Looking Forward to Early Drafts...

[DOUGHBOYS]

Just to whet appetites for those looking forward to the early drafts...
We are in the midst of our second early draft. Here are some of the highlights....

As with probably most drafts conducted this upcoming year, Mike Trout was the top pick with Jose Altuve behind him at number two.
Aaron Judge, the third pick in one draft. Mookie Betts, the other number three.
Paul Goldschmidt was the number five pick in both drafts.

The top four pitchers have broken away from the rest of the field.
Kershaw, Scherzer, Sale, and Kluber were selected in the first round of both drafts.
Remember when it was a story if even one pitcher was taken in the first round?
Steven Strasburg was the only pitcher selected in the second round of both drafts.

Speaking of pitching, fantasy drafters are slowly showing the trend of mirroring baseball.
In the second draft, three relievers without a Closer's job were drafted by the 15th round.
Andrew Miller, Chris Devenski, and Archie Bradley.
In the past, Closers in Waiting were late 20 round selections.
It can be argued if these pitchers really even qualify as CIW. More so, pitchers that will help peripheral statistics, without much regard for Wins or Saves, as in real baseball.

Speedsters Dee Gordon and Billy Hamilton were coveted.
Gordon, a second rounder in both drafts, Hamilton likewise in the third round.
Three rookies made the first two rounds.
Aaron Judge was drafted in the first round of both drafts.
Cody Bellinger was selected in the second round of each draft.
And Andrew Benintendi sneaked into one draft in the second round.

The top three catchers were consistent and after many years, Buster Posey was not the first catcher picked...nor the second.
Gary Sanchez, a second rounder.
Willson Contreras, fourth round.
Buster Posey, fifth round.
The top two Closers, after many years, did not include the name, Aroldis Chapman.
Kenley Jansen is the first Closer off the board in the third round, followed closely by Craig Kimbrel in the fourth.

Here is the fantasy 'Dream Starting Lineups' from the drafts....

C- Gary Sanchez
C- Willson Contreras
1B- Paul Goldschmidt
2B- Jose Altuve
3B- Nolan Arenado
SS- Trea Turner
MI- Carlos Correa
CI- Kris Bryant
OF- Mike Trout
OF- Aaron Judge
OF- Bryce Harper
OF- Charlie Blackmon
OF- Giancarlo Stanton
U- Mookie Betts

SP- Clayton Kershaw
SP- Max Scherzer
SP- Chris Sale
SP- Corey Kluber
SP- Steve Strasburg
SP- Justin Verlander
SP- Madison Bumgarner
CL- Kenley Jansen
CL- Craig Kimbrel

[DOUGHBOYS]

Some thoughts about these early drafts....

It doesn't seem that long ago when we were excited to draft the Mets quartet of pitchers.
Syndergaard, Harvey, Wheeler, and Matz.
Like a triumvirate of past Mets pitchers, these pitchers did not meet expectations.
Instead of getting excited when saying the four pitchers names, now Mets fans just shake their heads.
If one or two pitchers battle injury on a team, that could be considered a coincidence. If the whole staff has problems, it's a trend. The Mets other Starter, Jake deGrom, had ulnar surgery at the end of last year. deGrom does not march to the Mets doctoring staff. When faced with having his ulnar surgery, he confided in his own doctor and former pitcher, John Smoltz who had a similar procedure.
The Mets begin losing these pitchers next year to free agency. A cinch they will not re-sign with the club.
It'll be interesting to see if they flourish under a different organizations care and philosophy.

In early drafts, Syndergaard with a shorter injury history is being drafted in the third round.
deGrom also being selected in third rounds.
Harvey, Wheeler, and Matz are 20-something rounders.
What about you?
Are you willing to take a chance?


Nelson Cruz, Albert Pujols, and Hanley Ramirez garner 'Old Man' status this coming year. Utility only players.
Cruz has turned himself from being an injury-riddled youngster to a reliable slugger.
Pujols, a former number one pick in drafts, makes us feel sore just watching him run.
Ramirez, seemingly, has been tried at every position, failing all of them.

Cruz is being selected in the fifth round of drafts. His slugger status still intact.
He joins David Ortiz and Edgar Martinez as top five round choices with a Utility only designation.
Pujols is a teens-round hitter.
Ramirez can be had in any round starting with a '2' with another digit behind it.
Any interest in these old farts?
Are they worth a spot on your roster without a gloved position?

Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Andrew Benintendi blew fantasy drafters away with their wonderful rookie years.
This years drafters will have to pay a high price to roster them.
But what about the Johnnie-come-latelies in Rhys Hoskins and Matt Olson?
Hoskins did his drafters the solid of qualifying at both 1B/OF.
Olson tried, but only played 12 games in the outfield.
Both showed prodigious power potential after being called up late last year.
Where are they being drafted?
Glad you asked.
Hoskins was drafted in the fourth round of both drafts.
Olson was had in the sixth round of one draft, seventh in the other.
Another late season call-up, Rafael Devers had a wider variance.
Devers was a 12th round selection in one draft, ninth round in the other.
Interested in these three?
Did they show you enough to draft them in these rounds.

If having any other questions about the early drafts, respond here or pm me.
I'll do my best to answer reasonable questions

[Wolfpac]

Curious to where the Royals free agents are going Hosmer, Cain and Moose. They're free agents right? Always curious to see where guys go before drafters even know what team they're on.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Hosmer went in rounds four and five.

Moustakas was a sixth round selection.

Drafters varied in their feelings for Lorenzo Cain.
He went in the fifth round of one draft. Ninth in the other.

[fwicker]

Is there a full record of your draft available anywhere?

[DOUGHBOYS]

No.
Kept between the entrants and NFBC.

[uky]

It would be cool if you guys in the "early draft" posted it with comments. We do the "Trendsetters" draft in football immediatly following the SB. A few of us post our picks through each phase of the draft, and most post their teams upon completion of the draft, which is about 4 months before the season starts. It makes for good conversation on the MB's. I guess you're divulging too much info 5 months prior to next season.

[mbendar16]

I will be interested to see how Devers moves as the season gets closer. He was pretty solid in his rookie year, with potential for more. I would put him in Kyle Seager's class, which is better than a 10th round pick (avg of the 2 drafts). Stability in Seager vs. Potential for a big gain if Devers takes his talent to the next level.

[DOUGHBOYS]

It would be cool if you guys in the "early draft" posted it with comments. We do the "Trendsetters" draft in football immediatly following the SB. A few of us post our picks through each phase of the draft, and most post their teams upon completion of the draft, which is about 4 months before the season starts. It makes for good conversation on the MB's. I guess you're divulging too much info 5 months prior to next season.

Apples and oranges, Bill.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I will be interested to see how Devers moves as the season gets closer. He was pretty solid in his rookie year, with potential for more. I would put him in Kyle Seager's class, which is better than a 10th round pick (avg of the 2 drafts). Stability in Seager vs. Potential for a big gain if Devers takes his talent to the next level.

He looked so good at times during the season.
He looked so bad at times during the season.
His fielding was not at a Major League level to be sure.

[uky]

It would be cool if you guys in the "early draft" posted it with comments. We do the "Trendsetters" draft in football immediatly following the SB. A few of us post our picks through each phase of the draft, and most post their teams upon completion of the draft, which is about 4 months before the season starts. It makes for good conversation on the MB's. I guess you're divulging too much info 5 months prior to next season.

Apples and oranges, Bill.

Really, you care to elaborate? I'm not referring to the Baseball/Football debate. I know which one is more difficult. I was referring to 5-6 months in advance drafting players and commenting during the draft.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Bill, you're talking more than twice as many players.
In football, a starting lineup of 10 players. Baseball, 23.

I hate the word, 'sleeper', but baseball drafters are more secretive about 'their' players. Not wanting to divulge their 'likes' especially deeper in drafts.
There are no 'waste' positions in baseball.
Football has kickers and Defenses that,with 100% confidence, will not be drafted before the 10th round.
Baseball has no such position.
Apples and oranges.

[mbendar16]

Agreed Dan on his fielding. Improvement there could lead to the bat as well, especially for a 21 year old gaining confidence on both sides of the field. I know it was in the middle of Chapman's struggles, but a Homer to left center off a 102 mph fastball was one of the more impressive at-bats of the season. Certainly better than looking at 6 pitches in a quality-at-bat

[DOUGHBOYS]

Agreed Dan on his fielding. Improvement there could lead to the bat as well, especially for a 21 year old gaining confidence on both sides of the field. I know it was in the middle of Chapman's struggles, but a Homer to left center off a 102 mph fastball was one of the more impressive at-bats of the season. Certainly better than looking at 6 pitches in a quality-at-bat

Those Boston broadcasters did not let us forget about that at bat for the rest of the year!!!

It was impressive.

[uky]

Bill, you're talking more than twice as many players.
In football, a starting lineup of 10 players. Baseball, 23.

I hate the word, 'sleeper', but baseball drafters are more secretive about 'their' players. Not wanting to divulge their 'likes' especially deeper in drafts.
There are no 'waste' positions in baseball.
Football has kickers and Defenses that,with 100% confidence, will not be drafted before the 10th round.
Baseball has no such position.
Apples and oranges.

Dan, I just thought transparency would be cool. There are sleepers in football, esp in the early drafts. Catchers can be a "waste" position, just like closers. People do "PUNT" catagories and/or positions in BB. That doesn't happen in FB.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Bill, I can argue baseball vs. football all day

Sure, there are a few sleepers in football. But baseball reeks of them.
Catchers were taken in the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds of the early drafts.
That can never be said about defenses or kickers which make up 20% of a starting lineup in football.
Catchers are to baseball as tight ends are to football.

I know I don't feel comfortable in listing my 50 picks of a Draft Championship well before other Draft Championships.
It just wouldn't be smart, would it?
In football, you are basically drafting quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers in different orders.
Checkers.
In baseball, there are twice the positions making up only 50 % of our scoring.
We have to integrate pitching into that puzzle.
Chess.

I have four fantasy football teams. I can tell others who I drafted.
The players are more interchangeable with less positions.
It really is apples and oranges.

[uky]

Dan, like I said previously, I don't want to debate BB/FB. I disagree with you on the "sleeper" aspect, sport vs sport. Both games have their purposes. IMO, the biggest reason more don't play Fantasy BB, it is such a grind, day to day, too many players to deal with. I don't think it's the draft, it's the inseason roster management.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I agree, Bill.
Baseball is a day to day grind.
Football is a once a week game.
I disagree about the 'secrets'.
The sheer volume of baseball over football invites a lot more 'secretive likes' over football.
There are many. many more football drafters that would show their teams early over baseball drafters.
It's just the nature of the two beasts.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Bill, I have to let you know that while I am conveying my thoughts to you, I'm wishing that my computer would answer, not with your typed words, but your voice.
I still marvel at the neat accent.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I'm not a lawyer, so I'll ask a question that I do not know the answer to....

Did football have the 'Anonymous' controversy' as baseball did in the past?
Anonymous did not even want his draft displayed in front of 14 other drafters, let alone the whole community.
That is more the baseball way.

[uky]

I agree, Bill.
Baseball is a day to day grind.
Football is a once a week game.
I disagree about the 'secrets'.
The sheer volume of baseball over football invites a lot more 'secretive likes' over football.
There are many. many more football drafters that would show their teams early over baseball drafters.
It's just the nature of the two beasts.

My reasoning is players that invested in early drafts in Hunt or Watson prospered. A shame Watson went down. There have been other rookies that went in early rounds as expected, but very few expected what these two have done.

And I disagree with you on the "secretive", I think most fantasy baseball players are naturally "paranoid"....

[uky]

Bill, I have to let you know that while I am conveying my thoughts to you, I'm wishing that my computer would answer, not with your typed words, but your voice.
I still marvel at the neat accent.

GO CATS....

[DOUGHBOYS]

And I disagree with you on the "secretive", I think most fantasy baseball players are naturally "paranoid"....

I can't argue with that at all, Bill !!!

[uky]

I'm not a lawyer, so I'll ask a question that I do not know the answer to....

Did football have the 'Anonymous' controversy' as baseball did in the past?
Anonymous did not even want his draft displayed in front of 14 other drafters, let alone the whole community.
That is more the baseball way.

Not sure about this, but then again "MadMen" doesn't do early football drafts..

[DOUGHBOYS]

I'm not a lawyer, so I'll ask a question that I do not know the answer to....

Did football have the 'Anonymous' controversy' as baseball did in the past?
Anonymous did not even want his draft displayed in front of 14 other drafters, let alone the whole community.
That is more the baseball way.

Not sure about this, but then again "MadMen" doesn't do early football drafts..

That's ok, it points more towards paranoia than anything else