Final Draft Results!

     Last night was my third and final fantasy baseball draft. This league contains various friends of mine, and is the largest I'm playing in, at 14 guys. 

    I'll keep this as brief as I can, only mentioning the guys I drafted and adding little commentary. I don't want to take up any more of y'all's Sunday than I need to. 

    My team in this league is called The Select Travel Ball Team (pretty clever, right?), and I was lucky enough to get the third overall pick.

    The categories are a little bit different, as they include the following stats:

OFFENSE:
Runs
Hits
Home Runs
RBI
Stolen Bases
Total Bases
Errors Committed
Batting Average
OBP
Slugging Percentage
Extra Base Hits
Double Plays Turned

PITCHING:
Wins
Saves
Walks
Strikeouts
Wild Pitches
ERA
WHIP
K/BB
OBP Against
Winning Percentage
Save Percentage
Quality Starts

    There are 24 rounds to this draft, so without further ado, let's get down to who I picked.

    Round 1 (3rd Overall): Bobby Witt, Jr. (SS, KC)

    Round 2 (26th Overall): Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (1B, TOR)

    Round 3 (31st Overall): Ketel Marte (2B, ARI)

    Round 4 (54th Overall): Riley Greene (OF, DET)

    Round 5 (59th Overall): Austin Riley (3B, ATL)

    Round 6 (82nd Overall): Joe Ryan (SP, MIN)

    Round 7 (87th Overall): Andres Munoz (RP, SEA)

    Round 8 (110th Overall): Oneil Cruz (OF, PIT)

    Round 9 (115th Overall): Devin Williams (RP, NYM)

    Round 10 (138th Overall): Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL)

    Round 11 (143rd Overall): Michael King (SP, SD)

    Round 12 (166th Overall): Cade Horton (SP, CHC)

    Round 13 (171st Overall): Adley Rutschman (C, BAL)

    Round 14 (194th Overall): Trevor Megill (RP, MIL)

    Round 15 (199th Overall): Sal Stewart (1B, CIN)

    Round 16 (222nd Overall): Daylen Lile (OF, WSH)

    Round 17 (227th Overall): Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL)

    Round 18 (250th Overall): Connelly Early (SP, BOS)

    Round 19 (255th Overall): Seranthony Dominguez (RP, CWS)

    Round 20 (278th Overall): Sal Frelick (OF, MIL)

    Round 21 (283rd Overall): Matt Shaw (3B, CHC)

    Round 22 (306th Overall): Chad Patrick (SP, MIL)

    Round 23 (311th Overall): Will Warren (SP, NYY)

    Round 24 (334th Overall): Brandon Sproat (SP, MIL)

OFFENSE:
C: Adley Rutschman
1B: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.
2B: Ketel Marte
3B: Austin Riley
SS: Bobby Witt, Jr.
OF: Riley Greene 
OF: Oneil Cruz
OF: Daylen Lile
UTIL: Sal Stewart
BN: Ezequiel Tovar
BN: Matt Shaw
BN: Sal Frelick

GRADE: B+

What I like: Once again my infield is very strong. Getting Sal Frelick was big too because Cruz is often benched against southpaws. Tovar can play utility if Sal Stewart is less than he was hyped up to be. For a 14-team league I think I drafted very well. 

What I dislike: I kind of neglected my outfield again, though this time I don't find it necessarily a liability. Oneil Cruz is a high-risk, high-reward kind of guy. His steals are a plus, but I hope he can hit like he did in 2024.

ROTATION:
SP: Joe Ryan
SP: Brandon Woodruff
SP: Michael King
SP: Cade Horton
SP: Connelly Early
SP: Chad Patrick
SP: Will Warren
SP: Brandon Sproat

Grade: B

What I like: My top four is very solid, and my bottom four is going to be just fine. I drafted well considering the fact that I focused on batters in the early rounds.

What I dislike: Not much to dislike here. It's not a powerhouse staff (one of thee guys in this league stacked up on pitchers), but it's solid for sure. My main worry is injuries and perhaps a minor-league assignment.

BULLPEN:
RP: Andres Munoz
RP: Devin Williams
RP: Trevor Megill
RP: Seranthony Dominguez

Grade: A+

What I like: This isn't a holds league, and with 14 teams, four good closers will win me almost every week

What I dislike: Nothing to dislike here

OVERALL GRADE: B+

    This is a good team. Once again, my final draft of the year is my best one. This is a team that's going to have a good shot at winning the championship, barring any significant injuries. 

    Thanks for checking out the blog! I'll have cards next time. Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend, and happy collecting!

MORE DRAFT RESULTS!

     One fantasy team down, two to go. Three leagues is too many, I'm telling you. But I'll live; I just might not spend as much time on each of them. 

**Disclaimer - Stick around to the end of the post for an exciting announcement**

    This fantasy league includes some siblings and their friends. It is a twelve-team holds league with 26 roster spots. Those holds leagues man! I don't know what to think of them.

    I've got another inside joke for a team name, and one I am not proud of. I'll probably change it very soon, but I was convinced to name my team.....this.

    I kind of don't like to admit that I know enough about Spongebob to use this as a joke...but I was asked to do it, so I did.

    Anyway, the name isn't the point; I'll change my team name sometimes, and will almost certainly be changing this one.

    Anyhow, I'm here to recap my team's 26 picks. I got the 8th pick out of twelve, which isn't too good, but I made the best of it anyway.

Round 1 (8th overall): Jose Ramirez (3B, CLE)
    I want a big power-hitting third baseman, so drafting Jose Ramirez was great, especially since he steals bases as well

Round 2 (17th overall): Gunnar Henderson (SS, BAL)
    And now my shortstop position is filled

Round 3 (32nd overall): Matt Olson (1B, ATL)
    I would've liked Kurtzy or Vladdy or Harper, but Olson should definitely be pretty good

Round 4 (41st overall): Bryan Woo (SP, SEA)
    I drafted my first starter in the fourth round, like I usually plan on doing

Round 5 (56th overall): Jackson Merrill (OF, SD)
    Hehe I got Merrill again

Round 6 (65th overall): Austin Riley (3B, ATL)
    My utility spot is full now

Round 7 (80th overall): Nolan McLean (SP, NYM)
    This shows how much faith I have in McLean

Round 8 (89th overall): Devin Williams (RP, NYM)
    A few closers were taken right before my turn a couple rounds before, so I landed my first one in the eighth round

Round 9 (104th overall): Nico Hoerner (2B, CHC)
    I always like getting Nico :)

Round 10 (113th overall): Trey Yesavage (SP, TOR)
    I have a lot of faith in Yesavage, and was glad to get him in this league

Round 11 (128th overall): Michael King (SP, SD)
    That's a solid top-4 starting rotation right there

Round 12 (137th overall): Emilio Pagan (RP, CIN)
    I'm not sure how great Pagan will be, but the saves are certainly welcome

Round 13 (152nd overall): Lawrence Butler (OF, ATH)
    I've been forced to have a lot of faith in Butler, but I believe he can rebound this year

Round 14 (161st overall): Brenton Doyle (OF, COL)
    Not sure about Doyle, but he's hitting really well in spring and gets to play half his games in Coors

Round 15 (176th overall): Ivan Herrera (C, STL)

    Considering that I neglected drafting catchers, I think I got a solid one for the fifteenth round

Round 16 (185th overall): Ryan Walker (RP, SF)
    Closer numero tres

Round 17 (200th overall): Dylan Crews (OF, WSH)
    I started to panic at my lack of outfielders, so I hope Crews plays well

Round 18 (209th overall): Jac Caglianone (1B, OF, KC)
    Another product of my panic, but he's raking in spring, so we'll see

Round 19 (224th overall): Brandon Lowe (2B, PIT)
    I mostly got him as trade bait, but he should be a solid option

Round 20 (233rd overall): Shane Bieber (SP, TOR)

    He'll start the season injured, but hopefully he'll be great when he returns

Round 21 (248th overall): Spencer Schwellenbach (SP, ATL)
    It looks like he might be out longer than I thought, which scares me. But he should be great when he makes his 2026 debut

Round 22 (257th overall): Matt Shaw (3B, CHC)
    What can I say? I really like him and think he'll be good

Round 23 (272nd overall): Tanner Scott (RP, LAD)
    I hope Tanner Scott will get me some holds

Round 24 (281st overall): Camilo Doval (RP, NYY)
    Got him for the holds as well

Round 25 (296th overall): Evan Carter (OF, TEX)
    My last product of my outfield dilemma, as well as a sentimental grab. He's hitting well in spring, so I hope that continues on to the season

Round 26 (305th overall): Parker Messick (SP, CLE)
    I'm running out of pitching options, and he was solid last year. I narrowly chose him over Connelly Early because it looks like Early will begin the season in Triple-A

OFFENSE:
C: Ivan Herrera
1B: Matt Olson

2B: Nico Hoerner

3B: Jose Ramirez

SS: Gunnar Henderson
OF: Jackson Merrill
OF: Lawrence Butler
OF: Jac Caglianone
UTIL: Austin Riley

BN: Brenton Doyle (right now I have more faith in Caglianone)
BN: Dylan Crews
BN: Brandon Lowe
BN: Matt Shaw
BN: Evan Carter

Grade: B-

What I like: My infield is pretty stacked, and we should see a fair share of steals

What I dislike: My outfield is looking really sketchy, and I made a couple too many sentimental picks, which leads to not enough pitching depth

ROTATION:
SP: Bryan Woo
SP: Nolan McLean
SP: Trey Yesavage
SP: Michael King
SP: Shane Bieber
SP: Spencer Schwellenbach
SP: Parker Messick

Grade: B-

What I like: Patience is a virtue. The top four of the rotation are really good, and once it hits mid-season my top six should be great 

What I dislike: Too many injuries

BULLPEN:
RP: Devin Williams
RP: Emilio Pagan
RP: Ryan Walker
RP: Tanner Scott
RP: Camilo Doval

Grade: C-

What I like: Those two setup men should be awesome, and I expect a bounceback from Devin Williams

What I dislike: I don't have enough arms, and missed out on Aroldis Chapman, Ryan Helsley, and Daniel Palencia, to name a few

OVERALL GRADE: C

    Eh, it's alright

    

    We'll see how the fantasy season goes. 

**ANNOUNCEMENT**

    I just found out that a blog known as Red Cardboard has returned from a 12-year hiatus, and is offering quite a nice prize to anybody who shares his post on their blog. This isn't just an attempt to win a sweet baseball card, but also an offer to check out a new blog (if you didn't read it 12 years ago). So go on ahead and check out Red Cardboard!

    Don't worry, I've got cards to show off for the next post, which will hopefully start a fun and challenging new series for the readers of the blog. Until then, thanks for checking out the blog, make sure to have an amazing weekend, and happy collecting!

DRAFT RESULTS!

     I had my first fantasy baseball draft of the season this afternoon. I'm playing in three leagues this season with three different friend groups (it's too much, I know), and I expect this league to be the most competitive.     

    My team in this league is called 'DA FISH,' which is an inside joke between a fellow league member and me.

    

    Anyway, this league contains 12 members, and is a holds league. I won't go into the entire scoring because I'm not in the mood to put anybody to sleep. It's pretty typical, other than the fact that holds is a category (which it is every year, so it's pretty typical for me).

    There are 24 rounds in the draft, and my draft position was sixth, which is my personal favorite since I don't need to wait a ton of picks for my next turn.

    This is my team for this year:

1st Round (6th overall): Paul Skenes (SP, PIT)

    I usually don't like drafting pitchers until the fourth round at least, but Skenes has an ERA under 2.00, so I made an exception

2nd Round (19th overall): Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (1B, TOR)

    I was mad Nick Kurtz was taken a couple picks before, but that's okay because Vladdy's awesome.

3rd Round (30th overall): Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SP, LAD)

    I made another exception so I could have two of the top four pitchers in the MLB

4th Round (43rd overall): Chris Sale, (SP, ATL)

    I did it again.  My friend playing in the league called my top three pitchers a three-headed monster.

5th Round (54th overall): Jackson Merrill (OF, SD)

    I wanted Merrill. 

6th Round (67th overall): Shea Langeliers (C, ATH)

    I preferred Raleigh, but Shea hits bombs and they're playing in a minor league ballpark.

7th Round (78th overall): Nolan McLean (SP, NYM)

    I planned to draft him since the end of last season. This kid's stuff is insane (don't know if I should call a man with a full beard a kid, even if he is a rookie)

8th Round (91st overall): Nico Hoerner (2B, CHC)

    I always get Nico. The second base crop isn't too good and Nico's extremely consistent.

9th Round (102nd overall): Christian Yelich (OF, MIL)

    I went with my heart in this pick. He was good last season, and I think he can do it again.

10th Round (115th overall): Ryan Helsley (RP, BAL)

    You always need closers, and I think Helsley's going to return to form in 2026.

11th Round (126th overall): Willy Adames (SS, SF)

    Yeah, I neglected drafting shortstops.....but Willy's a solid option.

12th Round (139th overall): Raisel Iglesias (RP, ATL)

    More closers! I wanted to draft Robert Suarez as well, but somebody else nabbed him later.

13th Round (150th overall): Jacob Wilson (SS, ATH)

    The kid hit .393 in the minors

14th Round (163rd overall): Lawrence Butler (OF, ATH)

    I still have faith in Lawrence Butler. Besides, I need steals.

15th Round (174th overall): Munetaka Murakami (1B, 3B, CWS)

    I've been looking forward to Murakami in the majors since I first heard of him in 2024. Now he's my starting third baseman.

16th Round (187th overall): JJ Wetherholt (2B, 3B, SS, STL)

    Wetherholt's tearing it up in spring, and he plays a lot of positions, so I'll gladly take him.

17th Round (198th overall): Joe Musgrove (SP, SD)

    Starter number five is a solid option.

18th Round (211th overall): Kyle Teel (C, CWS)

    I'm glad to draft a backup catcher who's such a high-ranking prospect.

19th Round (222nd overall): Seranthony Dominguez (RP, CWS)

    Closer numero tres

20th Round (235th overall): Bryan Reynolds (OF, PIT)

    Could you believe this guy was still around in the 20th round? I'll take that all day.

21st Round (246th overall): Jeremiah Estrada (RP, SD)

    This is a holds league, and Estrada's good at getting 'em.

22nd Round (259th overall): Andrew Painter (SP, PHI)

    Why not take a chance on a prospect pitcher? Painter's got good stuff.

23rd Round (270th overall): Grant Taylor (RP, CWS)

    I like Grant Taylor, and he should get holds (and an occasional save), which are welcome.

24th Round (283rd overall): Chase Dollander (SP, COL)

    The draft rounds out with Chase Dollander. He was a top prospect who struggled in the majors last season (6.52 ERA), but as long as I bench him when he starts at home he's gonna have a great season. I can feel it.

    As of right now this is what I project my lineup to look like:

C: Shea Langeliers

1B: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.

2B: Nico Hoerner

3B: Munetaka Murakami

SS: Willy Adames

OF: Jackson Merrill

OF: Christian Yelich

OF: Lawrence Butler

UTIL: JJ Wetherholt

BN: Jacob Wilson

BN: Bryan Reynolds

BN: Kyle Teel

GRADE: B- (probably a little too generous lol)

What I like: I have some solid star power and some solid rookies that I'm expecting to contribute

What I dislike: I forced myself to put too much trust on guys who underperformed last year or are doing badly in spring training.

This is what my pitching staff looks like:

SP: Paul Skenes
SP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SP: Chris Sale
SP: Nolan McLean
SP: Joe Musgrove
SP: Andrew Painter
SP: Chase Dollander

GRADE: A

What I like: I drafted four superstar pitchers (assuming McLean doesn't tank)

What I don't like: If Painter and Dollander don't perform the way I expect them to, I won't like it.

RP: Ryan Helsley
RP: Raisel Iglesias
RP: Seranthony Dominguez
RP: Jeremiah Estrada
RP: Grant Taylor

Grade: C(-)

What I like: Ryan Helsley

What I don't like: I don't know if Raisel Iglesias will keep the closer role all year (Atlanta also has Robert Suarez), and I'm not sure how many saves Dominguez will be getting with the White Sox. My bullpen has a small number of arms, and I fear for their consistency.

Overall: B

I think a B grade is fair. The draft didn't seem to be amazing, but it could be. If I manage well I think I should have a dangerous team this year. Here's to hoping!

    Well, that does it for this post. Thanks for checking out the blog, have a great rest of the weekend, and happy collecting!

More Draft Results!

     My second league's draft was yesterday. This league has eight teams and 24 roster spots. I got the sixth pick out of eight -- in hindsight this was a good thing since it's a first-year league that I started. My pitching staff was not what I wanted in the last draft, so I was hoping to fill out an even team this time around (another holds league). Let's see how I did.

First Round (6th overall): Juan Soto (OF, NYM)
    Juan Soto helps with a ton of different categories. I was eyeing him immediately upon getting the sixth overall pick.

Second Round (11th overall): Tarik Skubal (SP, DET)
    I wanted Skubal so badly. I had already abandoned the idea of waiting until later to grab starters, so I jumped at the opportunity to draft who I think is the best in the league. 

Third Round (22nd overall): Freddie Freeman (1B, LAD)
    With Vladdy and Harper gone, Freddie seemed the next best option. I hope he bounces back from last year, which had its excuses (his son was paralyzed due to illness; prayers go out to them).

Fourth Round (27th overall): Austin Riley (3B, ATL)
    I chose Riley over Devers, ha! I think Riley's an amazing option at third, and a steal for the fourth round.

Fifth Round (38th overall): Corey Seager (SS, TEX)
    My first Ranger of the draft! I was also surprised to see him left, but I guess too few remember his epic 2023 season.

Sixth Round (43rd overall): Dylan Cease (SP, SD)
    Another starter for the team. Cease is kind of inconsistent, but he throws really hard and is coming off a really nice 2024 season. I think he'll be fine.

Seventh Round (54th overall): Teoscar Hernandez (OF, LAD)
    He's not the most consistent outfielder in the world, but I wanted another outfielder, and he was ranked at the top, so I grabbed him. Good move?

Eighth Round (59th overall): Ryan Helsley (RP, STL)
    The closers were starting to move, so I had to jump on the bandwagon. Helsley was so good last year, hopefully he can have another outstanding campaign.

Ninth Round (70th overall): James Wood (OF, WSH)
    He was amazing in AAA (.353/.463/.595 slash), showed talent in the majors, and has amazing hair. There is no reason not to believe he'll be a beast.

Tenth Round (75th overall): Felix Bautista (RP, BAL)
    Coming off of an injury, I suppose it could be a bit risky. But Bautista was so good when he played last, and the closers were moving, so I'm confident this was a good pickup. 

Eleventh Round (86th overall): Lawrence Butler (OF, ATH)
    I really like Lawrence Butler. I hope he does well this year, because as of right now he's my utility guy.

Twelfth Round (91st overall): Yainer Diaz (C, 1B, HOU)
    Adley was grabbed a few rounds before, literally by the guy right ahead of me when I was going to get him. I'll settle for Diaz. He's pretty good.

Thirteenth Round (102nd overall): Roki Sasaki (SP, LAD)
    Well if I can't have Yamamoto I'm gonna have Sasaki. Hoping he can ramp that velo back up.

Fourteenth Round (107th overall): Spencer Strider (SP, ATL)
    He's going to be out a month, but he's such a dominant force when he's on the mound. I hope he can find his true form once again in 2025.

Fifteenth Round (118th overall): Jared Jones (SP, PIT)
    By this time I was yanking starting pitching. And I like Jared Jones. So you put two and two together, and yeah, he's on my team.

Sixteenth Round (123rd overall): Nico Hoerner (2B, SS, (CHC)
    Nico's always my sneaky pick. I love neglecting that second base spot just to drop a consistent guy like Nico down there who'll play the whole season and get you 30+ steals. I know he'll miss the Tokyo series, but he should be good to go for the regular Opening Day. I can live with that.

Seventeenth Round (134th overall): Kevin Gausman (SP, TOR)
    I'm just about ready to wrap up on starting pitching. I think Gausman will be good.

Eighteenth Round (139th overall): Matt Chapman (3B, SF)
    As of right now he's on the bench, but I believe that he'll be a very valuable addition to this team to pop into UTIL when I need a quick offensive stat.

Nineteenth Round (150th overall): Dylan Crews (OF, WSH)
    I really wanted a few more steals, and I let the projections get the best of me a little bit. At least he's hitting well in spring.

Twentieth Round (155th overall): Pete Fairbanks (RP, TB)
    You can never have too many closers -- even when they get injured every year.

Twenty-First Round (166th overall): Zach Eflin (SP, BAL)
    I didn't realize he was starter #7 for me. No matter, he's still a good pitcher.

Twenty-Second Round (171st overall): Justin Martinez (RP, ARI)
    I really like Justin Martinez. I can sneak a closer in the later rounds, which comes in mighty handy.

Twenty-Third Round (176th overall): Bryan Abreu (RP, HOU)
    He led the league in holds last year (38). In a holds league, it comes in pretty handy, even if he did plunk Adolis Garcia.

Twenty-Fourth Round (187th overall): Tyler Rogers (RP, SF)
    I love Tyler Rogers. He has that wacky arm slot which nobody can hit, and gets a lot of saves.

    So concludes my second and final draft of the 2025 season. Like I said, there are only 8 teams in the league, so they're all pretty stacked. This is the starting lineup for my team, British Dudez Next Door. (I am slightly English by the way)

C: Yainer Diaz
1B: Freddie Freeman
2B: Nico Hoerner
3B: Austin Riley
SS: Corey Seager
OF: Juan Soto
OF: Teoscar Hernandez
OF: James Woos
UTIL: Lawrence Butler
BN: Matt Chapman
BN: Dylan Crews

What I Like: This team has a ton of power, as well as the ability to run, which is something I usually neglect.

What I Don't Like: A few of these guys are a bit unproven. Butler has new-found success that may not carry over, and Dylan Crews has minimal MLB time in which he wasn't amazing.

    Onto the pitching staff:

SP: Tarik Skubal
SP: Dylan Cease
SP: Roki Sasaki
SP: Spencer Strider
SP: Jared Jones
SP: Kevin Gausman 
SP: Zach Eflin
RP: Ryan Helsley
RP: Felix Bautista
RP: Pete Fairbanks
RP: Justin Martinez
RP: Bryan Abreu
RP: Tyler Rogers

What I like: The starting staff is really good, and I think the amount of closers I have is just right.

What I Don't Like: Uhhhhh.....maybe one too many starters? Eflin makes a good seven, but I could have added another hitter.

Overall:

Offense: A
    I really like the lineup and don't think there's a ton to improve upon, other than maybe some more multi-positional players.

Pitching: A+
    I may be a little bit generous, but I think I aced the pitching staff on this one.

Overall: A
    There may be some small moves I should have made to push this up to A+, but I think this was a really nice draft.

    And there you have it. All the teams are pretty good (since it's a small league), but I think my team is looking great, and like it a lot more than my other team (which I don't hate, don't get me wrong). 

    Thanks for reading this rather long recap. Don't worry; I've got plenty of baseball cards to show off in my next few posts. Thanks for stopping by, have a great start to the week, and happy collecting!

Draft Results!

     Ah, it is that time of the year again when fantasy baseball starts up and drafts occur. With the MLB season just around the corner, I had one of my two fantasy drafts yesterday.

    My team, Super Hot Spicy Squid was generously gifted with my least-favorite snake draft position, which is ninth. For reference, this was a twelve-man private prize league set up with some friends, with an entrance fee of $5 per man. There were 24 rounds in the online draft. Let's take an in-depth look at how I did:

First Round: Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 1B, 3B (9th overall)
    I wanted a good first baseman, since my standards for them are extremely tight, so with the ninth round, it went to Vladdy.

Second Round: Yordan Alvarez, OF (16th overall)
    I always neglect to draft my outfielders literally every year, so I was glad to get such a good one in the second round.

Third Round: Manny Machado, 3B (33rd overall)
    Unfortunately, Austin Riley had already been taken.

Fourth Round: Devin Williams, RP (40th overall)
    Closers always go so quickly in the leagues I play in, so I'm content to get who, in my opinion, is the best one in the game.

Fifth Round: Mason Miller, RP (57th overall)
    Pretty much the same concept with Devin Williams. I think Mason Miller is the third-best closer in the league.

    

Sixth Round: Adley Rutschman, C (64th overall)
    A good catcher is a must, and Adley was second on my depth chart (and probably everybody else's). And he plays almost everyday, so I'll only need one catcher.

Seventh Round: Bryan Reynolds, OF (81st overall)
    While taking care of other positional needs, I realized that all the good outfielders were starting to go quickly. I think Bryan Reynolds is good enough to be a second-spot outfielder.

Eighth Round: Tanner Bibee, SP (88th overall)
    Unfortunately, Max Fried had been taken literally two picks before, so I went with the next best thing for my first starting pitcher. Bibee's pretty good (and the namesake of my brother's card blog).

Ninth Round: Bo Bichette, SS (105th overall)
    I may be insane, or I may be genius. We'll just need to see.

Tenth Round: Riley Greene, OF (112th overall)
    His projections were really good, so I took him as my third outfielder. Hopefully he performs as well as his projections suggest.

Eleventh Round: Jared Jones, SP (129th overall)
    Jared Jones had a lot of hype last year before his injury. Hopefully he performs to his potential in 2025. His projections seem a little less than fair in my opinion, but I am no expert.

Twelfth Round: Nico Hoerner, 2B,SS (136th overall)
    Nico absolutely must land on my team. I either draft him or, more often, trade for him. Either way he's always on my team. Also, up until this point, I had a lot of bombs and no stolen bases on my team, so hopefully he'll remedy that issue.

Thirteenth Round: Kevin Gausman, SP (153rd overall)
    He finished 2024 really strong. I hope he can dominate once again in 2025.

Fourteenth Round: Tanner Houck, SP (160th overall)
    I am a pessimist towards pitchers who have newly found success, and am therefore not extremely optimistic about Houck redoing what he accomplished last year, but hopefully I'm wrong, because look who has him.

Fifteenth Round: Robbie Ray (177th overall)
    By this time, almost all the good starting pitching was gone and most of my offense was set, so why not take a gamble? This could really pay off, or be really terrible. I hven't the slightest idea one way or another.

Sixteenth Round: Tristan Casas, 1B (184th overall)
    My offense rounded out with Casas for my utility role. According to the pre-season rankings, he was a steal to get so late. I really liked this pickup. He supplies good pop and should play every day, assuming he can stay healthy.

Seventeenth Round: Masyn Winn, SS (201st overall)
    Just in case I'm crazy, so I have a backup. And he runs decently well.

Eighteenth Round: Justin Martinez, RP (208th overall)
    I expect he will be closing for the Diamondbacks, and if not he'll get holds (which are once again a category in this league). 

Nineteenth Round: Kenley Jansen, RP (225th overall)
    The same idea goes for Jansen. If Ben Joyce gets the nod as closer, he'll get some holds (although I may want to trade him before the season starts for something good).

Twentieth Round: Gavin Williams, SP (232nd overall)
    He was projected to be pretty good, and I was dying for one last starting pitcher. Hopefully this one turns out well. I think it's got a good chance to.

Twenty-First Round: Yennier Cano, SP (249th overall)
    Holds.

Twenty-Second Round: Blake Treinen, RP (256th overall)
    More holds.

Twenty-Third Round: Chad Green, RP (273rd overall)
    I waited until the last rounds to get my holds in. As a result they are all older pitchers, but they should still be effective. And if not I can always drop them for another rising set-up man.

Twenty-Fourth Round: Garrett Mitchell, OF (280th overall)
    Garrett Mitchell hasn't played a ton in the majors, but when he has he's been pretty good. Plus he runs well for stolen bases. Also, I had only three outfielders at the time, so I kind of needed him. I was extremely happy about this grab, though at the time of his drafting I was a little bit frustrated.



    My strategy going into the draft was to get an overpowering offense and then work on the pitching, since there are plenty of good starting pitchers. This didn't work too well, however, since the guys in the league ate up all the starting pitching really early. Even so, this is what I have for my team:

C: Adley Rutschman 

1B: Vladimir Guerero Jr.

2B: Nico Hoerner

3B: Manny Machado

SS: Bo Bichette

OF: Yordan Alvarez

OF: Bryan Reynolds

OF: Riley Greene

UTIL: Tristan Casas

What I Like: We got some pop. Good power. Should have a pretty high batting average.

What I Don't Like: I wish I didn't need to take a chance on Bo Bichette. Also, everybody here (except for Nico) is on training wheels. I'll probably lose steals most weeks (this is where Masyn Winn and Garrett Mitchell will come in handy).

SP: Tanner Bibee
SP: Jared Jones
SP: Kevin Gausman
SP: Tanner Houck
SP: Robbie Ray
SP: Gavin Williams
RP: Devin Williams
RP: Mason Miller
RP: Justin Martinez
RP: Kenley Jansen
RP: Yennier Cano
RP: Blake Treinen
RP: Chad Green

What I Like: I think I took some good chances and got some good sleepers (Kevin Gausman, Gavin Williams). I believe Jared Jones will be filthy and a good second pitcher. The bullpen is pretty nice too. It could be better, but I expect to win saves more often than not.

What I Don't Like: The starting pitching situation is very mediocre. Clearly my strat was not very effective. I also grabbed a couple relief pitchers who I wasn't sure would be closing games, and drafted one too many relief pitchers (I don't have enough slots, so one sits on my bench). As someone who usually has one of the top three pitching staffs in the league, I don't like this very much.

Overall:

Offense: A-
    I like what I did with a lot of my positions. I think I have a top three or four offense in the league. What I would have liked is a more reliable shortstop and more stolen bases.

Pitching: C-
    I don't like it very much. I'm not sure it'll be too good.

Total Grade: C+

    I can't predict where my team will land, especially since I tend to make a ton of trades in the season. 

    

    The more I look at the team the more I've been liking it, and I think the C+ grade might be the slightest bit harsh. But upon the writing of this post that's what I thought was fair, so I'm sticking with it. 

    Well, there you have it. Please let me know in the comments what you think of my draft, and if you like these posts or not (I have another draft in a week and would like to know if I should post on it). Come back to the blog on Wednesday for the finale of my serial-card countdown. Have a great start to the week, thank you for reading, and happy collecting!

Well.....This Stinks

    If y'all don't care about my perils when it comes to fantasy sports, then you need not read this post. If you do care, knock yourselves out. I have a real post, so to speak, coming out tomorrow.

    Coming into yesterday, the last day of the week, I was tied in both of my fantasy leagues. It was the first round of the playoffs. Might I start with my worse team?

    After a last seed championship run last year, I always name my team The Atlanta Scareds come the playoffs.Well, I was losing 13-0 after day one of this matchup, but I closed the gap pretty well. Not enough, I guess. It's the first time I made the playoffs in this league, and not the championship.

    I have too much to say about this matchup. I beat my opponent both times we met in the regular season, and when I signed off Saturday night was up 7-4. Then I got Jacob deGrom on waivers and Riley Greene had an amazing game. Then a few things happened against me, like Josh Jung not being in the lineup, Zac Gallen pitching less than ideally, and a couple other things. But I was up 6-5 at about 8:40 last night. All that needed to happen was Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman stay quiet. Well, they both homered. This put him in the lead in homers, though Riley Greene hit two for me yesterday. Thus, I lost. (I was Super Hot Spicy Squid by the way)

    I thought that I had a chance in both of my leagues, and a chance to win it all with Super Hot Spicy Squid. Well, that's just how it goes. To be honest, I'm not upset though. It was a long season for me, my first time ever with two teams. 

    I apologize for this whole post, but figured my plight was rather interesting. Feel free to come back to the blog tomorrow, where I'll have a real post. Thanks, for reading, happy collecting, and have a great week!

    And in the words of Truman, 'Good morning, good afternoon and goodnight."

Player of the Week 3

     This Player of the Week thing really hasn't worked out the way I thought it would. I mean, there was a particular list of players that I expected to win, and not one of them got the title. After this week, there will be two more Players of the Week, and I can't award them to all the six or seven guys I originally thought would win. But that's the fun in it, right? My own bias has been unable to sway me (except for the part about Walter Pennington; that's on me).

    Before we get down to it, I'd like to announce that both of my fantasy baseball teams are fighting like dogs in this first round of the fantasy playoffs. My worse team is currently losing 10-5, but have made it as close as 8-7, and my other team, boy my other team! I'm playing the third place squad, and it is an all-out nuclear war. Currently I'm up 7-5, but that one could still go either way.

    I bring this up for two reasons. A) I like to share about fantasy baseball to those who both understand it all and who I won't drive insane with it (hence the reason I've done it so many times), and B) well, you'll see.

    There is one prejudice that stops me from keeping this, well, as fair as it could be. Not like it matters, considering it's my personal opinions. Heck, like Walt Pennington would've been the best player in the MLB for the whole of last week! Not even in that one game. 

    Anyway, that prejudice is my team. Since I can sometimes hit a few games and see my guys up close, they tend to grow on me. We'll call that reason C. I didn't go to another Rangers game, but I think y'all know who my next Player of the Week is. Any guesses? I'll give you a moment.....

    Alright. If you've had enough time, you may continue to read.

    

    Of course, as a Rangers fan and a huge fan of this guy, my third Player of the Week is.....

    Okay, here we go. deGrom finally made his 2024 debut yesterday, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out four. My friend actually went to (GTT, please correct me on this when I'm wrong) his last rehab outing with AA Frisco.

    And now for the illusive reason B, why sharing about my fantasy playoffs is at all relevant to this. Well, I don't know how many enemies are out there, so I should probably share this tomorrow.......

    

    Well, I won't. Somebody in my fantasy league (the one I'm barely winning in) dropped deGrom literally the day before his long-awaited season debut. I have higher waiver priority than any playoff member in that league, except for my current opponent. While his addition of him wouldn't hurt my team this week, I really want him on my team as we make a push for the championship. But the waiver period ends tomorrow, so we'll see if I get him.

    Well, now that I'm done rambling about fantasy baseball (and I will most certainly not start on fantasy football), I guess I should go. After all, I've got to be somewhere in half an hour. As for y'all, thanks for reading, happy collecting and I'll see who wins my penultimate Player of the Week title next Saturday. Y'all enjoy your weekend! 

More Draft Results!

     My other fantasy baseball league had its draft today at 4:45. It was a little bit crazy because we didn't have the draft until about two hours before draft time, and two more players joined the league right before the draft started. Wild stuff. Anyway, we got 24 players with categories as follows.

    Batters: R, H, HR, RBI, SB, BB, AVG
    Pitchers: W, SV, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, K/BB

    So then, who did I draft?

    1: Freddie Freeman LAD, 1B
    I had the fourth overall pick, and Acuna, Witt, and Betts were taken. Freddie Freeman, you know, is very good, so I decided to grab him first and take care of a major position.

    2: Marcus Semien TEX, 2B
    To be honest, I had no idea who to draft. At all. Semien's pretty stinking good though, and I got to cut down a middle-infield position with one of the best playes at said position.

    3: Bo Bichette TOR, SS
    As I've said before, the shortstop crop is very thin, so it was nice to grab a .300 hitter at that position, and I've already finished my middle-infield.

    4: Mike Trout LAA, OF
    I struggled a lot with outfielders in my other league, so I jumped on one early. I'm very skeptical about his health though.

    5: Max Fried ATL, SP
    Y'all already know the big deal with Max Fried. I got to get him in the fifth round this time though, so ha ha!

    6: Camilo Doval SF, RP
    Closers were being taken fairly early again, so I jumped on Doval. I'm very confident that he will suffer arm-injuries later in his career, but he's in his prime right now, so he's a solid pick.

    7: Evan Carter TEX, OF
    Evan Carter's one of my favorites, like I've said. Seventh round may be a little early, but he can run and has proven to be good at the big-league level.

    8: Justin Steele CHI, SP
    When I do mock drafts, I very often get Justin Steele. I think he's easily worth an eighth-round pick and is the second staple starter om my team's pitching staff.

    9: Josh Jung TEX, 3B
    I missed out on Nolan Arenado by one pick, and so waited a bit and grabbed Josh Jung. His Opening Day status is sketchy, so I'm praying he'll be fine.

    10: David Bednar PIT, RP
    The only reason I was able to grab Bednar so late is because he's going to start the season on the IL. It's unfortunate, but hopefully he won't be out too long so he can help my team rack up the saves.

    11: Shane Bieber CLE, SP
    It's surprising (to me at least) that I could grab Bieber in the eleventh round. I honestly think people are starting to forget how great he was as recently as 2022. I am now called a 'Belieber' by my brother, and I've gotten him in both of my drafts.

    12: Craig Kimbrel BAL, RP
    Again, I got Craig Kimbrel. Now I'm praying that Yennier Cano doesn't take his role as the closer. I doubt that he will seeing as how Kimbrel is a proven closer, but we'll see.

    13: Jordan Montgomery NA, SP
    Man I hope Jordan Montgomery signs soon, and man I hope he doesn't become a lefty in Fenway.

    14: Shota Imanaga CHC, SP
    Was grabbing Shota Imanaga smart? Man, I don't know. But he's striking out 17.7 batters per nine in spring training, so I hope he's good.

    15: Riley Greene DET, OF
    Getting my final outfielder in the fifteenth round is always going to be...interesting. While I'm not thinking that Greene will be a superstar that will carry my team, hopefully he'll be a decent option for a final outfielder.

    16: Mitch Garver SEA, C
    So here we finally find my starting catcher. After Rutschman and William Contreras were taken, I set my eyes on Gabriel Moreno again. But I failed. And had to draft Garver as my starter. He's doing well in spring training, so I hope he doesn't get hurt and stays in the lineup.

    17: Robert Suarez SD, RP
    I have no idea at all what the big deal with this guy is, but he was drafted in our other league and projected to save 25 games, so I took a chance on him as my fourth closer.

    18: Edouard Julien MIN, 2B
    I needed walks. If you look at my roster up to this point, walks weren't great. Julien walked 64 times in 408 plate appearances last year (which is pretty darn good), so I added him to the clun.

    19: Michael Wacha KC, SP
    I suddenly freaked out that I didn't have enough starters, and Marcus Stroman was taken just before I had a chance at him, so I went with Wacha. I forgot that the Royals will be much better this year.

    20: Joel Payamps MIL, RP
    Payamps will be getting the saves while Devin Williams is out, and When Williams is in, he'll get the holds. It kind of a win-win.

    21: Hector Neris CHI, RP
    Neris was great last year, so he may be competing for saves with Adbert Alzolay. And when he isn't saving games, he'll be holding them. I feel so smart right now.

    22: Jon Gray TEX, SP
    I dunno if this was necessarily a great pickup, but I only had six starters at the time, so I went with Gray. With injuries and stuff he'll be in the rotation, and he's had two spot-on spring training starts, so I'll hope for the best.

    23: Aroldis Chapman PIT, RP
    Again, while Bednar is out Chapman will be getting the saves, but when Bednar comes back, Chapman will be holding games. Very confident this was a good choice.

    24: Kris Bryant COL, 1B/OF
    Bryant is my only multi-positional player. I could have gotten Whit Merrifield but chose not to because he's 35. I am already regretting that decision, but hopefully it works out for the best. I have high hopes for Bryant, obviously.

    

    That will conclude my second fantasy draft. I have only one benched hitter, and he's my only player who is elligible for more than one position, so I pray that my players won't get hurt. Here are what I'm expecting my starting positions to be on Opening Day:

C: Mitch Garver
1B: Freddie Freeman
2B: Marcus Semien
3B: Josh Jung
SS: Bo Bichette
OF: Mike Trout 
OF: Evan Carter
OF: Riley Greene
UTIL: Edouard Julien

    Kris Bryant will probably get a fair share of playing time between Julien and Greene, especially if he hits well.

Team Strengths: Again, I like the power, and I think I have a really good offense overall. The bullpen is also really good.

Team Weaknesses: I think lack of walks will be a problem for my team, as well as just too many prospects. While I think I'll have one of the better starting staffs, I wish I had more MLB-experienced pitchers.

    Also, my team in this league is called Super Hot Spicy Squid. The reasoning for this is because I recently went to an Asian market, and the bakery was selling something called Super Hot Spicy Squid. It looked like shrimp chips, but with squid. They'd better be really good to, because they were selling for $26 a pound!

    That does it for this post too. Please tell me in the comments what you think and which team will be better between both of mine. I'm out.

Draft Results

     Today one of my two fantasy baseball leagues had its live draft, which ended at about 1:00. So, no cards today, but the results of said draft. 

    The categories for the batters are: R, H, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, OBP, SLG
    The categories for pitchers are: W, CG, SV, K, HLD, ERA, WHIP, K/BB

    You get 26 players, and the positions are as follows: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, UTIL and SP, SP, P, P, P, P, P, as well as 8 bench slots, 5 IL spots, and a NA spot. So, here are my round-by-round picks:

1: Corey Seager TEX, SS
    Seager's coming off an MVP-2 worthy season, and with a fairly small shortstop crop and a ninth overall pick, it seems like a good choice.

2: Austin Riley ATL, 3B
    I've had Riley on my team since 2021, and since the 3B crop is very thin, I got the best one on the market (in my opinion).

3: Bryce Harper PHI, 1B
    Everybody who wants a good team needs a first baseman who can carry the team. With Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman taken in the first round, I was very content with Harper in the third.

4: Max Fried ATL, SP
    It was my goal to grab a starter in the fourth round. I also have a bit of a bias because I really like Max Fried. He was on my team last year, and I haven't forgotten his stellar 2022 season.

5: Jordan Romano TOR, RP
    One of the fellow competitors grabbed 7 closers, so I needed to get a few as fast as possible. With Edwin Diaz, Emmanuel Clase and Josh Hader gone, Romano was a good option.

6: Gabriel Moreno ARI, C
    Need a catcher. However, I drafted Moreno over Will Smith. I only needed to be shown the error of my way once (by GTT) to regret it. Oh well, he's still solid.

7: Jhoan Duran MIN, RP
    Somehow Duran was still around in the seventh round, and with closers being nabbed up fast, it was only logical for me to grab him.

8: Tarik Skubal DET, SP
    Love Skubal, and he was really good last season. Granted, he wasn't playing top-tier teams, but I'll take a chance anyway.

9: Shane Bieber CLE, SP
    Shane Bieber has been at the top of the game for a while now, so I won't let an injury season keep him from being considered an elite starter in my eyes. I really like this addition.

10: Zack Gelof OAK, 2B
    I may have made this pick a little early, but I needed a second baseman, and seeing as how Gelof is raking in spring training (.412/.459/.853 slash line), I didn't want to wait too long and miss out on him.

11: Craig Kimbrel BAL, RP
    The final closer that I got, he was the best available option because somebody was grabbing every closer he could get his hands on. With Felix Bautista out for the year, Kimbrel will be racking up the saves for Baltimore.

12: Eloy Jimenez CHI, OF
    Last year I waited until the eighth round to draft an outfielder and freaked out because it was too long. Well, I drafted my first one in the twelfth round, so we'll see how the rest pans out.

13: Chris Sale ATL, SP
    I let my heart choose this player rather than my head. He's done well in spring training and has impressive control, so we shall see. And he's not playing for Boston anymore as a lefty in Fenway, so that may help also.

14: Kris Bryant COL, 1B, OF
    Yeah, running out of outfield options. I dislike getting Bryant this early because, though a good player, I could have drafted him later as a sleeper.

15: Jordan Montgomery NA, SP
    Montgomery has yet to find a team, which is probably why I was able to draft him so late. Hope he finds one before opening day (fingers crossed it's the Rangers).

16: Jung Hoo Lee SF, OF
    Grandfather of the Wind was my 16th choice. I wish I wasn't so desperate on outfielders because I know I could have drafted him later.

17: Jackson Holliday BAL, SS
    Holliday should be on the opening day roster, but I wanted another shortstop because though they expect he'll be fine, Seager may not be playing on opening day.

18: Tyler Rogers SF, RP
    This league is a holds league, so naturally I should get somebody who gets holds, and not many more are better at it than the submarine-throwing Tyler Rogers.

19: Kyle Harrison SF, SP
    As we neared the end of the draft I wanted to get some more starting pitchers. Harrison was a decent choice, located in my 'Okays' section of the starters.

20: Christopher Morel CHI, 2B/OF
    I needed another outfielder as well as a backup second baseman, in case Gelof gets hurt or the A's are dumb enough to bench him. And Morel hit 26 bombs last season, so he was a good choice.

21: Bryce Miller SEA, SP
    Miller definitely has potential. I'm not super confident with this addition, but at the 21st round, I'm not complaining.

22: Jackson Chourio MIL, OF
    Up to this point, my only actual base-stealer was Zack Gelof. So I needed somebody else who could run, and though I didn't particularly want to draft him (since he has no big-league experience), Chourio will do for that.

23: David Robertson TEX, RP
    If Jose Leclerc struggles, Robertson may take over the closer role. I dunno. I will explain more about DaveBob with my next draftee.

24: Kirby Yates, TEX, RP
    Since Robertson and Yates are both on the late inning crew for Texas, I figured it would be nice to get double the holds for a Rangers victory.

25: Tyler Stephenson CIN, C
    I definitely wanted a backup catcher, and though I planned to draft Garver, I completely forgot about him until somebody else got him, so Stephenson was the next-best option.

26: Jordan Hicks SF, SP
    Though shown as a reliever on Yahoo Fantasy, the Giants are giving Hicks the chance to start in 2024. Maybe not a great choice since he's never been a starter before, but it's the last round; what the heck?

And, here is what I expect my starting lineup to be at the start of the season (for batters, because pitchers depends on who's starting that day).

C- Gabriel Moreno
1B- Bryce Harper
2B- Zack Gelof
3B- Austin Riley
SS- Corey Seager
OF- Eloy Jimenez
OF- Kris Bryant
OF- Jung Hoo Lee
UTIL- Jackson Holliday

Team Strengths: I think that home runs won't be a problem with Harper, Gelof, Riley, Seager, Jimenez, and even Bryant, with Morel as a backup. I think starting pitching is good, and my friend getting 7 closers may help me because my three will be the second most.

Team Weaknesses: My team will probably lose steals most or every week (trying to trade for Esteury Ruiz), and I think I drafted too many unproven prospects, so we may crash and burn.

    So, that wraps it up for my first fantasy baseball draft. Please read, enjoy, and tell me what you think of my team (which is called The Fighting Uruk-Hai). My next draft is an online draft on this coming Tuesday. Thanks for reading.