Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “Winning teams are all alike. Every losing team is deficient in its own way.” Okay, no he didn’t. The point is, leagues aren’t won in the first five rounds. Leagues are won with late round value and a keen eye on the wire. This article details players going late or not at all. The hitters rake, and the pitchers shove. These are your fantasy baseball deep tracks. Pick one or two to complement your greatest hits.

Catcher: Yermin Mercedes

Mercedes has a bat like a Shelby GT. And he’s going undrafted! This man simply mashes. He’s always hit, and he’s always hit for power. He raked in the minors, he raked in spring training, and now he’s raking in Summer Camp. Sadly, he’s blocked by the likes of Grandal, Abreu, McCann, and Zack Collins (yikes). Unfortunately, he’s guaranteed nothing. However, the bat is more than good enough, as evidenced by his sky-scraping OPS. Yermin Mercedes is the epitome of a fantasy deep track. Slam on, you crazy Yermin!

Yermin Mercedes grand slam.

This man needs to make the team.pic.twitter.com/VQTUWfccE9

— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) February 28, 2020

First Base: Kevin Cron

Kevin Cron has the kind of power to make anyone salivate. Insert Homer Simpson drooling GIF. He should be a target for anyone looking for a late-round league winner. Just look at this slash line: .331/.449/.777! Cron is worth a pick in deep leagues considering Jake Lamb is his only competition. Cron will play, and I’ll bet he plays a lot. Don’t expect the average he showed off in AAA last year, but it’s not a stretch to expect similar power production. He hits the ball very hard and has a knack for finding the barrel. Additionally, he has a walk rate that makes him attractive in OBP leagues.

Second Base: Brendan Rodgers

Prospect fatigue is a beautiful thing. For years we’ve heard of young Rockies talent and pulled our hair out at their collective lack of playing time. Garret Hampson and Sam Hilliard have been the most popular in conversations leading up to this season. As a result, they are going several rounds higher than Rodgers. With Hilliard competing with Raimel Tapia and Matt Kemp (come on!), Brendan Rodgers finds himself competing with Hampson, Daniel Murphy, and Ryan McMahon. Rodgers has the prospect pedigree and will be given a chance to prove his worth. If he performs to expectations, he can take second base and never look back, giving Colorado a middle infield to dream on. Rodgers is a fantasy deep track fit for Red Rocks.

Third Base: Ty France

Ty “Big Fly” France. With a nickname like that and an ADP of 640, I’m already intrigued. Oh, he also hit .399 in AAA last year and had 27 homers in the 76 games before he was called up. While his cup of coffee in the majors was a tad bitter, I have faith that the performance that preceded it wasn’t a fluke. We know Machado is at third base, but Big Fly also had time at second. It’s hard to imagine anyone having faith in Profar or Mateo claiming full-time reps there. So, between the vacant second base and the added DH spot, Ty France will get playing time. How much he gets is entirely dependent on him living up to that nickname.

Shortstop: Carter Kieboom

Prospect fatigue is a beautiful thing. Did I say that already? Oh well, still true. Shortstop is the deepest position in the sport. You can fall asleep for a few rounds and still end up with Bo Bichette. Now imagine you fall asleep for 25 rounds. Well, say hello to Carter Kieboom. The hype train on this kid fell off a cliff after his debut homerun. Yes, he finished with a .128 average and a K rate at 37%. Yikes. Kieboom is locked in the lineup at third base right now, though currently only shortstop eligible. He’s a power bat who’s performed at every level. Who can forget this? So many feels.

Goose-freaking-bumps

Game-tying homer in the 8th inning of your #MLB debut with mom & dad watching. #Nats No. 1 prospect Carter Kieboom! pic.twitter.com/8nY7mVJ2Jz

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 27, 2019

Outfield: Jesse Winker

Jesse Winker has done one thing consistently. He crushes right-handed pitching. He slugged .519 against righties last year, which is better than Eddie Rosario, who goes 300 picks earlier in drafts. On the other hand, his failures against left-handers are the stuff of legend. It is so bad that it’s become a positive for his fantasy value. Winker is now officially a platoon. This is good news! Given the dearth of southpaws in the Central, you can expect Winker to be more or less a mainstay in the Reds’ lineup.

Starting Pitcher: Patrick Sandoval

Kind of a long shot, I’ll admit. Sandoval was bad last year. He was also unimpressive in the minors. Luckily, he’s still only 23, and he’s primed for a breakout. In 2018, he produced a 2.06 ERA, a WHIP under one, and 145 strikeouts in 122 innings through three minor league levels. Although Sandoval is not the hardest thrower, he can dial it up to the mid-90s. This complements his high spin-rate curveball that he snaps off with the best of ’em.

Relief Pitcher: Corey Knebel

Josh Hader is the man in Milwaukee, and rightfully so. Regardless, I’m targeting Corey Knebel thirty rounds later. Hader is the late-inning fireman, not a locked-in closer. In the short season, Milwaukee will not hesitate to use him early and often. Knebel is healthy but still a few months away from being in the post-TJ comfort zone. The worry is the tradition of command being the last thing to return after surgery. The thing is, Knebel never had command! Therefore, I’m banking on him not needing it. Pick a spot over the plate, and let the filth take over. Before his injury, Knebel was putting up filthy ratios with a low ERA to go with it. By the end of the season, he may very well lead the league in saves.

While you’re here, check out the great fantasy content at Belly Up Fantasy Sports. And follow me on Twitter @saint_patricio for more fantasy baseball deep tracks.