Rankings/List

Soon the exhibitions will cease.

Soon the games will matter. 

Soon you won't have to read another article (like this one) about why or why not your team won't compete in 2015. 

Soon we will have baseball: real, meaningful, beautiful baseball. 

But we're not there yet. And as much as we would all like to be, we still have a little under a month to wait for Opening Day. 

With Opening Day now less than a month away and spring training games officially getting started, fantasy baseball fans are likely gearing up for their respective drafts.

While landing someone like Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw with your first-round pick is great, it's how you fill out your roster with potential sleepers and high-upside players that usually winds up being the difference between winning and losing.

So, with that in mind, what follows is a look at the top 25 sleepers to target on draft day.

A team's fortunes over the course of a six-month season typically hinge on more than one factor, but depending on how critical said factor is, that one wild card can affect things greatly.

It can be a good or bad performance. It can be a health issue, for better or worse. It can be how a player bounces back from an injury or a poor previous season. It can even be how a player produces during the ever-important contract year.

Spring training might represent a fresh start for the fans of each of MLB's 30 teams. But 2014 is still on the minds of several players on those rosters.

Injuries, most of which were suffered last season, continue to dominate the headlines surrounding a handful of the biggest names in the game.

Some have progressed in their rehabilitations to the point where they've gotten back on the field and into exhibition games. These players will be our focus.

Spring training is only a couple of games in, but there are already players starting to set themselves apart. Obviously, the stats include small sample sizes, but the ability that some players are showing has been impressive.

There is plenty of time left in spring training, but for now, there are teams clearly setting themselves apart with their work ethic and results. In particular, these five players have been turning heads so far.

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Here's the first look at the 2015 Lester's Legends Starting Pitcher Rankings.


1. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw remains the best pitcher in baseball, as he won his third Cy Young in the past four seasons. In 2014, he went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and 239 strikeouts. Since 2011, Kershaw is 72-26 with 237 strikeouts per season, a 2.11 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.


2. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

With the 2015 baseball season nearing—pitchers and catchers report next week!—the fantasy version of the sport needs all kinds of attention. Like, right now. Because we fantasy folk can be an insecure lot, and we'll spend the next few weeks poring over names, statistics and information to prepare for drafts.

With that in mind, it's time to focus on stacking up players based on their value going forward. That's where the first big board of the year comes into play.

A few weeks back, I published my top 100 players for the 2015 MLB season, and, as always, it sparked some terrific debate in the comments section.

So let's dig a little deeper.

Who are the top 100 players of the 21st century?

In past years the San Francisco Giants minor league system was much maligned. However, the system has produced several outstanding players on the current roster such as Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Sergio Romo. 

In 2014, with injuries hitting the Giants hard, the minor league system produced once again. Second baseman Joe Panik emerged as a reliable starter and solidified the position.

With the start of 2015's third month, each new MLB season is officially in its infancy. 

And as with a young child, spring training is often associated with good vibes and happy feelings regarding the long road ahead.