Pitcher List 2/27 Mock Draft – Reviewing Brennen’s Picks

Well alright, alright, alright. My dynasty/prospect content is on the way. Until then, I’m proud to say this is the first article I’ll have drafted for the folks at PL. My ideal drafts are built around all-around players and I have to say that this draft was no different. My only complaint I have is just how damn young the team is – I suppose its my dynasty bias shining though.

Check out the stream on Twitter and the final draft board.

Here’s are my round-by-round thoughts for each pick from yesterday’s mock draft:

Round One (11): Clayton Kershaw (SP, LA Dodgers)

Out of the gate I made an un-Brennen pick by picking up a SP in the first three rounds. In what was a clear Blackmon v. Kershaw pick. I opted for the sweet sweet embrace of who is categorically the best SP in the game figuring I could replicate Blackmon’s HR/SB numbers later down the draft.

Round Two (14): Francisco Lindor (SS, Cleveland Indians)

In my personal rankings I have Lindor above Correa as I don’t see Correa running as much. It is a steep drop off at the position after Lindor (not sold on Seager), so it was a no-brainer. Had I not gone for Lindor it would have either been Sale or Kluber – doubling down on a top rotation early on.

Round Three (35): Andrew Benintendi (OF, Boston Red Sox)

Like last year, Benintendi will be sandwiched somewhere near, but not at, the top of the lineup. He is only 23 so I still expect him to add to his 20 HR last year, he was 20/25 in stolen bases. I think he is a safe, but slightly unsexy pick that brings stability to my lineup. Alternate picks would have been Severino or Dee Gordon. Severino for the same reason I mentioned above for Sale/Kluber – Gordon for the lock on steals and positional flex.

Round Four (38): Alex Bregman (SS/3B, Houston Astros)

I just traded away Bregman in my dynasty league, so maybe I’m just missing A-Breg from my life. As far as 3B goes, he lacks power – but with the usual suspects already off the board, a 3B with the potential for a 20/20 season maintains my ideal roster build. I had otherwise thought I’d go for Hoskins, but Nick grabbed him one pick before me. DeGrom would have been the only other player I had at this spot – but was pretty well locked in on Bregman.

Round Five (59): Aaron Nola (SP, Philadelphia Phillies)

I could not click quick enough on Nola. At this point in the draft SP had started to free fall and I knew I wanted/needed another SP to start filling in my roster. Nola took a huge step forward last year and I expect him to make another step into stardom if he stays healthy this year. I think I got a top-10 pitcher as the 16^th SP off the board.

Round Six (62): Wil Myers (1B/OF, San Diego Padres)

This pick was less about Myers and more about how I wanted to fill 1B. Looking at my options I could have waited a long while for a 1B (in Olson), but I opted to make a known pick on a team that got better in the offseason. Myers’ average slays me, but with my high preference for a strong AVG, I figure my end roster could weather it. Similar to Bregman, a corner infielder with 30/25 potential was too much to pass up on.

Round Seven (83): Ronald Acuna (OF, Atlanta Braves)

I still don’t know where Acuna should be drafted. I still don’t know how quickly Acuna will make the Brave’s roster. In this draft the 7^th Round felt right and I am convinced he’ll be up after a few weeks. For the stock I have in Acuna, I have long bought into the hype. I know everyone wants the “next-Mike-Trout” – I think he is, so I’ll spend the pick.

Round Eight (86): Rafael Devers (3B, Boston Red Sox)

This wasn’t a need pick for me, with Bregman at 3B and Lindor at SS. I snagged this pick with the idea I could trade him later for a 3B starved team and if there was no interest, watch as he mashes 30+ with a .280 average – a win-win in my book. I still thought it too soon to go for a RP and did not find any players in the area attractive enough to go after.

Round Nine (107): Alex Wood (SP, LA Dodgers)

It was at this point I knew what I needed to do with my 2B, punt and pray. I had wanted Albies with this pick, but he got snagged sooner than I had thought he would be. In retrospect, probably should have taken him at 86, but full speed ahead! I like Wood despite his drop off in velocity last year (and general ineffectiveness in the second half). I’d look for a strong start and keep an eye on his velocity and if I see it start to dip, look to sell. It was his first (almost) full season since 2015, so I’m taking his exhaustion with a small grain of salt. Worst case scenario, first-half MVP – if that helps get me enough wins early on and lets me coast as I find a replacement – I’m fine with that scenario.

Round Ten (110): Edwin Diaz (RP, Seattle Mariners)

There was a run on RP two rounds earlier, I wanted one before the elite tier were gone. Since no one had picked an RP this round I felt a rumbling on the horizon and snagged Diaz.

Round Eleven (131): Wade Davis (RP, Colorado Rockies)

See Round Ten. Rumbling, horizon, drafted a RP. Only this time several more of the top guys were gone, I saw Davis (even in Colorado) as the last top option (well, top option on a team that will win games).

Round Twelve (134): Manuel Margot (OF, San Diego Padres)

I had wanted Inciarte badly, but Nick again grabbed him right before me. So I went with Margot, who is a similar type, but with probably more power and speed. He is just more of an unknown after an unexciting rookie season. I figure he is bound to turn a corner and is only a year removed from being one of the MLB’s top prospects.

Round Thirteen (155): Alex Colome (RP, Tampa Bay Rays)

I saw Colome, Melancon, and Treinen available and knew I could fill out my RP now so as not to grab a low end RP. At this point in the draft I was eyeing upside and while Colome’s peripherals are shaky, results do matter and Colome had them last year. The Rays may not get a lot of wins, but the ones they do will be close. I went with a younger upside RP rather than Melancon who while will be on a winning team, is coming on a season marred by injury.

Round Fourteen (158): Aaron Sanchez (SP, Toronto Blue Jays)

I was elated to snag Sanchez here. Truly an injury-plagued season, he outdueled Rich Hill for blister of the year. Only one year removed from being the AL ERA leader (at age 24) – this was an easy pick for me. There is some risk, but in Round 14 there wasn’t a better upside pick in my mind at my third SP.

Round Fifteen (179): Alex Reyes (SP, St. Louis Cardinals)

In retrospect, not a big fan of this pick. I think it was too early for Reyes. If there was a DL spot then I’d stash him and feel decent about it. There is no guarantee he gets a starting spot when he comes back and if his rehab is delayed then it could be a lost season (though he is pitching now, so that’s good).

Round Sixteen (182): Dinelson Lamet (SP, San Diego Padres)

At this point I wanted another SP to fill in my pitching roster before all the SP were run through. Lamet is a high K guy in a pitcher friendly park. There are questions about his control, but with a strikeout rate 10.94 – I’ll bit the bullet on a potentially bad ERA (I think I can cover for him with my top three SP). Gimmie the Ks.

Round Seventeen (203): Jonathan Villar (2B, Milwaukee Brewers)

A long long time ago (at least it felt like it) I was going to draft a real second baseman. Jay deprived me of it, so I punted until Round 17 when I finally pickedup Villar. Much like the Brewer’s who are expected to start him then make a decision, I planned on grabbing Villar for the trial period. If he succeeds – then go Brennen! If he fails, I planned on picking up two of the top 2B prospects who should be up soon into the season. Hopefully.

Round Eighteen (206): Aaron Hicks (OF, New York Yankees)

I was torn between Gardner and Hicks, Nick made this pick easy. Hicks was off to a breakout season until he was injured and never really came back from. I think he has 20/20 potential with a solid average if healthy. Playing time is a concern, but at the moment all signs are point to him being the starting CF on a stacked Yankees lineup. In Round Eighteen? Done. He’ll also be a good place filler until Acuna gets the call and even then a utility guy.

Round Nineteen (227): Gleyber Torres (2B/SS, New York Yankees)

I am still high on Gleyber Torres – he lost last year to Tommy Johns on his non-throwing arm. I expect for him to be back quickly (well, held down for contractual purposes). He will slot into Castro’s old 2B spot and never look back. If he struggles, well, it’s a late round pick and he’s not my starting 2B.

Round Twenty (230): Michael Brantley (OF, Cleveland Indians)

I was a bit surprised to see Brantley fall this far. I thought him the safest pick available. Despite popular belief he’s still only 30. When he played last year he was great and on track for more than a 20/20. He’ll likely start the year on the DL (and I do still remember 2016 vividly) – but in Round 20, a potential May return would make this pick a steal.

Round Twenty-One (251): Scott Kingery (2B, Philadelphia Phillies)

Ok, Brennen, but what if Villar AND Torres don’t work out. Well, reader, then I would point you toward my second second-base prospect stash, Scott Kingery who emerged last year to become the top 2B prospect (Torres is still listed as an SS). Between AA/AAA last year he hit 26 HR and stole 29 bases while hitting above .300. Rumor has it this Phillies are trying him at other positions, but he may well break camp making this a fun pick to watch.

Round Twenty-Two (254): Steven Matz (SP, New York Mets)

I wanted a sixth SP to slot in, with catcher now a lock for my final pick – I did not have many options left. I see Matz with the most upside of any player left. Only one year away from a 3.40 ERA and an above average 8.77 K/9 (2.11 BB/9). I think a healthy Matz can be a productive Matz. I think a full offseason to be healthy will help him regain some of the velocity lost in 2017. Steven Matz, everybody.

Round Twenty-Three (275): Francisco Meija (C, Cleveland Indians)       

I did not really know what to do here. I generally choose not to roster catchers. If this was a weekly lock league, then I would. Meija has a chance to break camp and at this point in the pre-season, that’s all the information I’ll need with a catcher with Meija’s limitless offensive potential.

In Summation

Balance. As it is important to martial arts, so is it to Brennen’s fantasy baseball teams. I believe I was able to balance top pitching with a team that can both score runs and knock in runs, while doing it in style. I may not be the best at any one category, but you can be damn sure I’ll be near the top for every category with this roster. While this draft it was 2B, I am a firm believe there is enough depth at every position to punt one position to focus on a better overall roster.