Spotlight Newbie of the Week:

Every week or so, we'll spotlight a "newbie" player (or players) who you might need to keep an eye on for your fantasy team in the future --- or even stash him away on your team now.

For example, last year at this time, many of us were starting our fantasy leagues, drafting, and how many of us knew of Oliver Perez? Except for the two or three Pirates fans, Peter Gammons, and Oliver Perez's momma, no one really knew of him. A few weeks into the season, and everyone started paying attention to this kid with vicious stuff. So do you want to be that guy who gets this year's Oliver Perez? We're not saying our newbies will always be that guy, but you might as well take a chance on them, because they all have the talent to me that guy. Better you than your opponent, right?

First up is Gavin Floyd, a right-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He just had his 22nd birthday right before spring training, and had a cup of coffee with the Phillie late last year. Since Vincente Padilla is pulling his same ol' "Owwee, I'm hurt and I got a boo-boo and my mommy won't kiss it!" routine already (Geez, Vincente, can you wait until May to start this act?), the Phillies are giving Floyd a chance to shine in the #5 spot in their rotation. But like all young pitchers, he's either dominating the hell out of everyone and their mother, or he's more lit up than Whitney Houston after a bender. That said, in Floyd's first four starts this spring training, he held opponents to a .158 average before getting hammered for 8 runs in his last start. (See what we mean?) Last season for his brief appearence for for Phillies, he put up a 3.49ERA/1.45WHIP and 24Ks in 28.1 innings. BUT, he also walked 16. The guy's not being drafted in almost any league except by the junky fantasy baseball fan (like us), so that means he's more than likely available in your league (unless we're in your league and we already snatched him up...sorry). If you've got a #4 or especially a #5 starter on your squad that's really just taking up space, give Floyd a try. He'll be rocky at times, but he's a young phenom waiting to put it together. And that's the thing with these phenoms...they put it together at the damndest of times.

Second up is Clint Barmes, a second baseman that should start for the Colorado Rockies this year. He was a juggernaut in the AAA system at Colorado Spring, smacking 42 doubles and 104RBI there. If you haven't heard because you're living in Afghanistan or are just coming out of the fallout shelter from your Y2K scare, the Rockies seem to have this magical ability to score a shitload of runs. With a guy like Barmes hitting head of Todd Helton, Ohhhhh, who knows? Maybe he could have a very, very solid season for a second baseman. While he only played 20 games last year as was unspectacular, if respectable, hee's been having a scorching spring training (which, by the way, they don't hold in Colorado for the Rockies, so that means those long balls they hit are at sea level....just so you remember), and the only people talking about him are Rockies fans who seem to grab any prospect they see in their fantasy league. Why don't you grab him before your Rockies fan in your league does? We're not saying he'll steal the bases he does (because he won't), but he might have more value than a Chone Figgins or a Ryan Freel, or even a Jose Vidro or Jose Reyes --- if he hits. But we think he stands a good shot at doing that. He also qualifies at shortstop - so what else do you want?

And our last Newbie isn't such a Newbie anymore, but he's being forgotten on a mass scale, and that's Noah Lowry of the San Franciscio Giants. In 16 games last year he posted a 3.82 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP with 72Ks in 92 innings of work. He's only 24 years old, and a great prospect. He's been generally solid this spring training, has a starter's job, and barely gets drafted, and even then just sits available in the vast majority of average leagues waiting to be plucked up. So why not give him a chance if you have a spot open?