With so much information available these days, it’s rare for a prospect to sneak up and have a good year out of nowhere. When it comes to identifying players who I think could break out or be identified as sleepers in an organization, I prefer seeing them play live. Stats are great and I do lean on them, but being there in person affords a better sense of a player’s plate approach, swing plane, ability to see the ball into the zone, and just the sound of the ball coming off their bat.
There’s also the matter of seeing their fluidity and athleticism, or lack thereof, and how they carry themselves.