In the second part of our review of the BGB Fantasy League draft, we look at Rounds 11 to 20 and the overall state of each of the 14 teams drafted.
I’m aware that the gap at SS could become problematic if I leave it too much longer, so consider Tulo and Andrus before hoping Diaz is for real.
Keuchel could be good value here for the Sox while Peraza’s speed and flexibility could be a nice weapon for Norwich. I had earmarked him as a nice option for later on, but it wasn’t to be. You’ve got to cheer for Kepler given his European roots.
At this point I’m aware I’ve loaded up on hitters so far and really ought to start rounding out my rotation and getting another closer before too long. I strongly consider Matz here but end up going for Realmuto.
I don’t usually take a catcher this early but I like the average and speed he brings. But I know after picking nine hitters in 12 rounds that I must pay much more attention to my pitching staff from now on. Duvall had a nice power year so could be a decent pick for the Chasers while the Maltsters go for Miller’s unusual positional flexibility and big power bat.
Plenty of good picks this round. Reed has been excellent for the Mets and next in line to close in Familia needs a day off or gets hurt. Schoop is massively underrated and brings nice power at 2B for Beckenham while Bath bet on a rebound for Brantley and it’s no surprise to see the RBIs pick another Yankee in Judge.
I think about a second closer but decide another starter is more important, nabbing Samardzija in the hope an improved Giants bullpen will lead to more wins, although I do consider Pineda’s strikeout potential too. I’ll get a second closer in the next round.
Pineda goes to Jesmond while Kipnis, who has been hanging around at the top of the undrafted players list for quite some time, is snapped up by Bath which should be great value here.
I nab Watson as my second closer after Dyson goes. It’s a bit of a risk having him and Herrera as neither have done the job full-time before, but he should be able to cope having auditioned after Melancon was traded last summer. That leaves me with six picks left. I still want to get three more SPs, two RPs and a bench hitter.
Just three hitters selected this round as managers start to round out their pitching staffs. I opt for Happ and even though I’m not expecting him to win 20 again he still should be able to get 12-14 wins. Batteries Essential pick up Bedrosian, who should close while Huston Street is out.
Another round, another SP for me. This time it’s Estrada, who didn’t win many games last year despite his good numbers. I reason that if he and Happ can combine for roughly the same number of wins (fewer for Happ, more for Estrada) I’ll be in decent shape.
In a pitching-heavy round, I think V-Mart should be a decent pick for the Sox and Salvy for Bath is a good call here too.
I had planned on getting some holds at this point but there was one closer still on my queue in Greg Holland. I figure he’s worth a punt at this late point. If he helps add saves to what Watson and Herrera provide, great. If he flames out in Coorsfield, it’s no big deal to ditch him and get a holds guy from the free agent pool.
Three picks left, so I’ll definitely go for holds next time. Beltran in round 17 is very nice for Norwich while Durham hope Wieters can rebound from injury in Washington and Bath gamble on the power of Eric Thames.
Gregerson and O’Day vanish as holds options so I decide to go for Rondon. The run on SPs has slowed in the last few rounds but i could still use one more. But I also need to decide on a bench hitter and there are a couple of intriguing options…
… one of whom is Puig, who is taken by the Sox. Could be brilliant, could be terrible but certainly worth a gamble here. The other is Dansby Swanson, who I decide to draft. He could be a Rookie of the Year candidate and a nice insurance policy if Diaz falters. Or he could be useful trade bait.
Shaw could be a nice pick for Durham if he plays regularly for the Brewers while Rodney could be closing for Arizona.
The final round sees me queue up Lance Lynn as he returns from Tommy John surgery only for Jesmond to beat me to him. Sonny Gray goes too so I consider a few other options who I won’t name as they went undrafted and decide to take a punt on Tyson Ross.
He’ll likely miss the first couple of months but if he can get that sinker working with that lineup around him he could be a nice source of wins. And if it doesn’t work out, no harm done.
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with my roster. I think I should be competitive across the board offensively and only have one batter in Davis who is unlikely to hit for a particularly high average. I was worried that being so hitter-heavy early in the draft would be a problem but I feel the back of the rotation, while not particularly flashy, should be decent enough. Although that is the obvious area for improvement. And I can’t complain about the bullpen.
Here’s my brief summary of the other teams:
Slugs: Decent power across the board but only one .300+ hitter from last year. Pretty decent rotation although Richards an injury risk. Just one closer but should be competitive in holds.
Sox: Very hitter heavy so may need to use some surplus as trade bait. Shouldn’t be short of power or speed. Price an injury concern. Has four good starters and two closers but needs additional SP depth and holds.
Iron Men: Decent spread of power and speed but EE likely only hitter to hit 30+HR. Average a slight concern. Excellent 1-2 punch of SP in Kershaw and Martinez and closers in Oh and Giles. Quite reliever heavy in pitching depth.
Maltsters: Plenty of power options but need Altuve to help lift team average. Catcher a bit of a weak spot. Like the Kluber-Sale-Pomeranz combo and good bullpen.
Norwich: Loaded with power and should still hit for good average too. Strong bullpen but lack of a recognised ace on young SP staff could be a problem. Has plenty of hitting to use as trade bait though.
RBIs: Young hitters mean this lineup could be feast or famine. Average could be a problem but have plenty of speed. Rotation could be good provided Tanaka stays healthy.
Chasers: Very deep offensive lineup, particularly on the infield. Power and speed well covered. Could use a bounceback season from Cole and hope Ray and McHugh can lower WHIP. Bullpen looks pretty strong.
Riverkings: Very strong pitching staff, and if Sonny Gray gets back on form, look out. Should have enough power and just enough average to be decent offensively. Good positional flexibility too.
Knights: Plenty of power throughout team but average may suffer in the outfield. Like the Donaldson/Seager combo. May need a second closer but rotation looks good and could get better if Wood rebounds and Urias has a larger innings limit this year.
A&E Dept: Power, power and more power although may lack a .300 hitter. Like the rotation a lot and should be fine for saves. In need of holds but that can be sorted relatively easily.
Batteries Essential: Range of 20+HR options plus should be OK for speed. A lot may depend on how Pollock does. Four good SP and two closers but could use extra SP depth and holds. Has hitting surplus to trade from.
Bombers: Mix of youth and experience offensively. Banking on a good year from Trea Turner and Brantley staying healthy. May need a little more power from OF. Pitching staff looks good across the board.
Jesmond: Lacking a catcher. Votto likely to be carrying the load with average but plenty of youthful promise from Correa and Bregman. Desmond’s injury leaves a gap at UT and may need extra OF depth if Kepler struggles.Very strong bullpen and nice 1-2 punch of deGrom and Hamels.
The Cactus and Grapefruit League exhibitions are now over and the 30 MLB teams have moved on from their Spring Training bases as they finalise preparation for the regular season.
