Every baseball season produces its share of unexpected success stories – players who may not have had much fanfare entering spring training, but who take the playing time they're given and make the most of it.
There are also players who have plenty of raw talent, but haven't quite figured out how to channel it in the proper direction – at least, not yet.
Fantasy baseball owners are always on the lookout for the next wave of breakouts and sleepers, so we're doing some digging through the rosters of all 30 MLB teams to find the best candidates at each position for the 2019 season:
Catcher
Breakout: Willians Astudillo, Minnesota Twins – His .355 average in 30 games in the majors probably (definitely) isn’t sustainable, but he’s hit at every level and could become one of the league’s top offensive backstops in 2019.
Sleeper: Danny Jansen, Toronto Blue Jays – Heading into spring training atop the depth chart, the 23-year-old posted a .347 OBP in 31 games in the majors last year.
First base
Breakout: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers – His home run total (25) was disappointing a year after hitting 39 as a rookie, but his OBP rose while his strikeout rate dropped as the season went on. Expect a bounce-back campaign and a run at 20 steals for the 23-year-old.
Sleeper: Jake Bauers, Cleveland Indians – Look past the .201 batting average and you'll find a big power threat who gets on base at a high clip. Should rack of plenty of counting stats in the Cleveland lineup.
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