Alright, time to finish these up.
NYC MAIN EVENT - PICK 14
The NYC Main Event was not only the last of my three drafted Mains, but also my very last fantasy baseball draft of the year. I'm already suffering severe withdrawal symptoms.
No easy way to end the draft season as well. This was the acknowledged toughest draw of all the NYC drafts with my neighbor Dobies, Modica, Gillis, Lemke, Ante, Ericson, Santucci, and on and on and on in this league. In fact, it was one of the toughest draws of any Main Event league, NYC or elsewhere. Of course, it did have one saving grace, the Massotto factor. Yes, Mikey was in this draft. However, even as a 14-teamer it was a brutal. Add the fact that despite my 1-15 KDS setting, I was awarded the 14th pick, I wasn't feeling that great about my prospects.
Like I wrote in the review of my Vegas Main, I feel that the 1-8 slots had a great edge over the back end drafters this season. And again as I wrote for my Vegas Main, I felt my best shot of pulling out a special team from this tough spot in this tough league was to play it a little different. Though recent drafts convinced me that it was unlikely, my best case scenario and hope was to garner either King Felix or Scherzer, and then be able to pair them with a big hitter out of the first turn. However from that point, I knew I'd have to take some even bigger chances.
I'm typically a risk reward high upside whore when drafting. Though I was relatively satisfied with my previous two Main Event drafts, I did think I played it a little safe... well safe for me. Therefore my hope in this draft was to grab as much upside as possible, risk be damned. Though there were several players I had on this target list, three specific players were at the center of this thought process that I hadn't been able to grab for either of my other two Main Event efforts.... Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant, Joc Pederson.
I liked all three going into the live draft weekends. However, their meteoric rise up the boards prior to the live weekends continued during these live drafts and took me a little by surprise. They always seemed to be taken well before my initial comfort level and expectations for where they would/should go would allow. Though I wouldn't chase them further up the boards, I had decided if Betts was available at the 3/4 turn, if Bryant was available at the 5/6 turn, and if Pederson was available at the 9/10 turn, I would grab them over maybe some safer choices, hope they live up to their monstrous hype, and hit their astronomical ceilings. Of course there were no guarantees that any of these players would be available at these turns. However, I figured if I was able to pull this off and they did live up to the hype, and if I was also able to surround them with some solid foundation players and a few more high upside types, maybe, just maybe I could put together something special from this tough spot.
1.14 - Edwin Encarnacion - As stated for my Vegas Main review, I'm very high on Encarnacion. I consider him one of "my guys". Power, BA upside, strong lineup, hitter's park, even a few SB's. What's there not to like? However, there was one other option that I needed to think through. Though Scherzer was grabbed the pick right before mine, King Felix was surprisingly still on the board, and as stated earlier I felt he could be a huge key to what I wanted to accomplish in this draft. However, Encarnacion was a big fit as well. I wanted both. I strongly considered just grabbing the King here. However Roy Ericson was drafting right after me at the turn and was the only obstacle to my being able roster both Encarnacion and King Felix. I recalled that he had built his Super Auction team the night before with high dollar offensive players and focused on the next tier of pitchers like Carrasco, Pineda, Cashner, and Richards for his pitching staff. I rolled the dice that his strategy might be the same here and he'd pass on the King for two hitters.
2.2 - Felix Hernandez - My roll of the dice came up a winner. Roy took Hanley and Donaldson and left as safe a proven ace as there is in this game for me to anchor my staff.
3.14 - Zack Greinke - Mookie Betts was still on the board. However, Greinke was the absolute last pitcher in my tier of true aces left on the board. With the upside risk reward pitchers I would be focusing on later, I thought a dual aces strategy built around King Felix and Greinke would make my staff viable no matter how those riskier pitchers played out. I just couldn't pass on Greinke here.
4.2 - Mookie Betts - Mookie went in the 2nd round at the draft table next to mine. More than any other player, Betts soared up boards this spring. Once it was clear that he had won out over Rusney and that this across the board talent would be batting leadoff atop a great lineup in Fenway, and coming off his big spring, there was no slowing down the hype or his rise. I felt lucky to still be able to roster him from this spot. Upside target #1 on board.
5.14 - Victor Martinez - Man, Martinez fell in drafts this spring. His preseason injury and injury history just scared the hell outta the NFBC. However, he was good to go for Opening Day, has always been a reliable BA/moderate power bat when in the lineup, bats cleanup for one of baseball's best lineups, and is coming off a career year. I had a 1B already, but I thought what Martinez brought to the table from this spot in run production, power, and BA protection was worth tying up my corner this early. He wouldn't have made it around the turn as Roy made his displeasure clear when I grabbed him.
6.2 - Kris Bryant - Was there a bigger lightning rod for opposing opinions this spring than Bryant? I thought I was reading a political debate between the Tea Party and a Kennedy liberal the views were so radical from one extreme to the other. One thing's for certain however, Bryant has ridiculous natural power. If his contact rates play close to neutral, he could be a monster. If it doesn't, he could be this year's biggest bust. We'll find out. Either way, he's a perfect fit to how I'm trying to build this team. I didn't realize how unlikely it was that I'd be able to draft him by targeting him at this turn, until walking around looking at the other draft boards during the first break and seeing his name in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Upside target #2 on board.
7.14 - Chris Carter - There weren't a lot of potential 35-40 home run candidates in this year's player pool. I am all over being able to grab one this late. Carter's found his way onto quite a few of my teams as I feel his power is being undervalued. With Encarnacion, Bryant, and Carter rostered, and with Martinez and Betts both potential power contributors, I feel I've built a very strong power base for this team. Time to address other categories.
8.2 - Masahiro Tanaka - Pitching has flown off the boards as the entire mid-tier of pitchers I've liked to grab for my SP2 or 3 in previous drafts had been wiped out. Well, the entire tier except for Tanaka. I've rostered Tanaka on several of my teams. Yes, huge risk, tremendous risk, monster risk. But what about the reward? Coming off his dominant performance last year, Tanaka would likely have been drafted in the 2nd or 3rd rounds this year... if not for the elbow concerns. I know. That's like saying a nuclear reactor in our backyards would make a nice power source if not for the meltdown concerns. The early returns haven't been great, but the velocity readings are still there and several other pitchers in the past have pitched successfully for years with the same elbow injury. If he can pull it together and even approach last year's performance, this is the kinda pick that wins leagues.... or loses them.
9.14 / 10.2 - Salvador Perez / Danny Santana - This was supposed to be the Joc Pederson turn. And he was available...for both picks. Yet though part of the pre-draft focus, I didn't grab him here as planned. I was surprised that Perez and Santana were still on the board and I couldn't pass here on scarce position options that in a vacuum I "expect" as much as if not more from than Pederson. Still, I really struggled with passing on Pederson. His upside is vastly higher than the other two choices, even if the chances of him hitting it is far from a sure bet. I took the full minute to make my picks in both these rounds while considering these options. I had no catcher rostered and Perez was a very solid option with some still remaining upside. I had no middle infielders rostered and Santana filled that need, as well as the need to start acquiring some speed to go with the power I had built earlier. However Pederson was the 3rd piece to the extreme upside puzzle I wanted to build since I first started working on my strategy for this draft. I knew whichever of the three I let go had no chance to make it back to me. What it finally came down to is that if I passed on Perez or Santana, I thought it a huge drop to the next tier of players and expected contributions at their respective positions. While if passing on Pederson, there were other upside OF's I liked, almost as much. So, I passed on Pederson. I've been questioning the decision since making it. I hope I don't end up regretting it.
11.14 / 12.2 - Francisco Rodriguez / Brett Cecil - Closers were starting to go. Being at the turn, I knew if I passed here, I would be left with the dregs once again. I grabbed two remaining options that I thought had a good chance to hold onto the job for a while. Sigh.
I shoulda waited on the dregs. I hate closers.
13.14 / 14.2 / 15.14 - Steven Souza / Kristopher Davis / Dalton Pompey - When I passed on Joc Pederson for Perez and Santana, these are three of the players who helped me make that choice. I love the upside for each, especially Souza.
16.2 - Derek Holland -
Sigh. Risk/reward. Unfortunately, sometimes risk wins out big. Though you'd hope to get more than one inning before you find out.
17.14 / 18.4 - Chris Owings / Wilin Rosario - After making the Holland pick, my focus for this turn was to fill out my two remaining open MI positions. I hoped to grab two of either Marcus Semien, Chris Owings, or Micah Johnson. Semien went about 10 picks before me, but both Owings and Micah made it back. At that point, I felt extremely confident I would get both. Roy had used 3 of his top 8 picks on MI's in Hanley, Reyes, and Pedroia and had other needs besides a 4th MI. I felt there was absolutely zero chance he'd take another here. I grabbed Owings first and just waited for Roy to make his two picks before I'd grab Micah. Yet for reasons I still don't get, Roy chose Micah with his 2nd pick of this turn. I was shocked and totally unprepared to take someone else. I scrambled for my full minute and tried to find another upside MI I liked here. Not finding one, I looked at the catcher position and called out Rosario with seconds left on the clock. Terrible pick. I should have grabbed Vogt, but didn't notice him listed at 1B on my draft software. I just wasn't ready. When I asked Roy why he grabbed Micah when his MI slots were all filled and he had several other spots to fill, he said he needed speed and would just switch Hanley to OF. Ok. This pick still pains me. Ahh well.
19.14 / 20.2 / 22.2 - Jimmy Nelson / Shane Greene / TJ House - Three of a handful of upside pitchers I've been targeting and rostering here and there, one or another on many of my teams. For this one, I was able to grab these three. So far so good for Nelson and Greene. Hopefully House can join the party.
21.14 - Kevin Kiermaier - Someone I like more than most and have rostered on many of my teams. A nice skill set with some power, some speed and a nice opportunity.
23.14 / 24.2 - Devon Travis / Odubel Herrera - Having missed out on Micah, I still needed to fill 2B and still felt shy in speed. Here are a couple young upside players eligible at the position who can contribute to the SB ledger that I hope can make me feel lucky for having missed out on Micah.
25.14 / 28.2 / 29.14 - Josh Hamilton / JJ Hardy / Coco Crisp - A small handful of stashes that if I'm able to hold onto may be able to contribute/provide depth later on this season.
26.2 / 30.2 - Alfredo Simon / JA Happ - A couple more pitchers with slightly less upside, but with some potential to contribute when needed.
27.14 - Chris Johnson - Already dropped for Asche, who will also likely be dropped once Bryant is called up...hopefully in 3 more days.
I enjoyed drafting this team. It was a fun strategy to try to make happen, and a simple one at that. Grab aces and chase upside. I do kinda wish I had been more determined to grab Pederson when available and REALLY wish Holland and Cecil had given me more than one inning each in the roles I had drafted them. Still, if I can fill the obvious holes, and the upside I've put together pans out, this could be a team that is as fun for me to follow in season as it was to draft. We'll see.
So there it is. My Main Event draft reviews are finally done, and only 10 days into the season.
All that's left is three teams, three hopes, three Chases for the NFBC.