Daniel Murphy and the Paternity Problem

There's been a decent amount of talk on the whole Daniel Murphy paternity leave situation where he missed the first two games of the season due to the birth of his first son, who was born to a c-section. WFAN's Mike Francesa and Boomer Esiason both had rather hard feelings on the matter. Francesa remarked "You’re a Major League Baseball player, you can hire a nurse to take care of the baby if your wife needs help." Esiason was a little less pointed but still said "Quite frankly, I would have said C-section before the season starts. I need to be at opening day, I’m sorry."

Listen, both talk show hosts have a right to their opinion, but in the end, it really seems like they are chastising Murphy for not making The Mets and the first two games of the season a priority... which, frankly, is quite twisted.
Murphy is an important part of this team, and without his bat there is no doubt the lineup suffers. However, I find it hard to accept that grown men, both whom which have children, could really feel a baseball game, even a professional one, is more important than family. I highly doubt that either would have a problem with a garbage man, a cook, an auto mechanic or a business executive missing three days of work for the birth or their first born. Because Murphy's job is on a national stage he's expect to not want to be there for his family? C'mon. I'm curious to know if Francesa missed work when his kids were born.

The Mets need all the help they can get, and there is defintely a chance that Murphy's bat could have helped the Mets squeak out a win in one of those two losses to start the season, but I'm in support of his decision to be at home with his family for the days his union collectively barganed for. In a world where I constantly question people's priorities, I can honestly say Daniel Murphy's seem firmly in the right place.

My All-Star Selections

We’re on the verge of the 2010 MLB All-Star game and while the out of control voting is going on, I want to drop in my own set of selections, including a few pitchers from each league.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
C – Victor Martinez, Red Sox
1st – Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2nd – Robinson Cano, Yankees
SS – Derek Jeter, Yankees
3rd – Evan Longoria, Rays
OF – Carl Crawford, Rays
OF – Alex Rios, Blue Jays
OF – Josh Hamilton, Rangers
DH – Vlad Guerrero, Rangers
SP – David Price, Rays
SP – Phil Hughes, Yankees
SP – Clay Buchholz, Red Sox
SP – Andy Pettite, Yankees
RP – Mariano Rivera, Yankees
RP – Rafael Soriano, Rays
RP – Jose Valverde, Tigers

In most cases it’s hard to argue with a lot of this. I picked Martinez over Joe Mauer because hi overall body of work has just been more solid, although Maur’s been turning it up lately. Cabrera is in a league by himself so far this year and is miles above the other hot shot 1st basemen in Mark Teixeria and Justin Morneau. Cano’s season has been lights out. Jeter’s struggled at times this season, but he’s so far above the other shortstops n the League it’s really not a contest. Longoria’s season has been excellent and the power outage by A-Rod means there’s more than enough of a gap here to warrant his selection, although Adrian Betre’s solid season got some consideration. The outfielders were little harder. Jose Bautista hitting home runs like there’s no tomorrow but his lousy batting average and high strike outs drop him behind the guys I have listed. Guys like Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter and Nelson Cruz got some serious looks in the outfield also. Vlad Guerrero’s amazing comeback year has him looking like the Vlad of 2002 and he holds off the bounceback year that David Ortiez is having. The pitchers weren’t too hard. Price and Hughes have been win machines while Buchholz and Pettite have been dominating. Rivera, Soriano and Valverde not only are among the league leaders in saves, all three have miniscule ERAs and have been scary good so far.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
C – Miguel Olivo, Rockies
1st – Albert Puljos, Cardinals
2nd – Martin Prado, Braves
3rd – David Wright, Mets
SS – Jose Reyes, Mets
OF – Ryan Braun, Brewers
OF – Andre Ethier, Dodgers
OF – Garrett Jones, Pirates
SP – Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies
SP – Josh Johnson, Marlins
SP – Mike Pelfrey, Mets
SP – Adam Wainright, Cardinals
RP – Brian Wilson, Giants
RP - Heath Bell, Padres
RP – Jon Broxton, Dodgers

I went a little off the beaten path with some selections here. I considered Brian McCann and Rod Barajas for catcher, but Mccann’s had a shakey season and Barajas’ june has been weak, so Olivo’s solid and surprising season gets rewarded. Guys like Yadier Molina and Pudge Rodriguez are not having great seasons, despite their high vote count in the all-star voting. Pujols’s slow start is gone and he’s back to normal, holding off excellent seasons from the likes of Joey Votto and Troy Glaus, who also got some thought from me. Chase Utley’s having a terrible season overall, and Martin Prado’s having a breakout year so there was little contest there, with Bradon Phillips getting a small look but comng up short. David Wright is back to being David Wright. Solid seasons from Scott Rolen and Casey Magee got consideration, but Magee has slumped for a while now. Vote leader Palcido Palanco got a brief look, but really doesn’t deserve to be the top vote getter. At Short, Reyes was picked mainly because after a very slow start and a season begun on the DL, he’s been on fire for a month now and the Mets are 20-5 in that time. Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Rameriez both came close, but Tulo’s numbers are Coors Field aided and Rameriez got benched this season for dogging it and showing no class or respect for the game, thus giving him a big strike against him. Jimmy Rollins has been on the DL most of the season and gets no consideration. With the outfielders, I strong considered Jason Heyward but his too low batting average and too many strike outs gave way to my surprise pick of Garret Jones who is putting up a quietly great season in forgotten pittsburg. Barun and Ethier and as solid as they come and their all around numbers were just able to hold out over guys like Jason Werth and Matt Holiday. For the pitchers, Jiminez and Johnson and been SCARY good. Both have had long streaks of no run baseball this season. Pelfrey and Wainwright have been downright dominating in most of their starts holding out over Chris Carpenter, Tyler Clippard and R. A Dickey who are all having great seasons. The closers here, like in the AL, not only have excellent save stats, but have very low ERAs and have been solid.

Time to Start Talking All-Stars: The AL

As the first half of the season starts to wind down, baseball will start to set it’s eyes on the 2010 All-Star Game on July 13th at Angels Stadium.

The voting is going quite well for a few New York baseball players in the Al, and not so well for the NL New Yorkers. Let’s take a look at who’s leading in each league and who the likely pitchers will be while keeping an eye towards possible Yankee and Met selections. We’ll start with the Amercian League.

1ST BASE

1. Justin Morneau Twins 1,402,496
2. Mark Teixeira Yankees 1,221,457
3. Miguel Cabrera Tigers 1,009,822
4. Kevin Youkilis Red Sox 642,407
5. Carlos Pena Rays 457,476

THE LEADERS: Teixera was leading for a while, but Morneau has taken a rather slim advantage in the last two updates. Teixera is having a rather rough year with his batting average hovering around .224, while Morneau is quietly having a great year.
MOST DESERVING: Miguel Cabrera. Morneau is having a fantastic year. Cabrera, however, is on another planet. His 19 home runs, 56 RBI and .330 batting average puts him miles above everyone else.

2ND BASE

1. Robinson Cano Yankees 1,784,896
2. Dustin Pedroia Red Sox 983,716
3. Ian Kinsler Rangers 827,920
4. Orlando Hudson Twins 718,183
5. Ben Zobrist Rays 472,755

THE LEADERS: Cano seems to have this one pretty much locked up with a fairly large lead of over 800,000 votes. Pedoria’s game has slipped a little and while his numbers aren’t bad, he’s not quite burning up the league.
MOST DESERVING: Cano. He’s had excellent seasons before but nothing like this. 13 HRs, 47 RBI and a .368 batting average makes him the obvious choice.

3RD BASE

1. Evan Longoria Rays 1,958,855
2. Alex Rodriguez Yankees 1,271,831
3. Michael Young Rangers 762,266
4. Adrian Beltre Red Sox 462,136
5. Nick Punto Twins 412,268

THE LEADERS: Going into the season you knew that Longoria and A-Rod would be the two top vote gettings and they are. Both have good numbers but A-Rod’s numbers are down for him. Beltre has quietly put together a very good season in Boston.
MOST DESERVING: Longoria. More home runs, more RBI, higher average and he his playing a larger part in the Rays’ wins. A-Rod’s 8 HRs, 43 RBI and .290 batting average is very good… for most 3rd basemen. Not for A-Rod.

SHORTSTOP

1. Derek Jeter Yankees 2,108,659
2. Elvis Andrus Rangers 999,455
3. J.J. Hardy Twins 647,891
4. Jason Bartlett Rays 483,383
5. Alex Gonzalez Blue Jays 446,570

THE LEADERS: Not a lot of exciting shortstops in the AL so far this year with Jeter and Andrus really the only two making much noise.
MOST DESERVING: Jeter. Andrus is having a nice year with a .294 batting average and 19 stolen bases, but Jeter is much more than just his solid numbers of 8 hrs, 39 RBI, .290 average and 7 stolten bases.

CATCHER

1. Joe Mauer Twins 2,617,822
2. Jorge Posada Yankees 822,865
3. Victor Martinez Red Sox 518,608
4. Taylor Teagarden Rangers 341,492
5. Gerald Laird Tigers 258,112

THE LEADERS: You had to know that Mauer would be up there. He’s one of the most important names in the MLB right now so his insurmountable lead is not surprising. Posada’s reputation with the bat has him up there despite two seperate DL stints.
MOST DESERVING: Martinez. As great as Mauer is, he’s been hurt a little and not playing at the level you’d expect for him, and despite the two grand slams this past weekend, Posada’s injuries have hampered him as well. Martinez has put up solid numbers of 8 HRs, 35 RBI and a .300 batting average with only 20 strike outs. Deserving numbers.

OUTFIELD

1. Ichiro Suzuki Mariners 1,231,950
2. Carl Crawford Rays 1,123,132
3. Nelson Cruz Rangers 1,093,099
4. Josh Hamilton Rangers 1,006,364
5. Nick Swisher Yankees 808,871
6. Curtis Granderson Yankees 766,088
7. Torii Hunter Angels 765,023
8. Brett Gardner Yankees 743,795
9. Vernon Wells Blue Jays 681,795
10. Michael Cuddyer Twins 644,679

THE LEADERS: Despite some rough starts, players like Ichiro and Hamilton have picked up their game to where most people expect them to be. Some of the names up here aren’t having the seasons you would expect like Hunter and Granderson.
MOST DESERVING: Jose Bautista, Carl Crawford and Alex Rios. Bautista’s .227 batting average is terrible, but his 18 HRs and 45 RBI is tops in the AL. Crawford is setting himself up for a heck of a free agent payday with 6 HRs, 36 RBI, 22 SBs, a .300 average and 50 runs scored (which is tops in the AL). Rios is also putting together a solid overall season with 13 HRs, 19 SBs and a .315 average with only 27 strike outs. Guys like Hamilton, Ichiro, Cruz and Swisher are all deserving, but these three stand out in my mind.

WHO SHOULD GO FROM THE YANKEES?
The Yankees are having a strong season, currently tied with the Rays for 1st place in the Al and the best record in baseball. Despite some rough performances from guys like Teixeria, A-Rod, Joba and Sabathia, the Yanks haven’t missed a beat. Brett Gardner has exceeded expectations and should get some consideration for the AL outfield, as should Nick Swisher. Cano and Jeter are locks in the voting and I would expect both Mariano Rivera and Phil Hughes to join them without much doubt, seeing they both are having great seasons. Andy Pettitte is also having a solid season and should get consideration as well. My no brainers are Jeter, Cano, Hughes and Rivera. Odds are you’ll see at least one or two from the lot of Swisher, A-Rod, Texieria and Pettite on the team as well.

And So It Begins…

Opening Day is upon us. A day that hope springs eternal… or at least until mid-June.

The Yankees lost their opener 9-7 in Boston thanks to a late inning comback by the Red Sox. Blowing a 5-1 lead is not something you’d expect from C.C. Sabathia, but he had a lousy opening day start last year too. No reason to expect him to suddenly struggle. The Yankees 2010 season looks quite bright.

The Mets are in the process of kicking the tar out of the Marlins helped by David Wright’s first homerun of the season, excellent pitching from Johan Santana and a few errors by the Marlins. They currently hold a 7-1 in the top of the 8th. I was a little surprised by Jerry Manual pulling Santana after the 6th. He pulled him for a pinch hitter (Pagan) with a 4-1 lead and only 69 pitches thrown. I wouldn’t have done that, but the Mets scored twice more that inning to make teh score 6-1. No harm no foul I suppose, but I still would have let Santana go out for the 7th at least.

The question really is… what do you expect from these two teams. As the defending champs, as with a stacked team, the Yanks only real issues is mostly possible injury and age. They are an older team (which did get a little younger with Curtis Granderson replacing Johnny Damon in the outfield and Nick Johnson replacing Hideki Matsui at DH) and you do have to be at least aware of Pettite, Posada, Jeter, and Rivera’s age. Rivera has almost no injury history to worry about. Same with Jeter for the most part. Posada and Pettite could be a concern. With injury, A.J. Burnett and Johnson are both higher injury risks when you note their history (although you must note that Burnett stayed healthy all last year). The only other real possible concern would be the Division. The three best teams in the AL are all AL EAST teams in the Yanks, Red Sox and Rays. One of those three is not making the playoffs.

For the Mets, the season is starting without two of their top players in Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, as well as first baseman Daniel Murphy. Reyes will be back by next week however, and Beltran and Murphy should both be in games by early May. The main concern for this team is the starting pitching, but no one really knows just what they are going to get from the 2-5 starters. Unlike the rest of the world, I do feel the Mets can contend… and while they don’t have the stacked lineup of the Phillies or the sexy starting pitching of the Braves, they have a soild team that will be quite good as long as someone from the trio of John Maine, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfry can repeat past success.

This early in the season though… it’s easy to dream and dream big. Enjoy 2010!

Life is Just a Fantasy: The Draft – Rounds 17 through 24

And without further adu, the last installment of my draft analysis.

Once you start getting to the late rounds, people figure things are more of a crap shoot. It’s easy to almost dismiss the last few rounds and figure “I can always just do a drop/add from the waiver wire.” I look at the late rounds as a place to experiment a little and take some risks.

ROUND SEVENTEEN

1. Gordon Beckham
2. Jeff Francoeur
3. Mark Buehrle
4. Elvis Andrus
5. Billy Butler
6. Barry Zito
7. Todd Helton
8. Scott Kazmir
9. Julio Borbón
10. Carlos Peña

With my main positions filled at this point, I’m looking for an everyday bat for the INF and UTL positions as welll as another outfield bat since I have some uncertainty there. Rounds 17-20 are pretty important rounds because most guys you get early are going to give you numbers… but it’s the smart drafting in the late rounds (as well as the risk takers who’s risks pan out) that help win fantasy championships. Francoeur looks very happy in New York and looks primed for a decent season, but the lack of walks and higher strikeouts keep me away. Carlos Pena is somehow still on the board and I’m so tempted… his HR and RBI numbers are fantastic and I start wondering if I should make Pena the new Adam Dunn. Upon second thought I really don’t like the idea of the .227 average and 163 strike outs shreding my draft stategy and figure Billy Butler’s more level numbers fit my team better. He had 18 less home runs than Pena but only 7 less RBI, hit 74 points higher in average (.301 to .227) and struck out 60 less times. I’ll give up the extra 18 to 20 HRs for that type on consistancy across the board. Pena goes in the round anyway and is a good pick for the 17th round, as is Mark Buehrle, who had a nice season last year.

ROUND EIGHTEEN

1. Matt Capps
2. Paul Konerko
3. Nyjer Morgan
4. Edwin Jackson
5. Magglio Ordóñez
6. Chris Coghlan
7. John Danks
8. Frank Francisco
9. Cody Ross
10. Ben Sheets

Looking to grab a sleeper in this round, I grabbed 2009 Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan, who led the major leagues in average (.373) and hits (113) after the all-star break last year. While I do worry about a sophomore slump, I think he’s worth the risk in this round. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of power (only 9 HRs in 504 at bats) but his high average and low strike out total (only 77 in that same 504 at bats) fits right in with my strategy. As soon as I make the pick I realize I had forgotten about Ben Sheets. After the risk I took with Brandon Webb in the 16th round, it weas better for me to have waited on another high risk/high reward pitcher but I promise myself that I will grab Sheets if he’s there in the next round as I wanted him VERY badly. However he goes with the last pick of the round.

ROUND NINETEEN

1. Vladimir Guerrero
2. Gavin Floyd
3. Tim Hudson
4. Juan Pierre
5. Billy Wagner
6. Álex Ríos
7. Brad Hawpe
8. Carlos González
9. Scott Feldman
10. David Price

With Sheets gone, I look to round out my bullpen and I’m pleased to see Billy Wagner still there. Wagner looked very good last year with the Mets and Red Sox and if he’s going to be healthy I see 30-35 saves in his future this year as the Braves, with a very good pitching staff, should contend. In fact, I would say I got a better value with Wagner in round 19 then the manager who drafted Valverde in the 12th round. It was curious to see Juan Pierre go in this round as he’s not assurred to be a starter for the White Sox.

ROUND TWENTY

1. Jay Bruce
2. Casey McGehee
3. Plácido Polanco
4. Leo Núñez
5. Felipe López
6. Brett Anderson
7. Neftali Feliz
8. James Loney
9. Kevin Correia
10. Corey Hart

This looks like a nicely done round by a lot of the managers. Some light risks and sleeper potential go in this round. I’m very happy to grab one of my sleeper hopefuls in Brett Anderson. Anderson has been a very highly touted prospect and had a decent 2009 for a not so great A’s team. He was very solid in the 2nd half and I think a 13-9, 175 K, 3.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP season is not out of the question and he will be a nice lower end starter for me. Some very good picks go in this round like Polanco, who will be hitting in a great Phillies lineup; McGehee, who looks like he’s developing into a solid player and Hart, who I expect to bounce back from a lousy 2009.

ROUND TWENTY-ONE

1. J.J. Putz
2. Rickie Weeks
3. Orlando Hudson
4. Hiroki Kuroda
5. Carlos Quentin
6. A.J. Pierzynski
7. Carlos Ruiz
8. Ted Lilly
9. Joel Piñeiro
10. Derek Lowe

Another round where managers get some good value. Putz goes with the first pick of the round which makes little sense to me as he’s not a closer and we do not have holds in this league as a stat. I grab Quentin because of his potential and I hope he’ll be injury free and be able to return closer to his 2008 number where he was an MVP candidate. Joel Pinerio goes in this round showing that despite a solid 2009, no one has much faith he’ll repeat that success.

ROUND TWENTY-TWO

1. Juan Rivera
2. Troy Glaus
3. Geovany Soto
4. Joe Blanton
5. Scott Rolen
6. Ryan Doumit
7. Mike Lowell
8. Yunel Escobar
9. Ian Stewart
10. Yadier Molina

We’re in the home stretch and I set my sights on a back-up catcher in this round and since Geovany Soto is still available I want him thinking his horrible 2009 will be much improved upon. He goes before I can get him so I grab Ryan Doumit instead. Nice value as he really is a top ten catcher and he’s actually my back up. I’m in good shape for the position even with an injury. I like the Mike Lowell pick here because I think Lowell will be traded and get a starting role somewhere and put up decent numbers for a 22nd round pick. I also like the Escobar pick as he should have enough good numbers to have been worth a pick back in the 17th to 18th round.

ROUND TWENTY-THREE

1. Kevin Slowey
2. Nolan Reimold
3. Bronson Arroyo
4. Rod Barajas
5. Rajai Davis
6. Randy Wolf
7. Kazuo Matsui
8. Ricky Romero
9. Erik Bedard
10. Johnny Cueto

I’m pretty happy to get A’s young outfielder Rajai Davis here as he’s got excellent speed (41 SBS on only 390 at bats) and a good average (.305). He projects as a starter and had a solid 2nd half. He becomes my other speed demon with Bourn. Over a 575 at bat season he should be able to steal 55 bases or so. I like the Arroyo, Matsui and Bedard picks here. All are worth a flyer this late and could bring about some nice numbers for such a low end pick.

ROUND TWENTY-FOUR

1. Adrián Béltre
2. J.A. Happ
3. Clint Barmes
4. Francisco Liriano
5. Brad Penny
6. Hideki Matsui
7. Orlando Cabrera
8. Jason Marquis
9. Randy Wells
10. Mark Teahen

Some VERY good picks in this round. I like the Beltre, Liriano, Penny and Marquis picks here. In fact, getting Marquis in this round is outstanding. He should have gone back by the 18th round. I grab Matsui for one main reason. His numbers last year were very good and he’s projected to play some outfield. In this league I only need 5 games started in the OF and he becomes eligable to list as an outfielder. His 28 HRs and 90 RBI with a decent average and decent strike out totals make him a nice last round pick.

So my team looks like this (We start a full infield, four outfielders, a infield spot and a utility spot for hitter, then 3 SP, 2 RP and 3 P open slots for pitchers at one given time):

Catcher: Brian McCann
1st Base: Miguel Cabrara
2nd Base: Chase Utley
Shortstop: Jason Bartlett
3rd Base: Aramis Ramirez
Infield: Billy Butler
Outfield: Torii Hunter
Outfield: Michael Bourn
Outfield: Johnny Damon
Outfield: Chris Coghan
Utility: Carlos Quentin
Bench: Carlos Beltran
Bench: Hideki Matsui
Bench: Rajai Davis
Bench: Ryan Doumit

Starting Pitcher: Dan Haren
Starting Pitcher: Chris Carpenter
Starting Pitcher: Jon Lester
Relief Pitcher: Carlos Marmol
Relief Pitcher: Chad Qualls
Pitcher: James Sheilds
Pitcher: Brett Anderson
Pitcher: Billy Wagner
Bench: Brandon Webb

Basically it comes to this… I have a solid and well balanced team. My two big risks in Beltran and Webb could either hold back my team as wasted picks or could thrust me towards the top if both do what i think they will both do, and that is be healthy and produce by mid-May throught the rest of the season. I do lament blowing it with some of the guys I really wanted (ie: Lackey) but overall I’m happy with the team. Keeping a close eye on the waiver wire and grabbing those “out of nowhere” players that always crop up every season will be key to stay as competitive as possible.

Life is Just a Fantasy: The Draft – Rounds 9 through 16

Continuing the analysis of my fantasy draft…

ROUND NINE

1. Bobby Abreu
2. Carlos Lee
3. Nick Markakis
4. Curtis Granderson
5. Torii Hunter
6. Wandy Rodríguez
7. Bengie Molina
8. Brian Fuentes
9. Huston Street
10. Andrew McCutchen

So here we were in round nine and I STILL didn’t have an outfielder. While I have a pretty strong and well balanced infield, starting to draft an outfield this late meant I had missed out on all of the studs and would be looking for consistancy more than anything else. And of course, six of the eight picks between my last pick (Shortstop Jason Bartlett) were outfielders. Abreu, Lee and Markasis were all on my radar, so with them all gone I went with the most consistant guy I saw left on the board in Hunter. Hunter’s numbers are usually very balanced and he even steals a little to help out in my absence of huge speed numbers. You’ll notice that two more closers went in the round bringing the total of closers drafted to ten and we haven’t even started round 10 yet. Unreal. My fear that I will be forced to break my own rule starts to manifest. Curious thing.. Bengie Molina went in this round with Matt Weiters and Jorge Posada still on the board. I know Molina’s 19 home runs looked tasty, but he doesn’t do much of anything else well. I was suprised to see him go before the younger and much more versital Weiters or the overall better hitter and in the much better lineup Posada. Not a move I would have made.

ROUND TEN

1. Nelson Cruz
2. Matt Wieters
3. Shane Victorino
4. Joakim Soria
5. A.J. Burnett
6. Carlos Mármol
7. Dan Uggla
8. Raúl Ibañez
9. Rick Porcello
10. Tommy Hanson

The 10th round starts and another closer is taken. This along with the selection of AJ Burnett (one of the two guys I was planning on taking in this round) throws me off and I make the first of two straight mistakes. I finally let the ridiculous run on closers (11 closers drafted in the top 94 players selected is plain ludicrous… just to give you an idea of why this is bugging me… guess how many closers made in to be ranked inside the ESPN top 100? Only six. The Yahoo top 100? Only five. Brian Fuentes, who was picked 88th overall has an average ranking of 170 overall in the ESPN/Yahoo player rankings. Yes, I know I’m bitching. Tough, it’s my blog, deal with it.) get to me and I break my own “No closers before the 12th round” rule and grab Marmol. As soon as I make the pick I instantly regret it. By the way, Tommy Hanson goes with the last pick of the round. An interesting pick. I had Hanson earmarked, but decided to grab him only around the 13th round or later. Waiting for young potential stud pitchers to develop into steady MLB proven guys has hurt me a lot in the past (re: Homer Bailey and Anthony Reyes for example) so while I did like him, I wasn’t going to go too early on him.

ROUND ELEVEN

1. Andrew Bailey
2. Jake Peavy
3. Jorge Posada
4. Josh Hamilton
5. Michael Bourn
6. Miguel Tejada
7. Hunter Pence
8. Ryan Franklin
9. John Lackey
10. Jered Weaver

I’m still unhappy with myself as this round starts. Seeing yet ANOTHER closer go with the first pick of the 11th round (the first of two that will go here) makes me pretty much throw up my hands and give up on the position for now. Jake Peavy goes (a pretty good pick there in my opinion) and he was one of the four guys I had earmarked at this point so I’m thinking I’m good when suddenly I realize something… I’m in the 11th round and I have only two guys on the team who have stolen more than 20 bases and one of them (Utley) isn’t exactly a big time steal threat. I then make a move that not only went against my draft strategy, but made me screw up the chance to get the player I REALLY wanted in this round and decide to take some big risks later in the draft (as you will see). Seeing 2009 NL steals champ Michael Bourn still available and feeling like I need that one “speed stud” on my roster I grab him. Even two days later I’m wondering how good (or bad) of a move it was. Bourn learned how to get on base last year and actually hit a decent .285. His 140 strikeouts is 40 more than any one else on my roster but I hope his 61 steals can rise to about 70 this year. If nothing else it means I should be in good shape with SBs, as long as Bourn doesn’t regress back into the guy who can’t get on base. In any case, my REAL desire for that round (the round before actually) was John Lackey, who I think will have a great year with the Red Sox. So what happens? Lackey goes before the round is out. Now I’m REALLY pissed at myself.

ROUND TWELVE

1. Stephen Drew
2. José Valverde
3. Nate McLouth
4. Chad Billingsley
5. Michael Cuddyer
6. Carlos Beltrán
7. Clayton Kershaw
8. Alfonso Soriano
9. Lance Berkman
10. Asdrubal Cabrera

With Lackey gone, only one guy is left on my desire list for this round and it’s Chad Billingsley. Of course, he goes with the 4th pick in this round and I suddenly am at a loss. I quickly consider Denard Span to start to round out my unspectacular outfield and I also take a glance at Alfonzo Soriano who was basically a nightmare last season. I decide to don’t trust Soriano, and while Span is a nice little player there are a few other guys still available with the same basic numbers I can get a round or two later. I think about Carlos Zambrano, James Sheilds and Ricky Nolasco and while I like them all, I think I can get one of those three in the next round and then I decide to do something risky. Looking at my outfield I think about how much better I would be with one high round outfielder in it, and make the first of two huge risks of my draft. I grab Carlos Beltran. If healthy, Beltran would have been an early 2nd rounder. He is expected to miss about the first 4 weeks of the season so of course he comes with risk. Getting this sort of talent in the 12th round is a steal, but ONLY if Beltran is back by early May and plays like Beltran for most of the season. If he does, the move was brilliant… if not… well odds are I could have gotten him in the 15th round instead of the 12th and the risk would have been less. However to make sure I got him I needed to take the chance of getting him three or four rounds too early. This move brings about another one that I start to plan in my head for a little later in the draft which will be my second big risk. I’m not the only one with a little risk taking as Lance Berkman, who is also hurt at the moment, goes right after.

ROUND THIRTEEN

1. Denard Span
2. Marco Scutaro
3. Carlos Zambrano
4. Ricky Nolasco
5. James Shields
6. Jason Kubel
7. Adam Jones
8. Rafael Soriano
9. Roy Oswalt
10. Alexei Ramírez

I’m determined to get one more potental stud pitcher here and I decide I want Nolasco the most. So of course both him and Zambrano are gone before I make my pick. I’m not unhappy with James Shields, I just would have preferred to get someone in the NL. I make a quick list of my potential 14th round picks and decide if Adam Jones is still there I’m going his way. Of course, Jones goes two picks after I take Shields. I momentarly wonder if I should have taken Roy Oswalt over Shields but don’t worry about it too much.

ROUND FOURTEEN

1. Kurt Suzuki
2. Ryan Ludwick
3. Aroldis Chapman
4. Trevor Hoffman
5. Scott Baker
6. Johnny Damon
7. David Ortiz
8. Chipper Jones
9. Russell Martin
10. Miguel Montero

Looking to shore up my outfield I decide to grab Johnny Damon. While I don;t expect him to repeat this 2009 numbers I think he’ll do well enough to fit into my team philosphy of good on base, lower strike out contact hitters. Plus I think he’ll run a little more with the Tigers and expand his 12 SBs into a possible 17 to 20. I briefly consider Chipper Jones for a UTL or INF spot, but Jones’ health issues and the need to get consistancy into my outfield keeps me from doing it. Russell Martin, another injured player (who also had a lousy 2009) goes in this round and I realize that particular team manager also took Jose Reyes back in the 6th round so he’s taking a few risks. Two rounds from now I’ll join him.

ROUND FIFTEEN

1. Max Scherzer
2. David Aardsma
3. Mark DeRosa
4. Mike Napoli
5. Chad Qualls
6. Vernon Wells
7. Jhonny Peralta
8. Howie Kendrick
9. Jason Heyward
10. José López

Not too much in this round. Some curious choices by people here including one of my sleepers in Jason Heyward going. I wanted to grab him in the same way I wanted Tommy Hanson, but like Hanson I feel he went too early. I wouldn’t have touched Hayward before the 20th round. There’s not even a guarantee he starts the year in the majors. I grab another closer at this point since there and few left. I know the guy I want to take in the next round will be there. In fact I doubt anyone else had even though of him yet, but I was going to grab him before anyone else could start to think his way.

ROUND SIXTEEN

1. Brad Lidge
2. Rafael Furcal
3. Jair Jurrjens
4. Jorge De La Rosa
5. Ryan Dempster
6. Brandon Webb
7. Jorge Cantú
8. Bobby Jenks
9. Stephen Strasburg
10. Matt Garza

Brad Lidge goes with the first pick of this round and I instantly regret not grabbing him instead of Qualls in the previous round. I had totally forgotten about Lidge. If he’s healthy he’ll get a lot of save oppertunites. I briefly consider grabbing Jair Jurrjens instead of my risky pick but he goes before my chance anyway, so I take the plunge and grab Brandon Webb. If healthy, Webb immediately becomes my best pitcher and is on the same level as Santana and Sabathia. Webb is being stated as healthy but hasn’t done much of anything in spring training yet and will likely start the year on the DL but is supposed to miss only his first 2 or 3 starts. Webb would have been a late 2nd round or early 3rd rounder. Getting him in the 16th round was a major steal. Yes, as with Beltran, there is risk involved here also. However the oppertunity to get this much talent in this late of a round was too good to pass up. I think he would have been gone to some one by the 18th round at the latest so my one or two round earlier wasn’t too terrible a risk. If Webb amd Beltran are both healthy and performing to spec by may, then I’m going to be a great shape. If not, well… hey… sometimes you have to take some big risks to get some big rewards.

Life is Just a Fantasy: The Draft – Rounds 1 through 8

After a little bit of excellent corned beef and cabbage at my buddy Dave’s house, we settled in to have our league draft. My draft strategy was simple… I was looking for a balanced team… I wasn’t going to chase large home run and RBI totals by sacrificing batting average and strike outs. Higher average, lower strike outs, decent (if unspectacular) power numers and higher on base percentage guys were the type of hitters I wanted. I also was looking for a nice rotation with some higher end starters and some high potential sleepers. I wanted low ERAs and low WHIPS with good strike outs. I wasn’t worrying about win totals.

With ten teams in the league I wound up with the 5th spot in the draft, which I consider just about the absolute worst place to have (along with the 6th spot) in a ten team draft. My favorite place to draft is the last pick. I enjoy being able to pick twice in a row. In the middle of the pack you always have eight or ten full picks being down inbetween yours. In any other draft positions you get to pick twice with 6 picks or less. It makes it easier to narrow down particular positions that you are self debating about.

Being in the middle does have one thing going for it though… you don’ t have to go a full 16 or 18 picks waiting for things to come back to you.

Anyway, With the 5th pick I immediately knew that I was not getting Pujols, A-Rod or Hanley Ramirez; so I set my sights on Chase Utley. I knew the worst case scenaro was I would wind up with Ryan Braun (which I wouldn’t mind at all) but I coveted Utley, a five tool player at a middle infield postion.

I’ll list each round with the order each player was drafted, and with my player in bold. After each round I’ll give you a little commentary and my thought process for why I made each pick.

ROUND ONE

1. Albert Pujols
2. Álex Rodríguez
3. Hanley Ramírez
4. Ryan Braun
5. Chase Utley
6. Troy Tulowitzki
7. Mark Teixeira
8. Joe Mauer
9. Roy Halladay
10. Evan Longoria

So I got my desired pick when Braun went 4th. Nothing insane in the first five picks but I was very surprised to see Troy Tulowitzki go in the first round. Not a terrible pick, but I would consider him a late 2nd round at the best, and more likely a mid 3rd rounder myself. Taking Roy Halladay with the 9th overall pick was gutsy. I do think he’s one of the two best pitchers to have, but again… in the first round is a little surprising, but not a bad move. Unless an injury occurs, Halladay is going to dominate the NL.

ROUND TWO

1. CC Sabathia
2. Prince Fielder
3. Ryan Howard
4. Matt Kemp
5. Tim Lincecum
6. Miguel Cabrera
7. Zack Greinke
8. David Wright
9. Johan Santana
10. Félix Hernández

In the 2nd round and I already have my first dilemma. If Lincecum had been on the board still I would have taken him (I also would have grabbed Halladay and perhaps Sabathia had they been there). With all of them gone I have to choose between Miguel Cabrera, Johan Santana, David Wright and Felix Hernandez. I waffle quickly. I want Wright or Santana but as a Mets fan I worry about drafting with my heart and not my head. As much as I believe Wright’s power will return this year, his 140 strike outs go against my draft strategy. I see names like Haren, Lee, Lester and Carpenter still on the board and decide I’m pretty guaranteed to have an ace stud in the 3rd round, so I go for the best remaining overall player in Cabrera, who really is a first rounder, so I feel good about the pick. As expected Santana, Wright and Hernandez all go right after I pass them up. It was a bit of a surpise to see Matt Kemp (who as ranked by almost everyone as a 1st round pick and like a 7 or 8 overall) fall almost to the middle of the 2nd round, but I happen to think that was the perfect place to get him. I didn’t project him to be a 1st rounder myself.

ROUND THREE

1. Ichiro Suzuki
2. Adrián González
3. Ian Kinsler
4. Matt Holliday
5. Dan Haren
6. Kevin Youkilis
7. Mark Reynolds
8. Carl Crawford
9. Jacoby Ellsbury
10. Justin Upton

Like I thought, there was ace level pitching available here. It was down to Haren, Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander. I went with Haren mainly due to the National League and his superior WHIP and ERA numbers, but I couldn’t really have gone wrong with any of them. Mark Reynolds was a bit of a surprise here, but his power and RBI numbers must have been too good to pass up with the top seven 1st basemen and top three 3rd basemen off the board already. I wouldn’t have touched him mainly because his average and strike out numbers go way against my draft strategy. Crawford was drafted here in his proper place. He’s another who I think is a tad over rated as a 1st or 2nd rounder. I actually also think Ichiro went a little early as his numbers have decreased enough the last two years to make him more of a 4th rounder in my opinion.

ROUND FOUR

1. Justin Verlander
2. Aaron Hill
3. Derek Jeter
4. Cliff Lee
5. Víctor Martínez
6. Chris Carpenter
7. Joe Nathan
8. Grady Sizemore
9. Mariano Rivera
10. Pablo Sandoval

It’s in this round that I see the first of a number of mistakes. Things start off right with Verlander (who I would have taken next had he been there) and Lee (ditto). I decide to stick to my draft strategy and get a 2nd starting pitcher by the 4th round and grab Carpenter over Adam Wainright and Josh Johnson mainly because of Carpenter’s overall body of success. Then two bizarre moves are made. The first is Joe Nathan. The person who drafted him had no idea Nathan is likely out for the season. Bad move. Then two picks later Rivera is picked. Picking Closers on the 4th round is just plain terrible. I knew in my gut people would immediately panic and there would be a run on closers in the next two rounds.

ROUND FIVE

1. Ben Zobrist
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. Adam Wainwright
4. Jonathan Papelbon
5. Brian McCann
6. Jonathan Broxton
7. Brandon Phillips
8. Robinson Canó
9. Ryan Zimmerman
10. Jayson Werth

I was right to a point. Papelbon goes right before me and I hesitate and consider Ryan Zimmerman, Jason Bay and Jayson Werth. I decide to go with the idea of a fully balanced overall team and grab the last of the All-Star caliber catchers available with McCann. After him the overall quaility at the position drops decently, so McCann it is. The next pick is REALLY bizarre as Jonathon Broxton goes at least six rounds before I would have even considered him. Zimmerman and Werth both go quickly and I start looking at Bay, Jon Lester, Jimmy Rollins or Josh Johnson as my next pick if any of them are there.

ROUND SIX

1. Derrek Lee
2. Javier Vázquez
3. Josh Johnson
4. Jimmy Rollins
5. Brian Roberts
6. Jon Lester
7. Joey Votto
8. Justin Morneau
9. José Reyes
10. Jason Bay

Another really bizarre pick comes when Derek Lee is drafted before Joey Votto and Justin Mourneau. Same with Brian Roberts who is an excellent player but whose back problems might haunt him all year and greatly affect his play. Johnson goes and takes him off the board for me and Rollins goes two picks before mine and in a way I’m glad. I think I would have taken Rollins if he had been there and having both middle infieldes of the Phillies was a dilemma, plus I happen to think Rollins is over-rated and don’t trust that his average will rebound. Lester is on the verge of Acedom, so I decided to grab him over Bay because having three total pitching studs at the top of my rotation fits right in with my strategy. I actually consider Votto and Mourneau even though I already have a 1st baseman in Cabrera only because both are great hitters and I can play them in the IF position. I also yern for Reyes who would have gone in the 1st or 2nd round of not for his weird Thyroid situatiuon. I feel it’s too much a gamble and I stick to my guns and grab the pitcher instead.

ROUND SEVEN

1. Yovani Gallardo
2. Shin-Soo Choo
3. Josh Beckett
4. Kendry Morales
5. Aramis Ramírez
6. Michael Young
7. Adam Dunn
8. Brian Wilson
9. Adam Lind
10. Cole Hamels

Ok, it’s the seventh round and I still don’t have an outfielder, but the studs are all long gone. As the round starts I hope to get Kendry Morales but he and Choo go quickly. I briefly consider usual favorite of mine Adam Dunn, but it’s too early. If he’s there in the 9th or 10th round I’ll grab him, but 7th is too early with those strike out and average numbers. I then consider Ethier and Markakis but gamble they’ll be around for another round and grab what I think is the last of the top 3rd basement left in Ramirez. As soon as I do it I think it’s a mistake. With Chone Figgins still on the board I would have filled a fairly glaring need for speed. The only guy I’ve drafted so far with any SB numbers is Utley in the lower 20s. Ramirez is a very good pick but I do start to regret it somewhat. I comfort myself with Ramirez’s much lower strikeout numbers and overall very consistant stats. I also decide to grab either Ethier or Figgins in the next round. Dunn goes in this round and while I am sorry to see him go, I wouldn’t have touched him for another 3 rounds so it’s not that big a deal. Brian Wilson goes in this round which I think is just plain ridiculous.

ROUND EIGHT

1. Francisco Rodríguez
2. Andre Ethier
3. Chone Figgins
4. Ubaldo Jiménez
5. Heath Bell
6. Jason Bartlett
7. B.J. Upton
8. Matt Cain
9. Manny Ramírez
10. Francisco Cordero

This turns out to be a very weird round. It starts with yet another closer going in K-Rod then the next two are what I hoped would be my next pick in Ethier and Figgins. With a strong need for speed I briefly consider B.J. Upton, but his horrible average and strike out numbers scare me off. I decide I need speed which leaves Markakis out and Granderson’s average and strikeout totals scare me so I go with the overall solid numbers of Bartlett at short. The 30 steals with an average over .300 and lower strike out totals lead me to take the chance. It’s a bit of a risk because Bartlett needs to do it more than more and he is not sure thing to repeat is 2009 success, but I don’t think the risk is a huge one. Before my pick Heath Bell goes and afterwards so does Francisco Cordero. That makes eight closers gone by the end of the 7th round. I think everyone is crazy.

To be continued: Rounds nine through sixteen to come in the morning.

Life is Just a Fantasy: The Early Rankings

So it’s February which is, for most hardcore baseball fans, the worst month of the year. Most or all of the free agents that can make even a small impact on a team is signed, Pitchers and catchers are still a few weeks away and no real baseball activity is going on. However that does make it the perfect time to start thinking about your Fantasy Baseball draft. It’s never too early!

Anyway, since we all have to start thinking about who should be at the top of our fantasy wish lists, I thought I’d list my early top tweleve players per position. These ranks are subject to change once spring training comes around and performance, health and other issues come to light.

Let’s get to it.

STARTING PITCHER
1. Tim Lincecum – SF Giants
2. Roy Halladay - PHI Phillies
3. Felix Hernandez – SEA Mariners
4. Dan Haren – ARI Diamondbacks
5. Justin Verlander – DET Tigers
6. C. C. Sabathia – NY Yankees
7. Cliff Lee – SEA Mariners
8. Johan Santana – NY Mets
9. Zach Greinke – KC Royals
10. Chris Carpenter – STL Cardinals
11. Jon Lester – BOS Red Sox
12. Brandon Webb – ARI Diamondbacks

Ok, I know right off the bat these are gonna blow some people’s minds. I doubt anyone would argue the top four that much. Lincecum has proven himself to be flat out amazing and Halladay, who already was one of the best will only benefit from pitching in the NL and with that offense backing him up. In fact, if Halladay wasn’t a slight injury concern, I would have listed him as #1. I listed Verlander as high as I did because I just saw some serious domination from him in 2009 that I think will increase in 2010. I have Greinke listed as low as I do because the Royals are still terrible and I’d like to see him be as dominate two years in a row before I consider him to be a no brainer. Santana would have ranked higher if there wasn’t a little concern about him coming back from injury. Webb made the cut over names like Adam Wainwright and Josh Johnson mainly because if he is healthy (and Arizona is reporting he’ll be ready for spring training) he’s one of the best in baseball. In fact he would be six or seven spots higher if there was no injury he was returning from.

FIRST BASE
1. Albert Pujols – STL Cardinals
2. Miguel Cabrara – DET Tigers
3. Mark Teixeria – NY Yankees
4. Adrian Gonzales – SD Padres
5. Prince Fielder – MIL Brewers
6. Ryan Howard – PHI Phillies
7. Justin Morneau – MIN Twins
8. Joey Votto – CIN Reds
9. Kevin Youkilis – BOS Red Sox
10. Pablo Sandoval – SF Giants
11. Victor Martinez – BOS Red Sox
12. Mark Reynolds – ARI Diamondbacks

Anyone who would argue #1 shouldn’t be allowed to talk so I’ll skip that. I picked Cabrara over Teixeria mainly because I view him as a mini-Pujols and expect a hell of a year from him. Gonzales is a rising super-star who I think will not only rise above his 2009 production but will also be traded by the trade deadline to a contender and that will increase his value. I think Morneau isn’t given enough credit for being such a great hitter and his injury from 2009 will not linger. Sandoval and Martinez will also be avaialbale at the catcher position and will rank higher there but are still good choices at 1st. Reynolds strikes out a ton but it’s hard to argue with his HR, RBI and Run totals.

SECOND BASE
1. Chase Utley – PHI Phillies
2. Ian Kinsler – TEX Rangers
3. Brandon Phillips – CIN Reds
4. Dustin Pedroia – BOS Red Sox
5. Brian Roberts – BAL Orioles
6. Robinson Cano – NY Yankees
7. Ben Zorbist – TAM Rays
8. Aaron Hill – TOR Blue Jays
9. Jose Lopez – SEA Mariners
10. Dan Uggla – FLA Marlins
11. Ian Stewert – COL Rockies
12. Howie Kendrick – LA Angels

As with 1st base no one will argue with Chase at #1. Phillips is a very balanced player and Roberts’ average, OBP, speed and runs lift him over the at-times inconsistant Cano. Uggla’s stikeouts and poor fielding hurts but 30 HR and 95 RBI at the 2nd base positions is hard to pass up. This is either the year that Kendrick stays healthy and shows how important that sweet swing of his can be or the year the Angels give up on him altogether.

SHORTSTOP
1. Hanley Ramirez – FLA Marlins
2. Jose Reyes – NY Mets
3. Troy Tulowitski – COL Rockies
4. Derek Jeter – NY Yankees
5. Jimmy Rollins – Phi Phillies
6. Jason Bartlett – TAM Rays
7. Yunel Escobar – ATL Braves
8. Elvis Andrus – TEX Rangers
9. Stephen Drew – ARI Diamondbacks
10. Alexi Ramirez – CHI White Sox
11. Asdrubal Cabrera – CLE Indians
12. Erick Aybar – LA Angels

Despite a year that was below expectations, Ramirez continues to be the cream of the crop. Reyes seems 100% healthy as seems determined to earn back the statis he held when being picked in the first round for a few years and I think he will return to that level. Tulowitski benefits from his home stadium but his overall numbers were prtty solid in 2009, showing that he was back to normal after prior struggles in 2008. Jeter is aging very well, and a high average and runs scored plus hitting in that Yankee lineup is wonderful. Rollins’ production has decreased every year for the last three years but he still puts up solid enough numbers in a weak position. Bartlett is the last of the better choices and the position gets thin from there.

THIRD BASE
1. Alex Rodriguez – NY Yankees
2. Evan Longoria – TAM Rays
3. David Wright – NY Mets
4. Ryan Zimmerman – WAS Nationals
5. Pablo Sandoval – SF Giants
6. Kevin Youkillis – BOS Red Sox
7. Aramis Ramierz – CHI Cubs
8. Mark Reynolds – ARI Diamondbacks
9. Chone Figgins – SEA Mariners
10. Michael Young – TEX Rangers
11. Chipper Jones – ATL Braves
12. Jorge Cantu – FLA Marlins

A-Rod’s 2009 was nothing short of incredible. Not his numbers, which were good, if unspectacular, but because of the way the year started with his steriod scandal but ended with him having a great postseason performance and a world series championship. Longoria had a fantastic start to 2009 but had a little bit of a rough 2nd half and is still one of the brightest players in all of MLB. Wright’s 2009 was an abberation and while I don’t expect 30+ home runs a .315, 24, 105, 25 SB season is more than within reason. Sandoval, Youkillis and Reynolds are eligable at multiple positions so that makes them even more valuable. Jones would have ranked higher if he could just stay healthy. His bat is still ultra dangerous.

OUTFIELD
1. Ryan Braun – MIL Brewers
2. Matt Kemp – LA Dodgers
3. Matt Holliday – STL Cardinals
4. Jacoby Ellsbury – BOS Red Sox
5. Carl Crawford – TAM Rays
6. Justin Upton – ARI Diamondbacks
7. Jason Werth – PHI Phillies
8. Grady Sizemore – CLE Indians
9. Jason Bay – NY Mets
10. Ichiro Suzuki – SEA Mariners
11. Adam Lind – TOR Blue Jays
12. Adam Dunn – WAS Nationals

This position was much harder than I would have thought. Braun was the no doubt #1. He’s a seriously scary hitter And his 1/2 punch with Fielder reminds me of the Manny/Big Papi duo of 2003/2004. Kemp’s star is rising and the SBs keep him just above Holliday, who will enjoy a full season in St. Louis with Pujlos. Carlos Beltran would have actually placed at either #2 or #3 before he went down for surgery, but I cannot put him in the top 15 until we see how fast he comes back and how well he recovers. Ellsbury ranks ahead of Crawford here because I think his power will increase and his SB output is higher, but they really are interchangeable. However NEITHER ONE is a first round pick so don’t waste it there. The next few spots are also interchangable to a point depending on your desire for speed or power. Suzuki’s high average isn’t enough to offset the decrease in SBs for him and Lind and Dunn’s high power numbers let them top off the rankings. Lind might break 40 HRs this year and Dunn’s numbers are so consistant you know what they will be. 40 home runs and 100 RBI with the occasional SB to help take the sting away from the likely .250 BA and high strike outs.

CATCHER
1. Joe Mauer – MIN Twins
2. Victor Martinez – BOS Red Sox
3. Brian McCann – ATL Braves
4. Matt Wieters – BAL Orioles
5. Miguel Montero – ARI Diamondbacks
6. Jorge Posada – NY Yankees
7. Ryan Doumit – PIT Pirates
8. Geovany Soto – CHI Cubs
9. Kurt Suzuki – OAK A’s
10. Mike Napoli – LA Angels
11. Bengie Molina – SF Giants
12. Russell Martin – LA Dodgers

Joe Mauer is the best pure hitter in baseball. Yes there is always a little injury risk with him but the guy can flat out HIT. Martinez will play a little 1st and DH on occasion to keep him fresh as possible and he is back to his normal production. McCann is still a solid plus at the plate. After him though, it gets a little more hazy. Wieters should improve and a .280, 22 HR season is not out of the question at all. Montero is decent but Posada, despite very good numbers will get less chances to DH then I would have expected since the Yanks have Nick Johnson logjamming that position. A DL stint is likely for Posada but his numbers should by similar enough to 2009 that he’s worth more than the rest of the position ranked after him. In fact, after Doumit and maybe Soto the rest are a total crapshoot. Soto needs to regain that power stroke that helped him so much in 2008 and Doumit needs a full season without injury. If you do not get one of the top five or six guys here, do not panic and draft someone too early for the sake or grabbing a catcher. After Posada the numbers will all be just about the same most likely. Wait until the much later rounds.

RELIEF PITCHER
1. Marino Rivera – NY Yankees
2. Joe Nathan – MIN Twins
3. Jonathan Papelbon – BOS Red Sox
4. Francisco Rodriquez – NY Mets
5. Jonathan Broxton – LA Dodgers
6. Joakim Soria – KC Royals
7. Heath Bell – SD Padres
8. Huston Street – COL Rockies
9. Jose Valverde – DET Tigers
10. Francisco Cordero – CIN Reds
11. Andrew Bailey – OAK A’s
12. Trevor Hoffman – MIL Brewers

Rivera is a machine. Don’t bother doubting him and he’ll have a lot of save oppertunities. Nathan and Papelbon are still as solid as they come despite their postseason struggles. K-Rod will have more leads to protect this year with 65% of the team back from injury and I expect a bounce back from his sub-par 2nd half. Broxton and Street also had postseason struggles but are a good source of saves. If Soria was on a better team he would be ranked higher, but still expect 30 from him anyway. Bell is way under valued and the Giants will be decent enough this year. Valverde will be good for the Tigers and I expect him to do fine in the AL. The best advice I can give for RPs is this: DO NOT DRAFT A CLOSER BEFORE THE 12th ROUND. Every year a few closers go down to injury or lose their jobs and cheap saves can ALWAYS be found. Do NOT overpay for saves people. There is always decent value in the late rounds.