Daric Barton may not be a household name but the potential starting first baseman for the A's could make a name for himself this season.

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Most experts consider the term sleeper in many ways. He could be a youngster poised for his first breakout season, a veteran attempting a comeback from a serious injury, an impact rookie, a journeyman minor leaguer thrust into a starting role or a bench player waiting behind an injury-prone regular. Perhaps he's a utility man valuable simply for his versatility. No matter the definition, here are the top potential sleeper hitters for the season.

AL Sleepers

Daric Barton, 1B, Oakland Athletics: Barton hit well after his September recall and has the inside track for the starting first base job this spring. He has a nice line-drive swing, but we'd like to see more power from him for fantasy purposes. He did hit 38 doubles at Sacramento last year and another nine with Oakland, so there's hope. Twelve dingers with a .285 batting average would be a good start.

Ben Broussard, 1B, Texas Rangers: Broussard has power but his swing is a little long and he struggles versus lefties. He is a decent defensive first baseman and will likely platoon there against right-handers. He played sparingly last year but expect 20 homer, .280 numbers again this season.

Travis Buck, OF, Oakland Athletics: Buck had an assortment of injuries last year, so the jury is still out on long-term durability, but he will open the season platooning in right field. He is a contact hitter who drives the ball to all fields and should hit for more power as he matures. Could hit .280 with 15 bombs if he stays healthy.

Billy Butler, 1B/DH, Kansas City Royals: Butler is an excellent hitter with good bat speed and plate discipline, but we're not sure how much power he'll hit for in the majors. He switched from left field to first base at Omaha last year but still needs work on defense as well. But he has power potential, and therein lies his fantasy value for the future. Should be able to hit .275 with 15-20 homers even at this young age.

Coco Crisp, OF, Boston Red Sox: The Sox will likely trade Crisp, considered expendable with the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury, so his value should remain decent. Remember that he's coming off a couple of injury-plagued years with Boston so he will be undervalued in most drafts. He batted .300 with 31 home runs and 35 steals in 2004-05 for Cleveland.

Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Boston Red Sox: Ellsbury has good speed but not a lot of power and will start in center field if Crisp is traded. He makes good contact and projects to be a .280 hitter with 35 steals in his prime. He is a good defensive center fielder and also hits lefties. Good prospect, but don't get caught up in the hype, especially as long as Crisp is still on the Sox. Let somebody else in your league overpay if it gets to that point.

Ben Francisco, OF, Cleveland Indians: Francisco is a power-speed prospect who can hit the breaking ball. He also hit right-handers as well as lefties. His only flaws are a tendency to chase high fastballs once in a while. He also needs to be more aggressive defensively. He got lost among other outfield prospects in the system but will try to win a reserve job again this spring. He could actually be the most productive Tribe outfielder behind Grady Sizemore if given the chance. He was selected the International League's "most exciting player" last year.

Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Oakland Athletics: Gonzalez, acquired from Arizona in the Dan Haren deal, was generally regarded as the top prospect in the Diamondbacks system, but was blocked by talent already in the majors. He will move quickly if he improves his plate discipline and pitch recognition, but probably needs more time at Triple-A. Has star potential if he can put it all together. Great pick for the future.

Jack Hannahan, 3B,Oakland Athletics: Hannahan was recalled to replace the injured Eric Chavez at third base last year and could play a vital role again this spring with Chavez back on the shelf. He puts good wood on the ball and draws walks and can also be used in a utility role.

Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles: Hopefully Jones is ready for the center field job this year as he was obviously rushed to the majors too soon in 2006. He'll probably strike out a lot because he has trouble with off-speed stuff but has speed and power potential. He had a breakout year for Tacoma last year and should eventually settle in as a .280 hitter with 20-25 home run power. Excellent pick for the future.

NL Sleepers

Rich Aurilia, INF, San Francisco Giants: Aurilia dropped off at the plate last year, mostly because of a strained neck originally suffered in a car accident in spring training. He hit .339 over his first 16 games before his neck stiffened up and remained that way for the rest of the season. Expect a rebound at the plate, but there have been rumors about a Joe Crede acquisition, in which case Aurilia would back up all four infield positions. Grab him late or on reserve for his INF-OF versatility.

Jeff Baker, OF, Colorado Rockies: Baker was drafted as a third baseman, but was moved to the outfield in '06 and has been working at second base this spring. If he can make that transition, he will be a big sleeper. He has power potential and should be able to hit .270 with pop but needs work on his plate discipline.

Michael Bourn, OF, Houston Astros: Bourn is a decent prospect with outstanding speed but still needs to develop power. An excellent defensive outfielder, he will play center field but he'll have to improve his OBP if they lead him off. Valuable only for his 40-steal potential.

Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds: Bruce, one of the best prospects in baseball, could break camp as the Reds' center fielder if he has a good spring. He hit a combined .319 with 46 doubles, eight triples, 27 homers and 89 RBI in three minor league stops last year. He also struck out 137 times in 521 at-bats. Norris Hopper and Ryan Freel will share the position if Bruce is not deemed ready. Great pick for the future. 

Jose Castillo, 3B, Florida Marlins: Castillo slumped badly and was demoted to a utility role last year but is coming off a big winter league campaign in Venezuela. Some scouts think he has 20-home run potential, but mental lapses and poor plate discipline hold him back. He is expected to contend for the vacant third base job this spring.

Rajai Davis, OF, San Francisco Giants: Davis has good speed and is an excellent center fielder but needs to draw more walks to be considered a leadoff man. He improved in that department last year and will platoon with Dave Roberts in center this season. Grab him late for an extra 25 steals, as the Giants want to run more this year.

Yunel Escobar, SS, Atlanta Braves: Escobar filled in admirably at shortstop last year and now takes over for good. He has some pop (25 doubles, five homers) and also draws a few walks while making good contact at the plate. He is a solid defensive player and has eligibility at 2B, SS and 3B. 

Scott Hairston, OF, San Diego Padres: Below average defense in the outfield keeps Hairston in a utility role, although he will see time in left field this spring. If he wins the job outright, he has 25-home run potential. He likely won't hold it all season though.

Bill Hall, OF, Milwaukee Brewers: Hall's power dropped drastically last season (from 35 dingers in '06 to 14), partially because of poor mechanics at the plate, but he still hit 35 doubles. He made an adjustment in late August and hit better after that. He also suffered a high right ankle sprain that slowed him, so there's no reason he shouldn't rebound. 

Chase Headley, OF, San Diego Padres: Headley earned Texas League Player of the Year honors last year with San Antonio (.330-20-78 with 38 doubles) and will challenge Scott Hairston for playing time in left field this spring. A third baseman by trade, he has enough athleticism to make the transition quickly. Good pick for the future.

Part II coming next week ...

Dennis LePore is the head writer and editor of the Sandlot Shrink, a group of sportswriters with a direct pipeline to general managers, managers, coaches, players and scouts in Baseball, Football and Basketball. LePore's columns have appeared in several national newspapers, web sites and magazines over the years. At the Shrink site, he combines scouting reports and statistical data to develop his player rankings and dollar values. LePore is also the author of the Shrink's two annual books, the Fantasy Baseball Insider and the Fantasy Football Insider.