I try not to use the word “sleeper” too much, because there really is no such thing in the world of baseball. The players I am going to list below are well known in the scouting and coaching communities, but they may not be as well known to the fans.

Every year there are players that step up more than what is expected from them to make an impact, not only for themselves, but for the teams they play for. A perfect example of this would be Oregon State’s Cole Gillespie a year ago.

Entering the 2006 season Gillespie was considered a fine athlete and hitter, and a decent pro prospect, but he wasn’t even considered the team’s best outfielder. That honor went to Tyler Graham, who was expected to step up for the Beavers after Jacoby Ellsbury left the team as a first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in the 2005 draft. Graham experienced hamstring problems all last spring, which limited his effectiveness and significantly reduced his playing time. By the end of the season Gillespie was the Pac-10 player of the year and the best hitter for the College World Series champion Oregon State Beavers.

Below I am going to list 12 draft-eligible candidates that have the potential to step up this spring to provide integral answers that could impact the overall success of their respective teams. Most of these players are junior college transfers, but a few of them are either rebounding from injury or from a lackluster 2006 season. Please note that I am not going to separately feature more than one player from any one program.

Jay Brown – RHP – South Carolina

Brown made quite a name for himself, pitching extremely well on the Cape Cod League last summer, and has transferred from Young Harris College to South Carolina for his junior year of eligibility. For the Gamecocks to live up to their lofty preseason expectations, Brown is going to have to be big this spring, particularly since South Carolina will be without their projected Friday starter, Arik Hempy, until March or April, and even then they can’t rely on him returning without missing a beat. Brown has the size, stuff and composure to do just that, as many expect him to get only better, and South Carolina is among the best at identifying and acquiring transfer talent. With a big junior year, Brown may just follow in the footsteps of another Young Harris alum, Nick Markakis, as a first-round pick if he shoots up follow lists this spring.

Brian Flores – LHP- Arizona State

Flores is anything but a sleeper, as he has been drafted twice by the Chicago White Sox. In two years at New Mexico Junior College before transferring to ASU, Flores compiled a 27-3 record with a 1.92 ERA, striking out 276 batters in 206 innings of work. Possibly Flores’ most impressive numbers are the 23 complete games and eight shutouts he tallied during that span. At 5’10”, 190 pounds, he doesn’t have the prototypical build, but he’s a strikeout pitcher from the left-side of the plate, built in a similar fashion to Johan Santana. While Flores doesn’t have Santana’s mid-90s heater or his dazzling changeup, he does throw around 90 mph consistently with a very good curveball and a solid change. He is expected to be the Sun Devils Friday starter, and with continued success he could help carry a team that should have no problems scoring runs.

David Duncan – LHP- Georgia Tech

Duncan is well known to scouts, but it may surprise a few people that he’s draft-eligible as a sophomore. With a towering 6’7” frame and a 90+ mph fastball, Duncan made it pretty clear that it would take a sizable signing bonus to keep him away from Georgia Tech. He went to college somewhat raw, as his tall and lanky frame has led to some mechanical problems, and like many freshman he was hit hard as opposing batters hit .297 off of him as he posted a 5.50 ERA. The always potent Yellow Jackets offense picked Duncan up, allowing him to post a 7-2 record. With Lee Hyde and Blake Wood moving onto the professional ranks, Duncan will be asked to step up as the team’s Friday starter against a very tough ACC schedule. If he’s up for the challenge, his stock should soar, although draft-eligible sophomores are always perceived as tough players to sign.

Andy Gale – RHP – Florida

The Gators boast two former Aflac All-Americans that are draft-eligible sophomores after receiving a medical redshirt since they missed most to all of the 2006 season. Outfielder Jared Kubin is one of them, and he could provide much-needed protection for returning senior Matt LaPorta. Gale is profiled here since Florida’s pitching staff has a lot more question marks than its everyday lineup. Gale is the son of former big leaguer Rich Gale, and he started his career at North Carolina before transferring due to the Tar Heels deep pitching staff. Built tall and thick, he has never blown batters away, instead relying on a nifty changeup and pinpoint control to carve up a lineup from top to bottom. Don’t forget, the Gators finished second in the College World Series two short years ago, and could be poised to surprise some people after a disappointing 2006 season if players like Gale (and Kubin) step up.

Enrique Garcia – RHP – Miami

Replacing their electric closer from a year ago, Chris Perez, who was selected as a sandwich pick after the first round last year, won’t be an easy task for the Miami Hurricanes. Transfer Enrique Garcia (Potomac State College) has the stuff and the moxie to make the loss of Perez easier to swallow. Armed with a nasty sinking fastball which he complements with a diving split-fingered fastball, Garcia should have no problems missing bats with his arsenal, which his stats from Potomac State College can attest to (173 strikeouts in 143.2 innings pitched). He has a very big, strong frame at 6’5”, 220 pounds, and has served primarily as a starter before going to Miami. Garcia’s presence in the bullpen should make it tough for opposing teams to score on late in the game.

Seth Garrison – RHP- TCU

Garrison joined teammate Jake Arrieta on the Roger Clemens Award watch list for the 2007 season, so he’s not going to sneak up on anyone. Coming out of high school, Garrison created as much excitement as a powerful switch-hitting shortstop as he did on the mound. He has continued to fill out his already big and strong frame, and now stands at an imposing 6’5”, 220 pounds. He started his career at Arizona State where his freshman season was cut short by an emergency appendectomy. Garrison transferred to Navarro Junior College for his sophomore year, where he served as the team’s closer before shining as a starter last summer in the Texas Collegiate League. He profiles very similar to teammate Jake Arrieta in size and stuff, and if he continues to progress he and Arrieta could give the Horned Frogs a one-two punch that will be hard to match.

Jeff Kaplan – RHP – Cal State Fullerton

Filling the shoes of talented college closer Vinnie Pestano won’t be easy, who was a rock in the Titans’ bullpen the past two years, and is the pitcher that replaced now proven big-league closer Chad Cordero. Enter Irvine Valley College transfer Jeff Kaplan, who has a good enough repertoire to serve as one of the team’s weekend starters, but Head Coach George Horton seems to be leaning towards using Kaplan as his closer to stabilize the back end of the pitching staff. While the Titans are returning All-American starter Wes Roemer, the rest of the team is relatively young and has plenty of candidates that could be profiled on this list (slugging draft-eligible sophomore transfer Chris Jones is one of the more notable ones, as he will be asked to replace the recently injured Jared Clark). The team always seems to boast one of the best bullpens in the nation, as Kaplan looked very sharp during fall practice, and his progression this season will be key to the overall success of the Cal State Fullerton program.

Paul Koss – RHP – USC

Bigger things were expected of Koss last spring coming off of a strong sophomore campaign in which he recorded 14 saves with a 2.81 ERA. He struggled last year, going 0-8 with a 6.28 ERA, as batters teed off of him to the tune of a .311 batting average. He re-established his confidence on the Cape last summer, not allowing a run in 14 innings of work, and participated in the league’s All-Star game. Now a senior, Koss’ low-90s sinker and nasty slider combination should allow him to pick up where he left off after his sophomore year, and gives the Trojans a much-needed veteran stopper on a young ballclub that lost their best pitcher (Ian Kennedy) and hitter (Cyle Hankerd) from a year ago.

Jordan Lennerton – 1B – Oregon State

The CWS champion Oregon State Beavers lost quite a few steady contributors in all facets of the game. Their most notable losses in their starting lineup include Cole Gillespie and Tyler Graham, as profiled above, and first baseman and CWS hero Bill Rowe. Lennerton will do his best to replace Rowe, both at the plate and in the clubhouse. Starring at El Paso Community College a year ago, Lennerton led the team in nearly every offensive category, hitting .416 with 10 home runs and 63 RBI. He also took the mound in 12 games last year, but his talents lie more as an everyday player. Speedy centerfielder Chris Hopkins, a transfer from Sierra Junior College, will step in to replace Graham.

Manny McElroy – RHP- Long Beach State

Long Beach State always does a great job re-cultivating talent with junior college transfers, graduating two early round draft picks from a year ago: Evan Longoria and Drew Carpenter (fourth rounder Jared Hughes was also a notable transfer from Santa Clara University). The Dirtbags will field a very young team this year, and the 6’6”, 220 pound transfer from Bakersfield College, Manny McElroy, will be asked to lead this heralded program in as many ways as he can. He went 10-1 with a 1.97 ERA a year ago, which led to him being named a junior college All-American while being named the Pitcher of the Year in the Western States Conference. Despite his big frame, McElroy pitches more to contact than he blows batters away. He has exceptional control and doesn’t beat himself.

David Newmann – LHP – Texas A&M

Newmann has missed the past two seasons due to injury, which led to Tommy John surgery. He spent his first two years in college at San Jacinto College before transferring to Texas A&M, helping the Gators to second-place finish at the Juco World Series in 2004. Newmann has been healthy and pitching now since late last spring, and it didn’t take long for him to re-discover his powerful 88-93 mph fastball that has touched the mid-90s on occasion. If he remains healthy and productive, he is expected to take one of the weekend starting spots for the Aggies, possibly serving as the team’s Friday ace, and could put up big numbers this spring in the always tough Big 12 conference.

C.J. Ziegler – 1B – Arizona

The Wildcats have graduated some impact bats to the pro ranks the past few years, and Ziegler has the raw power potential to join that group. Transferring from Pima Community College, Ziegler led the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference a year ago in home runs, and followed that up with an impressive performance in the Coastal Plain League last summer, leading the circuit in home runs (13), on-base percentage (.498) and slugging percentage (.655) as he continued to show off his power with a wood bat. He is built tall and strong, and presents an intimidating presence at the plate that could put up some big numbers in the Pac-10 this spring. Draft-eligible sophomore left-handed pitcher Daniel Schlereth, son of former NFL offensive lineman Mark, moves to the weekend rotation this spring after replacing Mark Melancon as the team’s closer last year, and is another Wildcat to watch.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.