Tuesday night I participated in Tout Wars Mixed Draft League. This is a 15-team 5X5 league with OBP instead of BAvg where you draft your 23 starters and then get six reserve picks. I drew the ninth pick so let’s see how I fared and what happened at this draft table of fantasy industry veterans that might help you in upcoming drafts.
The draft started normally with the usual suspects – Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Ronald Acuna, Juan Soto, Cody Bellinger, and Mookie Betts taken off the board. One of the first-round questions in a fifteen team is when would the top pitchers get drafted? In this draft it was 1.07 when Gerrit Cole was taken. Then we had the middle infield run as Trea Turner was taken at 1.08, I selected Fransisco Lindor, and Trevor Story followed. Back to the elite starting pitchers, Jacob deGrom went at 1.11, hardly a surprise. But after Noland Arenado was drafted the end of the first round was Walker Buehler (surprisingly ahead of), Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer.
At my second pick I had to choose whether to take the best pitcher available (Jack Flaherty) or add another big bat and hope I would see either Stephen Strasburg or Clayton Kershaw (yes, I think he is back this year and 200 innings from him would be huge) would make it back to me in the third round. So, I took Mets first baseman Pete Alonso hoping for 40 home runs in his second season (I doubt he hits another fifty in his sophomore season). No such luck as the Cole owner doubled up with Shane Bieber and the Betts owner took Flaherty at 2.10. Strasburg went with the last pick in the second round and teams two, three, and four took Mike Clevinger, Patrick Corbin, and Kershaw in the order. I chose Charlie Morton at 3.09 over Zach Greinke.
Blake Snell was the only other pitcher taken in the third round but the fourth round saw Yu Darvish, Chris Paddack, Luis Castillo, Chris Sale, and Aaron Nola get selected. So through four rounds every team had drafted one starting pitcher and three teams had taken two. This is definitely an increase or this group and more closely resembles and NFBC draft. The two surprises for me were the injured Clevinger being drafted in the third round and Sale being drafted in the fourth. Sale was taken with a significant discount, but with him seeking a third opinion on his left elbow is too much of a risk a team’s “ace”.
Here are a few other draft picks that you may be interested in:
- The first catcher, J.T. Realmuto came off the board at 6.08 (Yasmani Grandal and Gary Sanchez followed in the seventh round (btw Grandal has yet to play in a spring training game this year)
- Aaron Judge was a slight discount in the fourth round due to his shoulder ailment – his teammate Giancarlo Stanton went at 9.15
- Josh Hader was the first closer off the board (5.06) with Kirby Yates drafted at 7.08. The next one – Aroldis Chapman went at 7.15, with the same team taking Roberto Osuna at 8,01 (giving him five pitchers in the first eight rounds – curious to see how his offense stacks up)
- The real closer run was in the 9th (six) and 10th (seven) rounds.
Here is a recap of my draft
1.09 Francisco Lindor
2.07 Pete Alonso
3.09 Charlie Morton
4.07 Cavan Biggio
5.09 Ramon Laureano
6.07 Mike Soroka
7.09 Gary Sanchez
8.07 Liam Hendriks
9.09 Justin Turner
10.07 Mike Minor
11.09 Adam Eaton
12.07 Jorge Polanco
13.09 Masahiro Tanaka
14.08 Justin Upton
15.09 Eric Thames
16.07 Kole Calhoun
17.09 Ryan Yarbrough
18.07 Alex Verdugo
19.09 Kurt Suzuki
20.07 Dakota Hudson
21.09 Dallas Keuchel
22.07 Anibal Sanchez
23,09 Jesus Aguilar
24.07 James Karinchak
25.09 Jose Martinez
26.07 Jordan Hicks (IL)
27.09 Carl Edwards Jr.
28.07 Jose Peraza
29.09 Domingo German (S)
The Hicks and German picks were made because this league will have its first FAAB run right before the season starts when I can “DL” them and add two more reserves.
An interesting draft to be sure. As with most teams, the fate of this squad will be dependent on how the pitching ends up and in vigorous pursuit of free agent players to help either specific category shortages or replace players who might be injured or not performing. I certainly have enough power and a strong OBP. Steals may need Peraza running for the Red Sox. Saves will need either Edwards to break out of the committee in Seattle; Karinchak succeeding Brad Hand if he is traded; or finding some on the free agent list – one reason I created two slots to be replaced.
Always glad to answer questions about my picks or this draft in the Subscriber Forum.