ball skills, which generated an overall contact rate of 84.6% and a rate above 90% in the zone in 2024. His hit tool plays to all fields as Boeve has a well-balanced spray chart and is just as likely to push the ball to left field as he is to pull it to right.
The biggest question about Boeve is what type of power output he provides. As a pro, he has just two home runs and had just 14 in college. His frame and power are there, as he stands 6’1″ and over 200 lbs. with exit velocities above the league average. Boeve may remain an above-average hitter with gap-to-gap power who occasionally runs into 8-10 homers and nothing more. But he could also change his approach and try to drive the ball out of the park more, adding extra thump to his profile. Either way, Boeve is a player I’m rostering where I can in Dynasty as an outstanding source of batting average, high OBP, and whatever power I can get.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter)