Brett Gardner has long been overlooked in the fantasy game. Back in 2010-11 Gardner was one of the most productive outfielder in baseball thanks to his wheels. He was hurt in 2012 and since returning he hasn't run as much, though he still scores tons of runs and last year he added a power element to his game. Just what type of effort should we be expecting from the 31 year old outfielder as we try to get a handle on his 2015 outlook?

THE MINORS

Drafted in the 3rd round by the Yankees in 2005 after playing at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. 

TOTALS: .291/.394/.383 with 10 homers, 145 RBIs, 355 runs and 179 steals over 444 games.

THE MAJORS

2008: Hit .228 with 18 runs scored and 13 steals over 141 plate appearances.

2009: Hit .270 with 26 steals and 48 runs scored over 284 plate appearances.

2010: Had his breakout season going .277 with five homers, 47 RBIs 97 runs scored and 47 steals.

2011: Followed up '10 with another huge effort as he hit .259 with seven homers, 36 RBIs, 87 runs scored and 49 steals.

2012: Appeared in just 16 games. Had right elbow surgery that cost him virtually the entire season.

2013: Only stole 24 bases but hit .273 with eight homers, 52 RBIs, 81 runs scored and hit eight homers in 145 games.

2014: Gardner hit a career best 17 homers with 21 steals for the Yanks. Also drove in 58 runs and scored 87 times over 148 games played.

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THE SKILLS

Really good. 

That's how I would describe Gardner.

He doesn't do anything outstanding, but the totality of his work is dang impressive. Consider that his career line per 162 games is a .265 average, eight homers, 50 RBs, 90 runs and 38 steals. Moreover, in four seasons with at least 145 games Gardner has always scored at least 81 runs and stolen at least 21 bases every time. Again, not world beating numbers, but very solid. Let's take a deeper look.

In four of the last five season Gardner has scored at least 81 runs (the only time he missed was 2012 when he was limited to just 16 games because of elbow surgery). Only 15 men in baseball have been able to accomplish that feat while Miguel Cabrera, Matt Holliday, Andrew McCutchen and Hunter Pence the only four men to hit 81 runs in all five seasons. Runs are the fantasy category - in 5x5 setups - that are ignored the most by owners. Gardner is one of the more consistent options in this overlooked category.

Gardner has stolen 21 bases in four of the last five seasons (the only outlier was the 2012 injury plagued season). There are 14 men who have hit that number in four of the last five seasons with only Elvis Andrus and Rajai Davis reaching the mark in all five seasons. Pretty amazing how players just don't consistently run, isn't it? It's not like 21 steals is a big total (Tim Raines stole at least 21 bases in 13-straight seasons, Rickey Henderson 23-straight). More to the point with Gardner though is the fact that in 2010 and 2011 he stole 47 and 49 bases and the last two seasons he's only stolen 24 and 21 bases. The fact is that since returning from his elbow injury he's produced less than 50 percent of the steal total from his two breakout campaigns. As noted above Gardner is already 31 years old, not young to be an elite base stealer, so one would have to think that a return to the elite steals totals he posted earlier in his career is utterly unlikely.

Another issue for Gardner is that his ability to get on base has been on the wane. The last two seasons his OBP is .344 and .327. Both of those marks are under his career total of .346, and they are the two lowest marks that he has posted in the last six seasons. We can directly tie that loss of OBP to the fact that his walk rate (walks/plate appearances) tumbled the past two seasons. From 2010-12 the rate was at least 10.2 percent all three years. The last two seasons the mark has been 8.5 and 8.8 percent. Not encouraging.

If Gardner is walking less at least it's heartening to know that he is better at striking out less. Oops, he isn't. The last two seasons Gardner has a 20.9 and 21.1 strike rate (strikeouts/plate appearances). That's above his 18.6 percent career mark and they are the two works marks he has ever posted in a season of 100 games played. The result is a 0.41 BB/K ratio the last two seasons after posting a mark of at least 0.65 the previous fours seasons (2009-2012).

As for the power, it's growing, but it's also not legit. Prior to last season Gardner had never hit more than eight long balls in a season. In 2014 he went out and hit 17. When do players double their previous best in homers when they've been in the league for seven years? Doesn't happen that often. When does that happen to a guy has never reached double-digits previously? Exactly. For his career Gardner has a poor 6.5 percent HR/F ratio. The mark was under that level in each of his first six big league seasons. How are we to explain the fact that in year seven the mark jumped to 11.0 percent? It had nothing to do with the batted ball. In 2014 the average distance of one of his fly balls was 275.5 feet. That mark was 273.3 in 2013. Maybe it had something to do with a minor change in approach?

From, 2009-12 Gardner was able to post a GB/FB ratio of at least 1.49 each season. In 2013 that number was 1.17 and in 2014 the number was 1.14. It's all about the fly ball. After failing to reach 29 percent in 2010-12 the mark the last two seasons has been 35.3 and 36.7 percent. Still doesn't explain the HR/F growth of course.

A consequence of the extra fly balls is a drop in batting average as Gardner hit a mere .256 last season, a six year low. He also failed to reach his career BABIP mark (he was at .305 falling .016 points off his norm) which is at least a bit odd given that his 21.6 percent line drive rate was better than his 20.5 percent career mark. Remember though that homers aren't counted in BABIP, and the extra 10 hits that went as homers last season make up the difference.

As for the splits... here are the slash lines for Gardner for his career

vs. lefty: .255./343/.364
vs. righty: .269/.347/.400

Home: .262/.246/.391
Away: .268/.346/.390

Pretty darn stable wouldn't you say?

PLAYING TIME CONSIDERATIONS

Gardner will start every day in left field for the Yankee with Jacoby Ellsbury in center and Carlos Beltran in right. Chris Young will serve as the teams top depth option in the outfield. Look for Gardner to bat leadoff as well, a spot he has filled in 346 of 768 career games. 

CONCLUSION

At 31 years of age Gardner isn't showing growth as a hitter. Sure his homer total was a career best last season, but it would be mildly shocking if he hit 15 homers this season. With the decrease in his steals total, and no "upside" in the batting average category, he's a solid veteran to add for stability at a price that will likely still allow for some profit. 

10 team lg: Not a target, but after all the sexy names are taken you could do a lot worse in your search for an outfielder to round out your starting group.

12 team lg: A solid 4/5 outfield option. No longer the speed guy of yesteryear, you still won't be left in a total lurch if he's doing his normal 85 run, 25 steals thing. 

15 team lg: In a deeper league like this, I personally like the stability that Gardner brings. Not sexy, not world beating, not energizing, his stabled productions makes taking on a shot on a youngster with an uncertain path in '15 more palatable. 

AL-only: Gardner is a solid second outfielder in an AL-only league. You can take a shot on a younger Mookie Betts or Adam Eaton if you would like, but Gardner figures to come much cheaper in the vast majority of drafts.