Last night, we held our second mock draft over at Mock Draft Central. I want to again thank everyone who took the time to participate, as there was a lot of great discussion throughout the draft. Everyone was incredibly knowledgeable, as I found out time and time again as round-after-round, my pick was taken before I selected. We all know that frustration, don’t we?
Anyways, let’s take a look at the results, followed by some of my thoughts from the selections (sorry guys, don’t take it personally!):
Round | Team | Player | Pos | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
R1 P1 | Tim – RR | Ramirez, Hanley | SS | FLA |
R1 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Rodriguez, Alex | 3B | NYY |
R1 P3 | Fuchs | Pujols, Albert | 1B | STL |
R1 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Wright, David | 3B | NYM |
R1 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Reyes, Jose | SS | NYM |
R1 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Sizemore, Grady | OF | CLE |
R1 P7 | NF | Cabrera, Miguel | 1B | DET |
R1 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Braun, Ryan | OF | MIL |
R1 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Rollins, Jimmy | SS | PHI |
R1 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Kinsler, Ian | 2B | TEX |
R1 P11 | Planet 10 | Howard, Ryan | 1B | PHI |
R1 P12 | chata | Hamilton, Josh | OF | TEX |
R2 P1 | chata | Teixeira, Mark | 1B | NYY |
R2 P2 | Planet 10 | Upton, B.J. | OF | TB |
R2 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Holliday, Matt | OF | OAK |
R2 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Santana, Johan | SP | NYM |
R2 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Lincecum, Tim | SP | SF |
R2 P6 | NF | Berkman, Lance | 1B | HOU |
R2 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Utley, Chase | 2B | PHI |
R2 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Morneau, Justin | 1B | MIN |
R2 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Soriano, Alfonso | OF | CHC |
R2 P10 | Fuchs | Beltran, Carlos | OF | NYM |
R2 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Ramirez, Manny | OF | LA |
R2 P12 | Tim – RR | Lee, Carlos | OF | HOU |
R3 P1 | Tim – RR | Kemp, Matt | OF | LA |
R3 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Longoria, Evan | 3B | TB |
R3 P3 | Fuchs | Sabathia, CC | SP | NYY |
R3 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Phillips, Brandon | 2B | CIN |
R3 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Pedroia, Dustin | 2B | BOS |
R3 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Markakis, Nick | OF | BAL |
R3 P7 | NF | Suzuki, Ichiro | OF | SEA |
R3 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Gonzalez, Adrian | 1B | SD |
R3 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Fielder, Prince | 1B | MIL |
R3 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Crawford, Carl | OF | TB |
R3 P11 | Planet 10 | Quentin, Carlos | OF | CHW |
R3 P12 | chata | Rios, Alex | OF | TOR |
R4 P1 | chata | Martin, Russell | C | LA |
R4 P2 | Planet 10 | Bay, Jason | OF | BOS |
R4 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Ramirez, Aramis | 3B | CHC |
R4 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Roberts, Brian | 2B | BAL |
R4 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Guerrero, Vladimir | OF | ANA |
R4 P6 | NF | Youkilis, Kevin | 1B | BOS |
R4 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Ortiz, David | DH | BOS |
R4 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Hamels, Cole | SP | PHI |
R4 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Peavy, Jake | SP | SD |
R4 P10 | Fuchs | Webb, Brandon | SP | ARI |
R4 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Jones, Chipper | 3B | ATL |
R4 P12 | Tim – RR | McCann, Brian | C | ATL |
R5 P1 | Tim – RR | Victorino, Shane | OF | PHI |
R5 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Papelbon, Jonathan | RP | BOS |
R5 P3 | Fuchs | Lidge, Brad | RP | PHI |
R5 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Halladay, Roy | SP | TOR |
R5 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Granderson, Curtis | OF | DET |
R5 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Ramirez, Alexei | 2B | CHW |
R5 P7 | NF | Hart, Corey | OF | MIL |
R5 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | McLouth, Nate | OF | PIT |
R5 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Pence, Hunter | OF | HOU |
R5 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Mauer, Joe | C | MIN |
R5 P11 | Planet 10 | Oswalt, Roy | SP | HOU |
R5 P12 | chata | Haren, Dan | SP | ARI |
R6 P1 | chata | Davis, Chris | 1B | TEX |
R6 P2 | Planet 10 | Drew, Stephen | SS | ARI |
R6 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Abreu, Bobby | OF | NYY |
R6 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Ellsbury, Jacoby | OF | BOS |
R6 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Soto, Geovany | C | CHC |
R6 P6 | NF | Pena, Carlos | 1B | TB |
R6 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Furcal, Rafael | SS | LA |
R6 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Lee, Cliff | SP | CLE |
R6 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Rodriguez, Francisco | RP | NYM |
R6 P10 | Fuchs | Uggla, Dan | 2B | FLA |
R6 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Dunn, Adam | OF | ARI |
R6 P12 | Tim – RR | Nathan, Joe | RP | MIN |
R7 P1 | Tim – RR | Votto, Joey | 1B | CIN |
R7 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Shields, James | SP | TB |
R7 P3 | Fuchs | Ordonez, Magglio | OF | DET |
R7 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Martinez, Victor | C | CLE |
R7 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Beckett, Josh | SP | BOS |
R7 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Atkins, Garrett | 3B | COL |
R7 P7 | NF | Liriano, Francisco | SP | MIN |
R7 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Santana, Ervin | SP | ANA |
R7 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Hernandez, Felix | SP | SEA |
R7 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Figgins, Chone | 3B | ANA |
R7 P11 | Planet 10 | Billingsley, Chad | SP | LA |
R7 P12 | chata | Lester, Jon | SP | BOS |
R8 P1 | chata | Ludwick, Ryan | OF | STL |
R8 P2 | Planet 10 | Damon, Johnny | OF | NYY |
R8 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Lee, Derrek | 1B | CHC |
R8 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Peralta, Jhonny | SS | CLE |
R8 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Huff, Aubrey | 3B | BAL |
R8 P6 | NF | Tulowitzki, Troy | SS | COL |
R8 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Loney, James | 1B | LA |
R8 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Dye, Jermaine | OF | CHW |
R8 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Kazmir, Scott | SP | TB |
R8 P10 | Fuchs | Matsuzaka, Daisuke | SP | BOS |
R8 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Rivera, Mariano | RP | NYY |
R8 P12 | Tim – RR | Soria, Joakim | RP | KC |
R9 P1 | Tim – RR | Wells, Vernon | OF | TOR |
R9 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Jeter, Derek | SS | NYY |
R9 P3 | Fuchs | Jenks, Bobby | RP | CHW |
R9 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Hardy, J.J. | SS | MIL |
R9 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Hunter, Torii | OF | ANA |
R9 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Lackey, John | SP | ANA |
R9 P7 | NF | Valverde, Jose | RP | HOU |
R9 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Bruce, Jay | OF | CIN |
R9 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Zambrano, Carlos | SP | CHC |
R9 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Young, Michael | SS | TEX |
R9 P11 | Planet 10 | Gallardo, Yovani | SP | MIL |
R9 P12 | chata | Fuentes, Brian | RP | ANA |
R10 P1 | chata | Wainwright, Adam | SP | STL |
R10 P2 | Planet 10 | Doumit, Ryan | C | PIT |
R10 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Cano, Robinson | 2B | NYY |
R10 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Chamberlain, Joba | RP | NYY |
R10 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Delgado, Carlos | 1B | NYM |
R10 P6 | NF | Cruz, Nelson | OF | TEX |
R10 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Ethier, Andre | OF | LA |
R10 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Zimmerman, Ryan | 3B | WAS |
R10 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Volquez, Edinson | SP | CIN |
R10 P10 | Fuchs | Harden, Rich | SP | CHC |
R10 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Tejada, Miguel | SS | HOU |
R10 P12 | Tim – RR | Cain, Matt | SP | SF |
R11 P1 | Tim – RR | Nolasco, Ricky | SP | FLA |
R11 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Young, Chris | OF | ARI |
R11 P3 | Fuchs | Iannetta, Chris | C | COL |
R11 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Marmol, Carlos | RP | CHC |
R11 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Napoli, Mike | C | ANA |
R11 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Wieters, Matt | C | BAL |
R11 P7 | NF | Werth, Jayson | OF | PHI |
R11 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Greinke, Zack | SP | KC |
R11 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Molina, Bengie | C | SF |
R11 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Encarnacion, Edwin | 3B | CIN |
R11 P11 | Planet 10 | Broxton, Jonathan | RP | LA |
R11 P12 | chata | Burnett, A.J. | SP | NYY |
R12 P1 | chata | Burrell, Pat | OF | TB |
R12 P2 | Planet 10 | Hawpe, Brad | OF | COL |
R12 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Verlander, Justin | SP | DET |
R12 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Ibanez, Raul | OF | PHI |
R12 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Kendrick, Howie | 2B | ANA |
R12 P6 | NF | Vazquez, Javier | SP | ATL |
R12 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Price, David | RP | TB |
R12 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Floyd, Gavin | SP | CHW |
R12 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Milledge, Lastings | OF | WAS |
R12 P10 | Fuchs | Nady, Xavier | OF | NYY |
R12 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Johnson, Randy | SP | SF |
R12 P12 | Tim – RR | Aviles, Mike | SS | KC |
R13 P1 | Tim – RR | Beltre, Adrian | 3B | SEA |
R13 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Bradley, Milton | OF | CHC |
R13 P3 | Fuchs | Cantu, Jorge | 3B | FLA |
R13 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Cordero, Francisco | RP | CIN |
R13 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Harang, Aaron | SP | CIN |
R13 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Johnson, Josh | SP | FLA |
R13 P7 | NF | Ryan, B.J. | RP | TOR |
R13 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Wood, Kerry | RP | CLE |
R13 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Gordon, Alex | 3B | KC |
R13 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Sheets, Ben | SP | MIL |
R13 P11 | Planet 10 | Lowe, Derek | SP | ATL |
R13 P12 | chata | Matsui, Kaz | 2B | HOU |
R14 P1 | chata | Street, Huston | RP | COL |
R14 P2 | Planet 10 | Konerko, Paul | 1B | CHW |
R14 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Myers, Brett | SP | PHI |
R14 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Bell, Heath | RP | SD |
R14 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Kershaw, Clayton | SP | LA |
R14 P6 | NF | Danks, John | SP | CHW |
R14 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Lindstrom, Matt | RP | FLA |
R14 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Capps, Matt | RP | PIT |
R14 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Blalock, Hank | 1B | TEX |
R14 P10 | Fuchs | Ziegler, Brad | RP | OAK |
R14 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Saunders, Joe | SP | ANA |
R14 P12 | Tim – RR | Dempster, Ryan | SP | CHC |
R15 P1 | Tim – RR | Jones, Adam | OF | BAL |
R15 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Giambi, Jason | 1B | OAK |
R15 P3 | Fuchs | Cabrera, Orlando | SS | CHW |
R15 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Sandoval, Pablo | 1B | SF |
R15 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Slowey, Kevin | SP | MIN |
R15 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Gonzalez, Mike | RP | ATL |
R15 P7 | NF | Garza, Matt | SP | TB |
R15 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Upton, Justin | OF | ARI |
R15 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Wilson, Brian | RP | SF |
R15 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Young, Chris | SP | SD |
R15 P11 | Planet 10 | Lyon, Brandon | RP | ARI |
R15 P12 | chata | Theriot, Ryan | SS | CHC |
R16 P1 | chata | Hoffman, Trevor | RP | MIL |
R16 P2 | Planet 10 | Johnson, Kelly | 2B | ATL |
R16 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Byrnes, Eric | OF | ARI |
R16 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Posada, Jorge | C | NYY |
R16 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Hanrahan, Joel | RP | WAS |
R16 P6 | NF | Lopez, Jose | 2B | SEA |
R16 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Devine, Joey | RP | OAK |
R16 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Lewis, Fred | OF | SF |
R16 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Navarro, Dioner | C | TB |
R16 P10 | Fuchs | Matsui, Hideki | OF | NYY |
R16 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Span, Denard | OF | MIN |
R16 P12 | Tim – RR | Baker, Scott | SP | MIN |
R17 P1 | Tim – RR | Jacobs, Mike | 1B | KC |
R17 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Cook, Aaron | SP | COL |
R17 P3 | Fuchs | Zumaya, Joel | RP | DET |
R17 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Duchscherer, Justin | SP | OAK |
R17 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Guillen, Carlos | 3B | DET |
R17 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Morrow, Brandon | RP | SEA |
R17 P7 | NF | Shoppach, Kelly | C | CLE |
R17 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Qualls, Chad | RP | ARI |
R17 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Ankiel, Rick | OF | STL |
R17 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Taveras, Willy | OF | CIN |
R17 P11 | Planet 10 | Clement, Jeff | C | SEA |
R17 P12 | chata | Wigginton, Ty | 3B | HOU |
R18 P1 | chata | Bedard, Erik | SP | SEA |
R18 P2 | Planet 10 | DeRosa, Mark | 2B | CLE |
R18 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Jurrjens, Jair | SP | ATL |
R18 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Maine, John | SP | NYM |
R18 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Perez, Chris | RP | STL |
R18 P6 | NF | Lilly, Ted | SP | CHC |
R18 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Jackson, Conor | OF | ARI |
R18 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Balfour, Grant | RP | TB |
R18 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Weeks, Rickie | 2B | MIL |
R18 P10 | Fuchs | Thome, Jim | DH | CHW |
R18 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Molina, Yadier | C | STL |
R18 P12 | Tim – RR | Rodriguez, Wandy | SP | HOU |
R19 P1 | Tim – RR | Kouzmanoff, Kevin | 3B | SD |
R19 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Pelfrey, Mike | SP | NYM |
R19 P3 | Fuchs | Mora, Melvin | 3B | BAL |
R19 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Scott, Luke | OF | BAL |
R19 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Pena, Tony | RP | ARI |
R19 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Francisco, Frank | RP | TEX |
R19 P7 | NF | Hernandez, Ramon | C | CIN |
R19 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Hafner, Travis | DH | CLE |
R19 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Young, Delmon | OF | MIN |
R19 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Scherzer, Max | RP | ARI |
R19 P11 | Planet 10 | Choo, Shin-Soo | OF | CLE |
R19 P12 | chata | Burriss, Manny | SS | SF |
R20 P1 | chata | Meche, Gil | SP | KC |
R20 P2 | Planet 10 | Weaver, Jered | SP | ANA |
R20 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Cueto, Johnny | SP | CIN |
R20 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Sherrill, George | RP | BAL |
R20 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Barmes, Clint | 2B | COL |
R20 P6 | NF | Sanchez, Jonathan | SP | SF |
R20 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Drew, J.D. | OF | BOS |
R20 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Laird, Gerald | C | DET |
R20 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Volstad, Chris | RP | FLA |
R20 P10 | Fuchs | Percival, Troy | RP | TB |
R20 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Smoltz, John | SP | BOS |
R20 P12 | Tim – RR | Pierzynski, A.J. | C | CHW |
R21 P1 | Tim – RR | DeWitt, Blake | 3B | LA |
R21 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Lopez, Felipe | 2B | ARI |
R21 P3 | Fuchs | Inge, Brandon | C | DET |
R21 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Hermida, Jeremy | OF | FLA |
R21 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Greene, Khalil | SS | STL |
R21 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Reyes, Anthony | SP | CLE |
R21 P7 | NF | Escobar, Yunel | SS | ATL |
R21 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Hill, Aaron | 2B | TOR |
R21 P9 | Rotoprofessor | LaRoche, Adam | 1B | PIT |
R21 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Olsen, Scott | SP | WAS |
R21 P11 | Planet 10 | Renteria, Edgar | SS | SF |
R21 P12 | chata | Flores, Jesus | C | WAS |
R22 P1 | chata | Pierre, Juan | OF | LA |
R22 P2 | Planet 10 | Sonnanstine, Andrew | SP | TB |
R22 P3 | Deus ex Machina | Litsch, Jesse | SP | TOR |
R22 P4 | Rotoprofessor | Butler, Billy | 1B | KC |
R22 P5 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Snyder, Chris | C | ARI |
R22 P6 | NF | Spilborghs, Ryan | OF | COL |
R22 P7 | Tears for Zeller | Snider, Travis | OF | TOR |
R22 P8 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Winn, Randy | OF | SF |
R22 P9 | Westside PhillySox | Griffey, Ken | OF | CHW |
R22 P10 | Fuchs | Bartlett, Jason | SS | TB |
R22 P11 | Yellow Dogs | Lohse, Kyle | SP | STL |
R22 P12 | Tim – RR | Jimenez, Ubaldo | SP | COL |
R23 P1 | Tim – RR | Buehrle, Mark | SP | CHW |
R23 P2 | Yellow Dogs | Suzuki, Kurt | C | OAK |
R23 P3 | Fuchs | Gardner, Brett | OF | NYY |
R23 P4 | Westside PhillySox | Rasmus, Colby | OF | STL |
R23 P5 | Sam’s Derby Rams | Lind, Adam | OF | TOR |
R23 P6 | Tears for Zeller | Baker, John | C | FLA |
R23 P7 | NF | Wang, Chien-Ming | SP | NYY |
R23 P8 | Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps | Parra, Manny | SP | MIL |
R23 P9 | Rotoprofessor | Kuroda, Hiroki | SP | LA |
R23 P10 | Deus ex Machina | Johjima, Kenji | C | SEA |
R23 P11 | Planet 10 | Hughes, Philip | SP | NYY |
R23 P12 | chata | Blake, Casey | 3B | LA |
Quick Thoughts:
- Not that it’s wrong, but I was surprised that David Wright got picked before Jose Reyes. What Reyes brings to the table is almost irreplaceable, so I’d take him every time.
- Matt Kemp with the first pick in Round 3? I know the hope is that he develops the power, but I’m not sold on him picking up 35 SB again in ’09. There were a few OF’ers who came off the board after him, most notably Markakis and Crawford, who I would’ve selected before him.
- Trust me, I’m not complaining, but I was shocked that Longoria fell to Round 3. I’ve seen him consistently going in the second round, but I don’t disagree with waiting on him.
- I have no problem with the first catcher coming off the board in Round 4, but I wouldn’t make Martin that pick. To me, McCann is the clear-cut top catcher in the game heading into the season.
- It’s funny, in the first mock draft we did, David Ortiz was autopicked as the #1 pick in Round 6. This time around, he went in the middle of Round 4. That’s a pretty big difference.
- For me, Chipper Jones is a bit too big of an injury risk to take in Round 4. There’s no doubting that he’s a great player when he’s actually on the field, but how often does that happen?
- I like Ellsbury, but I would have been better suited to make a different pick in that spot, especially with Rollins & Roberts already on board. I probably should have taken Adam Dunn or Geovanny Soto, as I was left going the rest of the draft desperately searching for power. It came together in the end, but things would have been easier had I done things a bit differently.
- The closers seemed to go a little bit earlier this time around. Personally, I’m not taking Lidge in Round 5, even with his great ’08.
- Cliff Lee before guys like Francisco Liriano, James Shields and Josh Beckett? I know he had a huge season, but still.
- There were some really solid picks in Round 7. Joey Votto has a lot of potential and is really growing on me as a player. I like him in that spot if you’ve missed out on the top 1B.
- I didn’t love the picks that kicked off Round 8, though I love the pick of Ludwick less then the one of Damon. I just think he’s a player who could be in for a big fall, making him someone I’m avoiding this season. I’ll get into a bit more depth in the near future on this.
- Nelson Cruz in Round 10… I am not a fan of this pick, and we’ll get into why on Wednesday. The fact that Hawpe and Ibanez went two rounds later just adds to it.
- Rich Harden has a tear in his shoulder, making a pick I ordinarily would have liked in Round 10 into one that I’m not very hight on. We always expect him to miss some time, but now we almost know for sure that he’s going to.
- Matt Wieters went in Round 11, after going in Round 9 in our first draft. That’s a bit better of a value in my opinion.
- I probably wouldn’t have taken Burrell before Hawpe and Ibanez came off the board…
- I was desperate for a 3B after Adrian Beltre came off the board at the beginning of Round 13. I know Alex Gordon may have been a stretch there, but the next 3B to come off the board was Carlos Guillen in Round 17…
- I like Derek Lowe, but I would have probably taken Clayton Kershaw, Kevin Slowey or John Danks before him.
- Paul Konerko may have been a little bit of a reach in Round 14…
- The order the closers went in Rounds 14 on was a little weird to me. I know Matt Lindstrom has a lot of promise, but I’d rather go with someone who we know will likely hold the job for the entire season, like Trevor Hoffman, Matt Capps or Brian Wilson.
- The same could be said for Ziegler going before Hoffman and Wilson…
- Adam Jones is a nice sleeper, but I think Round 15 is a bit of a stretch. In our first draft, he went in Round 22…
- I would’ve taken Denard Span over Fred Lewis…
- I know he’s likely to be a closer, but Joel Hanrahan in Round 16?
- Scott Baker in Round 16 could be a steal…
- We all know I’m not so high on Jeff Clement, as well as there bieng questions in his playing time, so I was surprised when he went before A.J. Pierzynski and Ramon Hernandez.
- I took John Maine over Ted Lilly… That’s a decision I may regret in a real draft.
- I was also surprised that Brett Gardner, Luke Scott and Ken Griffey Jr. (only because he’s still unsigned) were drafted at all.
What does everyone else think? What picks stand out for you?
Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Was a fun draft, being in England it’s lucky I’m not an early sleeper. I drafted the Rams from slot 5, and am fairly happy with the team I came away with; I didn’t check the site’s projections until afterwards, and they ranked my draft third which sounds reasonable. I could have done a better job with drafting RPs, with that ranking in mind, though the guys I ended up with have closer potential. Would have been better to nail down some more saves in the late middle rounds.
I can see your point about taking Lee in round 6, and maybe I believe in his 2008 more than most, but I also got Beckett in round 7 so it worked out okay. I echo your point about knowledgeable drafters – hardly a round went by without the top guy or two disappearing off my queue just before I picked. Good practice though for when drafting starts for actual leagues. My favourite pick was Slowey (well and Reyes but that was a no-brainer); the pick I’d like to have back was Ryann Zimmerman in the 10th.
Thanks for organising this, was a nice way to spend the early hours of Monday morning. If you go ahead with running an actual league do let me know, I’d be very happy to participate.
To speak to the two concerns you had for my team (Tears for Zeller), I liked the David Ortiz pick for my team in R4 instead of a top-flight SP who may be an injury risk (Hamels and Peavy), Chipper (also will almost certainly miss time) or reaching for McCann as my C1. Yes, Ortiz’ wrist injury may linger into the start of the season, but I feel confident that when his wrist is fully healthy, he will return to being one of the best hitters in the game. I had also selected power/speed with my first three picks (Sizemore, Utley, Markakis) and felt that I needed a true power hitter at that point.
As far as Lindstrom goes, he was very solid last year, much more solid than “name” guys such as Capps, Hoffman or Wilson. He may not have the highest K rate, but I’ll take a small hit in K’s if he puts up a good ERA and WHIP. Also, who’s to say that Lindstrom won’t hold the job all year? The only competition he will have will be from similar no-name guys (Leo Nunez, Renyel Pinto) who were markedly worse than Lindstrom was this year. If Lindstrom pitches this year similar to how he did in 2008 and stays healthy, I have no concern whatsoever that he’ll be evicted from the closer role.
All told, I’m a big fan of my team. I might be a touch light on power and my catching will probably be weak with Wieters being held in AAA until May, but practically all of my pitching is high-upside. I feel confident that this team would contend for a title.
I had a great time last night and thanks again for organizing the event. I chose the first slot in last nights draft, and as expected was a bit of a challenge. I’m very happy with the results, as think I managed a very solid balance on O and the pitching although not overwhelming should get the job done. I do agree to disagree with you on the Kemp pick. Yes, it was a bit early, but he certainly wasn’t going to be around for my next set of picks, so made the decision to reach as he was a very solid fit in my overall team plan. Those first few rounds when drafting at a corner position are a challenge and I believe a calculated reach, and the stats to go along with that reach are much better than watching those stats accumulate on another team. Thanks again Eric, and good fortunes with all your future endeavours!
Great picks:
Brian McCann – The professor is right he’s the best and last pick in round 4 is very valuable for him.
Josh Beckett – Pitchers weren’t going as quickly here as in the first mock but this is incredible value.
John Lackey – Not sure why he went below a number of pitchers who went before him. He showed he’s a top 10 pitcher last year when he absolutely dominated after sitting out the first 6 weeks of
(wrong button, continued)
the season.
-Raul Ibanez – This guy gets disrespected every year but keeps producing in 4 categories. Moving from Seattle’s lineup and ballpark to Philly’s should more than even out him being one year older.
-Kerry Wood – Perfect pick. Such a difference between him and the closers picked after him. Great value if healthy obviously.
-Jered Weaver – Round 20 pick with round 8 potential. Great pick.
-Jorge Posada – I don’t know what to say about this one…..he’s old and coming off injury, i know. But he’s in the Yankee lineup and if healthy he’s a lock for .270 with 15-20 HRs and 70-85 RBI. When Chris Ianetta, Matt Wieters and Mike Napoli are picked in round 11 and Posada drops to round 16 theres a problem.
JD Drew – This is a great pick for this part of the draft. Worth the risk even if you only get half a season’s production from him.
-Mark Buehrle – Last round. Great pick. Always a given for a great WHIP with solid W, ERA and K totals.
Bad picks:
-Matt Kemp: I understand the rationale, I just have to agree with the professor here.
-Brad Lidge – I never like to select the first closer. How much better is he than Rivera Soria and Jenks who went in rounds 8 and 9.
-Hunter Pence – Sorry Eric. Don’t like the pick. I’m not sure he’ll be better than the OF’s taken 3-4 rounds after him but if he is he won’t be much better. Vernon Wells in round 9 and Pence in round 6 doesn’t add up.
-Chris Davis – Too early. No value here. This is his upside.
-Francisco Liriano – Question:What’s the difference between him Rich Harden? Answer: Harden threw DOUBLE the innings he did last season with a BETTER strikeout rate with a BETTER WHIP and he’s on a BETTER team. So why does he go 3 rounds before Harden? No idea.
-Yovanni Gallardo – See above and substitute Liriano’s name with Gallardo but with half the upside.
-Alex Gordon – It’s time to start to wait for production and not expect it from this middle of the order Royals hitter.
-Nelson Cruz – Pleeasssssseeeeeee. Who is this guy and what has he done to be selected above people like Ibanaez and Burrell who can very well give you 30 and 100.
-Randy Johnson – He’s worth a shot late in the draft but not in the middle. He’s on SF now. This means that when he goes down with his middle of the season injury he won’t be brought back for a playoff push because there won’t be one. You’re picking for half an RJ on a bad team.
-Aaron Cook – Theres no way he should be above Maine, Pelfrey, and Jurrjens amongst others.
All in all good job guys. Time to start getting pumped for the season. I wish you all the best.
I picked as Planet 10 in the 11th position. I was trying out a different draft slot to see what fell to me in the first round and to get a feel of how I would handle the not quite back to back picks that come with the next to last spot. The concern about Lowe in the 13th round is justified, as I should have taken Danks instead. Not sure about Kershaw this season, at least. With regard to taking Clement in the 17th, I know that was a reach, but I don’t like Pierzynski as he’s simply a plug-in at C, and Hernandez is dead to me after the last two seasons-like Sheets last year, he has to show me a full season of performance before I take a chance on him again. I feel that Clement has a bigger potential upside that AJ or Ramon, so I took my second catcher before I was left to ponder over Laird and the like.
Konerko in the 14th may have also been a reach, but I expect good things from him this season, since he’s now healthy and hitting a good park for him. Out of what was available for a CI, he seemed the best bet for power.
I didn’t like the fact that I took starting pitching so early, but every time I queued up a MI/CI or OF to fill a slot, he was grabbed a pick or three in front of me, so I tried to adapt by selecting quality pitching instead. Don’t think that I’ll follow that technique in an actual draft, however, just based on how my team turned out. Overall, the projections of MDC have my team at 3rd-6th, depending on which button is selected. Average was my largest problem, but I’ve usually found that to be the case with the way I build teams on power and speed on offense, and Ks and WHIP/ERA on the pitching side. Not my best mock draft this year, but a valuable learning experience.
To echo Sam’s comment, if you decide to create an actual league, please keep me in consideration for a team. Thanks for putting this together and helping all of us get some valuable draft experience.
Eric, thanks for setting up the draft as it proved to be a good way to prepare. My team was Peach-Fuzzed Beaver Traps. The mock draft was good, because almost everyone was there and they knew their stuff. My team looked pretty good until I took Aubrey Huff in the 8th, which I regret very much. I should have taken Tulo after losing out on Peralta since I could have gotten value later at 3b/CI position with someone like Beltre. This error really hurt the rest of my draft and team.
I showed once again that I have Shiny New Toy Syndrome taking guys like Bruce, Kershaw, J. Upton, and Perez. These picks would make more sense for a keeper league than yearly. I also decided to gamble on Hafner adding another risky, possibly high upside guy. I think late in the draft it is a good idea to add a couple of these types but my team has too many question marks for my liking.
The Hanrahan pick was due to mismanagement on my part after missing out on several players I had been targeting. Good thing this was a mock draft.