I have to admit, I was on the Travis Snider train last year. Actually, it was a steam locomotive, and I was the fireman shoveling coal into the firebox. I love unproven talent with immense potential, and I fell victim to the 21-year-old wunderkind.
Travis Snider hit .337 with 14 homers in 48 AAA in '09.
It didn’t work out. The left-handed slugger was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas and didn’t resurface until late August. But Snider took the wake-up call in stride, as he belted 14 homers and went .337/.431/.663 on the farm. He was recalled in late August, but didn’t really get going until September. You have to dig a bit to find some progression here. But we’ve dug, and we have found. Snider played all of September and October (only three games in Oct.), and put up a line of .261/.370/.446 . That’s still quite distant from the numbers he put up during his stint in Las Vegas, but we can see the improvement from earlier in the season. The .370 OBP is what catches our eye. Snider improved his plate discipline substantially. He managed a walk just seven times in his first 32 pro games, but walked 22 times over his final 45 games of 2009. It’s a start.
Snider is set to begin 2010 as Toronto’s starting left-fielder. Hopefully he can get the bat going early and stick. He just turned 22, and Toronto will give him plenty of time to settle in as a powerful middle of the order bat.
Adam Lind, who made his debut back in 2006, finally got a chance to play last year. He put up MVP caliber numbers, and had a complete breakout season. The lumbering slugger will find himself in the everyday DH role this year. He’s a minus defender, so he’s limited when it comes to fantasy. Both Lind and Snider warrant significant attention in keeper leagues. Lind has proven that he belongs while Snider is still a very attractive young hitter with loads of potential.
We need to see Snider hit consistently at the Major League level before hopping back on the Snider Train. Just don’t completely overlook him in keeper drafts. Bill James predicts Snider to hit .275 with 26 homers and 90 RBI. Not quite Lind 2009, but not not too shabby. Snider won’t be nearly as hyped as he was coming into 2009, so you should be able to get him on the cheap. Plus, he won’t clog your DH slot like Lind.
