My plan for today is to share some of my freshman player formatting process, starting where I left off with the Razz 30 write-ups. Click here to watch the first three rounds. In that article you’ll find the first 90 picks from a competitive, long-running 30-team league where everyone has a pretty good idea of what they’re doing.
My first four picks were Padres 2B Sung Mug Song (1.26), Tigers P Drew Anderson (2.56), Dodgers RP Edgardo Henriquez (3.80) and Reds RP Connor Phillips (3.86).
I still feel good about the third-rounders, but the Padres and Tigers have both added a lot of game-time competition where there was once an open runway. I still like both players, and I’d still make the Song choice, but it’s a highlight of how quickly things can change this time of year.
I had traded Jeffrey Springs for my next pick (4,103) and used it to add Rays FROM Brailer Guerrerowho struck out a whopping 29.3 percent of the time in Low-A, yet produced a 121 wRC+ because he does damage when he connects. Could be a consensus top 100 guy if he stays healthy and takes half a step forward in High-A.
My next choice was Brewers RHP Coleman Crow (4.116), another one I probably wouldn’t have today if events played out a little differently. Milwaukee traded 3B Caleb Durbin to Boston and got back two ready-now pitchers in LHP Kyle Harrison and LHP Shane Drohan. I still like Crow the pitcher. I simply wouldn’t have cut ties in his favor if I could have reversed the choice. Maybe I need to reevaluate my process. The hunting playtime could backfire this year. Perhaps more often than not it backfires.
Round five brought a reunion with a familiar face Diamondbacks BY Kristian Robinsonwho has an outside shot at a job in Arizona’s outfield. I’ve learned over the years that I hate spending years on a player, only to miss out when he finally breaks through.
Rangers SS Cameron Cauley was my next pick and might be my favorite out of the whole thing dang draft right now, especially in this league. Texas played him on the first day of spring training and could use him at any number of positions. He is already eligible for 2B, SS and OF in Fantrax leagues. He wasn’t included in my other more standard-sized leagues (15 teams, 50 spots per team) and will likely remain a free agent in leagues that take shape until he’s called up or shortly before.
I had two sixth rounders as part of a Ryan Helsley trade and took Diamondbacks RHP Yilber Diaz in my own slot at 6,175. He threw 100 miles per hour out of the bullpen in the fall league and was able to help a beleaguered bullpen in Arizona.
Baltimore SS Elvin Garciamy seventh-round pick, is one of my favorite bets to climb the ranks this season.
I surprised myself a bit when I took Marlins 3B Jacob Berry 230th overall in the 8th, but he’s 2B, 3B, and OF eligible and should give me some up and down at-bats to tuck away on the minor league side of the roster.
I balanced that floor that’s done quickly with a far upward side and then selected Brewers SS Ricki Moneysa top 25 international prospect in this year’s class who signed for over a million dollars.
My final choice was Mariners LHP Robinson Ortizan SP-eligible reliever who had to be added to the 40-man roster after being pushed out of his 40-man spot with the Dodgers. Talented pitcher, but extremely niche player in the settings of this particular league.
In the next division, 23 Jump Street, I am the commissioner. When I founded the league, I banned the trading of draft picks. It may have been a premium setting, and I wanted to use the free version as much as possible and, if possible, not pay for the hosting at all, but I also wanted to try a league without draft pick trading. I think it gets messy quickly, and usually someone gets ripped off when they have to pay for what’s behind door number three, so to speak. It creates several moments of false power, or power that wouldn’t exist outside of a draft anyway.
Which is to say, this competition is moving faster than I’ve ever seen it. It’s impossible to say what portion of that pie comes down to the lack of people trying to trade picks during the draft, and there’s probably an argument that that makes the league somehow less fun, but you’d never guess that from sitting in the draft room. We got through this thing in two days, making all kinds of transactions in the process and in the immediate aftermath.
If I did the settings right, I should be able to let you click and view the entire design board here:
My yield here was:
1.8 Blue Jays SS JoJo Parker
2.23 Guards OF Jace LaViolette
3.38 Rockies 2B FROM Roldy Brito
4.53 Angels 3B Yoan Moncada
5.68 Rockies 2B Edouard Julien
Another thing I wanted to try for this competition: giving everyone the ability to allocate their 50 spots however they want. Most leagues have some sort of dividing point between two selection pools: the minor league side and the major league side. We just got rid of that. One consequence of this is that veteran bats retain their value after graduating from prospect qualifying, even if they have not yet proven themselves as a viable starter in the mixed league.
Picking Parker was a nice one at eight, as I ranked him third in Prospect News: First-Year-Player Draft Dynasty Rankings.
I traded LaViolette shortly after picking him for Rockies 2B 3B OF Willi Castro. Maybe I’m selling low on LaViolette and buying high on Castro, but I needed the roster flexibility that Willi C provides, and it’s nice to acquire a solid player heading to Colorado for what should be an everyday gig. Plus, I’m eager to compete this year after languishing in the middle of the pack the last few times.
Moncada and Julien are also depth plays in a year where I would like to have some depth. As I start writing about Brito, I only now realize that I got rid of this thing with three Rockies. I guess I really expect them to be a little smarter under the Jonah Hill regime.
Thanks for reading!
#Prospect #News #Spring #wind #draft