Every year I pen this column I have to add my usual disclaimer that there is no such thing as a true sleeper, the type of player that comes out of nowhere and contributes on levels that seemingly no one else expected.

Such players don’t really exist. For every sleeper there is a coach, or scout, or family member ready to say “I told you so.”

I’m not here to put myself in a position to say, “I told you so,” but I am here to offer a starting lineup and semi-pitching staff of draft-eligible players that are poised to step up and enjoy big seasons. These players are not only brought up as they will be integral parts of their respective teams this spring, but they have the talent to put themselves in a position to be taken much higher in the draft than expected (projected) at this point in time.

Catcher

Mark Fleury – North Carolina

Can the team I projected to be the best in the nation truly have a sleeper among its projected starters, a player that participated in last summer’s Cape Cod all-star game? In regards to his current status as it pertains to the draft, yes.

Fleury is somewhat of a sleeper candidate because he hasn’t received regular playing time, thanks to the presence of his predecessor, two-way contributor Tim Federowicz. After receiving only seven at-bats during his freshman year, Fleury appeared in 61 of North Carolina’s 68 games a year ago, even if he did only start 38 of those.

He arrived at Chapel Hill as one of the more promising young backstops in the nation, with a powerful left-handed stroke and an equally strong arm. His power potential has yet to show itself, but receiving more regular playing time could give him the regular reps for him to blossom.

First Base

Ross Hubbard – Oklahoma

Identifying a potential breakout player at the first base position is always a little more difficult than the other positions, since first basemen are often expected to hit from day one. This often leads me to try and identify a player that may not necessarily play the position now, but may do so at the next level.

That led me to Ross Hubbard, who has transferred from Navarro Junior College to Oklahoma, where first base is currently occupied by Aaron Baker. Hubbard and Baker actually played together in high school on travel teams, and profile in a similar fashion as hulking left-handed hitters with considerable power potential.

Hubbard can and will play behind the plate this season while also serving as the team’s designated hitter, and while he is a good athlete for his size, his best position defensively likely will be first base down the road.

Second Base

Adalberto Santos – Oregon State

Santos’ college career has taken quite a few twists and turns since leaving the Bronx coming out of High School in 2005.

He started at Louisburg JC before transferring to New Mexico JC for his sophomore season. After leading the NJCAA in hitting with a Nintendo-like .520/.570/.861 line, he was drafted and originally signed with the Blue Jays, but his contract was voided. He sat out last year after transferring to Oregon State, and is now poised to become one of the Beavers better offensive performers.

Santos is a good all-around athlete with good bat speed, foot speed, and solid defensive actions at second base. He is somewhat of an unknown commodity after sitting out last year, but if he picks up where he left off in 2007, he’ll be plenty well known by the time Pac 10 conference play opens.

Third Base

Jeff Kobernus – California

Kobernus has hit better than .300 in each of his first two seasons with the Cal Bears, but his power has been slow to develop. His athletic, 6’2”, 200 pound frame offers a lot more pop than his four career home runs would suggest.

He did show last summer that more could be on the way by hitting 11 extra-base hits in the Cape Cod League with a wood bat. Kobernus will be counted on to pick up some of the load that was lost when David Cooper, Josh Satin and Charlie Cutler were drafted and decided to go pro.

In addition to his offensive prowess, Kobernus also owns a pretty slick glove, although he was slow to make the transition from the outfield, where he played his freshman year, to the hot corner a year ago. Again, he made strides over the summer, and is looking to put everything together this spring.

Shortstop

Josh Prince – Tulane

Prince was one of the Green Wave’s better hitters during fall practices of the 2007-08 season after transferring from the University of Texas. A variety of nagging injuries caused Prince to miss the beginning of last season, although he finished strong, and carried that momentum into the summer.

He has always been a very talented middle infielder, and was a top recruit for the Longhorns coming out of high school. His defense has been ahead of his offense for several years now, although he continues to show progress at the plate. He has a larger stature for a shortstop, but that doesn’t seem to effect his graceful actions. His speed and arm strength are also considered to be above average.

How his bat progresses will determine where Prince goes in this year’s draft. With a big spring for Tulane, he could sneak into the top two to three rounds.

Outfield

Evan Crawford – Indiana

The Hoosiers have a wealth of professional talent on their team this spring, led by Crawford and fellow juniors Matt Bashore and Josh Phegley.

Crawford has been a middle infielder prior to this year, but he has been converted to the outfield to take advantage of his speed this season. Upon entering the professional ranks, a team may choose to move Crawford back to the infield, where he may profile best at second base.

His speed is nearly unmatched in the college game, stealing 18 bases in each of his first two seasons at a 77 percent success rate. He has also committed 20 errors in each of the past two seasons, part of the reason for his defensive switch, and he also needs to tone down his swing to take better advantage of his speed by putting the ball in play. Regardless of where he plays, he’s a great natural athlete with a career .334 average that could explode during his junior year.

D’Vontrey Richardson – Florida State

Richardson stepped onto Florida State’s campus as one of the more talented freshman recruits in the nation, but baseball somewhat took a back seat to his promising football career. He did play baseball during his freshman year, and he played quite well, hitting .351 with a little bit of pop and a relatively refined approach at the plate in a part-time role.

His baseball career was put on hold last spring as Richardson participated in the football team’s year-long practices and workout programs, hoping to put himself in a better position to claim the Seminoles starting quarterback position. While he did receive some playing time as a multi-dimensional threat out of the backfield, he mainly watched Christian Ponder take the ball under center from the sidelines.

If he picks up where he left off two years ago, he could help soften the blow the team took when Buster Posey, Dennis Guinn and Jack Rye were lost to the draft.

Devin Harris–East Carolina

Like Richardson, Harris certainly isn’t short on tools, and his power bat/arm combination makes him a natural fit in right field.

After red-shirting his first year in school and appearing in only 11 games a years ago, he made the most of his opportunity last summer to make a name for himself, tearing up the New England Collegiate Baseball League while showing an impressive array of tools. As noted above, his game is highlighted by his power to all fields and his outfield arm. He also moves well for his size, although with his power also come a fair share of strikeouts.

The Pirates went 42-21 a year ago, and Harris figures to fit into the middle of a lineup that includes quite a few returning hitters with hopes of once again making some loud noise in Conference USA.

Utility

James Jones – Long Island

Jones is at a disadvantage when it comes to trying to quantify his results, in that Long Island University doesn’t play in one of the major conferences. On the flip side, it is difficult to consider a lean and loose lefty armed with a mid-90s fastball and a smooth left-handed swing at any kind of disadvantage.

He became the buzz of the Northwoods League last summer when his fastball sat in the low-90s and touched 95. He also hit just below .300 with a wood bat on his way to being named his team’s MVP, a mark he has maintained in his two years in college. His value is greater on the mound given his electric arm, but he has struggled with command, and gives up too many hits considering how good his stuff is.

Many believe that Jones will continue to flourish as a pitcher once he puts his two-way duties behind him so he can focus on improving his command and tightening up his slider. He has a first-round arm, but he needs to be better more consistently.

Starting Pitching

Dan Mahoney – Connecticut

Mahoney is built like a prototypical staff ace, with a tall and sturdy stature that should allow him to endure long innings over the course of a long season.

And he has the stuff to match as well, with a mid-90s fastball and hard breaking curve.

However, like Jones, he has had troubles commanding his stuff, or at least he did last spring during his freshman year at UConn. He flourished last summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League when used in a short relief role, but he likely will be moved back to the starting rotation this spring. If he is able to harness his stuff, walk fewer batters and pitch to contact more often, while continuing to light up radar guns, he could soar up draft charts this spring as a draft-eligible sophomore.

Jerry Sullivan – Oral Roberts

Sullivan was a member of the 2005 Aflac All-American Classic, automatically making him one of the top prep prospects available for the 2006 draft. However, a tender elbow and subsequent Tommy John surgery shut him down for his senior year and delayed his professional aspirations.

And it has worked out just fine for Sullivan, who has gone 14-2 with a 3.26 ERA in two seasons with the Golden Eagles, exhibiting very good control and a knack for missing bats with a very good fastball-curveball combination.

His return to success is a tribute to his work ethic, and he receives high marks for his character attributes as well, as shown by him winning the Cal Ripken Jr. Sportmanship Award as part of the Aflac game’s festivities.

Kyle Witten – Cal State Fullerton

Some programs have a knack for plucking some of the best junior college transfers, and Cal State Fullerton is definitely one of those.

Witten hopes to follow in the footsteps of Jeff Kaplan and stabilize the Titans’ rotation. He went 12-2 for Bakersfield College a year ago on his way to being named his conference’s pitcher of the year, and has amassed 179 strikeouts over 190 innings of work during his first two years in school.

With a low-90s fastball and nasty slider, he has the stuff to continue that success for a national powerhouse in Cal State Fullerton, and his tall and wiry strong frame gives him plenty of projectability to make you believe that we haven’t seen the best of him yet.

Closer

Russell Brewer – Vanderbilt

Brewer has followed in Casey Weathers footsteps to take over the role as closer for the Commodores, and has done so quite well, even if he doesn’t receive the same amount of attention.

And that’s largely because he’s not the same kind of pitcher. While Weathers relied on an incredibly powerful fastball-slider arsenal, Brewer relies more on deception and a nifty sinking fastball. He posted eight saves in 26 appearances last spring as a red-shirt freshman, and added another 12 over the summer as a Cape league all-star.

While he doesn’t profile as a prototypical closer, he could be a valuable set-up man at the next level similar to former Commodore and current Cleveland Indian Jensen Lewis.

Also keep an eye on Nick Gaudi, who isn’t exactly a sleeper after posting 15 saves a year ago for Pepperdine. However, despite not having an over-powering fastball, he does possess one of the best signature pitches in the nation (after Scott Bittle’s cut-fastball) in his splitter, and another big season could prompt him to get drafted higher than where a college righty with an upper-80s fastball usually gets selected.

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.