Round 21

DBacks 2005 Tony Clark

Since I did not play in version 2, I ended up with the 13th pick out of 16, for franchise selection. I was very happy the Astros was still on the board as '22 Justin Verlander (175 ip, 1.61 erc#) is one of the best SPs (under $8M) available in this format. '99 Billy Wagner (75 ip, 1.20 erc#) was a no-brainer selection for RP. Ironically, he is the only LH pitcher on my roster.

My two position players came down to a choice between three guys... Bagwell, Berkman and Bregman. Berkman was a lock as my OF and I selected '04 Lance Berkman (134 ops+) despite his D- range in the OF. I just can't pass up a .450 OBP switch-hitter. So now, it's Bagwell or Bregman as my infielder. I went with '19 Alex Bregman (133 ops+) due to his position flexibility (can play 3B & SS) in this type of unpredictable draft.
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Round 1 - Marlins
'22 Sandy Alcantara
At first, I was bummed to have drawn a crappy franchise this early, but it's better to pick early from a weak franchise than picking late. My choices were Miguel Cabrera, Mike Piazza and Sandy Alcantara. Quality starting pitching always goes early in these drafts, so it really wasn't much of a choice. Trivia question. Since 2021, how many pitchers have thrown for at least 220 innings? Yep, Sandy Alcantara is the only one. His 2.21 erc# is the fourth best among all SPs with 220+ IPs that cost less than $8M since 1955.
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Round 2 - Marlins
'98 Mike Piazza
Wow, I drew the Marlins twice in the first two rounds. Thankfully, they have an offensive stud catcher. '98 Mike Piazza (.328, .389, .556) is one of only 3 catchers under $8M with 600+ PA, with a throwing arm better than D- that has an OPS+ of at least 130.
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Round 3 - Dodgers
'21 Walker Buehler
Dodgers are full of SP options. I passed on '21 Scherzer (179 ip, 1.99 erc#) due to his HRs and went with '21 Walker Buehler (208 ip, 2.11 erc#). His 0.82 hr/9 ended up being the highest on my team. I now have three SPs with a total of 612 IPs. I planned on going with a 5-man rotation due to the $8M salary cap.
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Round 4 - Yankees
'20 DJ LeMahieu
After getting the Marlins twice, I now have been fortunate to draw the Dodgers and Yankees. I was very tempted to draft '23 Gerrit Cole (who went to ff09 in round 14), but didn't want another SP that is HR prone. I also strongly considered Bernie Williams here, but filling OF is much easier later in the draft than filling the infield. Because I have Alex Bregman, I went with '20 DJ LeMahieu (138 ops+) because he can play 2B and 3B, so now I have two versatile infielders that cover 2B, 3B and SS, and have flexibility on who I pick later on. I am a bit concerned that 3 of my 4 hitters are right-handed, plus all 3 of my SPs. This is when I start thinking about playing home games at Hilltop.
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Round 5 - Reds
'68 Pete Rose
Had I not taken LeMahieu last round, I almost surely would have taken '74 Joe Morgan here. But I didn't want to lock in Bregman at SS just yet. So my other two choices were '77 Tom Seaver and '68 Pete Rose. Seaver never does well for me in the sim, plus his HR frequency won't fare well if I take a HR park, while '68 Pete Rose (.347 avg#, .407 ops#, .492 slg#, 134 ops+) gives me a switch hitter that won't be hurt by the Hilltop's -3 HR to right field.
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Round 6 - Yankees
'98 Bernie Williams
Wow, how lucky am I to draw the Yankees again? This was an easy choice. I love '98 Bernie Williams (.334, .416, .550, A-/A) even though he has 578 PA. This was one of the easiest choices in the draft for me.
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Round 7 - Rangers
'11 Mike Napoli
I initially considered relief pitching here but when I saw a stud catcher available, I couldn't pass up '11 Mike Napoli (432 pa, 143 ops+) even though I already have '98 Mike Piazza. I can pick and choose the teams that Piazza (D+ arm) starts against. I have a number right-handed power hitters. Looks like I'll either be playing at Hilltop or some high-HR park.
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Round 8 - Giants
'89 Kevin Mitchell
I still only have one RP (Billy Wagner), but when a stud hitter is available, I have to take him. Kevin Mitchell (640 pa, 151 ops+) has a very nice performance history and what's wrong with having one more right-handed power hitter in my Hilltop lineup? Mitchell becomes my fourth OF, which means Berkman will play DH. I still need a 1B, and I considered '89 Will Clark with this pick and maybe I should have taken him (lefty bat, .333 average, only 23 HRs, A+ range). I am hoping to pull the Giants later, then I will take Clark.
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Round 9 - Dodgers
'22 Tony Gonsolin
Well, I need some bullpen innings, and what's better than a 130-inning SP with a 1.69 erc#? '22 Tony Gonsolin's 0.76 hr/9 is the 2nd highest on my team, but I love his low 0.91 whip# and 5.4 ip/g. The only eligible SPs with 100-150 IPs with a better erc# include '16 Kershaw, '20 Gonsolin and '80 Richard. This was a key pick for me since I really needed some bullpen innings. This pick will allow me to take some really short-inning guys later in the draft.
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Round 10 - Phillies
'11 Roy Halladay
Still needing a 1B, I strongly considered Ryan Howard, but I wanted to grab my fourth SP here. It was a very close call between '24 Zack Wheeler (200 ip, 2.14 erc#) and '11 Roy Halladay (234 ip, 2.30 erc#). Again, it came down to HR rate. Wheeler's hr/9# of 0.67 was twice as high as Halladay's 0.32. I am a bit concerned about Hallday's high oav# (.243). Now, I am considering not playing at Hilltop and instead playing in a high HR park with low 1B/2B/3B like Bennett Park.
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Round 11 - Cubs
'98 Sammy Sosa
Although I need more RP innings, there weren't any pitchers that I really wanted. I don't care if my team ends up in the highest salary cap division. '98 Sammy Sosa (138 ops+) is too good to pass up and gives me my third hitter with a .600+ slugging%. I now have 5 OFs, so I have OF/DH covered although Bernie Williams is my only good fielding outfielder which means Pete Rose (A-/C+) will have to play CF when Bernie sits. One of Bernie Williams, Lance Berkman, Pete Rose, Sammy Sosa and Kevin Mitchell will have to sit.
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Round 12 - Tigers
'87 Doyle Alexander
Had I drawn the Tigers one round earlier, I would've taken '04 Carlos Guillen (ff09 took him in round 11). I strongly considered '06 Carlos Guillen here but he's a worse hitter and worse fielder than the '04 version and I'm a bit worried about my fielding. Doyle Alexander (89 ip, 1.75 erc#) is another bullpen arm with a good ip/g. His 0.99 whip# is the worst on my team among bullpen arms. I am hoping to pull the Rockies at some point so I can grab one of Tulowitzki's seasons.
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Round 13 - Rays
'20 Aaron Slegers
When I saw I pulled the Rays, I immediately searched for RPs. I've never used him before but Aaron Slegers (70 ip, 1.55 erc#) has pretty good numbers. He even has ip/g over 2. No idea how he'll do, but his performance history is strong (2.95 era in 40 seasons).
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Round 14 - Twins
'73 Rod Carew
I still needed extra PAs at 2B, and my position flexibility in the infield is a nice feature. '73 Rod Carew (.352 avg#, .411 ops#, .471 slg#) gives me a lefty bat that should do well at Hilltop (or any park, really). Now, when LeMajieu has to rest, Carew starts at 2B. In a worse case scenario, I could start Carew at 2B, LeMajieu at 3B and Bregman at SS. I am still looking to add a good fielding SS (who can hit a little).
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Round 15 - White Sox
'58 Barry Latman
Still needing a 1B, I was very tempted to draft either '91 Frank Thomas (139 ops+) or Jose Abreu (135 ops+, A+ range), but really didn't want a sixth right-handed batter in my starting lineup. There's still time to find a lefty or switch hitting 1B. There were pure RPs better than Latman available from the White Sox, but you know how I feel about RPs with approx 1 ip/g. Latman (51 ip, 1.47 erc#) has ip/g > 3, and has proven to be a decent pitcher in previous sim leagues.
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Round 16 - Pirates
'85 Rick Reuschel
I still needed a 5th SP. I have 846 starting innings so far. It came down to '24 Paul Skenes (133 ip, 2.06 erc#) and '85 Rick Reuschel (196 ip, 2.21 erc#). I probably would've gone with Skenes if I had around 870 or so SP innings, but 979 IPs (if I added Skenes) was a bit lower than the 1000 SP innings that I wanted at this point, so I went with Reuschel. Also, Reuschel's hr/9 was better (0.31 to 0.49). This gives me 1456 total innings, which allows me to draft a few short inning guys late.
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Round 17 - Rockies
'13 Troy Tulowitzki
Woo hoo! I pulled the Rockies. I absolutely knew I was taking a Tulowitzki season here. His 2007, 2010 and 2014 seasons were already gone. But I have 2013 (512 pa, 132 ops+, A/A-) ranked better than 2009 (628 pa, 126 ops+, A/B+) and since I already have backup SS plate appearances, I went with 2013 Troy Tulowitzki. I was slightly tempted to take '02 Todd Helton, but I figured I'd eventually get a starting 1B in the next four rounds.
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Round 18 - Phillies
'06 Ryan Howard
And there it is. I got my stud first baseman. How is '06 Ryan Howard (.313 avg#, .422 obp#, .638 slg#) still available this late? Among all eligible 1B in this draft with 600+ PA, that bats lefty or switch, he ranks 3rd in OPS# (behind '02 Thome and '61 Gentile). I pretty much have completed my offense now. The only downside to Howard is that Hilltop really hurts his HRs. I think I may switch to Bennett Park even though this will hurt some of my HR-prone pitchers. I will be focusing on adding quality depth to the bullpen with my last three picks.
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Round 19 - Nationals
'13 Tanner Roark
Let's see... 1.60 erc# - check... 3.8 ip/g - check... 0.91 whip# - check... 0.14 hr/9# - check. Welcome to the team, Tanner Roark.
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Round 20 - Orioles
'88 Bob Milacki
Well, had I waited, I could've taken '61 Jim Gentile here as my starting 1B, but no way could I pass on Ryan Howard with only 3 rounds left. Remember how I said I was hoping to get some low-inning stud pitchers late. I think Bob Milacki qualifies.
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Round 21 - Padres
'20 Trevor Rosenthal
It's always nice to get your stud closer and the best RP in the database with the last pick.

I do acknowledge that my franchise draws were very friendly. Certainly rostering a flexible player like Bregman helped keep my options open throughout the draft. But I did draw both the Dodgers and Yankees twice, and got lucky to pull the Rockies late when I needed a SS, pulled the Phillies late when I needed a 1B and pulled the Orioles & Padres with the last 2 picks when all I wanted were short-inning stud RPs.

I feel pretty good about my team, although my defense isn't as strong as I normally like to have. The defense isn't terrible, but I have zero players with A+ range. Most of my guys have defensive ratings like C/C, C-/B, A-/C, B+/C+, B-/B. The offense should crush and my pitching seems pretty strong, so we'll predict 89-93 wins. We'll probably end up in the NL East with a high salary, so we'll see if there are other really strong teams in my division.

C: Mike Piazza (R)
C: Mike Napoli (R)
1B: Ryan Howard (L)
2B: Rod Carew (L)
2B/3B: DJ LeMajieu (R)
3B/SS: Alex Bregman (R)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki (R)
OF: Bernie Williams (S)
OF: Pete Rose (S)
OF: Kevin Mitchell (R)
OF: Sammy Sosa (R)
DH: Lance Berkman (S)
Total Raw Hitting Stats: 7523 PA, .320 avg, .408 obp, .577 slug, B/B- defense, $83.7 million salary

SP1: Roy Halladay
SP2: Sandy Alcantara
SP3: Walker Beuhler
SP4: Rick Reuschel
SP5: Justin Verlander
Long A: Tony Gonsolin
Long B: Doyle Alexander
Setup A: Billy Wagner
Setup A: Aaron Slegers
Setup B: Barry Latman
Setup B: Tanner Roark
Closer A: Trevor Rosenthal
Closer B: Bob Milacki
Total Raw Pitching Stats: 1563 IP, .200 oav, 0.95 whip, 8.2 k/9, 2.1 bb/9, 0.52 hr/9, $62.8 million salary

Fun stat: If I keep Rose, Carew & Piazza on the bench, my starting nine has a cumulative slugging% of .607.

2002 Octavio Dotel
ASTROS

R21 - Red Sox - 70 YAZ

R21 - Orioles - 1976 Fred Holdsworth

Not as big a breakdown as schwarze but here you go:

I was torn between the Phillies and Astros when I picked but ended up going with the Phillies. Aaron Nola stood out as a SP as I know IP’s would be to get even though Verlander is better overall, I wanted Ip’s in a $8M player cap league, on the Astors and went with Wagner as the RP.

At the plate 1955 Ashburn stood out with his OBP and a high range CF. I had options in the IF with Schmidt, Allen, Rollins and Utley. I went with the versatility of Utley in the field as a 1B or 2B knowing I was going to take 12 pitchers.

Round 1 – Phillies
I went with Dick Allen at 3B. Even with Harper and Rose available I wanted a power hitting 3B and choose him over 1980 Schmidt for the better Offensive stats. They are close but decided on him.
Round 2 – Diamondbacks
This one was easy as 2019 Ketel Marte was there. If you know you know. He is also available at 2B/OF which provides flexibility as the draft moves forward.
Round 3 – White Sox
I went with Cisco Carlos as RP strength will be important when SP’s are not top class so went with the best the White Sox have. I waited longer on Offense this season as the cap impacted decisions for sure
Round 4 – Blue Jays
I went with Roy Halladay as I needed to get some SP’s again with some innings and was not interested in any others at this point.
Round 5 – Phillies
Phillies again! With the sixth selection from this franchise, I stuck to the RP theme I went with Ken Giles as he was the best for me.
Round 6 – Tigers
Just grabbing more RP value with Doig Fitser and his 70IP’s help
Round 7 – Astros
JR Richard being available was perfect as he can start and be a long reliever so this one was easy
Round 8 – Brewers
Josh Hader was another that seemed logical as there are so many batters with all the teams in this draft.
Round 9 – Tigers
Needing more SP’s and with Hank Aguirre available I took him over some of the others as he has 218 IP’s that are good for this league.
Round 10 – Pirates
Freddy Sanchez is perfect for this league with his fielding at 3 IF positions passing on Bonds, Clemente, etc.
Round 11 – Astros
With the Astros I was looking at Cedeno and a few others but opted for Chise Devenski for goof long relief.
Round 12 – Pirates
Prates 2 of the last three I decided to go for Roberto Clemente over Bonds and a couple others with his nice offensive stats in that era they translate well.
Round 13 – Twins
Kirby Puckett was my choice since Carew was gone and he offers nice production, and fielding so went with him.
Round 14 – Mariners
Cliff Lee with his decent stars and a LH won the day as I look to add quality IP’s to the staff.
Round 15 – Red Sox
I wish I got to Ted earlier so I could get the better version in this theme but decided on him over some lesser versions of Pedro and a decent Fred Lynn
Round 16 – Athletics
Rich Harden fit the bill for more decent IP”s and wasn’t interested in really any of the others.
Round 17 – Braves
I was happy to see 1966 Joe Torre sitting there for a C. No hesitation here.
Round 18 – Reds
If I had not filled my pen I would have selected A. Chapman but needed the versatility that Bip Roberts provides since I have just 4 bench hitters.
Round 19 – Cubs
Never drafted Merritt Ranew before but his decent stats behind the plate and LH made him my choice.
Round 20 – Angels
Needing versatility, I took David Fletcher as he fields well at 2B/3B/SS/OF and has good offensive stats.
Round 21 – Cardinals
Needing a backup at 1B and OF Stan the Man fit the bill and made him an easy choice

Overall, I think I have an average team:
Hitters - .330 AVG, .400 OBP, and .529 SLG
Pitchers - .199 OAV, .97 Whip, 2.12 ERA

Mets Gonna Met
Robinson Field

I was eying the Marlins initially, but Trumbull snagged them at #3. I then had the Red Sox queued up, with Yaz, Williams, Sale and Kimbrel, with an eye on using Robison Field, but alas, they went at #4.

Ultimately, I decided to snag the Mets and stick with my Robison Field strategy. I went with John Olerud and Carlos Beltran to help me to capitalize on the lefty-friendly ballpark. I considered Johan Santana, but ultimately opted for Jacob deGrom since he had stud SP and RP seasons for flexibility. Edwin Diaz is my reliever, bringing a low OAV, high K rate and relatively good HR/9.

Round 1: Athletics – 2014 Sean Doolittle
I got the Athletics 5 times last version of this draft and was hoping that wouldn’t reoccur. I like Doolittle though. One of the modern relievers that consistently performs well for me.

Round 2: Twins – 1975 Rod Carew
Lefty bat? Check. Good defense? Check. Great hitter? Double check. Easy pick.

Round 3: Rays – 2018 Blake Snell
Lefty pitcher? Check. Great OAV? Check. Not like the Rays had a lot to offer, but I’m pleased with this pickup.

Round 4: Orioles – 2020 Cesar Valdez
A great OAV and more importantly 0 HR allowed, which will come in hand for a right-hander pitching in Robison.

Round 5: Nationals – 2020 Juan Soto
Another lefty with a great walk rate and a solid HR rate.

Round 6: Braves – 2007 Chipper Jones
A good switch-hitter to keep my lineup from getting too lefty-heavy, and plays solid defense. A great pickup here.

Round 7: Mariners – 1995 Norm Charlton
A lefty reliever with a crazy low OAV and good HR/9. My plan is coming together nicely.

Round 8: Astros – 1998 Randy Johnson
Another lefty with high IP/G who can start or relieve effectively for me.

Round 9: Royals – 1992 Dennis Rasmussen
Another reliever with 0 homers allowed and who can go multiple IP.

Round 10: Mets – 2024 Francisco Lindor
A switch hitter with great defense and 30+ homers at a premium position? Yes please.

Round 11: Braves – 2008 Mark Teixeira
With Olerud in the fold, Tex will play RF, but his switch hitting, defense and offensive numbers were too good to pass up here.

Round 12: Mets – 1998 Mike Piazza
My first right-handed hitter, but I’ll need one at some point and he’s definitely not one to shy away from, with his .348 BA and 1.024 OPS.

Round 13: Pirates – 1990 Zane Smith
Another franchise without a ton to offer, but grabbing Smith here is fine with me. I continue to stockpile guys with high IP/G, and him being a lefty doesn’t hurt either.

Round 14: Rangers – 2000 Ivan Rodriguez
Both my catchers are right-handed, so that might hurt me a bit, but again – I’m not complaining about this pick. That 1.042 OPS and A+ arm look very nice.

Round 15: Diamondbacks – 2019 Zack Greinke
I’m falling short on innings, so needed to start adding some actual starters. Greinke’s numbers aren’t the greatest for Robison, so I’ll have to try and pitch him on the road as much as possible. He doesn’t allow many walks, so hopefully my D can help him out.

Round 16: Astros – 2005 Andy Pettitte
Similar to Greinke. Provides needed innings and doesn’t allow many walks. His HR/9 is decent as well. Oh ya…and he’s a lefty.

Round 17: Dodgers – 2002 Odalis Perez
I actually really like this pick for this late in the draft. 200+ innings of good, lefty production.

Round 18: Astros – 1965 Robin Roberts
This partial of Roberts always does well for me, so hopefully he’s a good addition.

Round 19: Giants – 2005 Randy Winn
A stud switch-hitting partial season with great hitting and defense to provide OF depth.

Round 20: Royals – 2008 Mike Aviles
There were better options here, but Aviles has decent defensive ratings across the IF and can step in as a right-handed sub if needed.

Round 21: Marlins – 2006 Miguel Cabrera
A stud righty bat to help further balance out my lineup.

Outlook:
I feel good about how this roster came together. I’m stocked up with lefty/switch-hitting power to take advantage of Robison’s +2 HR/RF and lots of lefty pitchers as well. My right pitchers are good at limiting baserunners and homers and I have some righty pop to plug in when needed on the road.

I’ll go out on a limb and predict 92 wins for this team.

Lineup
C: Piazza/Rodriguez
1B: Olerud
2B: Carew
3B: Chipper
SS: Lindor
LF: Soto
CF: Beltran
RF: Teixeira
DH: Cabrera/Winn

TOTALS: .327/.405/.567, 417 2B, 307 HR, 783 BB

Pitching
Starters:

Degrom
Perez
Snell
Pettitte

Bullpen:

Big Unit
Roberts
Smith
Greinke
Valdez
Rasmussen
Diaz
Charlton
Doolittle

TOTALS: 1,449.1 IP, 0.94 WHIP, .203 OAV, 8.83 K/9, 0.66 HR/9

For the 3rd iteration of this league I wanted to get some different players in the fold. Setting the Cap at $8M for all players accomplished that to some extent. I really hadn't looked at too many teams knowing I was picking last. Originally I loaded the Rays with one player in mind, 2018 Blake Snell but halfway through the Franchise portion of the draft I decided against them. I had Yandy Diaz as my IFer but couldn't decide who to take as my OFer or RP. At the time I decided to dump the Rays, my 2nd choice, the Mets with deGrom were gone, maybe the Phillies with Nola or the Astros with Verlander would slide to me, but no such luck.

Tiger Stealth (Target Feild)

Settling on the Tigers brought me 2 relatively new pitchers in '23 Tarik Skubal - SP1 and '24 Tyler Holton - BP1 both Lefties. I shudder just thinking about it as left-handed pitchers rarely do well for me. '93 Tony Phillips was going to be my OFer but the plan is playing him at 2B since his fielding is much better there. '12 Miggy at 3B is my IFer. Pretty much every version of him that I use always does well for me.

R1 = Cardinals
1977 Ted Simmons - C

Was happy to get a good club with my first draw. In the first 2 versions I rarely got what I consider the "Big Name" clubs to pick from. Another good name for this League instead of "The Shuffle" would be "A Box of Chocolates" cause you never know what yer gonna get. MY luck is more on the line of Charlie Brown's.... I got a Rock. Any hooo, You don't look a gift horse in the mouth so a very good switch-hitting catcher with excellent defense was an easy choice.

R2 = Brewers
2022 Corbin Burnes - SP2

Well it didn't take long to get one of those rocks. The Brewers aren't, (what I consider) a top club to pick from but this early in the draft there's got to be a gold nugget there somewhere. I like to take pitching early in these drafts, (or any draft for that matter) and since it is the 2nd round already I'm getting nervous. Higuera is gone and the next best Starter on the Brewers board looks to be '22 Burnes. He only brings 167 IP's but they're pretty good and I'm figuring I'll need at least a 5 man staff anyway.

R3 = Cubs
2016 Aroldis Chapman - BP2

Okay, another Franchise that isn't great but not as bad as some. It seems I always look at SP first in this draft and the best pitcher, Darvish is gone. I like Arietta but his '14 version is only 157 IP's and I already got Burnes with a lower IP. Do I go with him and then commit to a 6 man staff? Not sure I want to do that at this point yet. His '16 version has more IP's but I don't like taking pitchers with a BB/9 rate over 3. Since none of the other Starters appeal to me I shifted to the bullpen and found '16 Chapman. Hmmm.... another lefty. In this round I also saw Jtp take '18 Snell from the Rays. Dang it.

R4 = Reds
2017 Joey Votto - 1B

Outside of the "Big Red Machine" I consider the Reds another one of those rocks. It seems Forrest Gump has found me again. I just can't run fast enough. Well, '77 Seaver would do nicely here and I'll probably regret not taking him. I tend to shift from pitcher to hitter and back and forth in these drafts so since I just took 2 pitchers I focused back on the hitters. I already have my catcher so Johnny Bench isn't needed. '87 Eric Davis would be great in CF but I couldn't pass up the next guy in line and his .454 OBP, '17 Votto. This piece of chocolate had a cherry in it.

R5 = Tigers
1955 Al Kaline - LF

Tigers were my original Franchise selection. Another rock? Well it was the 16th choice overall so you tell me. I thought about his '59 version since it was better defensively and also considered '07 Ordonez here. "55 Kaline seems to fit in the middle of those two choices defensively and offensively.

R6 = Marlins
1993 Bryan Harvey - BP3

The rock pile is getting bigger. A few more and I'll think I'm in prison swinging a pickaxe. After taking two hitters the other side of my brain has me switching back to the pitcher side. "93 Harvey will be a good arm in the pen. If only schwarze hadn't taken Alcantara in round 1.

R7 = Dodgers
2021 Max Scherzer - BP4

WTF? The Dodgers? Are you kidding me? Hell must've froze over. I was in shock.... to the point I seriously considered taking Ohtani to be my shortstop. Luckily Captain Dan slapped me. I took '21 Scherzer here and I really can't say why. There were obviously better choices but I'm using his partial season which isn't bad. Please, someone wake me from this dream.

R8 = Cardinals (2nd time)
2019 Jack Flaherty - SP3

Okay, I'll admit it now, there's proof that my Franchise draw in round 7 threw me off kilter. 3 Pitchers in a row is not my style. It's to the point of blasphemy. Flaherty gives me 4 solid Starters. I'm not crazy about his HR/9 being 1.15 so I may try to only pitch him in low HR parks, which I am using. (Target Field)

R9 = Marlins (2nd time)
2023 Luis Arraez - 2B/DH

Well I really didn't need a 2nd baseman with Tony Phillips already penciled to slot in there. This version of Arraez never disappoints me and I couldn't pass up a legitimate lefty leadoff hitter to go against right-handed pitching. Mr. Phillips may find some time in the outfield after-all.

R10 = Astros
1988 Mike Scott - SP4

There's proof in the pudding that I tend to look at pitchers first and this round was no different. Scott brings 219 IP to the table at a WHIP of .98. He'll help to solidify my rotation. Still needing a shortstop and an outfielder is becoming a priority but I really didn't love what the Astros offered there.

R11 = Giants
1989 Scott Garrelts - SP5

I thought about taking '59 Willie Mays here and/or '01 Rich Aurilia to fill the OF and/or SS spot on my roster. I also realized we have reached the midway point of the draft and my rotation was still a little short of IP's. Garrelts has a 1.01 WHIP and OAV of .212 which is higher than I want but at this point I may not get another starter that'll be any better.

R12 = Twins
2008 Joe Nathan - BP5

Okay, yeah, this is the 2nd time I've taken 3 pitchers in a row. But sometimes you have to be a rebel and spit into the wind. My first inclination here was to take my all-time favorite player, Kirby Puckett. I'm a Twins fan being from the midwest and watching Puck take the Twins to 2 WS titles will stay with me forever. Unfortunately the WIS engine really doesn't do right-handed hitters that don't have high OBP numbers any justice. If there's one gripe I have with WIS it's how players with high OBP are favored over hitters that just hit the crap out of the ball and didn't take many walks. Puckett didn't walk because he smacked those pitches into the gaps or up the middle for hits. Balls off the plate were still good pitches to hit for him. Umm... Nathan in the pen is never a bad thing. Correct?

R13 = DBacks
1999 Luis Gonzalez - RF/LF

At this point I felt I had waited long enough to finish my outfield. With taking Arraez earlier and possibly shifting Phillips to the OF I really only need 1 more full-time outfielder. Gonzalez didn't have the range I was looking for but he brings a good solid bat from the left-side to pair with Kaline if I end up platooning a spot in the OF.

R14 = Braves
2005 Rafael Furcal - SS

Finally another top club to pick from. The halloween bag has enough rocks in it again so I was glad to get the Braves. I didn't get them at all in version 2, although twice in version 1. The first goal going forward with the rest of the draft at this point was to fill the SS position. I usually never wait this long to grab a SS since that is a premium position. Once I saw Furcal available it was an easy choice.

R15 = Giants
2024 Ryan Walker - BP6

I have never used '24 Walker but he has good numbers. His performance history only shows 1 time used but if he is close to what it shows there I'll be happy. At this point he finishes my bullpen.

R16 = Cardinals (3rd time)
1993 Gregg Jefferies - Bench

A switch-hitting cookie off the bench that can steal some bases. A no-brainer.

R17 = Orioles
2020 Jose Iglesius - Bench

I don't think I have ever used Iglesius before. This version will be interesting to watch and I may try to get him some starts against lefty pitchers. A .373 BA may be too tempting to only use off the bench.

R18 = Yankees
1979 Oscar Gamble - Bench

Back in Round 9 ff09 took the Rangers version of this Gamble. If he was worth a R9 pick then here at R18 it can't be a bad choice, right? Anyway, I still need a backup OFer.

R19 = Rangers
1977 Bert Blyleven - MopUp/B

I really wasn't planning on rostering another pitcher but a little voice inside me said to never let yourself be short on innings. Bert is also one of my favorite players and another 235 IP will put me in safe territory. He'll either be a mopup pitcher or Long B.

R20 = White Sox
2000 Charles Johnson - BUC

One of the things I always like to have is a backup catcher. Here it is Round 20 and I just realize I don't have one yet. '77 Simmons only has 601 PA/162 so it is even more important this time. Johnson is good both offensively and behind the plate. If Simmons needs some rest I'll use him against lefty pitchers.

R21 = Rockies
2014 Rafael Ynoa - Bench

Ynoa is a 3Bman with a good bat. I like to try players I have never used before and while I don't need him to take any at bats for Cabrera at 3B he is a switch-hitter available off the bench with a .343 BA. Having A+ range doesn't hurt either. Unfortunately he only has 71 PA/162 so his usefulness will be limited.

Totals:
Hitting = .329-BA, .410-OBP, 231-HR, .515-SLG, B/C+ Fielding.
Pitching = 1640-IP, 0.95WHIP, .197-OAV, 9.26-K/9, 2.11-BB/9, 0.69HR/9

Note:
#1. I need to keep notes as I make picks to better remember what and why I make the picks that I do.
#2. Seeing Jtpsops with "18 Snell in my division really ****** me off.