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Subject: RIBC 2023 draft rationale thread
Posted by: filthy
- [42148320] Tue, Mar 14, 2023, 18:32
Into the 3rd round so in case anyone would like to post their rationales, feel free to post them here.
Please try to keep a 2 round delay and refrain from mentioning undrafted players if you choose to post any rationales. |
| 1 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Thu, Mar 16, 2023, 22:02
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12, 13 or 15th pick, I chose to go with 12th pick, not a lot of strategy involved, followed gut.
1.12 Mike Trout, OF, LAA
Figured I'd draft Vlad but followed my gut again with a strong feeling about Trout.
2.05 Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU
Wished for Vlad, Bichette or Goldschmidt to slip most among names drafted between my picks and by the time I was up pondered Witt or Altuve. Ended up preferring to align with the Astros lineup to choose Altuve.
3.12 Sandy Alcantara, SP, MIA
Before I even narrowed my list for this round, Witt, Arenado, Burnes, Lindor, Bregman, Verlander, deGrom, Nola were gone from names I had considered. Then Bogaerts, Seager, McClanahan, Scherzer dropping from the list as it got closer to my turn. Alcantara, Abreu, Bieber, Robert, Springer this time around. Most faith in Alcantara among the remaining names makes him the pick. Becoming a proper Ace, nice anchor for my staff.
4.05 Jose Abreu, 1B, HOU
Aligning with the Astros lineup again. Almost had him ahead of Alcantara last time, so I'm glad he survived despite all the other names I wanted falling off my list. Carroll, Wander, Gimenez, Rutschmann were others I was considering bumping higher on my list and might regret in hindsight.
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| 2 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Thu, Mar 16, 2023, 22:12
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5.12 Devin Williams, RP, MIL
Really thought one of Carroll, Wander, Gimenez, Rutschmann would make it around, but that doesn't happen in RIBC. Results in Williams leading my list by the time it's my pick in hopes he can prove to be a dominant closer. Felt about right for timing on a closer with Williams standing out most to me compared to any bats or starters at that time.
6.05 Byron Buxton, OF, MIN
Brain said to consider Swanson, Edman or Vinnie Paz at this spot, but my gut couldn't help but imagine life with Trout AND Buxton. Extreme upside but we do only have 1 IL spot so I hope to round out the draft with letting my brain win more often with lower risk choices.
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| 3 | holt
ID: 40943015
Fri, Mar 17, 2023, 00:50
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Just took the highest pick available to me. It's convenient to draft on the turn but it can become difficult to properly time things like targeted picks and closer runs.
1.08 Alvarez, Yordan OF HOU
Alvarez owes me and I'm here to collect. I drafted him in 2020 and he ended up playing 2 games all year! He won't steal any bases but his bat is thunderous. .406 .613 last season (not far off from his career numbers) and right in the middle of the Astros lineup.
2.09 25 Burnes, Corbin SP MIL
Halfway through the second rd and no pitchers drafted yet. I didn't have any extremely strong preference on any of the hitters expected to go off the board here so went with Burnes. As tempting as it is to load up on hitters, I usually hold my nose and draft a couple of early SP because it's usually easier to plug hitter holes during the season than it is to build up a top flight ribc staff through mid draft picks and FA pickups. 14 players went off the board before my 3rd rd pick came back and 6 of them were pitchers so this was a much better move than taking a hitter in the 2nd and then a pitcher in the 3rd.
3.08 40 Seager, Corey SS TEX
I think Seager should be pretty productive this season. Liked the combination of his SS position and his strong projected OBP/SLG. Like Alvarez though, no help with stolen bases. Putting myself in a hole there but trying to maintain those %'s.
4.09 57 Cease, Dylan SP CWS
Too early for me to go with a closer. I've been burned by closers so many times! I was reallllly close to drafting C Carroll or W Franco here but knowing that I may end up using my 6 &/or 7 picks on closers decided that I should shore up my C.Burnes pick by grabbing another top starter now. Didn't want to dilute his contribution by waiting til rd 8 or 9.
5.08 72 Henderson, Gunnar 3B BAL
This was possibly a reach by about 1 round but I had him targeted and suspected there must be at least one other manager thinking the same thing. After Henderson I don't know if there was another third baseman I'd have bothered drafting til like round 15 and just didn't want to go there. I think something like .350/.450 10-15 steals is a reasonable expectation.
6.09 89 Bautista, Felix RP BAL
Ugh, R. Helsley went off the board with the pick right before me. That stinks. I think he's a tier above Bautista. I don't think Bautista is a great 6th rd pick but the closer pickings are only going to get worse. Could have gone with C. Holmes as well, almost a coin flip.
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| 4 | kdl212
ID: 411531222
Fri, Mar 17, 2023, 02:32
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Draft slot is not something I put much thought into - generally, it's better to be higher, since the value curve is steepest at the top end. Highest available was #9, which is a nice place to avoid runs and limit reaches, so I took it.
1.09 Kyle Tucker, OF, HOU
I wanted Freddie Freeman to fall to me, and hoped Vlad Guerrero wouldn't be available to tempt me. Freeman was gone, and Vlad (my highest projected player when I went on the clock) was there for the taking. But the chance to get steals and an outfielder in round 1 had me choosing between Kyle Tucker and Julio Rodriguez. The sky is the limit for Julio, but I'm not convinced he gets there this year. Tucker's 2021 (359/557) + 20 steals is my dream scenario.
2.08 Matt Olson, 1B, ATL
I won RIBC last year by drafting Aaron Judge in the second round. This pick will not be so consequential. It was hard to pass on Burnes and Cole, but I thought Olson was the last of a tier of sluggers. And I felt confident that an acceptable SP1 would make it back to me in round 3. I'm hoping Olson's second year in Atlanta splits the difference between 2021 and 2022 and that he leads the NL in RBI.
3.09 Max Scherzer, SP, NYM
On one hand, he's old. On the other hand, he's been good for a long time, and hasn't showed signs of decline yet. Maybe they show up this year. But he's pitching for a good NY team, and all I want is 150 studly innings. Would've picked Seager if he'd made it to me, but Holt prevented that. My alternative to Scherzer was waiting one more round on pitching and going here with Kyle Schwarber, who should be more of the same this year. Looking back, I'd probably rather have Schwarber + a 4th round starter than Scherzer + Bryan Reynolds. But I'm not unhappy.
4.08 Bryan Reynolds, OF, PIT
This is a part of the draft where, b/c no one slips through the RIBC cracks and the obvious studs are gone, it seems too early to pick everyone who is available. Lots of good starters on the board, but so many that there will still be good options in round 5. Same story on closers. Several young upside hitters out there, but they're likely being overdrafted before pick 75. Some tempting catchers, but I've only drafted a catcher in the first 10 rounds once in 12 years (and that was round 8). So I drafted Bryan Reynolds, hoping he's an every-other-year stud and that he gets traded to the Red Sox or Yankees or Dodgers mid-season.
5.09 Carlos Rodon, SP, NYY
The 5th round is a good time to swing for the fences. I went with Buxton last year, and that paid off even though he only played 90 games. This year, I rolled the dice on Carlos Rodon, who, because of a dreaded forearm strain, was understandably slipping. But it's supposedly a muscle issue, not a tendon/ligament issue. And just before my pick came up, news went out that he might be back in mid or late April. That was enough to convince me to take the risk. Also considered Cristian Javier, who would've been a much safer pick, and a closer. But there looked to be enough first-tier closers still on the board for one to make it back to me in round 6.
6.08 Ryan Helsley, RP, STL
Helsley was a waiver wire savior for me last year, as much for his 9 wins as his insane strikeouts and ratios and saves. This year, he cost me a 6th round draft choice. Thought he was the last of a tier of elite relievers, and I wanted to have one. Confident in my ability to find saves off the wire, this lets me ignore relief pitching until round 12 or later.
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| 5 | I_AM_CANADIAN
ID: 384502818
Fri, Mar 17, 2023, 14:45
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Pick Selection:
Realistically, for this year, beyond Ohtani, it’s hard to say that there is any one type of grouping of players in the first few rounds that would affect me from just taking the top available option. 11th overall it is.
1.11 Betts, Mookie (LAD), 2B/OF
It’s been several years since we’ve seen Betts steal 20+ bags, but taking back the leadoff role for the Dodgers, plus the new environment could see him get close to that mark. Somehow, that’s probably his least valuable CAT, as he’s solid in the other 4. The fact that he’s going to be playing some 2B this year, and already has that designation was a HUGE +.
2.06 Witt Jr., Bobby (KAN), 3B/SS
He’s fast. Really fast. Last year he stole 30 in 37 attempts. Definitely has the potential to lead the league in steals. Might be a bit of a drain in OBP, but I plan on addressing that CAT with a few OBP stalwarts later in the draft. Getting back to Back INFs to start the draft feels like a win.
3.11 Schwarber, Kyle (PHI), OF
A truly consistent lefty masher. It's really fun to look at the boxscore for him, as he can fill it up. Somehow last year he managed to get double digit steals as well, which was a pleasant surprise.
4.06 Hader, Josh (SDG), RP
Knowing how other managers draft, is a huge part of making these roster construction choices. Truly Elite closers are hard to find, and here I am forced to grab one, as I doubt the tier that I want will still be available in 21 picks from now. I’m assuming last year's blip/meltdown is past him, and that he’ll once again be a top 5 closer while playing for a team that will give him plenty of opportunities.
5.11 Javier, Cristian (HOU), SP
In previous years, I often took my SP1 much earlier. This year however, I find myself uncertain of the gap between the top 10 SPs and the next 15 that goes after them. Close to 200Ks last year, with a sub 1 WHIP, and underlying stats that support. If he can repeat last year, I’ll be ecstatic with this pick.
6.06 Marte, Starling (NYM), OF
Historically, Marte would cost a 2nd round value, as he could really anchor your team's SB CAT (47 in 2021). Declining sprint speed however saw his attempts/success drop last year. Hoping he can get back to 25+.
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| 6 | mmikulka
ID: 232561713
Fri, Mar 17, 2023, 14:59
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Draft slot 14 : With only a few options left to choose from (and having not done any draft analysis yet), I went with pick #14 so that I could have a decent idea of what picks were likely to happen on the turn each time and could prep for both picks at the same time.
1.14 Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, SD
Pick 12 or 13 would have probably made me happier with my options: Trout or Vlad Jr would have been no-brainer picks for me.
I don't like taking on this much risk in the first round, but the other players I was interested in were 5 CI I viewed as somewhat interchangeable, while Tatis stood out.
Tatis has been the most valuable fantasy batter on a per-game basis since his arrival. Obviously there are questions because he's coming off a shoulder injury, plus he still has a bit of the PED suspension left to serve. That said, even the least confident of the major projections have him as my top remaining batter if he plays at least 100 games.
2.03 Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, STL
Alonso, Devers, and Machado would have all been in consideration if they weren't taken between my picks, but I was content choosing between Goldschmidt and Austin Riley.
I project Goldschmidt as being a bit better than Riley this year, though the age of each was a consideration. A lot of my deliberation was about whether 3B's shallowness was enough to offset that and make me go with Riley.
Eventually I decided 1B and 3B were somewhat comparable and went with Goldschmidt. Like everybody else, I expect some regression, but the guy has had an OPS of .879 or better in 10 of the past 11 seasons.
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| 7 | mmikulka
ID: 32128616
Fri, Mar 17, 2023, 15:48
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3.14 Edwin Diaz, RP, NYM
I'm usually a big fan of drafting the top RPs, and this year I felt particularly strongly about it because there were 8-10 closers with excellent ratios and stable roles, and a whole lot of closer committees at the bottom. It's really hard to win this league without at least 2.5 closers, and I didn't want to get stuck wasting my late rounders on the F*rnando R*dneys of the world.
As a Mets fan, I know the team is cursed and any of their star players could end up with a career-ending injury after being attacked by wild boars, so I don't draft Mets very often: that said, Diaz's absurd K rate, ratios, and job stability have him as my #4 overall pitcher and make him an obvious choice here. I mean, what are the chances he's going to get severely injured while celebrating a win in the WBC?
4.03 Emmanuel Clase, RP, CLE
The other consensus top-tier closer is still available, so I'll take him. His K rate isn't anything special, but he's allergic to walks and his career ERA/WHIP is 1.47/0.88.
5.14 Ryan Pressly, RP, HOU
Since there were still quality closers available, I wanted a 3rd one. I debated Pressly and Romano: Pressly has more impressive stats and has been a bit more consistent, but he also averages 23 seconds per pitch. After looking into it a bit, I decided that I was comfortable with Pressly being able to adapt to the pitch clock era and went with him.
In 4 of his 5 years with Houston, Pressly has had an ERA of 2.25-2.98, a WHIP of 0.89-1.11, and a K rate of 11.4-12.8. The COVID-shortened 2020 season was the one exception, and he still put up decent numbers and an ERA/FIP/xFIP around 3.00.
6.03 Jordan Romano, RP, TOR
In between my two picks, Edwin Diaz tore his patellar tendon, so I ended up taking a 4th consecutive closer. Romano was the last of this tier for me, with Helsley and Bautista also in the vicinity but less trustworthy since neither had success pre-2022.
Romano is the unquestioned closer, and even if he slips up a bit midseason, there are no other viable closing options lurking in that bullpen. I'll be happy with 50-70 innings of anything near his career rates of 2.58/1.08 with an 11.5 K/9.
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| 8 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Sun, Mar 19, 2023, 02:59
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7.12 Jeff McNeil, 2B/OF, NYM
Pasquantino, Edman, Swanson, NLowe, Correa, Kirk and a few closers off the board to all contend to make me regret the Buxton pick last round. Still McKenzie, McNeil, McCarthy, Yelich from names I'd been considering. Batter preferred at this point, so McNeil seemed the safest to me at that moment. Position flexibility held appeal as well.
8.05 Triston McKenzie, SP, CLE
Still preferred a bat, but McKenzie still kept floating his way to the top of my queue. He showed some mighty high ceiling in a few starts last year and ultimately finished with a fine season. Expecting to see a bit more growth into a true ace this year.
9.12 Amed Rosario, SS/OF, CLE
Had considered him last round, as well as Nimmo, Kwan, Contreras and Vaughn that went off the board. Still didn't really love the pick and considered a variety of other names, but Rosario showed stretches that he could possibly still break out so he won the internal debate. Hoerner was the lead alternate among a dozen other names, including one still undrafted!
10.05 Matt Chapman, 3B, TOR
Tovar and Rendon might have risen among my backups to Hoerner but they didn't make it so I'll never truly know. Had forgotten about Yandy until after I picked and reloaded my queue or he might have built some more hype in my mind with that OBP. Chapman, Sewald, Snell, Arraez, Estrada, Happ, Undrafted ended up being the main consideration. Really got a good feeling about Chapman another year removed from his hip surgery to return to previous levels. Also trying to align my offense with some of the Blue Jays thunder before it's all gone.
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| 9 | I_AM_CANADIAN
ID: 384502818
Sun, Mar 19, 2023, 13:46
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7.11 Kirk, Alejandro (TOR), C
Oh look, a Catcher who ISN’T a drain on OBP?! Should hit in the middle of a very good Jays lineup too. As a general rule I normally don’t like drafting Catchers early, but I feel good with this pick.
8.06 Kershaw, Clayton (LAD), SP
We all expect Kershaw to get managed and/or go on the IL at some point… but I’ll ride with whatever he gives me when he’s out there. A ridiculous 12-3 record last year too, with a sub 1 WHIP. I’m buying the discount.
9.11 Webb, Logan (SFG), SP
I needed a “safe pitcher” to follow up the Kershaw pick. The Giants defense has me a little scared, but the coaching staff behind the pitchers seem to know what they are doing, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
10.06 Glasnow, Tyler (TAM), SP
Easily a top 20 pitcher when healthy, and drafted as my SP4. He’s an immediate heading to the IL slot / stash. The Rays would have likely played games with his innings, so maybe it’s a good thing they are limiting his IPs early?
11.11 India, Jonathan (CIN), 2B
The 2021 Rookie of the year dealt with a lot of injuries last year. Hoping he can stay on the field and make use of the hitter-friendly home park in his age 26 season.
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| 10 | mmikulka
ID: 32128616
Sun, Mar 19, 2023, 17:18
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7.14 Giancarlo Stanton, OF, NYY
With only 2 batters through 6 picks, I need to make up some ground. Stanton offers me plenty of upside, with a stable floor.
Last year was by far Stanton's worst, but his underlying metrics were still great (.251 ISO, 11% walk rate). He was just absurdly unlucky, with a BABIP 87 points below his career average. Even so, he still managed a .759 OPS and his RBI pace was 115 per 162 games.
I don't know how many games I'll get from him: I'm expecting 120ish. If this turns out to be one of his injury-free seasons, it will be a massive value.
8.03 Christian Yelich, OF, MIL
Similar to Stanton, I went with an upside-filled OF with a decent floor.
Yelich's power dropped off a cliff the past two years, likely due to injury. I can't count on it returning, though his Spring Training has looked good so far. As long as he is on the field, he should be at least above average, due to a sky-high walk rate (4 consecutive years over 13%), some SB potential (19 last year), and runs (99 last year).
He is only 2 years removed from 3 consecutive seasons of a .225+ ISO, and there is a chance that power will come back if Yelich is healthy, returning him to some degree of stardom.
9.14 Gleyber Torres, 2B, NYY
I considered a Sal Perez / Yandy Diaz pairing with this set of picks since they were both dropping and their strengths and weakness balance each other very well.
I needed a 2B, though, and I'd had my eye on Gleyber for a while. My primary concern is whether or not he will be traded from the Yankees. If not, he stands to be their lead off hitter, with Judge, Rizzo, and Stanton driving him in.
Torres is another player with some real upside, having been drafted in the 2nd and 4th rounds in RIBC in 2020 and 2021.
10.03 Anthony Rendon, 3B, LAA
Upside pick again, this time with more risk.
Like Yelich, Rendon is coming off two injury-filled seasons. Before that, Rendon had 4 consecutive seasons with a .900+ OPS. Also, he will be batting cleanup directly after Trout and Ohtani, who... tend to get on base and into scoring position.
Unlike Yelich, Rendon's past two seasons were thoroughly useless from a fantasy perspective. That said, his BABIPs were .267 and .258: his only two seasons below .300. If Rendon is healthy this year, I think his floor will be at least average.
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| 11 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Sun, Mar 19, 2023, 20:09
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13th Pick: I was second to last, and the choices were 13th and 15th. I don't enjoy being on the ends so I chose 13th.
1.13 (13) Vladimir Guerrero, Jr, 1b, TOR
I actually assumed I would end up with Mike Trout here but was thrilled to land Vlad, who in one of the 2 main projections I am using was more like a top 7 player in our format. I did not consider anyone else.
2.04 (20) Austin Riley, 3b, ATL
This was a best case scenario. I really wanted one of the big 3b with this pick. As the pick was coming and I was waiting for mmikulka, I had to consider the possibility that Riley would go and ask myself whether I had the cajones to draft Paul Goldschmidt and start the draft 1b-1b. Answer was a clear yes. But I am glad that I ended up with Riley and start this draft with 2 middle of the order beasts.
This does put me behind in Stolen Bases, a category I am always criminally deficient in. It was at this early point that I put the concept on the table of punting either SB or Saves.....partly just to try it out.
3.13 (45) Luis Robert, OF, CHW
I have done a few drafts on NFBC, which are 12-team, 5 OF leagues and needless to say OF gets thin pretty quickly, so getting a strong base of OF was on my agenda for this draft. That said, I was looking at Scherzer and McClanahan as this round unfolded, but they appropriately went.
Robert was the leading OF in both of the projections I am using. He is risky, no doubt, but sometimes you have to just take a chance on the talent. In a BA/HR league I would have taken Cedric Mullins.
4.04 (52) George Springer, OF, TOR
Well, another risk, but Springer had a normal offseason and I am hopeful for a strong 135+ games from him this season. Actually in my favorite projection he was ahead of Luis Robert, but I wondered if he would make it around the turn given his ADP.
All of the SP that were in this general tier, to me, are all part of a glob that I valued reasonably the same, so I did not consider that. I also decided I would not go with a closer here. I had not fully decided to punt saves at this point. Not yet at least.
5.13 (77) Max Fried, SP, ATL
Getting your SP1 at pick 77 meant for me to get a base of stable ratios. Fried pitches for one of the best teams in the league, so I am hoping for 16+ wins. I will need to augment strikeouts the rest of the way, as Fried's pedestrian K/9 does not help.
I looked at Gausman and Manoah here but just chose Fried. It was also at this point that I decided to punt saves (or, at a very minimum, take shots laste).
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| 12 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Sun, Mar 19, 2023, 20:34
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6.04 (84) Willy Adames, SS, MIL
There were a lot of good players that I like sitting there at this pick. Vinnie P, Edman, O'Neill and others. But looking at the SS pool dwindling I figured I needed to jump in because after those top 14 or so, it gets uglier.
Carlos Correa actually rated better in this format in both projections, but I just don't like the guy and I do worry about that ankle. I chose Adames due to his projected 8-ish SB (needed to build that base) and what I see as upside in his ratios after establishing himself as a strong everyday player.
7.13 (109) Jake McCarthy, OF, ARI
....and this was the moment I fully committed to both punting saves and attacking steals. Honestly I am surprised he was still here and I jumped on him. Arizona was one of the most aggressive on the basepaths last year, and with the new rules I doubt that will stop.
I could have grabbed Bednar or Diaz here. If I knew whether the other would still be there at my next pick, I would have gone that way. Of course, both went so I feel better about my choice. Plus, it will be fun.
8.04 (116) Joe Musgrove, SP, SDP
Leading up to this pick the news noted that Musgrove was throwing and might only miss 2 starts. I have Musgrove ahead of the next tier that includes Kershaw, Severino, Kirby, Nestor and Greene.
9.13 (141) Lance Lynn, SP, CHW
Going hitters in the first four rounds and 6 our of the first 7 rounds has one looking to catch up. With the saves punting strategy, I can and should maybe get ahead of the game on starters.
Lynn struggled mightily early in 2022 after a leg injury. Through the rest of the year he pitched like the semi-ace he has been earlier in his career.
I would have taken Nestor, Kirby and maybe Greene ahead of him, but they all appropriately went.
10.04 (148) Nico Hoerner, 2b/SS, CHC
This pick is going to make or break the season. I really felt that Sal Perez had fallen WAY too far, and with leadoff-like guys like Robert, Springer and McCarthy on my roster, I was prepared to eat Sal's OBP hit to get the SLG and RBI.
But, I also wanted to be 'all in' on steals this year - again doing something a little different. With David Ross clearly naming Hoerner as the Cubs leadoff man, I felt he was a bargain and those 20+ steals were too juicy to pass up.
It was Hoerner or Chris Sale. He hit 96 in his recent start and his recent injuries were not arm related. He could be a top 25 SP this year. It would have been fun to find out.
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| 13 | holt
ID: 40943015
Mon, Mar 20, 2023, 01:19
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7.08 104 Bryant, Kris OF COL
The list of hitters who project well with both OBP and SLG was getting really short by this point. Bryant looked like the best option to me. Hopefully Bryant keeps up with the +850 OPS and stays off the IL. I'm not intentionally punting steals but my squad just has no speed, looking like a football team in need of some dudes who can stretch the field. 3 yards and a cloud of dust.
F Bautista 6-8 285
Bryant 6-5 230
Alvarez 6-5 227
Contreras 5-11 216
Rizzo 6-3 240
Seager 6-4 215
G Henderson 6-3 220
Naylor 5-11 250
Verdugo 6-0 192 (punter)
Burnes 6-3 246
Cease 6-2 195 (quarterback)
Cortes 5-11 210 (might try him out at RB)
F Peralta 6-0 196 (kicker)
Sewald 6-3 219
8.09 121 Rizzo, Anthony 1B NYY
Had Rizzo last season, he went on some pretty good tears. Same as the K Bryant pick, good OPS. Removal of the shift isn't going to hurt him any either. Toyed with Severino or Cortes here but figured I'd better chip away at my hitters. Was happy Cortes made it back around to me.
9.08 136 Cortes, Nestor SP NYY
Thought this was a pretty good value pick at #136. had Cortes last season and have fond memories of his 0.92 whip. May that continue!
10.09 153 Sewald, Paul RP SEA
Munoz is possibly looming as a saves option but it seems that Sewald will get his fair share. 15 - 20 saves maybe? Figured I'd better take a crack at a second closer and he seemed to be the best option. Ugly. I hate picks like this but my team is looking weak in the SB category and I can't just not take a few stabs at more saves. But hey, he did have a 2.67 ERA and 0.77 whip so it's not like he's a bad pitcher, just need him to get a strong grip on that closer spot.
11.08 168 Peralta, Freddy SP MIL
I almost took Peralta with my 10th rd pick. Kicked around taking a hitter like Happ or Nootbaar but figured if Peralta was going to drop this far I may as well roll with it. If he can stay on off the IL he has the talent to pitch more like a 4th rounder than an 11th rounder.
12.09 185 Contreras, William C MIL
Normally I wouldn't bother drafting a catcher this early but I had Contreras last season when he was ripping the cover off the ball. Definitely had him in mind as a target this year and his ADP was coming into range where it seemed he was probably going to go off the board at any time. He went .278 .354 .506 in 376 plate appearances last season. Doubt he replicates that but I'll give him a chance.
Having said all that, if Josh Bell hadn't been taken the pick right before me I may have gone that way and tried to see if Contreras would make it back around one more time. Also considered Ketel Marte a bit.
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| 14 | kdl212
ID: 411531222
Mon, Mar 20, 2023, 12:25
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7.09 Carlos Correa, SS, HOU
Not a fan of this guy as a human, and a bit unsettling that 2 teams were scared away from signing him. But his selfishness and skills lead to production when he's on the field, and the better shortstop options were drying up. This seems late to be drafting a high OBP, high SLUG middle infielder, but it's right at his ADP. I guess all the doubt and hate are baked in.
8.08 Steven Kwan, OF, CLE
My roster was looking light on steals, and I needed 2B and 3B still. The options weren't all that enticing for steals. There were multiple 2B/3B I would be fine rostering, so I went back to the starting pitcher list. I was *this* close to picking Robbie Ray. But Kwan's high OBP + steals, and some optimistic write-up somewhere suggesting a 380/430 season, convinced me to buy-in (he hit 384/439 in the second half, so it's not a crazy dream). Not a value pick, but relieves some SB pressure from the needs list.
9.09 Brandon Lowe, 2B, TB
Bounce-back play. I was feeling light on RBIs (Matt Olson is apparently going to hit 2nd not 4th, Kyle Tucker who knows where, Bryan Reynolds won't have anyone on to drive in), so I went looking for middle-of-the-order bats. Tellez and Rendon were interesting, but I gambled they'd be around later. Brandon Lowe was garbage last year thanks to a back injury, but 350/530 the previous two years with lots of RBIs. Clean-up hitter in TB who sits less versus lefties than early in career. Not sure I should be drafting platoons before round 10, but I liked the upside.
10.08 Jeffrey Springs, SP, TB
With Tellez, Rendon, and Chapman picked, I turned back to my pitching staff. Considered Paul Sewald and Evan Phillips as a second reliever. Sewald's off to a late spring start, and may get overtaken by Munoz, so this felt early for half a closer. Phillips was probably the right move. But I was worried about Rodon, and wanted to shore up my staff sooner rather than later. Jeffrey Springs was a waiver wire add for me last year, and I think we fall a little in love with great pickups like that. Considered Sale, Gonsolin, Peralta, Rasmussen, and Snell. I'll confess to peeking at spring training stats here - for Springs, it was 9.2 innings, 16 strikeouts, 3 hits, 1 walk. Even if all the hitters were rookie leaguers, those are good numbers. So I signed him for a second season on Smith & 9th.
11.09 Jordan Montgomery, SP, STL
Passed on Evan Phillips again, which was even more of a mistake this round than it was in round 10. And even considered a catcher (there were 3 left before a tier drop, so I gambled one would make it back to me in round 12). Springs hadn't called my nerves about bad news emerging regarding Rodon, so I went back to the well for a starter. Montgomery isn't the strike-out machine that Scherzer/Rodon are, but he's solid, and pitches for a smart team that should win 100 games. Not looking for a sneaky Cy Young award winner here in round 11. All I want is value.
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| 15 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Mon, Mar 20, 2023, 14:25
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11.13 (179) Drew Rasmussen, SP, TB
These long turns are brutal. I have survived to date by ignoring picks until it is about my turn, but this time I was checking more and saw guy-after-guy grabbed during this time: Springs, Cron, Snell with Sal Perez and Chris sale especially hurtful. Life is full of disappointment.
Rasmussen has turned into a rising darling, and for good reason. In both of my primary projections he was the best pitcher left, but I always look at other sites and lists and was tempted by Luzardo and had guys like Morton and Bell as floor guys on my radar. Rasmussen has some upside himself, potentially only limited by the Rays' management of pitchers. We'll have to see but I am loving how my 'wait on starters' strategy (buoyed by the punting saves decision) was rounding into form quite nicely, thank you.
I was tempted by Sean Murphy here. Could be a beast now that he is out of Oakland, but adding Rasumussen as a strong #4 was a higher priority, and Stephenson and Wm. Conteras were still there so I let him pass.
12.04 (180) Tyler Stephenson, C, CIN
David Bell has announced that he wants Stephenson to play 145 games, of which only 65 will be at Catcher, with the remaining being played at 1b and DH. That is a HUGE vote of confidence for Stephenson as a big part of the Reds' lineup in the best HR-hitting park in baseball.
In RIBC you want a catcher with good counting stats that won't bring down your ratios. Okay, Stephenson's ratios aren't as good as, say, Mountcastle and J. Bell's (two I also considered), but I love the stats relative to the rest of the catching pool. Stay healthy, kid.
13.13 (205) Luis Urias, 2b/SS/3b, MIL
I wanted an infielder here to fill in somewhere.
Could have been a cornerman, but both Miranda and Rojas just went. With Urias, this pick is about role and position flexibility. While Urias might be considered their primary 3b (with only Brian Anderson to compete with?), when he isn't playing 3b he is probably playing 2nd. Call it 5 out of every 6 games and he is worth it here.
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| 16 | mmikulka
ID: 32128616
Mon, Mar 20, 2023, 18:55
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11.14 Sean Murphy, C, ATL
I'm perfectly fine waiting a long time to take a catcher (I won RIBC in 2017 without drafting one at all), but Murphy had fallen far enough that I decided to take him.
Murphy has a career .755 OPS, which isn't anything special, but I will gladly take it from a catcher in the 11th round. His K rate dropped significantly last year, and at 28 years old, I can see this potentially being a breakout season.
He led the MLB with 612 PA last year, and that might drop a bit, but Murphy will be batting cleanup in a much better lineup, which should keep his R/RBI totals respectable.
12.03 JD Martinez, UTIL, LAD
I debated taking Joey Meneses here for his 1B/OF dual eligibility and his late-2022 and WBC heroics, but his .371 BABIP and the Nationals absolutely putrid lineup dissuaded me.
This is the first year I haven't drafted Ohtani, and while that is disappointing, I was looking forward to having a true utility slot for the first time in a while. JD Martinez ruins that (unless he gets some time in the OF, which is possible), but I really like his value here.
Martinez's last year was bad by his standards, but it still resulted in a .789 OPS and tolerable R/RBI totals. His 4 non-COVID seasons prior to that resulted in an OPS of .887+ and at least 189 R+RBI.
Martinez is 35, so his best production is likely behind him, but the 2022 Red Sox team was a disaster, and Martinez moves from that to the Dodgers and their perpetually stacked lineup.
13.14 Adalberto Mondesi, SS, BOS
Steals steals steals.
The past three years, Mondesi went in the 3rd, 2nd, and 6th rounds. If he is even moderately healthy, he should be a... steal.
By now it is safe to say Mondesi is injury-prone (and - gasp - is currently injured), but he is still expected to be a near-everyday starter for the Red Sox, and his career SB rate is on a whole different level than almost all of the other SB options.
In his career so far, Mondesi has 133 SB in 1366 PA: a SB every 10.27 PA, which is almost identical to Billy Hamilton's career rate.
That is a 44% higher rate than Jon Berti.
A 63% higher rate than Jorge Mateo.
More than double the rates of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr.
And that was before the larger bases and limited pickoffs: if Mondesi is healthy enough for 300 PA, he should comfortably finish within the top 10 in SB (like in 2018, when he finished 8th with 32 SB in only 291 PA).
Also, Mondesi is 27 years old and has a .163 career ISO.
14.03 Esteury Ruiz, OF, OAK
So um... in case you weren't as addicted to following Ruiz as I was last year, here were his minor league stats prior to getting called up by the Padres:
374 PA
1.028 OPS
84 R / 46 RBI
60 SB
His callup resulted in 36 PA with only 1 SB, then Esteury was traded to the Brewers and optioned to AAA, where he finished up the season with:
167 PA
.861 OPS
30 R / 19 RBI
25 SB
Ruiz wasn't a highly-touted prospect, had a sky-high BABIP, and had no major success prior to last year, and I don't expect him to approach 85 SB or a .950 OPS. That said, after following him / rostering him last year, I was not about to miss out on Esteury this year and then watch him have a monster season on somebody else's roster.
One of his two main OF competitors just get sent down to AAA, and so Esteury should have a path to at least semi-regular playing time as the 4th OF, with a decent possibility that he wins the starting centerfield job outright.
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| 17 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Tue, Mar 21, 2023, 05:03
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11.12 Evan Phillips, RP, LAD
Yandy, Sewald, Snell, Arraez taken from my list while I wait. Leaving Phillips, Estrada and Happ as my lead choices. Felt like a nice time for another ticket in the closer lottery.
12.05 Jon Berti, 2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA
Felt like I was letting steals slip too much so I figured I'd try to put a big dent in my need for speed with a reach pick on a guy that really only had 1 productive month last year. More of another upside gamble than the answer for my need but if he can play well enough to stay in the Marlins lineup, then his position flexibility will likely make him useful in my lineup as well.
The turn waiting for this pick saw a lot of names fall off my radar, would have still probably considered Happ or Estrada, was starting to consider Nootbaar, Luzardo, JD Martinez, SMurphy. Next in line that might make me regret the Berti pick, that actually made it to me were William Contreras and for the 4th straight round, the finally drafted Kebryan Hayes!
13.12 Dustin May, SP, LAD
Meneses had been rising on my list, and was picked while I waited, but May was the lead candidate for this round since making my last pick. Came down to him or Senga as it felt about time for another starting pitcher. May is another high risk pick, back to letting my gut drive as we get to the later rounds. Might give my brain a few more picks later, to be determined.
14.05 Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF, TOR
Thankfully built some flexibility into the roster so far, Altuve likely going to miss time, so McNeil can slide in at 2B, or stay at outfield with Berti sliding in. Either way, I'll still need a C, backup at 1B, and CI/MI/OF depth depending where the flex guys slot in. Wasn't sure how long I'd be out for after the May pick, so I set a queue of bats with autopick in case we kept rolling. Merrifield and Wong stood out most with Whit leading the way as another chance to align with the likely strong Jays lineup. Merrifield seemed to find the spark after taking a few weeks to get his way into the Jays lineup but ended the season as a key cog in the lineup and I figure to see more of the same this year.
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| 18 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Tue, Mar 21, 2023, 16:53
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14.04 (212) Reid Detmers, SP, LAA
LOVE this pick, even if my preferred projection does not. His 2022 was a roller coaster - threw a no-hitter while limping to a 4.11 first half ERA. Got hurt and sent down before lighting it up in the 2nd half:
- 3.36 ERA, 2.57 FIP
- K% increased from 20.2% to 25.3%
- HR/9 decreased from 1.41 to 0.31
Adding to that, Detmers has added some ticks to his fastball in the spring, and his slider is moving more and has a tick or two as well. I will spell it out: B - R - E - A - K - O - U - T
15.13 (237) Jorge Lopez, RP, MIN
Maybe I lied. Maybe I changed my mind, but I figured at this point what is the harm of a closer dart? Duran is clearly a superior pitcher, but Baldelli is new school and could use Duran as the fireman type, employing him in the 7th or 8th to shut down an opponents' 3/4/5 hitters. He sucked once traded to Minnesota, but could get 12-15 saves. If not, he's fodder.
16.04 (244) Jake Fraley, OF, CIN
I have been playing chicken with this player for a few rounds. I have had my eyes on him and Wil Myers as bouncebacks / breakouts from a weak CIN team and that juicy home ballpark. Myers was a better fit for my team at this point with 1b / OF eligibility, but I think Fraley is a much better pick to click. A bit of power, a bit of speed and a rising ADP. Doesn't hurt that he has a .964 OPS this spring.
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| 19 | I_AM_CANADIAN
ID: 384502818
Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 14:50
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12.06 Mountcastle, Ryan (BAL), 1B
I liked the picks of Rasmussen/Luzardo/Nootbaar… but adding a quality slugger at this point of the draft felt pretty good. One of the unluckiest players last year from an XSlug % perspective, hoping he can bounce back to ‘20/21 numbers in that department.
13.11 Miranda, Jose (MIN), 1B/3B
I was hoping Ke’Bryan would have slid to me here, but maybe this was a better fit for my team (SLG+RBI vs SB). Balanced hit tool, and a nice lineup around him. The multi-position eligibility is a nice bonus too.
14.05 Suarez, Eugenio (SEA), 3B
Coming off a nice rebound year with Seattle. While no longer a threat to be a top 5 3B option, if he can keep the strikeouts under control, and continue to barrel the ball like he does, he should be a solid CI contributor.
15.11 Cobb, Alex (SFG), SP
At this point, the pitcher pool has a lot of dart throws. Almost a copy/paste of the Webb analysis… hoping they can tinker him into relevance.
16.05 Eovaldi, Nathan (TEX), SP
Normally a solid contributor of Ks. Seems to have decent stuff this spring. Maybe he’ll learn some neat tricks, in what is a loaded starting pitching staff.
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| 20 | kdl212
ID: 411531222
Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 17:11
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12.08 Josh Bell, 1B, CLE
I'm not really a Josh Bell believer, and I already had a first baseman. But I still needed a 3B and a CI, and I couldn't ignore him at the top of my value board any longer (outside of Sal Perez, Bell was the top value when I picked in round 10). He does promise a high OBP (you can't have enough high OBP guys) and a bunch of RBIs (a category I was feeling light on). And he was going nuts last year before he was traded to the Padres. Who knows, maybe the most favorable stadium he's ever played in will help push him toward 30 home runs. That'll make this a pretty nice pick. I might've drafted Tyler Stephenson if he made it to me, and would've liked a second closer but didn't have the stones to draft LeClerc this early.
13.09 Josh Rojas, 2B/3B, ARI
A little positional flexibility and 20 steals with a .340 OBP. Hoping the Arizona logjam doesn't keep him on the bench too often, and crossing my fingers that there's one extra level in his power.
14.08 DJ LeMahieu, 1B/2B/3B, NYY
More positional flexibility, more OBP, no steals, and same worry about regularly playing time. Together, though, Rojas and LeMahieu should make one solid 3B while covering gaps and off-days as they arise. No growth expected at his age, but it'd be nice if he got the SLUG back up over 400. If he finds himself hitting lead-off in front of Judge 4 days a week, I'll take that, too. Too leery of the older Justin Turner, would've preferred the younger Jose Miranda.
15.09 Jon Gray, SP, TEX
Time to go back to starting pitching, whatever shiny objects were setting atop my queue. With some high-K pitchers already on my roster, I was eyeing Tyler Anderson here, but he didn't make it to me. Back-up plan was Jon Gray, who left Coors Field last year and got the expected mini-jump in his ERA/WHiP. As with Montgomery, I'm not entertaining any chances of Cy Young votes here, but looking for a solid 160 innings on a team that should win games.
At this point, I still need to fill 3 hitting slots, and would like a second closer. If I could do anything over, I think I'd roll the dice on Fulmer or Finnegan instead of DJ Lemahieu in round 14, but otherwise I like how the roster is coming together.
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| 21 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 19:46
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15.12 Brusdar Graterol, RP, LAD
Really hoped Graterol would survive to hedge my Phillips bet in the Dodgers bullpen. Didn't feel like he'd last beyond here, and honestly didn't expect him to last to my pick. ESuarez, Naylor, Wong were among my backup options that didn't make it to me.
16.05 Brett Baty, 3B, NYM
Had been eyeing Baty as a backup CI option, and it started to feel like prospects were falling off the board so he bumped right behind Graterol in my last queue. Profar, some relievers and some catchers as backup options if my top picks didn't make it.
17.12 Jurickson Profar, OF, COL
As soon as seeing he was signed by the Rockies he jumped near the top of my queue. Didn't hit well in Coors last year but that was only a handful of games, hoping for a bit of a spike on last year's numbers from Profar. Ended up putting Bubba Thompson, Puk, and a couple still undrafted catchers & relievers as backup picks here. Hendriks, Gallegos, JLopez, Estevez, RLopez among the relief names that were picked and had been rising up my queue. Torkelson, Paredes, Baez some bats that I'd been looking at that fell off the board as well.
18.05 Bubba Thompson, OF, TEX
Another gamble for speed, major upside on the SB/PA with a guy that's looking like he'll get a chance to start out with some PA. Hendriks and Torkelson the likely candidates to make me regret this pick.
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| 22 | mmikulka
ID: 32128616
Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 20:32
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15.14 James Karinchak, RP, CLE
My strategy heading into the draft was to go RP-heavy and bank on free agency to fill the back end of my rotation. That said, I wasn't necessarily planning to have 0 SP through the 14th.
At this point, though, all the players I have projected to gain me the most in ERA/WHIP/Ks are relievers, so I'm not going to fight it.
Karinchak's career 14.28 K/9 ranks 4th in the MLB over the past four years, with only Hader, Devin Williams, and injured Edwin Diaz above him. His 3.06/1.14 career line isn't quite as elite, but it's still excellent. Karinchak also functions as a handcuff for my Clase pick.
16.03 Giovanny Gallegos, RP, STL
Another RP with a track record of excellence: 3.05/0.94 with a 10.94 K/9 over six seasons. He'll probably get a few saves sprinkled in, too.
17.14 Joey Votto, 1B, CIN
I still needed a CI, and Votto has been a mainstay on my RIBC teams over the years: why not one more time?
As I began to look into Votto as an option, I was shocked to find that he is only 1 year removed from a .938 OPS and 99 RBI.
Last year, his BABIP was 82 points below his career average. He's old, but I expect some degree of a bounceback, and it won't take much of one when paired with his ludicrous 15.7% career walk rate and the friendly dimensions of his home ballpark.
18.03 Josh Donaldson, 3B, NYY
The projections don't believe in him and Yankees fans don't believe in him and apparently none of y'all believe in him... and I don't really believe in him either.
Prior to last year, Donaldson had 9 consecutive seasons with a walk rate of 10.3%+, an ISO of .199+, and a .798+ OPS. He also gets to play in Yankee Stadium and bat in a high-powered offense, so on paper, I see a lot of upside. In real life, he's probably toast and I'll probably drop him in a month.
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| 23 | holt
ID: 40943015
Wed, Mar 22, 2023, 23:37
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13.08 200 Verdugo, Alex OF BOS
With LeClerc off the board no need to worry about scraping up saves for a while. M Vargas and K Marte went off the board. I still had a few hitter slots to fill so I wanted someone with solid playing time. Verdugo could be good for 80 R 80 RBI .340 .430, something like that. And Cora called him out specifically for more expected SB's this season. Just seemed like a solid roster filler. I like dudes like Mondesi and Ruiz and certainly could have used their speed but I'm not ready to take that risk this early. Was hoping they'd sneak through another couple rounds. Dustin May is another one I was hoping to draft later but I'm a little pitcher heavy already and just had to hope he hang around longer than he did.
14.09 217 Naylor, Josh 1B CLE
Naylor is kind of like my Verdugo pick. Lined up for good playing time, good RBI production and hopefully he can build on the .771 OPS he had last season. Believe he had 6 steals, which seems pretty good for a dude who's built like jerome bettis. 1B/OF eligibilty is a nice bonus.
15.08 232 Wong, Kolten 2B SEA
Fairly relieved Wong was still around. His projections seem pretty brutal for a guy who has had OPS of .783 and .770 the past two seasons along with his stolen bases. I really needed a second baseman with a little speed and he fits the bill. Hope things work out for him in Seattle.
Bummer that Fraley was taken later this round. I had him rostered off and on all through '21 and '22 and no one else ever seemed to have any interest in him whatsoever so I thought he'd remain invisible a while longer. Oh well.
16.09 249 Rodriguez, Grayson SP BAL
At this point I didn't feel like there were any bats that I just absolutely had to have so I peeked back in on the pitchers. Some pretty sketchy closers I may be better off never rostering. Some so-so veteran starters. Felt like a good place to take a chance on a prospect. Rodriguez isn't guaranteed to be in the rotation yet but he's the top SP prospect for 2023 so I'll roll the dice. His minor league numbers are pretty absurd, 12.9 K/9 and 0.95 whip, and the Orioles ought to get him on the field if they're serious about doing something this year, even it's just 120 IP.
17.08 264 Morel, Christopher 2B CHC
Nothing fancy. He plays a few positions, has some power and speed, was a rookie last year so it's pretty plausible that he improves on that .308/.433. I did kick the tires on Votto, Paredes, Haniger, Thompson, Profar, Baez, pretty much every hitter who went in this round. Morel just seemed to be the correct puzzle piece.
18.09 281 Ottavino, Adam RP NYM
It's still not clear who will get saves for the poor Mets. I figure he has about the same chance as Robertson. He didn't stink last year, 10.8 K/9, 0.98 whip, which is odd. I had some interest in Belt, Urshela, Mancini, and Meadows, but figured I may as well take a stab at some cheap saves.
19.08 296 Graveman, Kendall RP CWS
Another stab at cheap saves, but Graveman did stink last year. Herget might have been the better choice. Little disappointed to see bats like Friedl and Taylor go off the board after this pick but thought it was silly that there were still several potential closers still hanging around. Doing my part to wipe them out. May God have mercy on my soul.
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| 24 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Thu, Mar 23, 2023, 17:15
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17.13 (269) Mitch Haniger, OF, SFO
He is hurt, already, hence why he is still available. Oracle Park is not as damaging to RH power as it is to lefties, so I think Haniger will get all of the AB he can muster. He has a career .811 OPS - that might be a stretch, but I have this sinking feeling that I need SLG so I grabbed someone who will play every day when healthy. With Robert and Springer I definitely wanted excess OF depth, even if he is equally injury prone as the guys I am protecting them with. He can be my UTIL as well at this point.
Grayson, J. Adam, Jung and Wil Myers were all players I would have taken if they lasted.
18.04 (276) Michael Kopech, SP, CHW
If healthy and shows his stuff, he is a massive steal. If not, he's fodder -- most guys in this range are fodder, so why not aim high?
Right before deciding on this pick, I threw a bunch of IF into my queue (I still need a starter in the IF) like Belt, Torkelson and Mancini, figuring one would make it around, thus justifying my long shot SP pick. Buzz! Wrong!
19.13 (301) Ramon Laureano, OF, OAK
Gee, another guy who gets hurt a lot. It's pick 301, give me a break. But he is also my 6th OF, so basically I just need at least 4 to be healthy at the same time, and if a 5th is healthy too, GRAVY!
The A's are going to be a pretty pathetic bunch. I only wish MLB was like the NBA where SOMEONE has to get a rebound and get points.....sadly the counting stats will be rough but an 18/18 season is not out of the cards if he gets 130 games.
20.04 (308) Jimmy Herget, RP, LAA
Closer dart. Could be an easy cut, but Estevez has not pitched well this spring, so the LAA manager might let the two of them fight it out in the early weeks of April. Of course, last year was a huge breakout relative to his previous MLB career. Maybe he just figured his sweeper out? But there is way more than a zero percent chance he is the closer, so why not?
21.13 (333) Kevin Ginkel, RP, AZ
I dunno, read somewhere that he is in the running for top consideration in the closer committee. It's a dart at 333. Easy cut if nothing happens.
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| 25 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Fri, Mar 24, 2023, 01:39
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19.12 Elehuris Montero, 1B/3B, COL
Mostly hoped Torkelson or Hendriks would slip here. But also was looking at Ottavino, Belt, Mancini among catchers and arms and a few sleepers that I can't seem to resist with these later picks. The allure of Coors ABs is the main factor that had me bump Montero ahead of the rest.
20.05 Cal Raleigh, C, SEA
Haven't been able to pull the trigger on catcher and now left sifting through the bottom of the barrel. Nice power from Raleigh which I think is worth the hit at OBP and a dig into his minor league numbers had me feeling like he might even show some more growth all around. Had Moreno ahead of him for catcher, but he was taken shortly before. More of a path for playing time than Jansen or d'Arnaud had him ahead of them for me. And similar gamble power vs OBP had him ahead of Langeliers as well. Grandal spite from last year only reason he wasn't ranked among these other catchers. Had also been looking at Herget, AChapman, Wesneski, RMontero for arms that fell off the board while I was filling my lineup and bench.
21.12 Daniel Hudson, RP, LAD
Already grabbed the two names most talked about to battle for saves until Hudson returns where he will join the battle. Feels nice to have all 3 of these names but also expecting a trade for a more proven name to happen early in the season so will still need a couple more tickets in the closer lottery to close out the draft.
22.05 Ross Stripling, SP, SF
Vesia picked ends any thoughts of grabbing all the Dodgers' top bullpen depth. He wasn't on the radar but maybe he should've been! 5 picks to go and might grab a backup C, another wild card bat, and a starter or two and a lottery bullpen arm or two. Bumped Stripling ahead of undrafted as I flip flopped until it was my actual turn. Maeda was also in top 3 consideration as my pick approached. GSoto and Grandal were also rising up my queue that may end up making me regret having Stripling up top. He really impressed me last year and I think he can put up similar numbers again, but hope he can show improvement in this nice new pitching environment.
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| 26 | I_AM_CANADIAN
ID: 384502818
Fri, Mar 24, 2023, 09:08
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17.11 Baez, Javier (DET), SS
The OBP is probably going to hurt, because this guy just doesn’t walk… ever. Running out of solid starter bat options though, and it’s mainly that one CAT that will hurt, the rest should be fine. This discount felt similar to the Sal Perez non-love earlier in the draft. His ability to cover MI, will mean Betts will likely move to the OF for the time being, with India as my starting 2B.
18.04 Mahle, Tyler (MIN), SP
He’s not really my #7 SP, as Glasnow is starting the year on the IL and of course there is Kershaw… so, he’s more like my 5/6th SP, which means he may not be my last needed starter. Good CSW, hoping that plus the improved environment/team context lead to a nice season.
19.11 Soler, Jorge (KC), OF
His max EV is still at elite levels, so the hope is that it was just either a combination of getting into a funk/fighting off injuries that led to the down year. Worth a shot at the 299th pick, which is about 100 picks later than last year, and 200 picks later than two years ago.
20.04 Colas, Oscar (CWS), OF
A lot of good buzz outta Chicago about him earning the starting RF job (nothing official I don’t think). 60-grade Raw Power from the left side + a good lineup… could be a nice value.
21.11 Urquidy, Jose (HOU), SP
Seen a couple issues poke up (performance and/or injury) already with the pitching staff, so might grab some backup options here late. Urquidy historically has given up some pretty loud contact, but overall minimizes the damage due to good WHIP. He fits the mold of playing on a good team, with a good staff/coaching. Hoping he worked hard through the winter to avoid another benching like he went through in last year's playoffs.
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| 27 | kdl212
ID: 411531222
Fri, Mar 24, 2023, 14:29
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16.08 Lourdes Gurriel, OF, ARI
Was looking for a 4th outfielder in this round, and was disappointed to see Jake Fraley go before I could draft him. Surprised he lasted this long, frankly, given all the buzz about Reds hitters. There weren't a lot of intriguing options (I considered these guys as well: Haniger, Fraley's outfield mate Friedl, Soler) so I nearly passed and took a reliever (Adam, May, or Estevez). For unknown reasons, I went back to Gurrield. The lineup is over-packed in Arizona, so Gurriel may not end up playing even 6 days a week. Definitely my least favorite pick of the draft.
17.09 Trevor May, RP, OAK
I have only drafted one relief pitcher so far, and I figured now was the time to look for a few more saves. Was really bummed that Estevez went at 17.04 - his spring numbers are awful, but I presume he was just playing around with something, and that once the season starts he'll settle down and save 20-25 games for the Angels. As a consolation, I got the ostensible closer for a terrible baseball team (fun fact - last year the Mariners had 90 wins and 40 saves, the A's had 60 wins and 34 saves). Also his numbers from last year look gross (5.04 ERA, 1.44 WHiP). But he was hurt in the first half, went 3.24/1.20 in the second half with 13.5k/p, so there's hope. My hope is that he's showcased as a stopper by the A's so they can trade him mid-season. If that's nets me a dozen saves, the pick was worth it. If he's just a 6th inning guy who's there to mentor the young relievers in the A's pen, I've wasted a pick. I think I should've rolled the dice on the higher upside of Reynaldo Lopez.
18.08 Bryson Stott, 2B/SS, PHI
Looking for a backup middle infielder, and Stott covered both positions. Hoping for growth, b/c .300/.350 won't cut it. His 330/404 second half would, though just barely. Almost went Friedl or Mancini instead.
19.09 TJ Friedl, OF, CIN
He's still around, and can't last much longer. Can't hit lefties, but everybody wants the hitters in this lineup, and Friedl is a bit tantalizing. My guess is he's a disappointment, but I figured Jorge Soler would be, too, and at least Friedl promises some stolen bases to temper with the let down.
20.08 Spencer Steer, 1B/3B, CIN
Back at it with a young Reds hitter that shows up on multiple sleeper/breakout lists. I wish he had more power, but I'm still worried about 3B. The multi-position eligibility is a plus when, by late April, roster slots have tightened. It would be 60 picks before another 3B was drafted, so maybe he was the end of the last acceptable tier. Or I'm delusional.
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| 28 | mmikulka
ID: 32128616
Fri, Mar 24, 2023, 15:03
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19.14 Chris Taylor, 2B/OF, LAD
Chris Taylor is another player I've considered drafting each of the past few years because he reliably overperforms his projections due to a .343 career BABIP.
Last year, that didn't happen, and his projections are equally bleak this year. Taylor's K rate has always been high, but last season it leaped to 35.2%, while his ISO dropped to .152. He might be done.
Taylor has enough working in his favor (strong BB%, decent power, 10ish steals, dual eligibility, playing for the Dodgers, .775+ OPS from 2017-2021) that I'll take a chance on a bounceback.
20.03 Taylor Rogers, RP, SF
A couple of Taylors cutting it up!
Taylor Rogers has what I'm looking for in a late round reliever: 5 consecutive years of a FIP/xFIP under 3.32, a solid 1.16 career WHIP, about 11 K/9, a pitchers park, and a chance at stumbling into a few saves as a lefty / with a potentially volatile closer ahead of him.
21.14 LaMonte Wade, 1B/OF, SF
Three main reasons here: the dual eligibility, his dramatic/reliable platoon splits (career .800 OPS vs RHP, career .312 OPS vs LHP), and the likelihood that he will bat leadoff (my team is currently weighted a little more towards RBI than R).
22.03 Alex Vesia, RP, LAD
Career averages of 2.92/1.16 and 12.59 K/9. If the Dodgers are truly going to divide saves based on matchups, he will probably get a few of those too since Phillips, Hudson, and Graterol are all RHP.
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| 29 | mmikulka
ID: 32128616
Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 13:41
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23.14 Matt Bush, RP/SP, MIL
Solid enough 3.45/1.18 career ERA/WHIP, coming off back-to-back seasons over 11 K/9, and probably 2nd in line for saves. Most importantly, Bush has SP eligibility from serving as an opener 6 times last year, so I can use him in the SP slot.
24.03 Collin McHugh, RP, ATL
McHugh has been excellent (2.76/1.01, 10.43 K/9, 70 IP per season) since becoming a RP in 2018.
25.14 Brandon Crawford, SS, SF
As soon as I started thinking about how weird it was that I hadn't had a pick sniped in several rounds, ksoze took Christian Arroyo. He would have been a great fit because of his multi-eligibility and as a handcuff for the inevitable Mondesi injury. I considered taking a different multi-eligible player, but ultimately went with Crawford instead.
Crawford is probably going to bat in the middle of the order. That should be a damning statement about the SF offense, but every 2 or 3 seasons the Giants are unexpectedly good for no apparent reason, and players that have otherwise been mediocre are temporarily stars. Crawford has been a beneficiary of that in the recent past (.895, 79/90/11 in 2021), and I already drafted LaMonte Wade, so I'll double down and hope this will be another one of those years.
26.03 Garrett Cleavinger, RP, TB
Cleavinger was 2.14/0.62, 13.29 K/9 over 21 IP after being traded to the Rays last August.
Obviously it's a very small sample size, but there are worse dart throws than "youngish lefty with electric stuff expected to pitch in high-leverage situations for the Rays".
About halfway through the draft, I decided I would punt SP unless one of them really jumped out as a value to me: partly because my initial strategy already leaned on RP and devalued SP, partly because of the way the Edwin Diaz injury affected my 6th-12th rounds, partly because y'all were poking fun at how I took 4 RPs in rounds 3-6, and partly because it was an experiment I've always wanted to do.
Somebody in RIBC tried the Marmol strategy a few years back, and while I don't think punting a category is ever a good idea in RIBC, I have always liked the idea of punting a position during the draft.
The main difference to me is that unlike SV or SB, where there are maybe 5-15 free agents with the potential to meaningfully contribute (which everybody is aware of and jumps on quickly), there are still plenty of undrafted players remaining at SP (and sometimes C, OF, or 1B) with the potential to be meaningful contributors, and it doesn't require a midseason injury or a role opening up due to extended poor play.
My stable of RPs should get me 450-550 IP of excellent ratios and a K surplus: if I am able to add 3-5 viable SPs via free agency, then I can get the benefits of punting without actually having to punt a category. Building a rotation from scratch will be tough in RIBC, but I usually find at least 2 quality SPs, and I'm banking on there being a bit more SP unpredictability than normal this year with the introduction of the pitch clock and lack of shifts.
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| 30 | I_AM_CANADIAN
ID: 384502818
Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 13:58
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22.04 Duvall, Adam (BOS), OF
Another power hitter coming off an injury/surgery. There will be some concerns over injury/regression potential, but so far the spring training numbers look solid enough to be encouraged.
23.11 De La Cruz, Bryan (MIA), OF
Currently fighting for a roster spot, but the upside of the xStats last year (especially 2nd half), show good potential. Don’t see a reason why he wouldn’t make the team, expect him to play his way into a regular role.
24.04 McCutchen, Andrew (PIT), OF
5 of my last 6 picks have been OFs… in general, trying to give myself some boom/bust type options. McCutchen actually is more of a floor play though, just in case a couple of the others in front of him don’t work out.
25.11 Carrasco, Carlos, (NYM), SP
Another pitcher from a good team. Doesn’t have the lights out stuff anymore, but has a deep arsenal, so can pitch well into games when he’s pitching well.
26.04 Straw, Myles (CLE), OF
Haven't drafted many large SB contributors since the early rounds, so adding another option. Also, the speed lends itself to picking up doubles and triples, which help contribute to SLG better than his ability to hit HRs (which is very low). Had a decent spring too… might ride a hot bat/streak for a few weeks if he starts off the season well.
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| 31 | kdl212
ID: 411531222
Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 16:05
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21.09 Travis D'Arnaud, C, ATL
From round 21 on, it's rare for more than one guy to stick on your roster and regularly contribute. So I typically try to roll the dice here on possible breakouts/next-in-line closers, and draft a catcher. My plan was to wait until round 25 to draft a catcher. It worked last year - drafted Danny Jansen in round 25, dropped him before the season started, used a catcher carousel for much of the year, and won the league (thank you Aaron Judge). And yet, here I am drafting a catcher in round 21. Why? (and having Mitch Garver available in round 26 only reinforces the silliness of drafting a catcher here). I have no answer to my own question. No one who was drafted before my next pick was on my radar, so I guess there wasn't a big opportunity cost to D'Arnaud. But I would've preferred one catcher + Miguel Castro to the tandem of D'Arnaud-Garver. I affirm to never again draft a catcher before round 25.
22.08 Michael King, RP, NYY
Promises to be a multi-inning reliever with good ratios and hopefully 6-8 wins in under 80 innings. In a dream world, he replaces Holmes as the closer when Holmes hits a rough patch. Also considered Miguel Castro, who could emerge as the D-Backs closer (along with 5 other candidates).
23.09 Robert Suarez, RP, SD
Rounding out my relief corps with a good pitcher who is next in line if Hader mysteriously implodes again. Like King, expecting good ratios, hoping for 6 wins, and crossing my fingers there are 5-10 saves here, too.
24.08 Dan Vogelbach, DH, NYM
Dan Vogelbach is a luxury. He's only eligible at DH, and he's a strict platoon player. But he hit 382/497 against right-handed pitching last year in 300 at-bats. If you can afford the roster spot, these kind of platoon hitters can really help. That they're moving the right-center fence in a bit at the Mets home stadium should give all Mets lefties a little boost. If injuries and needs arise, Vogelbach gets kicked off the team without a second thought. Would've drafted Dom Smith if he'd made it to me as an upside play who offers 1B eligibility instead of just DH.
25.09 Kyle Bradish, SP, BAL
Last year, Foot drafted Cristian Javier in round 25, which has to have been the greatest round 25 draft pick ever (2.54/0.95 with 11 wins, 194 strike outs in 148 IP). No one thinks Bradish has the potential to put in a season like Javier's last year, but he's gotten a lot of breakout buzz. I'd planned on drafting him earlier, but he allowed 9 earned runs in 2 innings in his last spring training start. I was delighted, b/c I hoped that would scare people off. Maybe it did, because here he is still available at pick 393, 100 spots lower than his ADP elsewhere.
26.08 Mitch Garver, C, TEX
It's the last round (in a draft a round longer than usual;), and I've still got 7-8 guys I'd like to roster. Two of them (Olivares and Brantley) are picked before the draft ends. But a half dozen remain. With D'Arnaud likely to play 3-4 times a week, I expected to be cycling in a catcher here and there. But Garver goes insane in odd-numbered years, and it's 2023, so I'll bite and see if there's anything here. He may DH regularly and get more play than D'Arnaud. I'll know in 2-3 weeks, and can jettison him if need be.
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| 32 | Uptown Bombers
ID: 28219112
Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 19:51
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1.15 Bo Bichette SS TOR
Had no choice for draft position, leftover pick was 15th slot.
As the pick approached, was hoping for Tatis, who despite missing time seemed like the best chance to an early 1st round performer. Bunch of sluggers and Bichette to the top of my list. Slight preference for Bichette because he should help contribute in steals and SS eligibility.
2.02 Rafael Devers 3B BOS
Was prepared to take whoever survived the turn between Machado, Alonso and Devers. Both 1B and 3B shallower than usual this year. Devers is the one left standing. No real other players considered. I’m expecting this to be a safe pick in terms of expected production.
3.15 Cedric Mullins OF BAL
Boy, that’s a long wait to pick again. Not in terms of time but in players selected. I don’t like picking this close to the turn. 10th or 11th is about as low as I would have liked.
It was between Mullins or Eloy, speed or power boost. I would have gone with Eloy if I could trust his health. Also considered Clase and might have been more tempted had Diaz been available (apologies to mmkikula from this discouraged Mets fan) but decided to wait until later for RP.
4.02 Ozzie Albies 2B ATL
A third SB contributor, as I try to build on that category and my 2nd MI. I always try to fill those positions early if possible. Hoping for a healthy year from Albies and a return to his normal production. Not too many other players considered. I was confident I could land SP1 next round and be satisfied with my options.
5.15 Kevin Gausman SP TOR
Sure enough my list of targets for SP1 has dwindled but I have 3 left. Choosing between Gausman and Manoah was difficult for me. My spreadsheet like Manoah more, but based on other sites and ADP, I should take Gausman. Gausman feels safer though Manoah could take another step forward this season. In the end, I chose Gausman.
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| 33 | Uptown Bombers
ID: 28219112
Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 19:53
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6.02 Alex Manoah SP TOR
Well, I could barely decide 3 picks ago and my spreadsheet really likes him, so why not? This is earlier than I would have guessed taking SP2 and I was tempted by Romano (who I owned last year) and Helsley.
7.15 Masataka Yoshida OF BOS
This was always going to be a bat with an emphasis on OBP. I considered Rizzo but I feel like the WBC swayed me. Yoshida is a risk for sure but he did look pretty good. Not a HR hitter but the optimistic OBP projections on him are what my team needs and since we don’t use HR, I was prepared to take him higher than his ADP.
8.02 David Bednar RP PIT
Time to throw my hat into the ring re: closers. This is close to where I drafted Romano last year and I would be very happy to be so lucky again. Hoping he starts off strong and gets traded to the Mets as their Diaz replacement. Make it happen Uncle Stevie!
9.15 Joe Ryan SP MIN
My spreadsheet had Ryan as the last SP in his tier so I follow along and take him as my SP3. I need 2 CI but Bluehen probably won’t draft one. Would have been tempted by Hunter Greene but wasn’t given that option.
10.02 Rowdy Tellez 1B
The mascot of the Binghamton AA team is Rowdy the Rumblepony. I have his bobblehead. He is my 2nd favorite Rowdy in baseball. Favorite is Tellez, who fills my 1B void. Used to be you could find .800+ OPS at 1B in every corner. This year, not so much. Hoping Tellez can do just that for me.
11.15 Thairo Estrada MI/OF
MI starting to look rather grim to me. Estrada is no lock but if he plays up to his projections, he won’t hurt ratios too much, will help out in SB and give me much needed roster flexibility.
12.02 Ian Happ OF CHC
Once a posterchild of upside, Happ now feels like a safe floor OF3 option. I considered the pick rather boring at the time but sometimes boring in this format is needed. Maybe I should have gone for a 2nd closer with someone like Lange but it felt too risky.
13.15 Kodai Senga SP NYM
Thank goodness someone took Bassitt, otherwise I would have been staring at 3 BlueJay pitchers. I was really hoping for Jose Miranda to fill my CI slot and give me the same flexibility there as Estrada does for MI.
This pick does satisfy my “must have at least one Met” self-imposed rule. I’m excited to root for him and follow his progress but given the depth at SP, I probably should have gone somewhere else with this pick.
14.02 Andrew Benintendi OF KC
Ditto with this pick, in regards to depth at OF and something I should have given more thought to. It’s no surprise that this turn of picks found me picking from work without access to my spreadsheet and full draft tracker and with only my hastily thrown together queue from the morning. So be it. Benintendi is more valuable in this format than in traditional so I can live with it. Did strongly consider DJ Lemahieu.
15.15 Miles Mikolas SP STL
Another turn of picks under the same less than ideal strategic circumstances as the last two. The result is that if compared to the AAA league, I have legit reached for Mikolas. My logic was fairly straightforward: Mikolas should give me innings with steady ratios. While some of the sexier picks offer better K/9 and upside, if Mikolas pitches year round, he will compile useful W’s and K’s. In this format, that is useful as SP5.
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| 34 | Uptown Bombers
ID: 28219112
Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 19:55
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16.02 Yoan Moncada 3B CWS
Hoping that last year was the result of injury and that Moncada can bounce back this season. Of course, shortly after the pick, I read that he was involved in on field collision in the WBC and yanked from the game. It sounds mostly precautionary but this guy certainly has a way of getting hurt.
17.15 Reynaldo Sanchez RP CWS and 18.02 AJ Puk RP MIA
Two picks, one rationale. Having watched assorted would be closers get picked off in the last few rounds, I figured I had to just go ahead and take the double plunge. Sanchez appears to be in the mix for sure, Puk still pending. And at last check on AAA, Puk had yet to be drafted in round 25, so it would appear he was a reach. In hindsight, I wish I would have taken Mancini.
19.15 Trevor Rogers SP MIA
Ended last year on a good note and off to a good start in the spring. Hoping for a bounce back and if so, then this would be a great value as SP6.
20.02 Gabriel Moreno C ARI
I have tried various catcher strategies over the years to mixed results so usually just default to waiting until late in the draft for them. Had my eye on Moreno as a target early in the process and then saw the news that Kelly was injured. Figured this was the right time for the pick. But honestly, close to no expectations here.
21.15 Harrison Bader OF NYY
I’ve probably waited too late to fill my last offensive starter, the result of a heavier than normal pitching approach. But I need an OF and would like some SB potential. I’ll stash Bader on the IL to start and hope he comes back soon to play regularly and boost his counting stats.
22.02 Oswaldo Cabrera OF/MI NYY
While Bader is out, Cabrera stands to see more playing time and it sounds like the Yanks plan to use his all over the field. He did well last year even if the nerd stats don’t believe it. At this stage of the draft, I’ll take the chance the on field production continues. Hoping he gains specific position eligibility ASAP.
23.15 Manuel Margot OF TB
It feels like the 10th year that I’ve owned Margot. It used to be that Will Myers was my RIBC crush. Perhaps Margot has taken over. Still, he showed some power signs before getting hurt last year but didn’t keep it going when he returned. Could also be a cheap source of 10-15 steals.
24.02 Dominic Smith 1B WAS
Two years ago, I drafted Trevor Rogers in round 24 for his breakout. Last year, It was Andrew Vaughn. No pressure, but welcome to the round 24 Uptown draft steal club Dominic! Just never got started last year and the lack of consistent playing time didn’t help. This is the proverbial “needs a change of scenery” pick just waiting to happen.
25.15 Justin Steele SP CHC
Late round flier on potential SP sleeper. Not much else going on here.
26.02 Mike Yastremski OF SF
Would usually prefer upside pick here over boring vet but he was the highest rated offensive player on my spreadsheet by far. The upside pick would have been Olivares if I had gone that way.
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| 35 | filthy
ID: 42148320
Sun, Mar 26, 2023, 02:24
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23.12 James Outman, OF, LAD
This is where I probably should've went with Grandal, but couldn't resist the allure that Outman just made the Dodgers and may start out with a chance at regular playing time.
24.05 Yusei Kikuchi, SP, TOR
Also should've went with MBush last round to handcuff with Williams but gambled that he'd last a bit longer. I had Kikuchi ahead of Bush anyway. Some real nice spring results for Kikuchi makes for a decent try in the 24th round. Big K upside.
25.12 Jose Alvarado, RP, PHI
Phillies seem to have 4 closer options in their bullpen and most would have Alvarado as the 4th most likely to grab saves, but bullpen depth charts can change fast and I really like his arm so he was ahead of the remaining setup types on my queue. And ahead of undrafted catcher that I was considering. And my ultimate 26th round pick.
26.05 Mackenzie Gore, SP, WAS
Clicked for 2 months last year, and I feel like he can establish himself a bit further this year. Will show flashes of dominance around struggles, hopefully I can ride a hot stretch or two.
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| 36 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Sun, Mar 26, 2023, 12:54
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22.04 Kenta Maeda, SP, MIN
I have long had my eye on him as a late dart. Will see if he bounces back from TJ. Early reports are that the stuff is good but command isn't. Could be a great ratio filler on a decent team. Or not.
23.13 David Peterson, SP, NYM
You will notice a pattern in my late draft SP dart throws from Kopech on.....they all play for good teams. If you are going to grab a middling pitcher, at least get one that might win some games. Wins could be evolving into the most valuable stat in Fantasy. Steals are expected to go up. Saves are saves so yeah still pretty valuable. But with '5 and dive' guys / openers / pitchers that just don't go 6 or more anymore, you need as many shots as you can get.
I also have another theory regarding SP that will see if it repeats itself from 2022. If it works I will brag about it. If it doesn't I will slither quietly into the back half of the standings!
24.04 Joey Wendle, 2b/3b/SS, MIA
Has a job. Might steal some bases. Position flexibility up the wazoo to fill games played. The end.
25.13 Zach Eflin, SP, TB
See Peterson rationale. Signed to the largest Free Agent deal in Rays history....so they have no reason to mess with his innings to keep arbitration costs down. Throw him until his arm falls off!
For all of the Rays' faults from a fantasy perspective, there is no denying they know some stuff about pitchers. Some podcasters I trust said that the Rays were working on a new pitch / tweaking a pitch of his with great early success. It's pick 397. If he sucks he is a streamer.
26.04 Jonathan Loaisiga, RP, NYY
Rumors are the Clay Holmes may be used more in the 'fireman' / 'highest leverage' role, which could have other Yankees get saves. Will see how it plays out before cutting.
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| 37 | holt
ID: 40943015
Mon, Mar 27, 2023, 13:26
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20.09 313 Carlson, Dylan OF STL
Maybe a weak pick, I knew he may end up being the 4th outfielder for the redbirds (and I'm a Cardinals fan). I do think he's a better hitter than he showed last season and I've read a few things to suggest he bounces back. Dunno, he may not stick on my roster long.
21.08 328 Jansen, Danny C TOR
I paired Jansen up with william contreras last season and it worked out ok. I doubt that Jansen reproduces last year's .339 .516 (248 PA) but at this point I'm struggling to find players I have any confidence in. Hopefully injuries don't force me to roster only one catcher.
22.09 345 Carpenter, Matt OF SDG
He hit like Lou Gehrig last year .305 .412 .727 and should get plenty of AB's and RBI opportunities in San Diego. The ball park change won't be helpful but the shift rule certainly will be. Round 22, may as well see how it goes. He also has CI eligibility in Yahoo.
23.08 360 Thomas, Lane OF WAS
Just adding another OF option. His obp/slg projections seemed less damaging than most of the remaining options, and he may reach double digit steals. Not sure now why I didn't draft Outman by this point as I had been keeping tabs on him.
24.09 377 Lauer, Eric SP MIL
3.19/1.14 in 2021 and 3.69/1.22 in 2022 with 8.9K/9 in both years. Seemed like a pretty solid SP option this late in the draft.
25.08 392 Gorman, Nolan 2B STL
Only had a .720 OPS as a 22 yr old rookie but I'd put him in the post hype sleeper category. Former 1st rd pick with some thunderous minor league production (.915 OPS 188 AAA PA last season). For a 25th rd 2B I'll roll the dice on that.
I passed on Mike Yastrzemski for like the 8th rd in a row despite draft software yelling at me to draft him. Uptown Bombers mercifully draft him later in the 25th.
26.09 409 Olivares, Edward OF KAN
I vaguely remembered rostering him last season, some kind of hot streak and an injury. He'd been in my queue for a while and seemed to be more intriguing than the other leftovers that were still there. Has some power and speed potential and a path to playing time. Upon googling him I see an article where someone is adamantly insisting that he should be everyone's last round pick. Sure, why not?
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| 38 | Species
SuperDude
ID: 07724916
Sun, Jul 02, 2023, 12:21
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Time for a halfway through the season episode of "Species' most LOL picks!!!":
1.13 - Vlad
So, nobody was necessarily expecting his Buffalo / Dunedin-fueled 2021 where he went .311/.401/.601, but based upon his Statcast numbers we expected improvement over his 2022 OPS of .818. His OPS now? .809
2.04 - Riley
OPS in 21 and 22? .898 and .878. OPS in 23? .777. No bueno.
4.04 - Springer. OPS the last 3 years? .899, .907 and .814. 23? .749. Fail.
5.13 - Fried over Gausman. Got hurt wtf can you do, but ugh.
6.04 - Adames. OPS last 2 years - .886 and .756. Now? .652
7.13 - McCarthy. Sucked. Sent down. Dropped. Picked up by someone else. Wooo hooooo!
9.13 - Lynn - bahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
11.13 - Rasmussen. Out for the year.
12.04 - Stephenson. Last 2 OPS'? .797 and .854. 23? .687
Laughable. There's a reason I'm 14th!
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| 39 | holt
ID: 2389314
Sun, Sep 03, 2023, 15:16
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a "who survived all season from my draft" check
1. (8) Yordan Alvarez
(HOU - OF)
2. (25) Corbin Burnes
(MIL - SP)
3. (40) Corey Seager
(TEX - SS)
4. (57) Dylan Cease
(CWS - SP)
5. (72) Gunnar Henderson
(BAL - 3B,SS)
10. (153) Paul Sewald
(ARI - RP)
11. (168) Freddy Peralta
(MIL - SP)
12. (185) William Contreras
(MIL - C)
13. (200) Alex Verdugo
(BOS - OF)
14. (217) Josh Naylor
(CLE - 1B,OF)
25. (392) Nolan Gorman
(STL - 2B,3B)
11 players, think that's a little higher than usual, though most of them did time on the IL. And Cease is damn lucky not to have been cut yet.
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