2017 Moneyball Up to Date Analysis (Through CLE)
Feb 28, 2017 13:07:23 GMT -5
San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and 5 more like this
Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 13:07:23 GMT -5
Analysis through Cleveland
(Grades will be cumulative throughout the draft.)
Philadelphia Phillies A-
1.1 Mookie Betts: An immediate boost to PHI OF and with a very nice contract. He'll contribute at virtually every category and isn't a SO risk like some of the other mashers. Betts was one of the few worthy top picks for 1st overall and should be the cornerstone for the Phillies for years to come.
2.20 Edwin Encarnacion: It's a long way between 1 and 60, but pick 60 is a great one. The contract and age are a bit out there, but a lot of balls are leaving the park for PHI this year.
3.1 Julio Teheran: Finally started to get his walks down last year and quietly continues his streak as a top 20 pitcher. Good value here and a nice SP1 piece to begin building the rotation.
4.30 Michael Brantley: Betting on the comeback here. If Brantley's shoulder cooperates, he could move back into tier 3 of OF's and provide a very nice season worthy of a 4th rounder. If not, this pick may sting.
5.1 Ian Kinsler: The little Jew that could finally makes it off the board. A tremendous value here at a thinning position.
6.30 Eduardo Nunez: He won't steal 40 bases this year, but he may very well steal 30. A really good get here at the last pick of the 6th and his dual eligibility will make it nice easy to get a full lineup every day.
7.1 Ender Inciarte: Not much of an extra base hitter, but an outstanding defender with a respectable average. That will keep him in the lineup most days.
8.1 Evan Gattis: Even with McCann on board, should find enough at bats between LF, 1B and DH to keep him relevant and possible dual eligible. A good find at the C spot this late.
9.1 Mike Moustakas: The hope here is the ACL injury won't linger, but unless it does, what a steal in the ninth!
Atlanta Braves A+
1.2 Nolan Arenado: Another of the top #1 overall candidates slides off the board. His contract is a little steeper, but he'll be worth every penny and look like a bargain in Coors. Very likely to finish in the Top 3 for MVP for the foreseeable future.
2.10 Christian Yelich: The only thing keeping Yelich from total fantasy stardom is the cast around him. I Stanton can stay healthy and Gordon can set the table, Yelich is a legit top 20 guy. You'd love to see more SB's, but he's a great pick at a premium position.
3.24 Marcus Stroman: A good SP here in the late third. Needs to cut down on the HR balls nd the WHIP is a little high for a SP1, but had a much better second half and should be a quality SP all year to work with a good lineup.
5.2 Eric Hosmer: Hosmer is a stud 1B and it shocks me to see him fall this far actually. If his HR's stay around 25 or a tick upward, this is an absolute steal.
5.6 Robbie Ray: Ray is an enigma. An unlucky, talented enigma. His K rate was historic and his peripheral stats just don't make any sense. His BABIP was in a range that will surely go down, so I'd expect his 2015 and 2016 numbers to come together this year. High upside pick here.
6.29 Tim Anderson: This pick is right on the nose from where he was projected to go and honestly, with the full time gig his, it was probably too low. He has a legit chance of ended the season as a top 10 SS.
7.2 Mike Foltynewicz: Say he name right. I dare you. So long as he makes it out of spring training with a SP spot, he should be a solid contributor to the rotation. No complaints here.
Toronto Blue Jays B-
1.3 Carlos Correa: Not my top SS on the board, but this pick does make a lot of sense. Correa is poised to be among the Top 3 SS in the league for a long time. If he can add a little more pop, a few more SB's and cut down on a few of the K's, we may look back on this as an excellent pick.
2.28 Gregory Polanco: Continuing with building a young and balanced lineup, Polanco goes off the board at a good time. Should hit cleanup in a good lineup and a return to 20+ SB would be a huge win for TOR.
3.3 Nomar Mazara: Incredibly young and immensely talented, this pick is sneakily good. Doesn't fit the standard ADP's, but I have no complaints with a 21 year old power hitter coming off the board here.
4.28 Devon Travis: Had to go look at his stats to get a better appreciation of Travis, but he's solid. Probably could have been picked up a few rounds later and may need to look at his quasi platoon partner later in the draft.
5.12 Tajuan Walker: This is a tough call, becuase as talented as we've been told he is, it's never panned out and now he has to pitch in Chase Field. Still young enough to prove everyone wrong, but a little risky here.
6.28 Brendan Rodgers: Probably doesn't make it to Coors for two years, but he's going to hit buckets when he does. Not tremendous value here at 6.28, but a solid pick for the future for sure.
7.3 Eloy Jiminez: Another guy that is a few years out, but the power is real and TPR minors are taking a very good shape. May feel the hurt in his lineup later in the draft, but can't complain with these guys headlining your farm team.
8.8 Michael Kopech: Has officially donated his entry fee this year, but continues to stockpile potential superstars in his lineup. Kopech looks the part and should be slinging on the south side in 2-3 years.
8.28 Alex Reyes: A very unfortunate elbow injury shut his season down before it started, but I think he is the best pitching prospect in the minors today.
9.3 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Will be a mix of his dad and Miguel Sano. A long way off from the majors, but another good minors piece for TOR.
Houston Astros A
1.4 Jose Altuve: A little home cooking never hurt anyone and there may not be a bigger drop off in any position, than at 2B. Altuve is a pure baseball player and he racks up the counting stats. I could have seen him go #1 overall, so I like the value at #4.
2.12 Aaron Sanchez: Young guy that just delivers. His K/BB rate could be a concern and he can't be expected to have just two losses, so there is potential for some regression.
3.5 Kyle Seager: Not talked about often enough, but has put together 5 straight phenomenal seasons in one of the tougher ballparks. Still young and talented enough to put together five more.
4.12 Andrew McCutchen: Cutch is a tough guy to gauge. One of the top 5 fantasy players for the past five years, he fell off dramatically last year. Could this be a bounce back year or will he get moved at the deadline?
5.5 Tanner Roark: Not an overpowering guy, but definitely gets results. With the top few tiers of SP's starting to thin, this pick is very solid.
6.12 Rick Porcello: Amazing 2016, but will he continue his Cy Young form or fall back to his Tiger era ways? Either way, worth the risk in the sixth.
7.5 Salvador Perez: Not a lot of 20 HR catchers roaming arounf these days and he is the true #1 in KC, so should play enough to keep up his consistent numbers.
8.26 Kendrys Morales: Still has a lot of power in his bat and will have a lot of opportunity in that Toronto lineup to drive in runs. Only gripe here is that he is only eligible at UT.
9.5 Alex Dickerson: The Of will be pretty crowded in Petco this year, so the only question is whether he gets enough at bats.
Seattle Mariners A
1.5 Kris Bryant: The only thing I hate about this pick and the last, are that both these teams are in my division! Another great overall player at a great contract. K's are a little high, but he'll more than make up for it with his HR and RBI stats, a little speed and dual eligibility.
1.19 Josh Donaldson: Seattle made the move to get back into the 1st round and load up another hot corner gem. With Bryant eligible at LF, having the flexibility to nab Donaldson gives him a terrific core. Massive power will be the trademark of this team, so glad they don't have to play all their games at Safeco!
Pittsburgh Pirates A+
1.6 Corey Seager: Incredibly talented. Young. Cheap. Sensing a pattern here. I only see Seager's value growing over the next decade, so this pick is a really good one. If he can get a few more guys on base in front of him, his overall line will compete with anyone above him.
1.24 Chris Sale: Stellar move to get back into the first round and take Sale. Sale should do perfectly fine in Boston and have a lot more opportunities to rack up wins to go along with top tier K's and WHIP.
Arizona Diamondbacks A-
1.7 Noah Syndegaard: The only knock on this pick is that it doesn't slot properly in a normal draft...but this isn't a normal draft. His contract negates the fact that he's probably the 3rd or 4th best SP. He could very well be the #2 SP by end of the season and at league minimum, that makes a lot of sense.
2.24 Daniel Murphy: Quietly one of the best hitters in the league last year, Murphy is probably due for a bit of a fall off. That said, should still be among the top keystones and in the running for a league batting title. Very nice pick.
3.7 Jose Quintana: Huge value here to pair with Thor in his rotation. Could have easily been picked a round earlier. With Sale gone, Quintana becomes the pale sox top SP and is no worse than a SP2 in this league.
4.24 Gleyber Torres: A little bit of a surprise here, not because Torres isn't talented, but rather this pick is a bit of a departure from the first three picks of his draft. Torres is at least a year way with Didi and Castro in place, so the win now approach for the D-Backs takes a bit of a hit with this pick at this slot.
5.7 Justin Upton: Upton gets forgotten, likely because he packs his bags every other year, but he is still a great OF piece for ARI. Really good value in the 5th.
6.24 Odubel Herrera: Fairly sizable contract later, but a really good power/speed combo this far in, at a critical position. A good value here.
St. Louis Cardinals A+
1.8 Mike Trout: The contract likely scared off the first seven teams, but the argument can be made that he still is the #1 overall hitter in baseball. Still young enough to terrorize MLB throughout the duration of his contract, there is still tremendous value in this pick and could be one of the steals of round one.
2.19 Jacob DeGrom: Paired with Trout, could form the best hitter/pitcher 1-2 punch so far in the draft. There is some potential fro injury with any Mets starting pitcher, but he's a sold SP1 for STL.
Texas Ranger (I'm not grading myself, what am I an asshole?)
1.9 Clayton Kershaw: See above. Replace hitter with pitcher, plus equally stupid contract.
2.22 AJ Pollock: Was happy to see him at 52nd overall, but could still be a bit of a reach. If he's recovered form his gruesome leg injury, should be a speed power combo in Chase.
Chicago Whitesox B+
1.10 Trea Turner: I'm a little torn on this one, only because the sample size is relatively small. If he can keep his power numbers where they're at and continue to run the bases and play excellent defense at 2B or CF, then this pick may look really good. If his power goes back to his minor league rates, he'll need to steal a lot of bases to be worthy of 10th overall. That said, I still like the potential steal with this pick.
1.15 Anthony Rizzo: Justin doing early work to solidify his IF. Rizzo figures to be in the conversation for #1 1B this year and beyond. If he gets into the 40+ HR stratosphere, he has legitimate MVP candidacy in this league.
4.21 Hunter Renfroe: A powerful bat that should get time at all three OF positions. Keeps CHW with theme of young talented players that'll make this team a contender for years.
5.10 Cole Hamels: One of the top lefties in the game in the 5th is quite the get. May only provide a few more years of elite stuff, but with the rest of this team, that'll do just fine.
6.21 Francisco Meija: One of the MiLB's premier catching prospects is a pure hitter, but he could have been had much later and doesn't contribute much to the team this year or maybe next.
Tampa Bay Rays A
1.11 Max Scherzer: A close second to Kershaw, the back end of his contract and his age are the only factors that dropped him this far. Tampa will be very happy with him for at least the first few years and he figures to stay near the top of his position for longer than that.
2.20 Yu Darvish: Staying with pitching, TB now has a K machine in the making with Max and Yu that could solidify two wins a week for his team. HR's are always an issue with Darvish, but his BAA is small enough where it isn't a killer.
Oakland Athletics A+
1.12 Bryce Harper: If he can return to 2015 form, this will be a great buy low on a Top 5 type pick. If he has another tough season, this is possibly a few picks early for him. Either way, it's a good get before he hits big time money and OAK will be happy to have him when he's launching balls out of the park at Yankee Stadium in a few short years.
1.14 Manny Machado: OAK made a big early splash to trade up to grab another top 5 caliber guy. So far, this is my favorite pick of the draft. Manny was my top SS on the board and getting him at #14 is excellent value. Still 24, if he could grab a few SB's this year, he's in my top 3 overall for hitters.
2.26 Joey Votto: Scary contract, but tremendous value at the end of round two. He's an OBP machine and about as steady as they come. This lineup is shaping up to be the best in the AL, if not the whole league so far.
Los Angeles Dodgers B+
1.13 Andrew Benintendi: This pick likely won't be viewed in proper context for a few years, but there's no argument that he is one of the top prospects in the game. I figured he'd be the first prospect off the board, but thought that might be more like round 2 or 3.
2.8 Yoan Moncada: If Benintendi isn't the top prospect, Moncada is. LAD is definitely building for the future and while that might make for a rough start, this could be the start of a very formidable team.
San Diego Padres B-
1.16 Carlos Martinez: Martinez is a talented young pitcher, but the contract isn't overly friendly and there looked to be more valuable pitchers still on the board at this pick. If the K rate ticks up to around a K/IP, this pick could look a lot better.
1.23 Gary Sanchez: A lottery ticket, but with much better odds. If the power is legit and even a fraction of his historic HR/AB pace, then this will be a solid pick at a position that the rest of us will struggle at. Needs to get his K rate below 25% to be an overall Top 20 hitter.
Colorado Rockies B+
1.17 Paul Goldschmidt: Consistently great year in and year out, this pick looks to get COL started off with one of the stronger anchors in the draft. Power numbers should tick back up at Chase Field this year and a really nice contract gives team room to add big pieces.
2.21 David Dahl: Typically more of a 20/20 guy, but in Coors has the chance to be a 30/30 guy. Picked a little earlier than slotted, but the contract and Coors field makes him fair value here.
3.10 Jameson Taillon: A very talented and young ace in the making. It'll be a race to the top between him an Glasnow for top billing in PITT for years to come. Note: Taillon has been traded to CHC
3.15 Jon Gray: Staying young pitcher again with this pick. He may be the first legitimate hurler for Colorado since the Ubaldo early days. If he can keep the ball down, his ERA and WHIP should follow.
5.13 Justin Verlander: Danny makes up for trading Taillon by solidifying his rotation with a great pick here. Even with the contract, Verlander is a great value here. Now if only I hadn't seen his sports equipment in his infamous leaked Kate Upton photos.
5.23 Austin Meadows: I like the thought on the prospect here, but I think it is the first reach for COL in this draft. He's currently blocked until McCutchen moves or he is traded, so he doesn't really fit the overall team dynamic at this point. Good prospect, but a little early for my liking.
5.24 Victor Robles: Another dip into the prospect pool and a damn fine one, but same as Meadows, just doesn't fit in this slot. He needs at least one more year in the minors, but he could slide into the National lineup after Werth leaves in 2018. Note: Robles was traded to Oakland for picks.
Detroit Tigers A
1.18 Francisco Lindor: A very underrated SS that gets lost in the Correa, Machado, Seager talk. Was actually 2nd in points at his position last year and is one of the only top 4 SS that should stay at SS for the next 10 years. Very nice pick at #18.
1.28 Alex Bregman: He could be the next Kris Bryant, so back end of round one looks to be a worthy spot to take this highly regarded young player with a minimal contract. Value would be more if he'd stuck at SS, but could be a premier 3B for years to come.
San Francisco Giants B
1.20 Wil Myers: Betting on the resurgence with this pick. Myers has always been one of those toolsy players that never quite hit...until last year. Only gripe with this pick will be if 2016 is the norm or just s special season for a player in a relatively deep 1B pool. If he hits and runs, this may look pretty good. If he loses his SB and Petco zaps the power, that $20m contract starting in 2020 may be tough to overcome.
2.11 Buster Posey: Can't argue with the top catcher on the board that rarely strikes out. So long as he stay behind the plate, getting him at this spot is excellent value and this pick bumps SF back into a respectable draft grade!
New York Mets A+
1.21 Madison Bumgarner: MadBum is a legitimate top 5 SP and this pick holds true value. Probably my second favorite pick of the 1st round. If only his hitting stats counted too!
Minnesota Twins A
1.22 Corey Kluber: Another top of the line SP goes off the board with Kluber. Consistently solid, if not spectacular production will give the Twins one of the better rotations in this league. His contract is pretty friendly, so no handcuff there. Great pick at #22.
2.9 Brian Dozier: A legit power hitting 2B that really put it together last year. Would ahve looked really good in the Dodger's lineup, but he'll still put up dynamite numbers at Target this year.
Kansas City Royals A
1.25 Jake Arrieta: Great pick towards the end of round 1. If he can move closer to 2015 numbers, could be in line for league Cy Young. Another pitcher that figures to rack up the wins and have monster K numbers.
2.6 Charlie Blackmon: As long as he's in Coors, he's a superb CF. If he can get near the 30's in SB, he'll be top 3 at that position. If he gets traded, there's a slight downgrade, but solid nonetheless.
Miami Marlins B
1.26 George Springer: A player that is loaded with talent, but hasn't fully delivered on it as of yet. In a stacked lineup, is this the year he finally turns it on? Miami probably could have gotten him with his second round pick, but we like who we like, yeah?
2.5 Kyle Hendricks: With his minuscule WHIP and win opportunities galore with Chicago, this could be a sneaky pick. Not typically talked about among the best pitchers due to lower K rates, the combination of attractive contract and substance makes him a good value.
Baltimore Orioles B+
1.27 Roughned Odor: Decent value for Odor, but like Springer, might have lasted to his 2nd rounder. Power is legit at a tough position to find it, but needs to take some walks this year or won't be on base enough to score runs to boost his numbers.
2.4 Addison Russell: Solidifies his middle infield with the talented Russell. Needs to up his average, but I think he's a legitimate breakout candidate this year in the Cubbies lineup and that's coming off a 95 RBI season!
3.21 Kevin Gausman: Finally breaking out in Camden, Gausman should be relied on as BAL number one starter in fantasy and real life. His contract and age make this slight reach in a normal draft, into a value pick here in the third.
3.28 Carlos Rodon: The better pick here is Rodon seven slots later. HR issues aside, he can likely take the top spot in CHW and on this fantasy rotation this yeat or next. Electric stuff.
5.27 Brandon Belt: Another guy with a scary contract down the line, but screw it, that's a problem for future BAL. I'm still waiting for Belt to crack the 20 HR plateau and if he does, this is a really solid pick.
6.4 Max Kepler: Kep does a little bit of everything. I think he fixes some of the holes in his swing this year and provide excellent value for cheap.
Cincinnati Reds A-
1.29 Xander Boagaerts: Really good pick towards the end of round 1. Last of the top tier SS, in my opinion. May have to try to steal some more bags to offset likely dip in runs scored, without Big Papi behind him in the lineup.
2.2 Freddie Freeman: Atlanta ought to be a more competitive team this year, so I'd expect some more RBI opportunities for Freddie. K's are starting to be a problem, but his average and walk rate offset those a bit.
3.29 Steven Matz: Kept his run of young controllable stars going here. Matz is every bit as good as DeGrom and comes at a bit better slot.
4.2 Jackie Bradley Jr.: Overlooked with Betts and Benintendi in the OF, this BJ is no choker.
5.29 Dylan Bundy: A top prospect for what feels like ten years. Finally starting to see some results. He'll fit in nicely behind Matz.
6.2 Ryon Healy: Can he keep the high average up with his power potential. If so, he's a great compliment to an already loaded IF.
Boston Red Sox A
1.30 Starling Marte: Interesting player to watch. If he can get his HR's back near the 20's and keep his SB number up, this could be good value. If that doesn't happen, he profiled more as a late 2nd/early 3rd round pick.
2.1 Chris Archer: Don't let 2016 fool you...Archer was good. Some of the worst luck I've seen to get 19 losses, with the counting stats he had. His BABIP will go down and so will the ERA and WHIP with it.
3.30 Jose Abreu: Quietly brilliant. His name is never thrown around with the top tier guys, but if he's not there, he's just a 70 mile swim behind them.
4.1 Johnny Cueto: BOS decided to spend some money with these sandwich picks and nabbed a top 5 pitcher in doing so. Contract scared us all, but if he can make the cap work, this will be one of the better picks in the whole draft.
5.20 Marcus Semien: If you can stomach the AVG. and the defense, the counting stats make this a really good pick here. At 27, with a cheap contract, he can be a difference maker at a weak position.
6.7 Marcell Ozuna: Always one of those middle guys that we wonder when he'll make the jump. A full season of hitting behind Stanton and Yelich should do the trick.
6.8 Kole Calhoun: Solid and consistent contributor that should produce nicely in this stacked OF.
New York Yankees B+
2.3 Trevor Story: A great storybook season ended with an UCL tear. Can he keep up with his homerun pace or will he settle more towards the middle of the pack? K's are an issue with this talented young shortstop.
2.13 Jason Kipnis: Another team that locks up their MI early. Went a little earlier than expected, but his mix of power and speed in a good line up should make him a solid fixture for the next few years.
Milwaukee Brewers C
2.7 Byron Buxton: If we're betting on the Buxton to break out, then this pick isn't unlike Benintendi or Moncada. If we're looking at results, this looks to be quite the overreach. He better improve on his near 40% K rate or he'll be a potential but at this position.
2.25 Lance McCullers: A young, controllable strikeout pitcher with a penchant for groundballs. A little early, but fits the strategy for MIL. Should be solid SP1 within the next season or two.
2.29 Aldemys Diaz: Having the SS job all to himself this year should be a benefit for this young slugger. Gives MIL a solid hitter to anchor his youth movement.
Washington Nationals B-
2.14 Dansby Swanson: For WAS first pick, he decided to go young with Swanson. Swanson is one of the rare players where I think he's a better real life player than fantasy player, so a 2nd rounder is a bit early for me. That said, if he can keep a good average and play good defense in this league, he'll never be a bust.
2.16 Julio Urias: Urias is another young piece that I think will be really good. Like LAD, this team may take a bit to form with the youth on board, but in a season or two may be sitting in the top third. A little early, but probably would't have made it back to him, so I get it.
Chicago Cubs A-
2.15 Kyle Schwarber: For CHC first pick, he went with a very powerful young bat. If he can squeeze in some C eligibility this year, this pick holds even more value. Note: Traded to Cleveland
2.18 Carlos Carrasco: Really good pick in the mid second round. Carrasco has one of the better K/BB rates in the big leagues and will be a great SP1 for CHC.
2.23 Kenta Maeda: Excellent contract and exceptional stats. This pick may have the best value of round two. With Carrasco, this is a top 5 rotation so far.
3.16 Jean Segura: Incredible last season, but now he's got to go to Seattle to play. Probably zaps his power numbers a bit, but still a great value here.
3.23 Anthony Rendon: This is possibly my favorite pick of round three. Rendon will need to stay healthy, but if he does, he's a top 10 3B.
4.8 Adam Eaton: Another great pick form the Nationals, that figure to see a lot trips across the plate and an increase in RBI opportunities with Turner in front of him.
5.3 Ryan Braun: Not sure how he fell this far (besides the fact he's a dick), but a legit top 30 play in the 5th round is incredible value in any draft.
Los Angeles Angels B+
2.17 Tyler Glasnow: Glasnow looks to be in line for a big role with the Pirates sometime this year, but he'll have to cut down on the walks this year or he may be at AAA to start the season.
Cleveland Indian B+
2.27 Jonathan Villar: Cleveland waits a long time to get that first pick in, but gets a good young shortstop to build his team. Any player that can swipe 62 bags and hit nearly twenty bombs has a good chance to be fantasy gold...or at worst bronze. Like others, K's need to come down, but if he can keep the numbers, this should be a solid pick.
3.12 Gerrit Cole: Great value with Cole coming off the board at 3.12. My pick for bounce back payer for 2017.
4.19 Dee Gordon: Didn't hit too well after coming back from PED suspension. Have to figure the speed starts to go at some point, but not a bad pick in the 4th.
4.27 Giancarlo Stanton: Contract and injury status aside, he is the best power hitter in the game. Can he stay healthy enough for the duration of this contract to be a dynasty contributor? That's the real question here.
6.19 JP Crawford: Originally drafted Frazier here, which I really liked. I think Crawford will eventually be up tis year, but does he hit enough to stick?
(Grades will be cumulative throughout the draft.)
Philadelphia Phillies A-
1.1 Mookie Betts: An immediate boost to PHI OF and with a very nice contract. He'll contribute at virtually every category and isn't a SO risk like some of the other mashers. Betts was one of the few worthy top picks for 1st overall and should be the cornerstone for the Phillies for years to come.
2.20 Edwin Encarnacion: It's a long way between 1 and 60, but pick 60 is a great one. The contract and age are a bit out there, but a lot of balls are leaving the park for PHI this year.
3.1 Julio Teheran: Finally started to get his walks down last year and quietly continues his streak as a top 20 pitcher. Good value here and a nice SP1 piece to begin building the rotation.
4.30 Michael Brantley: Betting on the comeback here. If Brantley's shoulder cooperates, he could move back into tier 3 of OF's and provide a very nice season worthy of a 4th rounder. If not, this pick may sting.
5.1 Ian Kinsler: The little Jew that could finally makes it off the board. A tremendous value here at a thinning position.
6.30 Eduardo Nunez: He won't steal 40 bases this year, but he may very well steal 30. A really good get here at the last pick of the 6th and his dual eligibility will make it nice easy to get a full lineup every day.
7.1 Ender Inciarte: Not much of an extra base hitter, but an outstanding defender with a respectable average. That will keep him in the lineup most days.
8.1 Evan Gattis: Even with McCann on board, should find enough at bats between LF, 1B and DH to keep him relevant and possible dual eligible. A good find at the C spot this late.
9.1 Mike Moustakas: The hope here is the ACL injury won't linger, but unless it does, what a steal in the ninth!
Atlanta Braves A+
1.2 Nolan Arenado: Another of the top #1 overall candidates slides off the board. His contract is a little steeper, but he'll be worth every penny and look like a bargain in Coors. Very likely to finish in the Top 3 for MVP for the foreseeable future.
2.10 Christian Yelich: The only thing keeping Yelich from total fantasy stardom is the cast around him. I Stanton can stay healthy and Gordon can set the table, Yelich is a legit top 20 guy. You'd love to see more SB's, but he's a great pick at a premium position.
3.24 Marcus Stroman: A good SP here in the late third. Needs to cut down on the HR balls nd the WHIP is a little high for a SP1, but had a much better second half and should be a quality SP all year to work with a good lineup.
5.2 Eric Hosmer: Hosmer is a stud 1B and it shocks me to see him fall this far actually. If his HR's stay around 25 or a tick upward, this is an absolute steal.
5.6 Robbie Ray: Ray is an enigma. An unlucky, talented enigma. His K rate was historic and his peripheral stats just don't make any sense. His BABIP was in a range that will surely go down, so I'd expect his 2015 and 2016 numbers to come together this year. High upside pick here.
6.29 Tim Anderson: This pick is right on the nose from where he was projected to go and honestly, with the full time gig his, it was probably too low. He has a legit chance of ended the season as a top 10 SS.
7.2 Mike Foltynewicz: Say he name right. I dare you. So long as he makes it out of spring training with a SP spot, he should be a solid contributor to the rotation. No complaints here.
Toronto Blue Jays B-
1.3 Carlos Correa: Not my top SS on the board, but this pick does make a lot of sense. Correa is poised to be among the Top 3 SS in the league for a long time. If he can add a little more pop, a few more SB's and cut down on a few of the K's, we may look back on this as an excellent pick.
2.28 Gregory Polanco: Continuing with building a young and balanced lineup, Polanco goes off the board at a good time. Should hit cleanup in a good lineup and a return to 20+ SB would be a huge win for TOR.
3.3 Nomar Mazara: Incredibly young and immensely talented, this pick is sneakily good. Doesn't fit the standard ADP's, but I have no complaints with a 21 year old power hitter coming off the board here.
4.28 Devon Travis: Had to go look at his stats to get a better appreciation of Travis, but he's solid. Probably could have been picked up a few rounds later and may need to look at his quasi platoon partner later in the draft.
5.12 Tajuan Walker: This is a tough call, becuase as talented as we've been told he is, it's never panned out and now he has to pitch in Chase Field. Still young enough to prove everyone wrong, but a little risky here.
6.28 Brendan Rodgers: Probably doesn't make it to Coors for two years, but he's going to hit buckets when he does. Not tremendous value here at 6.28, but a solid pick for the future for sure.
7.3 Eloy Jiminez: Another guy that is a few years out, but the power is real and TPR minors are taking a very good shape. May feel the hurt in his lineup later in the draft, but can't complain with these guys headlining your farm team.
8.8 Michael Kopech: Has officially donated his entry fee this year, but continues to stockpile potential superstars in his lineup. Kopech looks the part and should be slinging on the south side in 2-3 years.
8.28 Alex Reyes: A very unfortunate elbow injury shut his season down before it started, but I think he is the best pitching prospect in the minors today.
9.3 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Will be a mix of his dad and Miguel Sano. A long way off from the majors, but another good minors piece for TOR.
Houston Astros A
1.4 Jose Altuve: A little home cooking never hurt anyone and there may not be a bigger drop off in any position, than at 2B. Altuve is a pure baseball player and he racks up the counting stats. I could have seen him go #1 overall, so I like the value at #4.
2.12 Aaron Sanchez: Young guy that just delivers. His K/BB rate could be a concern and he can't be expected to have just two losses, so there is potential for some regression.
3.5 Kyle Seager: Not talked about often enough, but has put together 5 straight phenomenal seasons in one of the tougher ballparks. Still young and talented enough to put together five more.
4.12 Andrew McCutchen: Cutch is a tough guy to gauge. One of the top 5 fantasy players for the past five years, he fell off dramatically last year. Could this be a bounce back year or will he get moved at the deadline?
5.5 Tanner Roark: Not an overpowering guy, but definitely gets results. With the top few tiers of SP's starting to thin, this pick is very solid.
6.12 Rick Porcello: Amazing 2016, but will he continue his Cy Young form or fall back to his Tiger era ways? Either way, worth the risk in the sixth.
7.5 Salvador Perez: Not a lot of 20 HR catchers roaming arounf these days and he is the true #1 in KC, so should play enough to keep up his consistent numbers.
8.26 Kendrys Morales: Still has a lot of power in his bat and will have a lot of opportunity in that Toronto lineup to drive in runs. Only gripe here is that he is only eligible at UT.
9.5 Alex Dickerson: The Of will be pretty crowded in Petco this year, so the only question is whether he gets enough at bats.
Seattle Mariners A
1.5 Kris Bryant: The only thing I hate about this pick and the last, are that both these teams are in my division! Another great overall player at a great contract. K's are a little high, but he'll more than make up for it with his HR and RBI stats, a little speed and dual eligibility.
1.19 Josh Donaldson: Seattle made the move to get back into the 1st round and load up another hot corner gem. With Bryant eligible at LF, having the flexibility to nab Donaldson gives him a terrific core. Massive power will be the trademark of this team, so glad they don't have to play all their games at Safeco!
Pittsburgh Pirates A+
1.6 Corey Seager: Incredibly talented. Young. Cheap. Sensing a pattern here. I only see Seager's value growing over the next decade, so this pick is a really good one. If he can get a few more guys on base in front of him, his overall line will compete with anyone above him.
1.24 Chris Sale: Stellar move to get back into the first round and take Sale. Sale should do perfectly fine in Boston and have a lot more opportunities to rack up wins to go along with top tier K's and WHIP.
Arizona Diamondbacks A-
1.7 Noah Syndegaard: The only knock on this pick is that it doesn't slot properly in a normal draft...but this isn't a normal draft. His contract negates the fact that he's probably the 3rd or 4th best SP. He could very well be the #2 SP by end of the season and at league minimum, that makes a lot of sense.
2.24 Daniel Murphy: Quietly one of the best hitters in the league last year, Murphy is probably due for a bit of a fall off. That said, should still be among the top keystones and in the running for a league batting title. Very nice pick.
3.7 Jose Quintana: Huge value here to pair with Thor in his rotation. Could have easily been picked a round earlier. With Sale gone, Quintana becomes the pale sox top SP and is no worse than a SP2 in this league.
4.24 Gleyber Torres: A little bit of a surprise here, not because Torres isn't talented, but rather this pick is a bit of a departure from the first three picks of his draft. Torres is at least a year way with Didi and Castro in place, so the win now approach for the D-Backs takes a bit of a hit with this pick at this slot.
5.7 Justin Upton: Upton gets forgotten, likely because he packs his bags every other year, but he is still a great OF piece for ARI. Really good value in the 5th.
6.24 Odubel Herrera: Fairly sizable contract later, but a really good power/speed combo this far in, at a critical position. A good value here.
St. Louis Cardinals A+
1.8 Mike Trout: The contract likely scared off the first seven teams, but the argument can be made that he still is the #1 overall hitter in baseball. Still young enough to terrorize MLB throughout the duration of his contract, there is still tremendous value in this pick and could be one of the steals of round one.
2.19 Jacob DeGrom: Paired with Trout, could form the best hitter/pitcher 1-2 punch so far in the draft. There is some potential fro injury with any Mets starting pitcher, but he's a sold SP1 for STL.
Texas Ranger (I'm not grading myself, what am I an asshole?)
1.9 Clayton Kershaw: See above. Replace hitter with pitcher, plus equally stupid contract.
2.22 AJ Pollock: Was happy to see him at 52nd overall, but could still be a bit of a reach. If he's recovered form his gruesome leg injury, should be a speed power combo in Chase.
Chicago Whitesox B+
1.10 Trea Turner: I'm a little torn on this one, only because the sample size is relatively small. If he can keep his power numbers where they're at and continue to run the bases and play excellent defense at 2B or CF, then this pick may look really good. If his power goes back to his minor league rates, he'll need to steal a lot of bases to be worthy of 10th overall. That said, I still like the potential steal with this pick.
1.15 Anthony Rizzo: Justin doing early work to solidify his IF. Rizzo figures to be in the conversation for #1 1B this year and beyond. If he gets into the 40+ HR stratosphere, he has legitimate MVP candidacy in this league.
4.21 Hunter Renfroe: A powerful bat that should get time at all three OF positions. Keeps CHW with theme of young talented players that'll make this team a contender for years.
5.10 Cole Hamels: One of the top lefties in the game in the 5th is quite the get. May only provide a few more years of elite stuff, but with the rest of this team, that'll do just fine.
6.21 Francisco Meija: One of the MiLB's premier catching prospects is a pure hitter, but he could have been had much later and doesn't contribute much to the team this year or maybe next.
Tampa Bay Rays A
1.11 Max Scherzer: A close second to Kershaw, the back end of his contract and his age are the only factors that dropped him this far. Tampa will be very happy with him for at least the first few years and he figures to stay near the top of his position for longer than that.
2.20 Yu Darvish: Staying with pitching, TB now has a K machine in the making with Max and Yu that could solidify two wins a week for his team. HR's are always an issue with Darvish, but his BAA is small enough where it isn't a killer.
Oakland Athletics A+
1.12 Bryce Harper: If he can return to 2015 form, this will be a great buy low on a Top 5 type pick. If he has another tough season, this is possibly a few picks early for him. Either way, it's a good get before he hits big time money and OAK will be happy to have him when he's launching balls out of the park at Yankee Stadium in a few short years.
1.14 Manny Machado: OAK made a big early splash to trade up to grab another top 5 caliber guy. So far, this is my favorite pick of the draft. Manny was my top SS on the board and getting him at #14 is excellent value. Still 24, if he could grab a few SB's this year, he's in my top 3 overall for hitters.
2.26 Joey Votto: Scary contract, but tremendous value at the end of round two. He's an OBP machine and about as steady as they come. This lineup is shaping up to be the best in the AL, if not the whole league so far.
Los Angeles Dodgers B+
1.13 Andrew Benintendi: This pick likely won't be viewed in proper context for a few years, but there's no argument that he is one of the top prospects in the game. I figured he'd be the first prospect off the board, but thought that might be more like round 2 or 3.
2.8 Yoan Moncada: If Benintendi isn't the top prospect, Moncada is. LAD is definitely building for the future and while that might make for a rough start, this could be the start of a very formidable team.
San Diego Padres B-
1.16 Carlos Martinez: Martinez is a talented young pitcher, but the contract isn't overly friendly and there looked to be more valuable pitchers still on the board at this pick. If the K rate ticks up to around a K/IP, this pick could look a lot better.
1.23 Gary Sanchez: A lottery ticket, but with much better odds. If the power is legit and even a fraction of his historic HR/AB pace, then this will be a solid pick at a position that the rest of us will struggle at. Needs to get his K rate below 25% to be an overall Top 20 hitter.
Colorado Rockies B+
1.17 Paul Goldschmidt: Consistently great year in and year out, this pick looks to get COL started off with one of the stronger anchors in the draft. Power numbers should tick back up at Chase Field this year and a really nice contract gives team room to add big pieces.
2.21 David Dahl: Typically more of a 20/20 guy, but in Coors has the chance to be a 30/30 guy. Picked a little earlier than slotted, but the contract and Coors field makes him fair value here.
3.10 Jameson Taillon: A very talented and young ace in the making. It'll be a race to the top between him an Glasnow for top billing in PITT for years to come. Note: Taillon has been traded to CHC
3.15 Jon Gray: Staying young pitcher again with this pick. He may be the first legitimate hurler for Colorado since the Ubaldo early days. If he can keep the ball down, his ERA and WHIP should follow.
5.13 Justin Verlander: Danny makes up for trading Taillon by solidifying his rotation with a great pick here. Even with the contract, Verlander is a great value here. Now if only I hadn't seen his sports equipment in his infamous leaked Kate Upton photos.
5.23 Austin Meadows: I like the thought on the prospect here, but I think it is the first reach for COL in this draft. He's currently blocked until McCutchen moves or he is traded, so he doesn't really fit the overall team dynamic at this point. Good prospect, but a little early for my liking.
5.24 Victor Robles: Another dip into the prospect pool and a damn fine one, but same as Meadows, just doesn't fit in this slot. He needs at least one more year in the minors, but he could slide into the National lineup after Werth leaves in 2018. Note: Robles was traded to Oakland for picks.
Detroit Tigers A
1.18 Francisco Lindor: A very underrated SS that gets lost in the Correa, Machado, Seager talk. Was actually 2nd in points at his position last year and is one of the only top 4 SS that should stay at SS for the next 10 years. Very nice pick at #18.
1.28 Alex Bregman: He could be the next Kris Bryant, so back end of round one looks to be a worthy spot to take this highly regarded young player with a minimal contract. Value would be more if he'd stuck at SS, but could be a premier 3B for years to come.
San Francisco Giants B
1.20 Wil Myers: Betting on the resurgence with this pick. Myers has always been one of those toolsy players that never quite hit...until last year. Only gripe with this pick will be if 2016 is the norm or just s special season for a player in a relatively deep 1B pool. If he hits and runs, this may look pretty good. If he loses his SB and Petco zaps the power, that $20m contract starting in 2020 may be tough to overcome.
2.11 Buster Posey: Can't argue with the top catcher on the board that rarely strikes out. So long as he stay behind the plate, getting him at this spot is excellent value and this pick bumps SF back into a respectable draft grade!
New York Mets A+
1.21 Madison Bumgarner: MadBum is a legitimate top 5 SP and this pick holds true value. Probably my second favorite pick of the 1st round. If only his hitting stats counted too!
Minnesota Twins A
1.22 Corey Kluber: Another top of the line SP goes off the board with Kluber. Consistently solid, if not spectacular production will give the Twins one of the better rotations in this league. His contract is pretty friendly, so no handcuff there. Great pick at #22.
2.9 Brian Dozier: A legit power hitting 2B that really put it together last year. Would ahve looked really good in the Dodger's lineup, but he'll still put up dynamite numbers at Target this year.
Kansas City Royals A
1.25 Jake Arrieta: Great pick towards the end of round 1. If he can move closer to 2015 numbers, could be in line for league Cy Young. Another pitcher that figures to rack up the wins and have monster K numbers.
2.6 Charlie Blackmon: As long as he's in Coors, he's a superb CF. If he can get near the 30's in SB, he'll be top 3 at that position. If he gets traded, there's a slight downgrade, but solid nonetheless.
Miami Marlins B
1.26 George Springer: A player that is loaded with talent, but hasn't fully delivered on it as of yet. In a stacked lineup, is this the year he finally turns it on? Miami probably could have gotten him with his second round pick, but we like who we like, yeah?
2.5 Kyle Hendricks: With his minuscule WHIP and win opportunities galore with Chicago, this could be a sneaky pick. Not typically talked about among the best pitchers due to lower K rates, the combination of attractive contract and substance makes him a good value.
Baltimore Orioles B+
1.27 Roughned Odor: Decent value for Odor, but like Springer, might have lasted to his 2nd rounder. Power is legit at a tough position to find it, but needs to take some walks this year or won't be on base enough to score runs to boost his numbers.
2.4 Addison Russell: Solidifies his middle infield with the talented Russell. Needs to up his average, but I think he's a legitimate breakout candidate this year in the Cubbies lineup and that's coming off a 95 RBI season!
3.21 Kevin Gausman: Finally breaking out in Camden, Gausman should be relied on as BAL number one starter in fantasy and real life. His contract and age make this slight reach in a normal draft, into a value pick here in the third.
3.28 Carlos Rodon: The better pick here is Rodon seven slots later. HR issues aside, he can likely take the top spot in CHW and on this fantasy rotation this yeat or next. Electric stuff.
5.27 Brandon Belt: Another guy with a scary contract down the line, but screw it, that's a problem for future BAL. I'm still waiting for Belt to crack the 20 HR plateau and if he does, this is a really solid pick.
6.4 Max Kepler: Kep does a little bit of everything. I think he fixes some of the holes in his swing this year and provide excellent value for cheap.
Cincinnati Reds A-
1.29 Xander Boagaerts: Really good pick towards the end of round 1. Last of the top tier SS, in my opinion. May have to try to steal some more bags to offset likely dip in runs scored, without Big Papi behind him in the lineup.
2.2 Freddie Freeman: Atlanta ought to be a more competitive team this year, so I'd expect some more RBI opportunities for Freddie. K's are starting to be a problem, but his average and walk rate offset those a bit.
3.29 Steven Matz: Kept his run of young controllable stars going here. Matz is every bit as good as DeGrom and comes at a bit better slot.
4.2 Jackie Bradley Jr.: Overlooked with Betts and Benintendi in the OF, this BJ is no choker.
5.29 Dylan Bundy: A top prospect for what feels like ten years. Finally starting to see some results. He'll fit in nicely behind Matz.
6.2 Ryon Healy: Can he keep the high average up with his power potential. If so, he's a great compliment to an already loaded IF.
Boston Red Sox A
1.30 Starling Marte: Interesting player to watch. If he can get his HR's back near the 20's and keep his SB number up, this could be good value. If that doesn't happen, he profiled more as a late 2nd/early 3rd round pick.
2.1 Chris Archer: Don't let 2016 fool you...Archer was good. Some of the worst luck I've seen to get 19 losses, with the counting stats he had. His BABIP will go down and so will the ERA and WHIP with it.
3.30 Jose Abreu: Quietly brilliant. His name is never thrown around with the top tier guys, but if he's not there, he's just a 70 mile swim behind them.
4.1 Johnny Cueto: BOS decided to spend some money with these sandwich picks and nabbed a top 5 pitcher in doing so. Contract scared us all, but if he can make the cap work, this will be one of the better picks in the whole draft.
5.20 Marcus Semien: If you can stomach the AVG. and the defense, the counting stats make this a really good pick here. At 27, with a cheap contract, he can be a difference maker at a weak position.
6.7 Marcell Ozuna: Always one of those middle guys that we wonder when he'll make the jump. A full season of hitting behind Stanton and Yelich should do the trick.
6.8 Kole Calhoun: Solid and consistent contributor that should produce nicely in this stacked OF.
New York Yankees B+
2.3 Trevor Story: A great storybook season ended with an UCL tear. Can he keep up with his homerun pace or will he settle more towards the middle of the pack? K's are an issue with this talented young shortstop.
2.13 Jason Kipnis: Another team that locks up their MI early. Went a little earlier than expected, but his mix of power and speed in a good line up should make him a solid fixture for the next few years.
Milwaukee Brewers C
2.7 Byron Buxton: If we're betting on the Buxton to break out, then this pick isn't unlike Benintendi or Moncada. If we're looking at results, this looks to be quite the overreach. He better improve on his near 40% K rate or he'll be a potential but at this position.
2.25 Lance McCullers: A young, controllable strikeout pitcher with a penchant for groundballs. A little early, but fits the strategy for MIL. Should be solid SP1 within the next season or two.
2.29 Aldemys Diaz: Having the SS job all to himself this year should be a benefit for this young slugger. Gives MIL a solid hitter to anchor his youth movement.
Washington Nationals B-
2.14 Dansby Swanson: For WAS first pick, he decided to go young with Swanson. Swanson is one of the rare players where I think he's a better real life player than fantasy player, so a 2nd rounder is a bit early for me. That said, if he can keep a good average and play good defense in this league, he'll never be a bust.
2.16 Julio Urias: Urias is another young piece that I think will be really good. Like LAD, this team may take a bit to form with the youth on board, but in a season or two may be sitting in the top third. A little early, but probably would't have made it back to him, so I get it.
Chicago Cubs A-
2.15 Kyle Schwarber: For CHC first pick, he went with a very powerful young bat. If he can squeeze in some C eligibility this year, this pick holds even more value. Note: Traded to Cleveland
2.18 Carlos Carrasco: Really good pick in the mid second round. Carrasco has one of the better K/BB rates in the big leagues and will be a great SP1 for CHC.
2.23 Kenta Maeda: Excellent contract and exceptional stats. This pick may have the best value of round two. With Carrasco, this is a top 5 rotation so far.
3.16 Jean Segura: Incredible last season, but now he's got to go to Seattle to play. Probably zaps his power numbers a bit, but still a great value here.
3.23 Anthony Rendon: This is possibly my favorite pick of round three. Rendon will need to stay healthy, but if he does, he's a top 10 3B.
4.8 Adam Eaton: Another great pick form the Nationals, that figure to see a lot trips across the plate and an increase in RBI opportunities with Turner in front of him.
5.3 Ryan Braun: Not sure how he fell this far (besides the fact he's a dick), but a legit top 30 play in the 5th round is incredible value in any draft.
Los Angeles Angels B+
2.17 Tyler Glasnow: Glasnow looks to be in line for a big role with the Pirates sometime this year, but he'll have to cut down on the walks this year or he may be at AAA to start the season.
Cleveland Indian B+
2.27 Jonathan Villar: Cleveland waits a long time to get that first pick in, but gets a good young shortstop to build his team. Any player that can swipe 62 bags and hit nearly twenty bombs has a good chance to be fantasy gold...or at worst bronze. Like others, K's need to come down, but if he can keep the numbers, this should be a solid pick.
3.12 Gerrit Cole: Great value with Cole coming off the board at 3.12. My pick for bounce back payer for 2017.
4.19 Dee Gordon: Didn't hit too well after coming back from PED suspension. Have to figure the speed starts to go at some point, but not a bad pick in the 4th.
4.27 Giancarlo Stanton: Contract and injury status aside, he is the best power hitter in the game. Can he stay healthy enough for the duration of this contract to be a dynasty contributor? That's the real question here.
6.19 JP Crawford: Originally drafted Frazier here, which I really liked. I think Crawford will eventually be up tis year, but does he hit enough to stick?
