Tuesday evening, I was drafting for Tout’s mixed draft league. This is a 15 team league with On Base Percentage (OBP) instead of batting average. This is important as several hitters you might be wary of in the NFBC or other mixed team leagues that use the standard average are useful in this format.
Sitting the 7th position – the draft slots are done via choice of the winner and then down the standings – I could easily see some excellent hitters with which to start my offense. The question would be WHO would fall to me. Would either deGrom or Cole be selected right away improving my choice? And once we got to the back half of the first round and beyond, just how many pitchers would be taken early?
I was guessing quite a few. Drafters these day are in a big hurry to draft their number one starter, and some are even trying for “pocket aces”. So, as I proceeded in my draft prep and player rankings on Fantrax I wondered about a counter approach. If I was willing to forego choosing any of the pitchers in the top few tiers (roughly two, then four, then nine) how much of a first-rate base of OBP and counting stats could I amass if I tried to roster five or six rounds of top hitters?
Okay as the lights go on the top outfielders fly off the board – Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto go 1-2, then Fernando Tatis Jr., followed by Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Christian Yelich and there I am. As much as I love what Freddie Freeman brings to the stat table, I chose Trea Turner for good numbers in all categories with a strong start in stolen bases. The run of pitchers would start right behind me when Scott White surprised taking Shane Bieber over the usual two suspects. In all, four starters taken in the back half of the first round and another four before I was up in the second. Ray Murphy who had take Jose Ramirez doubled up in the second with Anthony Rendon who I had thought would make it back. But I added another top hitter from the hot corner in Alex Bregman who brings a .390+ OBP and 100+ R and RBI.
Into the third round, there were four more starters taken along with one in the third, but I stuck to the plan and rostered George Springer who could easily exceed projections as his tour of friendly home ballparks could include Dunedin and Buffalo before the Blue Jays land in Toronto. At 4.09 I took my second outfielder hoping for a 20-20 season from Padre center fielder Trent Grisham. I was also betting that the ADP of one of my hoped for players would hold.
Maybe the fact that Max Muncy’s OBP is more than 100 points higher than his sub .250 batting average allowed that to happen but especially with his 1B/2B/3B eligibility I was glad to make him my fifth selection. The site has him primarily as a first baseman so that is where he was on my current roster but the second base pool thinning earlier than first, I thought I would likely move him to second later in the draft.
Yes, I was still without a pitcher but the rest of the drafters had slowed the pitcher run and I was ready to switch tracks in the sixth. Still, I had the base I had hoped for as the three infielders and two outfielders are projected here at Mastersball for 149 homers, 438 RBI, 513 runs, and 73 steals with a .370+ OBP. Quite a nice start – now could I catch up in the arms race.
In rounds 6-8 I selected Hyun-jin Ryu, Zack Greinke, and Julio Urias. Nobody knows now how many innings most pitchers will throw in going from sixty games last year to a full (hopefully) season this year but I think Ryu and Greinke will be close to their usual workloads. Urias is more of a question mark as the young pitchers are the most likely to be held in check by their respective clubs. Still his performance in the World Series has given him and the Dodgers’ pitching coaches a load of confidence which he displayed in his first spring training start.
Through the middle of the draft, I added players at various positions in a pretty normal fashion, not feeling at all like I needed to make up ground in any area. Here are the “starters” as drafted:
C – Austin Nola (12.09) and Alejandro Kirk (21.07)
CI – Carlos Santana (9.07), Bregman (2.09), and Trey Mancini (13.07)
MI – Muncy (5.07), Turner (1.07), and Willi Castro (17.07)
OF – Springer (3.07), Grisham (4.09), Ian Happ (10.09), Austin Hays (20.09), and Alex Dickerson (22.09)
UT – Tyler O’Neill (24.09)
SP – Ryu (6.09), Greinke (7.07), Urias (8.09), Domingo German (15.07), David Price (16.09), and Mike Minor (18.09)
RP – Taylor Rogers (11.07), Joakim Soria (14.09), and Adam Ottavino (19.07)
In the reserves I did go heavier on pitchers to guard against injuries or changes and also because we will have the first FAAB run before Opening Day, so I can adjust anything as needed. We also have IL slots so if anyone has a short term injury, I can put them there and add a replacement.
Reserves – Adam Wainwight (23.07), Kike Hernandez (25.07), Bryan Garcia (26.09), Tyler Stephenson (27.07), J.A. Happ (28.09, and Luis Garcia, HOU (29.07).
And a few words about those players. I can’t believe Kike fell that far as playing almost every day he should compile more than we have seen as a Dodger in recent years. Garcia gives me an extra closer, especially valuable for the first short week when not all the starting pitchers may have a start. Stephenson might win the job for the Reds or be in a platoon but he has power and like Kirk a strong OBP. I think Happ’s numbers will be better out of the Bronx and Garcia might be next in line for the Astros rotation.
Always glad to answer your draft questions in the Platinum Forum. Other than that, we will just have to see how this team competes and how I can continue to improve the pitching staff.