Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Pick: Jonathan Villar
The 25-year old, Jonathan Villar, busted onto the scene last year at the major league level with the Milwaukee Brewers and had an immediate impact on the team. While many people didn't realize exactly how much of an impact he had and probably still don't know who he is, if you're looking for someone who can play multiple infield positions on your fantasy team, then Villar is your answer.
Villar was originally signed in 2008 by the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent and was later traded to Houston in 2010. Eventually, he was traded to Milwaukee in November of 2015 in exchange of minor league pitcher, Cy Sneed, and played portions of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons with Houston at the big league level.
Last season alone, Villar hit: .285/.369/.457 in 589 at bats while recording 19 home runs, 63 RBI, 79 walks, and 174 strikeouts. In addition, he really amped up his base stealing game as he recorded 62 stolen bases last season, which was a career high, but also had a career high 18 caught stealing occurrences.
Although 2017 will technically be Villar's second full season at the major league level, he will likely avoid the famous "sophomore slump" given that he has four years of MLB playing experience under his belt and showed so much progress last year. In fact, Villar made such strides last season that some experts are starting to consider him one of the top 10 second baseman or shortstops in the league.
Beyond that factor, Villar is starting to only reach his peak meaning that he still has some more development to do and could become even more of a power hitter in the years to come as he continues to perfect his swing and work on his plate discipline.
As it stands right now, Villar is slated to be the Brewer's Opening Day second baseman, but has the ability to play shortstop along with Orlando Arcia and over at third base with Travis Shaw and Hernan Perez. Craig Counsell & his entire coaching staff will benefit greatly by having a versatile player like Villar on their roster as they can plug him into the lineup and give him a day off as they wish throughout the season.
So, if you're still trying to figure out who to take as one of your middle infield picks or need help figuring out someone who might go unnoticed in the draft, then take note of Jonathan Villar. Villar had an impressive 2016 and will likely have even more impact in the coming season as he continues to build his reputation and prove his worth to the entire baseball world.
