After supplying you with my Luis Garcia Jr. sleeper, I felt like I needed to stability out the Pressure. I needed to regain my sleeper cred. I can’t have you ever out on the imply streets of Fantasy Baseball Group Boards or Fantasy Baseball subreddit and speaking about how I used to be giving solely softball sleepers. Underhanded-toss-to-babies sleepers! That’s what you mentioned in your fake mocking tone. Properly, fake mock off! This Connor Norby sleeper is getting again my bona fides. [walking like I’m pushing a shopping cart, miming putting bona fides into the cart] I’ll take that bona fide, thanks! Filling up my stamp card that’s labeled “Bona Fides” that’s me! Whereas Connor Norby isn’t a prospect, he’s younger sufficient the place I feel we should always cease speaking about my bona fides and begin speaking discussing his. He was forty fifth total on the Itch’s 2023 prime 50 prospects. Then he briefly fell off the checklist final yr, as a result of (speculating) the O’s had simply too many bats. Then when he was known as up, I mentioned this yr, “Possibly I’ve watched too many political documentaries however I 100% thought Connor Norby was a Republican strategist. ‘My title is Connor Norby and I’m for tax reform.’ That isn’t him. Okay, cease me if you happen to’ve heard this earlier than: Orioles’ prime prospect was hitting nicely within the minors–Cease! He had a line of 9/7/.286 in Triple-A in 206 ABs–Cease! His Ks have skyrocketed in Triple-A, and he may simply be up till Jorge Mateo returns in 7-10 days…No cease? Hmm, bummer. Don’t drop anybody too loopy for Norby.” And that’s me quoting me! And predicting actuality! Fortunately, he was traded to the Marlins, which is the place we’ll decide this sucker up on the opposite aspect of the segue. So, what can we anticipate from Connor Norby for 2025 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
PSYCHE! My 2025 fantasy baseball rankings are all on Patreon. Don’t look forward to the rankings to come back out subsequent month. Anyway II, the Connor Norby sleeper:
Properly, final half first, Connor Norby is being drafted round three hundredth total. El oh el oh-kay. He’s a prime prospect for roughly three years straight. Everybody loves him. Then he really will get traded to a group the place he’ll play each day and he’s deserted? Okay, why? Since you assume he performed poorly in Miami after his commerce? You’re gonna wanna swallow that seltzer to keep away from a spit take. Okay, prepared? Good. Norby after his commerce to the Marlins was nice! Final yr, he went 9/3/.236 in 178 ABs. Ya know, the ol’ 30-ish homer, 10-ish steal tempo. Clearly, that’s by no means confirmed itself in his profile earlier than. [intern whispers in ear] What? He went 21/10/.290 in Triple-A in 2023? Then he went 16/13/.297 in solely 80 video games? Guys and 6 woman readers, Connor Norby has 30-homer energy and 10-steal pace. ACKSUALLY, he has 20-steal pace, however we’ll say 10 for MLB. Did I simply say Connor Norby might go 30/20? Yeah, however I’m making an attempt to not get y’all too loopy. There’s one difficulty to cowl.
The common. Final yr it was .236 with a 33 Ok% and seven.7 BB%. His o-Contact% was 49.2 and his Z-Contact% was 76.5, two numbers that needs to be working a telephone financial institution to discipline apologies for anybody who bought him primarily based on his .297 Triple-A common and are sending him again for the recall. Zack Gelof had a 76.3% Z-Contact, so, ya know, the worst of the worst. Elly De La Cruz had a 49.8% O-Contact, so, ya know, he’s in there with guys who’re simply swinging at shizz.
Norby’s Swinging Strike% was 17.8, the identical as Gelof. Norby’s neutrally hitting .220 if he repeats final yr, however right here’s the factor: Why does he should repeat final yr? Gelof had a 28 Ok% in Triple-A, which is analogous to Norby’s fee final yr, however in 2023 in Triple-A in 138 video games and 565 ABs, Norby had a 21.6 Ok%. That large of a pattern measurement — that’s what she by no means mentioned! — couldn’t be an accident. That tells me Connor Norby can get comfy and decrease his Ks. If he can get them to 27%, which additionally occurs to be what Steamer is projecting him for, that will get Norby to a .240 common. Neutrally! He had a number of the greatest contact in baseball when he did make contact. Identical as Ketel Marte and Schwarber to call two. If Norby will get his Ks to the place they have been in 2023, he’s gonna hit .275 with 35 homers and 15 steals. That’s not only a sleeper, that’s prime 20 total numbers. At decide 300?! Signal me up in all places. For 2025, I’ll give Connor Norby projections of 71/24/76/.239/12 in 559 ABs with an opportunity for a lot, far more.
