SPECULATOR: Post-hype prospects, 2012

A version of this article appeared in the September 7 edition of Sports Weekly.

One of the keys to any successful fantasy season is jumping on the next breakout performance. One fertile category in which to look for those breakout talents are the prospects of a few years ago, who have seemingly stagnated but are just now approaching their peak ages. If you followed this strategy this past spring, you might have secured the breakout season of an Alex Gordon (.300, 20 HR, 78 RBI, 16 SB ) or Cameron Maybin (.272, 8 HR, 71 Runs, 34 SB).

Interestingly, neither Gordon nor Maybin showed much in 2010 to make us think that they were on the verge of a big step forward. But they had three things going for them:

  • several hundred big-league...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Speculator

A smattering of "best hits" from our Playing Time Tomorrow series, as well as some schedule-based speculations the rest of the way.
Aug 26 2026 3:07am
After a horrific start, Jacob Lopez has turned things around this summer. We dive into how, along with several other risers/fallers this summer.
Aug 19 2026 3:06am
CJ Abrams has always had the speed, and now both his frequency and quality of contact have taken steps forward.
Aug 5 2026 3:07am
We continue the rookie class check-in outside the Top 25 in this year's HQ100.
Jul 29 2026 3:09am
We check in on the Top 25 preseason prospects who have made their MLB debut so far, and speculate on their outlooks moving forward.
Jul 22 2026 3:06am

Tools