12 Team Mock Draft: OBP and QS (Ep. 938)

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome in everybody to Fantasy Pros MLB. This is the
Fantasy Baseball Podcast. It is B Joey P Joe Pisapia
and today it's mock draft time. That's right. The Welsh
is sick. I knew this was coming. I did a
show with him on Monday. He was not one hundred
percent Welsh. He's gonna get squeezed. He's gonna come back,
hopefully healthy later in the week. He is day to

(00:25):
day on the injured reserve for a little while. But
Joe Rico's here with us, and in the conference of
Joe's we decided, you know, we need a big personality,
a big time guests in the world of fantasy baseball,
and who better than Justin Mason to pinch it for
the Welsh today. Of course, if you don't know Justin Mason,
then I question your choices in life. You can follow
him on x the Twitter machine at Justin Mason FWFB.

(00:50):
Of course, Fantasy Benefits is where he is living fangrafts
doing podcast TGFBI creator Justin Mason. I missed your face.
I love your hoodie. Look look how great your setup is. Now,
look how it's a voet over the years. That's what
I'm most impressed by.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
I gotta be honest, this is in a large part
due to you. Right, this is the exact same room
that used to call the Mason Murder Mansion.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
The Murder the Murder Mansion.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, exactly. So I have, I, you know, put up
walls and I actually have things hanging up on them.
So it's a painted wall. It's orange, which is bad
at night because I look orange. But uh, that was
a mistake. But yeah, no, it's it's in large part
thanks to you.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, if I could shame anyone else into fixing their setup,
I'm happy to do it. But it looks great, you know,
and the evolution of it is terrific. It looks it
looks very professional and exciting. And you know, as long
as you don't start putting up emotional balls, Mason, that's
all I want, Just no emotional balls, just the physical ones.
Joe Rico, you've been working your tail off doing a

(01:56):
million mock drafts. One trend that you've seen recent just
out of curiosity, have you seen some players start to
really shoot up the board is Cam and Arrow that
guy that's starting to really pop, Like, what's happening because
you know, and I know, spring training, a couple of
guys start getting some hits and all of a sudden,
ADP starts to go bananas.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
You literally nailed it, Joe, Like, I'm literally thinking, Well,
the first one that comes to mind is Junior Cam
and Arrow. I did an ADP show yesterday that you
guys may or may not have heard by this point
with Jeff Erickson and Derek Van Riper, and we were
talking about Cam and Arrow and Mark Vientos, and I
forget what one of them said, but this isn't really
that close an ADP anymore. They just getman. Arrow is
shooting up so much, he's going to be terrific. I

(02:33):
know that sometimes players get hyped up in spring and
then they end up jumping up three rounds and then
falling flat on their face, but this doesn't feel like
one of those situations. Considering the ballpark, considering the skills
the team around him, Cam and Arrow might be a
third round pick pretty soon, and it's maybe a little
bit early, but it's really hard to argue with it.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, look, we're trying to draft teams that are what
the ADP is going to look like in twenty twenty six.
I remember, ADP is just polling, it's a suggestion, it's
a consensus. Start to think about what nexts, first and
second round look like. And that's the guys you should
be targeting. And today we've got a different style draft.
We're doing head to head at roto categories and change
it up a little bit. I was getting bored too
many BA would do OBP today, So no batting average.

(03:13):
We're gonna do quality starts instead of wins. Because I'm
a man of the people. That's what we're gonna do today.
It's twelve teams. We're gonna have corner spots. We're going
to have two mandatory RP spots. Then we're also going
to have four outfielders one U till and we're gonna
have the seven pitcher spots just three bench Still today,
we're gonna, you know, we don't want to take too
much of Mason's time. He's gotten murders after all, to

(03:34):
commit later in the afternoon and line to purchase and
probably shovels and all the other things that go along.
But seriously, the orange I like it. I think it
looks good. Before we kick things off today, we're giving
away a signed John Smoltz Braves jersey cursey of our
friends at Pristine Auction dot com. All you have to
do to enter is subscribe to the Fantasy Pros MLB

(03:55):
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don't forget mark your calendars. Wednesday, March twelve, three pm
Eastern Fantasy Pros Fantasy Baseball Fest a four hour live

(04:15):
stream packed with busts, breakouts, and bowl predictions to help
you crush your competition. It'll be me Welsh Worm, Mike Mayer,
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Frank Stamfel, Eric Cross, Scott Pianowski and more to break
down the best sleepers, rookies, and a whole lot of
fantasy baseball in between. So tune in live on Fantasy
Pros MW YouTube channel at YouTube dot com slash Fantasy

(04:37):
Pros MLB to get the insight you need before Draft
day approaches. Let's kick things off here and let's see
it where we're at. And of course we're using draft
Wizard here for the mock draft today. Make sure you
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If you're not using the tools at Fantasy Pros, download

(04:58):
Draft Wizard day, go to fantsypros dot com, slash m
ob draft Wizard and sink your leagues for free. Use
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the robots two as well, but it's going to sink
directly to your leagues and you can use it in
your real drafts as well. I am in the fourth spot.

(05:18):
We've got Joe Rico at eight, twelve teams, Mason at
the turn, of course, he's at the turn first. A
couple of picks off the board. Bobby Witch, Showel Tani,
Aaron Judge. Oh no, it's an OBP league. Do I
have to take Juan Sodo? I guess I do. I
guess I will. Okay, you twisted my arm, by the way,
Mason when Sodo signed, did you have a little bit

(05:40):
of the feels for me just out of curiosity.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Like I definitely felt good for my Mets friends, right,
Like my Mets fans friends, like they have suffered for
long enough, and it feels really good for them, especially
getting him from the Yankees, right, Like yeah, the crossdown
big brother. You know, it feels like at that moment
when you're finally bigger than your big brother and you

(06:02):
get to punch him in his face and he can't
do anything about it. So like, yeah, that I felt
good for you guys.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, go and tell mom you loser. That's right, and
it just took your toy from you. You nailed it.
That is the cherry on top of the Sunday for sure.
But look in OBP leagues and head to head leagues.
Obviously you know want Soto, great player, but also you know,
strategy wise here things might change a little bit because
when you're looking head to head, I know, for me,
I'm looking for guys who do everything right. I'm looking

(06:28):
for those those overall players as much as I can
get them. Mason, for you, what's your strategy when you're
doing the head to head categories too? I like to
instead of going with the specialists, the guys who do
it all, and I value those guys a little more.
Is there a certain strategy you like to employ.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
I definitely like to employ a strategy of more balanced players,
more balanced rosters. I think a lot of people want
to take like the boomer Bus guys in head to
head leagues, and that's how you lose weeks because guys
go cold, and there's nothing worse than like dominating your season,
and then your guys go cold in the playoffs and

(07:04):
you get knocked out in the first round. So for me,
I like these guys who contribute to as many categories
as possible but also are pretty even week to week.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yeah, it was tough for me to pass on Jose
Ramirez here, but again, OBP, I've got to go with
Sodo here. After Ramirez, Elie de la Cruz, Gunner, Henderson,
Joe Alrico. You took Kyle Tucker at eight. We'll let
you go make your pick here, Mookie Betts at nine.
Then we had the tenth pick, Corby Carrol, Fernando Tatisa,
and then Mason. You took Lindor and Guerrero. That's a
pretty nice start here. How do you feel about these

(07:36):
two players going into twenty five.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
Love them. I think they're both like top ten players.
It's getting him in the back end of the first
round is great. I think this is a great year
to draft at the back end, getting that early second
round pick. There's some really leap players, especially in a
twelve team.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
Agreed, all right, Joe Rico, let's talk about your picks here.
Because after vlad went Freeman, Scooble, Skimes, a couple of pitchers,
then you took Alvarez, So Tucker and Alvarez. I like
that you reunited these guys. That's very sweet. They must
be very happy to play on your team together. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
I think the OBP, like Justin and I just talked
last week about how we're both a little bit worried
about Kyle Tucker considering how bad Wrigley is for lefties,
but OBP bumps it up a little bit. As OBP
was over four hundred last year, albeit he did miss
some time. But I think the OBP format does boost
up both him and Jordan Alvarez. As much as there
are some reasons to be concerned about both, I think
it's a pretty solid foundation as well.

Speaker 1 (08:25):
Now because it's head ahead. I'm a little bit more
willing if a big time pitcher makes it to me
that I like to go ahead and pull the trigger on.
So after Alvarez goes Julio Cheerio, Bryce Harper, I took
a Tel Marte at two oh nine. Again, line up
the scores. A ton of runs. Love Marte there. Second
base is not great, so feel pretty good about starting there.
Then Zach Wheeler went now Wheeler, Gilbert and Sale were

(08:46):
all on the board still when I took Marte was
hoping one made it back to me. They did, so
Wheeler went Durand and ad to turn Ronald Acunya to
team one. Trey Turner at three oh one, pick than
jas Chisholm, Logan, Gilbert. I wanted Gilbert. He didn't make
it to me. Oh well, I'll have to sell for
Chris Sale. Question here at the two twelve, Mason, Look,
you're mister NFBC. You're you know, throwing money around and

(09:08):
you know thousands of dollars on leagues and stuff. What
is your risk management of Ronald Acunya this year? What's
the what's the magic eightyp spot for you? For him?

Speaker 2 (09:19):
He's gotta be fourth round for me to really want
to work and like, you're just not gonna have that happen,
especially in the NFBC world, right Like people are gonna
see that upside and go, hey, I want a Ronald
Acunya because he can be the best player on a
per played appearance. Basis, the problem is in NFBC specifically,
you don't have enough IL spots or you have zero

(09:41):
IL spots, so like, yeah, you're having to carry that
on your bench. You don't know when he's going back.
Even in leagues where you only have one or two
IL spots, it's really difficult to roster because you're gonna
suffer other injuries. So for me, I would not be
drafting Ronald Lacunya at cost right now. But I understand
why people chance that upside.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
Okay, it's a good conversation. I think it's very helpful
to everybody out there too, because the temptation of a
Kunya obviously is huge off the charts. I think I
would sput the difference. I'd go fourth round. Rika, Where
would you go for Akunya? I know you're on the clock.
Can you walk into you gum at the same.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
Time, we'll see I think Acunya for me is probably
like a mid third round value something along those lines,
depending on format. I wouldn't have any problem if somebody
in an IL format wants to move him up a
little higher than that, because then you especially if it's
like a ten team league. My home league is ten
team head to head categories, and I'm going to target

(10:35):
a Kunya because there's IL there. The replacement level is
so so high, even if I only get four and
a half months when I like that. But in leagues
where you have limited or no IL spots, he's probably
a mid third for me. And I have no problem
with Justin's fourth round valuation either. I think that's that's
totally fair.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
Yeah, I'm a little more fast and loose I think
I would go in the third round there for him,
especially the more shallow league, the more willing I am
to do it. So ten or twelve team, Yeah, we
get to fourteen, that's what I'm a little more risk
averse to him. So after we have Garret crochetgo, Raphael
de Nevers, Matt Olsen, Michael Harris, then Justin Mason at
the turn here for the three four Manny Machado and

(11:10):
Emmanuel Class a. Machado is a guy that I find
to be, you know, continuously underrated every year and underappreciated.
I like the steady eddie manny Machado and it looks.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Like you do two Mason, Yeah, I mean, and he
was my third round pick in TGFBI. I just think
he is about as stable as you can get, a
guy who can completely just deliver. You pencil him in
on like perfect. You know, thirty homers, one hundred RBIs
decent batting average, like He's just stable and it's easy

(11:40):
to work around.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Easy to work around. That's that's the key right now,
all right after that selection, Contraras Burns. All right, So
George Kirby to you, Joe Rico, how do you feel
about that tandem of Crochet and Kirby as the front
of your rotation.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
I really really like it. I think it's a great pairing.
I'm going best player available a lot of the time
in the early rounds, and I think the pairing makes sense.
But I also think that Kirby just at the time
was the best player on the board. But when I'm
talking about pairing somebody who has the massive strikeout upside
with the consistency that Kirby brings with a low whip.
I really like that as a one two.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
All Right, after Kirby goes, you have Cole Reagan's, Blake Snell,
Jacob de Gram. I took Brent Rooker because I love
me some Brent Rooker. I love the power. Really surprised
how this draft is going for me. This is not
what I thought I'd be doing here, but this is
where the values falling. Every draft is a snowflake. It's
so perfect and unique on its own. Corey Seeger goes next,
O'Neil cruz Azzi, albis than Dylan Cees at the five

(12:38):
oh one, five oh two, Wyatt Langford off the board,
Jose al Twoba at five oh three, and Langford's gone,
which means I decided to reach for James Wood at
five h four because he's got power, he's got speed,
he's got batting average, he's got it all. I'm a
big fan of James Wood. Let's talk about him for
a second, Mason, because I think James Wood this time
next year is going to be going probably in the

(13:00):
late second round. Therefore, I think in the fifth round
he's a steal. Do you think I took him a
little too early, ADP suggests, maybe I did. But what
does Justin Mason suggest?

Speaker 2 (13:11):
I think you should throw ADP out the window and
go get your guys. ADP is a collection of data
points that includes the team that's going to finish last
in the league as well as a team that's going
to finish first.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
A right, but that is the most zen thing you've
ever said, and you've said a lot of zen things.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
I mean, it's true, right, It's a collection of every
member of a league, and you know the last place
team has waited the same as much as the first
place team. Use it as a guide to know, like
especially the mid max is like, hey, how early would
I need to go in order to get this guy?
Or how late could I potentially wait? But it's not
really that useful from a drafting perspective, right, because it's

(13:50):
weighing a bunch of teams that are not going to
cash in your league. So I don't think ADP is
that useful. Have your own projections, have your own ranks,
and go buy that. Don't worry about ADP. If someone
lasts at you, you can laugh at them at the
end of the season.

Speaker 1 (14:04):
All right, Now, was that just pilibustering because you didn't
like the James Wood pick or No.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
Actually, like I think for a young guy, I think
he has a pretty safe floor, especially with the speed.
I think his hit tool is is still developing a
little bit. I think the power is still developing a
little bit. But you know, progression isn't linear, and this
could be a guy that really takes off. Like I
think he's a pretty safe guy, but with a massive upside,

(14:28):
very similar like Jackson Turio was coming into last year.

Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah, Cherio player. I'm very high on this year, but
not getting a lot of pieces. I got him in
a draft the other day. We did though, I think
one of the last drafts we did. I finally did
snag a share there of him. All right, let's continue
on with the draft board. See what it looks like
here after I took Wood, Ozuna goes Garrett Cole, goes,
Devin Williams, goes Mason Miller. All right, so closer time,
Joe Rico. When you have mandatory closer spots, it does

(14:54):
force the hand a little bit more towards the relievers.
I find that when I take relievers early, though, I'm
missing out on a little offense or starting pitcher, and
I feel like it's just not my move. So why
Mason Miller?

Speaker 3 (15:05):
Now?

Speaker 1 (15:05):
For you, I know he gives you, you know, strikeouts,
obviously gives you a lot on the whip side too.
So let's talk about Mason Miller and what those builds
look like when you start going reliever of these kind
of rounds.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
For me, it's more so been the ugly builds that
have turned out of the Luke Weaver specs and the
Lucas air SAgs earlier in draft season. I typically am
more on your side there that I like to shop
a little bit later on, but I also like to
have at least one guy that I know is not
going to lose the job, one solid lockdown closer, and
then for the second guy, then I can kind of

(15:37):
shop in that little bit more variable range. I guess
you could say for guys that you're not one hundred
percent sure of, if it's like Carlos Astevez, if it's
an air seg, if it's maybe Justin Martinez or somebody
like that. That's kind of the way I like to
go about it. If I'm taking two guys from that range,
then you risk one of them losing the job. There's
players that could still get signed out. I think we're
probably at the point now where it's not as big
of a risk, but David Robertson's still out there. David

(15:58):
Robertson could sign as a closer potentially, and I'm not
necessarily expecting it, but I just like to lock down
at least one of them so that I just remove
that fear and I can just say, Okay, I'm getting
thirty saves here regardless.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
Zeno Mieto four, Joe Rico, that's no fear for those
people who enjoy a little penta. That is c j
Abrams next at five oh nine, then Bryce Miller five
to ten, Josh Hater at five to eleven. Then you
have Justin Mason at the turn, taoskarnandez Edwin Diaz. I
know you're on the clock again. Welcome back to you
here ya, I'm Amoto at six h two, then Diaz,

(16:31):
Michael King, and then Joe Rico. You stole Pablo Lopez
for me? How dare you? How dare you? He was
my ideal number two guy, but now he's your three.
That's a pretty good looking pitching staff. Are you worried?
Though you've gone one, two, three, four pitchers in a
row so far, just Tucker and Alvarez, you think you
can make up the difference here on offense.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
I definitely can in a twelve teamer at least I
think I can pitching the way that it does eventually
dry up, because I know that the common narrative right
now is that pitching is very deep. Give it a
couple of weeks, it's not going to be as deep
into I want to lock down at least a couple
of aces, and like I said, I'm kind of going
best player available there, and I think that Lopez, like
I wanted to go hitter. I really did want to
take a hitter there, but I didn't want to force

(17:10):
it when it didn't feel like that was the best
time based on my valuation. So I went with my
best player on the board, and that's Pablo Lopez. There's
the SP three. I'm very happy there now.

Speaker 1 (17:20):
Mason. At the turn here, you took Ti Oscar and
Edwin Diaz. You went into the closer game as well.
So are you somebody that has to come away, especially
in a mandatory RP situation, with at least one guy
that you feel really good about or are you willing
to let the draft come to you?

Speaker 2 (17:36):
I think a twelve team league, I'm more willing to
let the draft come to me than I would be
in a fifteen team league. Being said, there's a limited
amount of closers, and I don't want to deal with
the guys who are going to be sharing roles or
potentially losing their jobs. So I grab closers as early
as it possibly can, just to make sure I don't
have to deal with that. Because you're going to pay

(17:57):
for Saves one way. They're going to pay for Mint
the draft table, You're gonna pay for him in season,
and rather just pay from the draft table and worry
about other things.

Speaker 1 (18:04):
See, I'd rather spend all the fab chasing Saves. Sounds
like an Adell song. I'm pretty sure there might be
one that's coming in on the new album. Possibly all right,
So after Pablo Lopez at six oh five, Framber Valadez
off the Bard, Marcus Simeon, Mark Vientos Goes, I took
Lawrence Butler. I'm feeling good about Lawrence Butler. Look at me.
We'll give you two a's what's the word? Uctioned me
Athletics pardon me, pardon me, I I gotta change my

(18:27):
verbiage here. Butler a guy that had a magnificent summer.
I think he can build on it again, power, speed,
everything there. Rutchman goes than Helsley Imonaga at the turn
at seven oh one, Willia Damas. Then you have Rhyso Iglesias,
Tyler Glass. Now I took Josh Nayler at seven oh four.
We were getting a little dry there at the corners,
and I certainly needed one. So I'm gonna ask you this,

(18:48):
Mason Williadamas, really good player, great season in Milwaukee. Now
he's with your San Francisco Giants. Obviously, the ballpark factor
is going to factor in a little bit to his ADP.
Is Willias steal here at this adp? Or is he
still a little tenus based on the change of ballpark
factor from Milwaukee to San France.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
It's not just a change of ballback ballpark factor, but
that is definitely playing into it. It's also just a
much worse offensive team in a much worse offensive park,
in a team that does not steal. Right. They were
like bottom five and stolen bases as a team in
twenty twenty four. I don't see that changing, whereas Milwaukee's
the top five teams team stolen bases, right, So I

(19:30):
think all those things make Willia Domas worse in twenty
twenty five. Now, I do think that the ADP is
probably a little bit too harsh on a Damas. People
are downgrading that a little bit too far. And we
see this all the time. We're seeing it with these
A's players that you're just referencing that we're seeing prices
get out of control on some A's hitters and some
Tampa Bay hitters because they're going to be in these

(19:51):
minor league parks. You should always take advantage of the
opposite of what the general public is doing. And so
I think a Damis represents one of the last sky
Is at shortstop that I really want to roll with
at that position, and so I'm okay waiting on him,
but just know it's not going to be as pretty
as it was in Milwaukee.

Speaker 1 (20:09):
All right, Let's continue on the draft board. See how
things are flying here. I took Josh Naylor at seven
oh four, then Luis Robert at seven o five. I
had so many outfielders I decided to go at Naylor
instead of Robert team six, go ahead and take Christian
Walker Junior Kmenaro at seven oh seven. I was hoping
I could make one more round, but obviously I could not.
So Brian Reynolds at seven o eight to Joe Alrico,

(20:31):
that's a nice offensive player. It gives you a lot there,
Brian Reynolds, very underrated, very underappreciated. Anthony santanderre at seven
o nine, Brenton Doyle, Jordan Westburg, and then Justin Mason.
You went and you took Matt McClain for me out
of my queue, and then Logan Webb. Now I am
in on mcclan. You look good in the Fall League,
had some power there. So far, so good in spring.
To me, it's just him getting at bats again. And

(20:52):
with Spencer Steer being heard, I think that also clears
up a little space here potentially for an easier path
for mclan. Let's talk about McLain and Webb. One of
the most consistent guys to make it thirty starts every year,
but it was a rough end to the season. Any
concerns with the end of the season for Web and
what are your expectations for mclin.

Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yeah, no, real concerns, and I'm not a big Web guy,
but in a quality starts format, you know he's gonna
go deep into games, right like the Giants are gonna
let him get his six. So and there are other
guys down below that actually have rated higher than him
that I know I can get in the next kind
of next turn that I'm gonna make here. So usually

(21:29):
if if you, you probably never see me draft Lagan Web,
especially in an NFBC for it, because I'm going to
reach on the guys that I want that are going
a little bit later in a in a Fantasy pros
mock draft, or in an ESPN or Yahoo league or
something like that. But just a stable force McLain, I love.
I was a little worried coming into draft season about
the health. But he's healthy right now. He looks good

(21:51):
in spring, look great in ears on a fall league.
Like you said, I think he could have a massive
season all right.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
So possible massive season coming. I have a I have
a tricky decision on the board here right now. Is
this the time where I try to take Mike Trout
because he's still around? Do I dare do it to myself?
Do I hate my life? If I do that justin
Mason will I.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
Uh, you might, but it's it's a twelve teamers so
and in not very like deep benches, so like there's
gonna be a lot of room on the waiver wire
to pick up guys for him when he eventually does
get hurt. But in ob league, like it's still on
a you know basis or played appear in spasis. Mike
Trout is a stud still, so like that's.

Speaker 1 (22:31):
How I think in the OBP. So you know what,
let's do it. Let's have some fun. Welcome back to
that pick in just a second. Here, I want to
run through the rest of these after Web Nola, Grason Rodriguez,
Luis Castillo, Freddy Peralta goes next, then Hunter Green, Tanner
Byby I took Mike Trout, Salvador Perez goes next, and
then cal Rawley, Hunter Brown, Joe, Ryan, Max Freed, Cody Bellinger.

(22:53):
Now I passed because I thought I had some pictures
there that I still felt pretty good about, and I did.
And his name is see McClanahan. So I'm gonna go
ahead and just go here with a picture that is
normally an ace, normally a guy people would take as
a one. He's now my two. Now I've waited on pitching.
We'll see how this works out here. Joe Rico hit
the pitching like a like a Justin Mason, uh, you know,

(23:14):
in a murder shed. I feel like I feel like
I'm like a Norm McDonald mood today, Like, oh boy,
it is Justin Mason. He sure does murder starting pitching. Ah, God,
look at him. He's got he's got a wagon.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
He really upset at Team nine. I don't know who
Team nine is the robot in the parking lot robot
Team nine.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
So let's go through the Team nine roster. For the
people not watching on the YouTube channel, subscribe to the
YouTube channel, get us a twenty five thousand. That's what
we're trying to do by opening day. Team nine, Mookie Skeens,
Raphael Devers, Alonzo Abrams, Michael King, Santander Castillo, Schwellenbach. This
could be the the Jordan Mason robot for all we know,
I mean, just a Mason robot.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
For I like their team. I'm not gonna lie like that.
That is as a pretty fun team right there, especially
that pitching stuff. But Schwellenbach I have as a top
ten pitcher this year.

Speaker 1 (24:06):
Is the fourth starter on team and.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
He's their fourth starter this year.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
So like you have in the top ten, justin I.

Speaker 2 (24:13):
Do, and I'm about to take someone that I know
Joe doesn't like.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
Right, So, no, I like Bailey Ober? Is that is that?

Speaker 2 (24:22):
Joe was talking some mad trash on Twitter about Bailey
Ober the other day.

Speaker 1 (24:26):
Oh Joe, that Joe? What do you mean? I like
Bailey over? You gotta specify your Joe's here. Confusing for me.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
We've got multiple Joe's here. So I was hoping to
get schwelle Bach and Ober right there. That was the
gamble I took. I wish I now had taken Schwelling
back last round over Logan Web. But then I'll go grab,
you know, like a Zach Gallon, who I just think
is perpetually underrated this year.

Speaker 1 (24:51):
Deal that is such a steal right there. So mcclana
and Contreras steer Volpi, Bregman goes to a Rico, Schwellenbach
goes to Team nine feel expatista Kwan. Then Mason took
Ober and Zach Gallen. I can't agree with you more.
I mean Zach Gallen absurd. I think that he goes
where he goes here, Tristan Costas a teo to Will Smith,
Bobashett at Team nine, Joe a Rico right out from

(25:13):
under you. That's got to be very upsetting. So how
do you pivot here? Let's talk about Bregman and then
this next pick you're going to make here.

Speaker 3 (25:18):
Now, Yeah, Bregman. I really think that that's a good
opportunity for him to still keep his fantasy value. I
don't think that he's going to be quite what he
was in Houston necessarily, but I think he can still
be really valuable. Plus he's likely going to be gaining
a multi position eligibility. I'm still not sure how that
whole thing's gonna shake out, but he should get second base.
And I'm gonna take Juan Duran here with my second

(25:41):
of these two picks and just lock down that second
reliever spot. I really think that Duran has the potential
to give you close to one hundred strikeouts. I don't
want them to be playing any games with Griffin Jacks
or anything like that. I hope it just Duran, that's
the question. But I think he can give me thirty
saves with good ratios and probably ninety some odds strikeouts,
so and I also don't have to worry about relief now,
I don't have to worry about when Jeff Hoffmin's gonna

(26:02):
go and when the astavezes of the world. I can
just focus on filling out the rest of my team.
At this point as well.

Speaker 1 (26:06):
I'm developing a theme with my pitching staff here. We'll
see if you can guess it. So after Deron Goo's
Riley Green, Royce Lewis, Andres Munios, Matt Chapman to me,
I needed a corner guy here, so let's take the
third basement. Chapman gave me fifteen steals last year, fingers
Cross could do the same. Definitely light ups and stolen bases.
We'll see if I can find some Later Sunny Gray
than Justin Steele won at ten eleven, Rookie Sazaki at

(26:29):
ten twelve, Robert Suarez at eleven oh one, eleven oh two,
Jack Flaherty, then Vinnie Pasquentino. I took Sandy al Contra,
So al Contra, Shane McClanahan, two guys returning from Tommy John.
But so far it seems like no problems, and I
feel like I've got three aces here, Mason, is.

Speaker 2 (26:46):
Is your theme for your pitching staff? Guys who won't
make it through the season.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yes, it is guys that will make it for the
season for one thousand. Why why won't they make it
through the season. You know, everybody's everybody's falling over themselves
to draft Jacob de Gram who hasn't thrown a hunting
since twenty nineteen, and Sandil Contra and Shane mcclanann are
going rounds rounds later, and one of those guys just
want to say young a couple of years ago.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
I actually don't have necessarily a problem with uh with
the top of it with with a Chris Sale, I
do worry about a guy like Seane mclann and a
guy like Saniel Contra, just because community control are tricky.
We saw it last year with Robbie Ray coming back

(27:29):
from the from the Tommy John surgery, where like he
came in his first start, he looked like vintage Robbie Ray,
elite Robbie Ray, like was I think it's throwing five
perfect innings before they've pulled him out, and then the
next start he comes in, he can't find his own
at all. And that's what happens with these guys coming
back from Tommy John sure is they struggle with consistency
in their command and control. I prefer McClanahan overall contract

(27:52):
because all contract is one on a terrible team where
he's not gonna get wins. Now, this is a quality
start league, so.

Speaker 1 (27:56):
He's got a terrible team for the first three months
of the season. That's the capital for.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
The first three months. This is I don't think they're
going to trade him. They the contract to team friendly
and then he is a pitcher who relies on committal control.
He's not an overpowering guy. And so I think for me,
if I'm going to take a gamble on one of
these guys, it's McLean and over our contract, oh.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
One hundred percent. I think your assessment's absolutely correct, there's
no doubt about that. But I'm taking shots on these guys.
I think the difference with Robby ray too is the
amount of time of him coming back and maybe trying
to push to come back at the end of the season.
Mclana has been gone a very long time, while Contras
on the normal schedule coming back, and I think also
coming back in spring with everybody else and the hitters
and the pitching coaches around you and all that. I

(28:38):
think is a very different environment than rehabbing on your
own and trying to come back late in the season.
I think it's very different. They feel like they're on
a normal, getting ready kind of pace, and I think
that does go a long way. Pitchers are creatures of habit.
They are very strange birds, and to me, I think
that is crucial for them mentally to feel like this
is just a regular offseason. I'm preparing as normal. You

(28:59):
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(29:22):
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(29:44):
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dot com slash Fantasy Pros. No, Joe Arico, you can't
be part of it. Sorry, you can't get the Vladdie jersey.
And that's fantracks dot com slash Fantasy Pros. Okay, let's
get back here to the draft. After where do we

(30:07):
leave off? Sandy alcntra, Ian Happ goes at eleven oh five,
Jake Bergert eleven oh six, Ryan Walker, then Joel Rico
takes Randy A. Rosarina eleven oh eight, Christian Yellich at
eleven oh nine, then Xavier Edwards and Olas Garcia. Then
Mason you took Terrang and Dylan Cruz. Love Dylan Cruz.
Question for you about Terrang? If these stolen bases drop
off save from fifty to thirty six. Is that a

(30:28):
pick you end up hating, Uh.

Speaker 2 (30:31):
For sure. But I don't think they're going to drop off.
I actually think, if anything, they could even increase. Terrang
is a much better in zone hitter than I think
a lot of people give him credit for it. Is
a good defender, so I think he's going to be
playing every single day. I think the batting average will
bounce back, and I think those stolen bases are going
to be fine. And this team right now needed stolen bases,
so I kind of had to make this pick, had

(30:53):
to make the pick.

Speaker 1 (30:53):
Forced into a corner. That's where he is right now.
All right, let's continue on here with the draft board,
Joe Rico when it comes back to you after Dylan
Cruz Tovar, Spencer Strider, Jared Jones, Jonathan India, so Rose
Arena in India, let's discuss those two players and what
you think about them in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (31:10):
Yeah a Rose Raina, Well, both of them really get
a nice bump from OBP. Both of their batting averages
leave something to be desired, especially Rose Raina. Last season
it was brutal. He batted two nineteen, but he walked
eleven percent of the time, so the on base is
still there, almost a guaranteed. Twenty twenty, I did need
a little bit more balance in those two categories with

(31:30):
a Rose Arena and with Jonathan India, I think he's
going to be leading off for Kansas City. I had
of Bobby with Junior, I had a VINTP ahead of
sal so he should have the potential to score one
hundred runs while giving me probably a three forty ish
on base percentage, And I really like that. I don't
want to focus in too much on on base percentage,
but these guys are also very well balanced assets that
also just get a bump from their OBP.

Speaker 1 (31:51):
Going back to Dylan Cruz real quick, I took James Wood,
Mason took Dylan Cruz. Who do you prefer jul Rico
at their current ADP in terms of return on investment?

Speaker 3 (32:00):
Sorry, Dylan Cruz and Hill Cruise and James would in
terms of return on the investment? Yeah, in the ADP
like obviously later, Yeah, Cruz is probably a better bargain.
Welsh and I talked about him yesterday. He could probably
go like fifteen and thirty if things break right. I
think James Wood is really really good, but he's a

(32:21):
top fifty pick and he's got a serious groundball problem.
Like that's I think a legitimate problem. Can he fix it? Yeah,
but his launch angle last year was like two degrees.
He has enough rob power to mitigate that. But I
also think that Cruz going one hundred picks later, I
think is probably a bit of a safer play to
return value.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
All right, all right, we'll see how the draft goes here.
I am up on the clock. I don't love what
I've got in front of me, so I'm gonna make
a pick here and continue on. So after India, Shane
Langliers goes, Luis Garcia goes, code I Singa Than I
took Brian Wu. I was hoping Rodin would make it
back to me, but he did not. Ezac Parides goes next.
Another pick that I was hoping for. Mi Q got

(33:01):
absolutely obliterated. In these next couple of picks. Here, Xander
Bogart's Carlos Rodonna twelve twelve, that thirteen oh one, Jason
Dominguez Pete Carl armstrong erseg goes, and I took Seth Lugo,
who had a phenomenal season last year. He was one
of my breakout guys in the Fantasy BlackBook last season,
one hundred and eighty one strikeouts, a three E A
one O nine whip, he threw two hundred innings. I
get it, like people say it came out of nowhere,

(33:22):
but it didn't if you were paying attention to San
Diego the year before Mason. Where are you at with
Seth Lugo? I mean, at thirteen oh four, it seems
like a guy that isn't getting enough respect considering what
he did last year. And it wasn't out of the
blue because all the earmarks were there for a big
season after twenty twenty four.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah, I wasn't out a blue. He's always been a
very good pitcher. He just has vacillated between being a
starter and a reliever and moved to a great park
in Kansas City. I think he is one of those
kind of safe glue guys that I like in a
twelve teamer. I don't know that I draft him very
often because I just don't see the massive upside that

(34:01):
you're looking for in those kind of leagues. He's kind
of a guy you stream in and out of your
lineup as opposed to someone you rely upon, but in
a fifteen teamer I love him because it gives you
that volume that is so king in fifteen teamers, and
I think he gets underrated, similar to like teammate Michael Walker,
who's just been a fantastic picture that nobody seems to

(34:22):
talk about because he doesn't like have these huge amount
of a huge strikeouts, but the volume matters, and being
in a good stadium like that can matter. And so yeah,
I definitely like Lugo more in a deeper league setting,
but just generally speaking.

Speaker 1 (34:36):
You know, it's funny. I mean, Lugo kind of started
off the year a little lukewarm in terms of strikeouts
and then they started to really pop and come on.
So just kind of interesting to see how that ended
up just unfolding at a certain point. But again, I
don't know what he needs to do to prove everything
to everybody. And as my let's see where he's my
fifth starter, I'll go to war with Seth Lugo my

(34:58):
fifth start. This is a guy who has been exciting
conversation last year. So yeah, all right, I gotta eventually,
I guess take a closer here, at some point, so
we'll see how it goes. Maybe Pete Fairbanks can actually
stay healthy for a season. We'll see I've gotten some
value picks. Thanks Draft Wizard. Appreciate the thumbs up. I
need that kind of encouragement. It's very important for me.
So after Seth Lugo, Logan OHOPPI then Brandon Neimo thirteen

(35:20):
oh six, Kerry Carpenter, Bryson Stott to Joe Arico Tanner.
Scott goes next, Nico Horner, Yuenio Suarez, Justin Mason. You
took Munsei and Colton Kowser. Your thoughts on Kowser this year,
and I also want to ask you about the Orioles too.
If Kobe Mayo Kurstad holiday all push and perform, does
Kowser get pushed, does Westburg get pushed? How does that

(35:42):
all work out?

Speaker 2 (35:43):
I don't think either would necessarily get pushed. Cowser is
a really, really good defender and one of the reasons
why he continues to play even when he does struggle.
So he will go through kind of ups and downs,
but he's got a lot of powers, a little bit
of speed, and he just plays such good defense that
the Oriols are going to give him opportunities. I think
if anybody gets pushed out of that outfield, it might

(36:04):
be Cedric Mullens, my boy, which is sad from a
personal standpoint because I've made a career on calling Cedric
Mullens before anybody else. But I think Kowser's defense will
definitely keep him in there. Westburg I'm not as big
of a fan of but I think he will just accumulate.
It's just to me, like he doesn't do anything spectacularly,

(36:25):
so he needs that volume, and we did see him
lose time last year to injuries. So I'm a little
bit more scared about Westburg than I am about Kowser,
and Westburg's going way too high for me, especially recently
in drafts.

Speaker 1 (36:38):
Yeah. See, Westburg is the guy that really scares me too,
So I'm glad you kind of said that, like just
a little bit concerned there. I am buying back in
big time though. On Jackson Holiday. So after the cows
Aer pick, we have Kevin Gosman, Jerkson Profar casting on us,
and then Brandon Lao so Stott and Lao al Rico.
Let's discuss these two infield picks here back to back yeah.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
I early in the draft, I took nothing but pitchers
and outfielders, kind of similarly similarly to what we did
on the mock maybe a few weeks ago, Joe, where
I just packed up the outfield. So I needed to
fill in some of these infielder positions, and I think
I got a lot of values, Like you know, lowing
the fourteenth Stot in the thirteenth, I got Danzy Swanson
in the fifteenth. It just feels like really solid picks,

(37:18):
guys who are just overall contributors, who aren't going to
really hurt you anywhere. That are just really solid guys
that are falling about around past ADP generally speaking. So
it does change things because it's on base percentage and
it probably confuses people, But I think that these are
all really solid picks. My own base percentage right now
is projected to be second in the league behind some
guy named Joe Pizzapia, So I'll take that.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
Well, Jan Soto equates for about ninety percent of that. Yeah,
So just so I'm winning the OBP war, I'm I'm
behind on stolen bases. This is one of the great
things too about Draft Wizard is you can look and
see where the categories are. So if you're playing in
rotal formats, I mean it's it's a dream man. Obviously
I'm behind on saves too, so I've got to figure
that out. Uh, but quality starts again right now. It's
showing me at thirteen, it's showing Joe Rico at eleven.

(38:04):
So for all those pictures you took, you're still behind me.
Joe A. Rico. Do you feel like that's stop being
fair draft Wizard maybe not being fair with you.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
Yeah, I have to talk to the devs. This is ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
We're gonna have a long conversation. I'm going to write
a strongly worded letter. Oh my goodness, shortstop has dried
up and I am not a happy boy right now
because Carlos Correa is gonna have to be a selection
for me. Do I have to do that to myself?
I hate life right now. I don't think I have
much of a choice. But while I'm all that decision,
let's continue to look at the rest of the picks.

(38:38):
Here after Brenton Lao, Paul Golschman, Alec Bohm, Trevor McGill,
Luis re Rengifo to me at second base. Then Mason
Win goes next to shortstop. That's the guy that I
really wanted to make it back. He did not very upset.
I'm just getting crushed here at the turn with these
three teams. Mason Win, Ronaldo Lopez, That's okay, he can go.
J t Real Muto at fourteen twelve, then Jeff Hoffman

(39:00):
start fifteen oh one. You say, Kakuchi at fifteen oh two,
Josh Low at fifteen oh three. Then I took Fairbanks.
After that, Brandon fought Stevenson, Jeremy Panya. Nice value there.
Dansby Swanson to Joe Rico Dansby, what do you think
of the Cubs this year? I'm in on the Cubs,
and I feel like Dansby needs to elevate a little
bit because the rest of this team is getting better
around him. Do you think that is going to help

(39:21):
him kind of reach that next level.

Speaker 3 (39:24):
I don't know that he's gonna necessarily reach another level.
I think he can probably do something like similar to
what he did in twenty two or twenty three. Give
you like low twenties homers, really good counting stats, counting
on him for some steals, the on base percentage, is
nice because he walks close to ten percent of the time,
So even though the batting average is in the two
forty range, the on base should be in the three twenty.

(39:46):
Hopefully he can get up to three thirty. So I
just feels like a really balanced player. In terms of
the Cubs overall, I think the Cubs offense is fantastic.
I think they're super deep one through eight. Mcelmayah even
I shouldn't slander mcgalamya, he's not too bad. The whole
lineup really is very, very solid now. Like I alluded
to earlier, we talked about it last week, Justin and
I about how Wrigley is awful for left handed hitters.

(40:06):
So probably not the greatest news for Kyle Talker Michael Bush,
Pete car Armstrong investors because they do take a little
bit of a hit there. But I think this team
is really really underrated.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
I do too. I think they're gonna make a strong
run for that division. I think they smell blood in
the water. The Cardinals are week Pittsburgh doesn't have enough offense.
Cincinnati's still trying to figure themselves out a little bit.
But look, if Swanson can bounce back, we're in a
good spot there. Certainly he would be a huge contributor
for that team. Kyle Finigan goes next to fifteen oh nine,
then Christopher Sanchez, Ryan Mountcastle, Justin Mason, look at you,

(40:39):
Robbie right, and Spencer Arraghetty, who that was another target
of mine in this draft. Arrogedtty the first few starts
of the year terrible, the last twelve dominant, which Spencer Araghedty.
You think we're gonna get in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 2 (40:51):
I don't know, but my team really needed strikeouts. You
know what, Let's go get some strikeouts here while while
I still can't. And Arraghetty and Robbie Ray really fit
the bill right there. So I've got to figure out
another guy who can go get some strikeouts. I'm gonna
go with Nickeldolo, even though that medium scares the crap

(41:12):
out of me, but I needed those strikeouts. And sometimes
when you're playing these kind of leagues, you gotta make
a pick you don't necessarily want to, just because you
can go and get a category that helps you.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
Yeah. Right, So after you took Araghedtty, Jackson Holiday goes
at sixteen oh two. Yondi Diaz Luis hell, Ryan Pepio
to Joe Rico, Andre Simenez, then Alexis Diaz Arise. I
ended up taking Korea, but grudgingly Correa goes to me.
Then Taylor Ward Francisco Alvarez, who I am high on
this year. I like the adjustments he's made in the
offseason here with the bat being in a different position,

(41:44):
Tommy Edmond at the turn seventeen oh one, Michael Tolia
seventeen oh two, Lane Thomas Barrios, and then Nate Avaldi
to be at seventeen oh four. He was the biggest
boost on the board, so I took him Show Mania
the Team five, Bednar Jackson job and then Eflyn so Arico,
Pepio and Eflyn building some rotation depth. Eflin's not a
guy that I'm in on. I think the Orioles are

(42:05):
going to take a step back this year. Grayson Rodriguez,
I love. I just feel like they had they had
everything in their hands and then it kind of fell
apart at the end. You let Corbyn Burns walk. You
really didn't replace him. I don't know. I'm just the
Orioles I think are It's weird. I think they're in
a retool, which sounds bizarre because I've got all these
young players coming up, But I look at the pitching

(42:26):
staff and I'm just not impressed. What is intriguing to
you about Zach Kaflin sell me on Ethel this year?

Speaker 3 (42:31):
Well, you don't think Charlie Morton is a good replacement
for Court?

Speaker 1 (42:34):
When pitchers are as old as me, I get very concerned.

Speaker 2 (42:37):
Like you're a very young man, Joe. You don't don't
talk about yourself.

Speaker 1 (42:41):
I don't look a day over forty five.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
So for Efflin. For me, the predictive nature of whip
has become something that I've focused in on quite a bit.
Previous season's whip for Affluent over the last three years
one twelve, one oh two and one fifteen. He gave
you a three fifteen era last season. The strikeouts aren't
quite what you're hoping for, necessarily, but I already have
a hell of a lot of strikeouts. I got Pablo Lopez,

(43:08):
I got Garrett Crochet. I don't need to really worry
about strikeouts. He's more of a ratio booster for me
and Ryan Pepio. I just think he's gonna be an ace,
like I think you know over the edge last week
you know why why what did.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
You know say? In that show? For those people whom
I missed it, you can go back and watch. We
have the Ultimate Pitching Guide show with Eno and then
part two with myself and Nick Pollock and then you
have the ADP battles there. But for those people who
want to miss that show, you can go back and
watch on the YouTube. But tell me about if you could,
just real quick what EO was talking about Pepio.

Speaker 3 (43:39):
So again, just not to focus on it, but the
whip was really good. At one fifteen, he has five
pitches that are at least average in terms of stuff
grades out as a one oh seven overall stuff plus,
which is really good stuff plus. Just got a bit
of a facelift recently. I worry a little bit about
the ballpark and that could be something that holds him
back to some degree. But I think he's talented enough

(44:00):
to overcome some of the ballpark concerns. He's been fantastic
throughout his career, albeit it it's forty three games, thirty
six starts. He's a three twenty eight Era one thirteen
whip to go along with some of the stuff numbers.
The hard hit rate only at thirty seven percent. Ino
will describe it a lot more eloquently if you want
to go back and listen to that show. But he,
I think, is somebody that definitely has a chance to
take that next step forward this season.

Speaker 1 (44:21):
All right, let's continue on the next step of this
draft here, because after you took Pepio and Eflyn Sadoni Rafaela,
then Netto Neveda, Justin Mason takes Horis Hilaire and as
you mentioned Nick Lodolo. Now Lodolo is another one of
my sleeper pitchers too, and I heard you were excited
about taking him, So Mason to me, you know, sometimes
those lefties take a little bit longer in the pressure cooker.

(44:41):
But also you've got a situation where the health just
wasn't there. If the health is there, you've got some
good leadership there. Now with Francona there, you've got a
really exciting young team here. It looks like you're investing
in the Reds from this draft that we're doing here.

Speaker 2 (44:55):
I like the Reds, and so I did this series
on TikTok earlier in the off season where I went
through every single team that I felt like could surprise
and make the playoffs. It didn't last year. And you
know what I did. I covered every single team in
the NL Central because I think every team in the
NL Central has an actually shot at winning this division.
Because the Brewers are taking a step back, the Cardinals

(45:17):
are taking a step back. The Cubs got a little
bit better, but not much better in the grand scheme
of things. Like the Reds are a really interesting team.
They need health. This team cannot stay healthy and they're
already dealing with Spencer's ears bum shoulder issue right now.
But if Lodolo can stay healthy, I think he is
an elite starter. I really really like Nickelodolo, but the

(45:39):
problem has been staying on the field on that mount
So in a lead this size, where I know there's
going to be replacement value for starting pitchers on the wire,
I'm totally fine taking a guy like Nicolodolo in a
fifteen teamer.

Speaker 1 (45:53):
Maybe not, No, that makes sense. It's a good cell
job on Nicolodolo too. I like where your head's at, Tanner,
howk goes next? Then Luke Weaver at eighteen oh three,
Shane Boz, Christopher Morel to a Rico who's on the
clock for his next pick t j Friedel eighteen oh six,
then Bradley Rasmussen. I took Zach Gelloff because I needed
somebody in the middle infield. It's an OBP league, so
I don't care about his two eleven batting average, and
I'll just take this deals in a little bit of

(46:14):
the pop. Kelly Jansen goes next, Rounout Blanco, then Tyler O'Neil,
Josh Young at the turn at nineteen oh one, Glaber
tour Is at nineteen oh two, Parker Meadows at nineteen
oh three. I took Bowden Francis, another pitcher I'm very
high on. Maybe the Blue Jays are one of those
teams that could make the playoffs this year. Blue Jays Athletics,
I think very much in the mix this season. You
Darvish goes next at nineteen oh five, then Ryan Weathers

(46:35):
at nineteen oh six. Team seven, Mackenzie Gore, Joe Rico,
Clark Schmidt. Now that's a picture. I think people are
sleeping on pitches for a good team. Bullpen now has
somebody solidified in the ninth inning role. If things break
right for the Yankees, obviously, the upside is ninety five
plus wins and Clark Schmidt. I mean, the quality start
guy in league is seat of a wins league. Maybe

(46:56):
we can have that discussion. But Schmid's a guy that's
you know, been waiting in the wain for a while
now and had a good, solid season, kind of very
under the radar last year. Let's talk about Clark Smiitt
in this pick. He just made.

Speaker 3 (47:08):
Yeah, people kind of forget about Clark Schmidt because he
missed a lot of the year with injuries. But over
his eighty five innings he had a two eighty five
ERA one eighteen whip at eighteen percent strike up minus
walk rate. He was very good. And now there was
some concern throughout the offseason, kind of keeping the price down.
I think of is he going to have a rotation spot?
Blah blah blah between all the Marcus Stroman stuff. Luis
Heal got shut down yesterday, It's going to be like

(47:29):
four to six weeks for him. Clark Smith absolutely has
a spot in this rotation. I think the skills are
good enough for him to probably give me double digit
wins go one hundred and fifty hundred and sixty innings, hopefully,
because he won one hundred and sixty innings in twenty
twenty three, down to eighty five last year. I'm kind
of hoping he can just get back to that one
fifty one sixty range and I should be able to
return a decent profit on him. Here at the point

(47:51):
of the draft post pick two hundred, it feels too
late for him.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
Yeah, it does. Gabriel Moreno goes next Michael Garcio than
Kirby Yates, JJ Bladena, Justin Mason. Another guy that had
a good season last year, Austin Wells So JJ Bleday,
a player that was in that Marl system for a while,
a player that I liked. It took a lot of
crap basically from a lot of scouts, I feel like,
and I always thought was going to end up being
a decent major league player, and we started to see

(48:15):
that version of him last year with the Athletics. I'm
excited for this Athletics team. I'm excited for Rooker Butler.
I'm excited for them to go be playing in Sacramento
and get out of that trash ball park. What's the
upside for Blade in twenty twenty five in your opinion.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
I think the upside is pretty massive. Moving from the
Oakland Coliseum to that park. And here's the thing. I
think on a better team, bla Day would not be
playing full time. I think he'd be on a strong
clvilaltoon he's not good against left handed pitching. But on
the A's I think he may play every day. And
while that may hurt the overall batting average and an
on base percentage league, he walks at a double digit rate.

(48:53):
He's got power. He's going to be moving to a
park that's going to be much better for power. Like,
could he be like a twenty eight to thirty homer
guy with a kind of a decent average but a
much better on base percentage? Yeah, I think he could.
And like there's this is a team that is getting
better around him. So I really like Bludey is kind
of a late outfielder. They kind of take a gamble

(49:13):
on all.

Speaker 1 (49:14):
Right, looking for some late possibilities there. Let's move to
the next couple picks here in this draft, we're almost
at the tail end. Here. You have Walker Buehler going
next at twenty oh two, which also feels like a
pretty good dart throw. Heli o'ramos, Sean Murphy Hazels Sozzardo
di Jo Rico. If you didn't pull the trigger, I
would I know you're up right now. Jeffrey springs up next.

(49:35):
Then Mitch Keller Castro I took Brandon Woodriff at twenty
oh nine. We're taking shots here if Woodriff works out.
Nick Pollock just talked about it on the last show
we did last week. If you missed it, go watch it,
go listen. Why not take a shot on a guy
who was looking like a front end starter And again,
more strikeouts from Brandon Woodriff, Gavin Williams. That was what
I was going back and forth beween those two guys.
I ended up taking Woodriff because I'm sticking with the

(49:56):
theme guys coming back from injury. What could go wrong?
Starting pitchers? Nathaniel goes next, and then you have noan
Aernado Rangers Suarez at twenty one oh one, Alex Burlson,
Reese Olsen. I took my catcher. Finally, Colt Keith goes next,
than Michael Waka Cutter, Crawford, jul Rico, Ivan Herrera, Lozardo
and Herrero. Your last two picks. Lozardo seems like nothing

(50:19):
but upside at this ADP the twentieth round. You take
a shot on a guy two years ago when a
terrific season, He's got more offense behind him, he's got
a better defense around him. It feels like a no brainer.
And if it doesn't work out, you cut him.

Speaker 3 (50:34):
Yeah. You and Welsh talked to me intil hages Lozardo
I had got into my head for some reason. He
was a lot older than twenty seven. I don't know why.
I think he's just been around a long time, around
a long time. Yeah, but I thought he was like
thirty one or something, and at that point I'd be
a little bit less interested. But at his age. He
didn't pitch a ton last year, just sixty six innings.
He's in a much better spot, no pressure on him

(50:55):
as the number five starter in Philadelphia. I think it's
a good bounce back opportunity. There's certainly at this point
of the draft there are a few players with as
much potential as Hazus Lozardo. Just a couple of years ago,
in twenty twenty three, he put up what was pretty
close to a cy Young worthy campaign, and he really
looked like he was starting to break out. Over those
couple of years, until the injury bug got him. So
I think it's a good point to buy back in here, all.

Speaker 1 (51:16):
Right, So buying back in Lozardo again on the cheap
makes sense to me. I definitely like it all right
after you went ahead and did that, Ivanarreira, Christian Carnascio,
strand A. J. Puck Merril, Kelly Kumar Rocker, Justin Mason,
Max Scherzer. So two risky pitchers against late in the draft.
We're taking shots here. You want to talk about innings concerns.
I have them about Kamara Rocker. I think Rockers should

(51:37):
be turned into a closer. Personally, I see a lot
of Lease Smith and him Mason's that's my evaluation of him.
What I watch, he writes me a lot of Lee myth.
It's just big fastball coming at you, intimidating presence on
the mount of Mex sus Er. I mean, what do
you want to set the over under seventeen and a
half starts? What do you want to take there?

Speaker 2 (51:54):
I probably take the under there. But he looks healthy
right now, looks good in his first Springs start. Kamaracker
looked great in his first spring story. But these are
guys at the back end of your rowster that you're
gonna drop that you're going to stream in and out.
So take some upside, you know, gamble see if it works.
If doesn't, you move on really really quickly.

Speaker 1 (52:13):
Okay, So gambling time here, that's what we're doing in
the draft. Cedric Mullens goes next. Who you say is
your guy yet you passed on him. I'm just putting
that out there. Tyler Fitzgerald, Jordan Romano. I was trying
to snag him later, but it's okay. Francis qualifies at
ourp so I'm just gonna start him there. See what
I did. I'm just gonna just play the waiver wire.
That's what I'm gonna do. Jock Peterson, that goes next

(52:33):
to Joe Ricos on the clock, Guriel Robless, Joey Ortiz.
I took Cronin Worth for a bench bat here, Brandon Donovan,
Ryan Presley, Connor Wong to finish the twenty second round
to begin the twenty third, Ben Joyce, Ryan McMahon, Justin Martinez.
I took Clay Holmes another shot here. I keep talking
about him being like that conversion of Derek Lowe years ago,
but I think Holmes has some more strikeout ability extreme

(52:56):
ground ball pitcher as I've done a good job with Manaiyah,
a good job with sever Maybe Clay Holmes is that
next reclamation project. Ree Detmer's Brady Singer another late pitcher
that I really like. I think he's a solid, like
bench starter, two start week guy. I like Brady Singer,
Matt Shaw, and then Joe Rico takes David Festa, So
Peterson and Festa two really good picks here. Festa guy.

(53:18):
He might not start the year in the rotation, but
I like what I saw from Festa. Those first two
starts were a disaster. After that, things looked much better
for him, so let's discuss him.

Speaker 3 (53:28):
Yeah, I have been all in on David Festa. I
think that there's a good chance he doesn't start in
the rotation. Like you said, I just don't think Simeon Woods,
Richardson and Chris Paddock should keep him out for very long.
Paddock has been a disaster for a while. Simmy Wood,
Woods Richardson say that ten times Fast was a bit
of a troubling guy last season from a fantasy point

(53:49):
of view, like he was fine, but he's also not
good enough that you'd want to start him in a
lot of shallower leagues. I think Festa's talent is probably,
you know, third or fourth best on that staff, and
I think that by the time we're talking about mid May,
he's going to be in that rotation. Whether it's due
to an injury, whether it's due to Paddock falling on
his face, I think the Fest that does have that

(54:09):
job soon than later.

Speaker 2 (54:11):
The shade, the shade that Joe just through that. Ever,
having actually say Bailey Ober's name is insane, right, because
saying that David fest is the third or fourth best
starter is pretty much just saying, oh, David Fest is
better than Bailey Over. Which don't get me wrong, I
love David Festa. I think he should be in this rotation.
I don't know that he's going to be, like Joe mentioned.

(54:31):
I think there's a chance that he starts the year
in the minors because of paying Chris Paddock and for
some reason they have a love affair with Simeon wis Richardson.
But Bailey Over is still better than David Festa. Let's
just stop with this nonsense.

Speaker 3 (54:44):
He is he is better than David Festa. He's fourth,
all right, I'm just I'm just spewing narratives at this point.
But blame it on Eno. Eo got into my head
last week about Bailey Over.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
I love you. Nobody loves you know more than me.
I owe partially owe my career in this industry to EEno, Sarah,
but you know is wrong on Billy Over. You know
he's insane on Bai. I have Billy Over as a
top twenty pitcher this year, no questions asked. You have
to remember if you take out that first start where

(55:13):
he just was terrible, he was fantastic the rest of
the way. Like, I think Billyover is gonna be fine.

Speaker 1 (55:19):
He's one of my one of my undervalue guys all year.
It's funny because you mentioned heal earlier, Joe, when you
were talking about the Yankee stuff too. He's my number
one fade this year. You know, it's it's funny, how
like some of these things are already starting to look
like they're true and we haven't even started the season
or anything. They want to put too much in the spring,
But you know, sometimes you know, these red flags are

(55:39):
there for a reason, and the green flags are there
for a reason. To pay attention to after Festa, Connor Norby,
Nester Cortez, Estevez, you took Springer and Hoskins at the end.
Here Mace Saganu goes next, Cabaljeriro Severino, last round nowt
bar Bush, Grant Holmes, Bubba Chandler, Liam Hendrix to me.
So hopefully he's a closer for the Red Sox. If not,
I'll just pick up chat and A'll give Chris Bassett,

(56:01):
Eric Vetti and Tario Estrada nice finish their nice last pick.
So the winner of the draft was Team two, but
the best of the three of us was me, Joey
p coming in at third and eighty seven a B
plus not so bad. Kelly Kirby the Wonky Penguin liked
my draft. I've been working so hard for Kelly and
her to respect me for years now, so the fact

(56:24):
that this happened makes me really excited. In fact, I'm
going to screenshot this as I'm talking, and I'm going
to send it to her in our slack channel. So
because I'm very excited about that that just happened. Joe
Alrico number five, Justin Mason respectable at number six. Here's
my favorite part is that Team nine the team that
Justin Mason loved the most finished dead last Mason, what

(56:46):
does that say about your evaluation process?

Speaker 2 (56:48):
Oh no, they fell apart after I talked trash at
that spot when they took Spencer Schwellenbach in the ninth round.
They just completely fell apart. Boba, Schet Christian. You know
a guy in Buschett who I don't even know who
what he is at this point. Kristen Yell, it's got
a back issue. Tanner Scott is he the closer? I
don't know if he's the closer. Kyle Finnegan, like really

(57:11):
really shaky skills in the second half. Louis heel is injured.
Like they just completely bombed the second half of that draft.
I got in Team nine's head, that is.

Speaker 1 (57:20):
Where you go. You got in his kitchen. H thumbs
up for me. Look at this group Scott Bogman, Andy Barn,
Scott Pianowski and Joe Pi's appeal Like by draft. Who
did not like my draft? Mike Maher who never likes me,
So I mean it makes yeah, yeah, I mean, you
know I like him, he doesn't like me. Whatever. Uh,
I'm just kidding. Mike and I love each other. This
is what we do on the program. All right, let's

(57:42):
run through your team. Justin Mason, Austin Wells, Vlad Guerrero,
Matt McLean, Lindor Machano, Munsey, Bryce Terrang, then the outfield
Ta Oscar, Dylan Cruz, Cowser, Springer, Solaire, the pitching staff
Logan Webb, Bailey, Ober the aforementioned many times, Zach Gallon,
Robbie Ray, Spencer, Arighedti Lodolo, Max Scherzer, and then you
had class A and Das Boy. That's a pretty good

(58:03):
tandem there, believers in a head to head format, Hoskins,
Bodet and Kumar Rocker on the bench. Mason, this feels
like a very Mason team. What do you feel like
at the end of it all.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
I'm gonna I'm not gonna lie. I hate this team.
I don't think I did for I had a strategy
coming in, and this is what happens when you don't
look at your rules and realize that you have to
draft starting pictures. Because my plan going into the draft
was I was gonna let you guys draft all starters.
I was gonna punt quality starts and strikeouts, and I
was just gonna load up anything else. And then about

(58:33):
seven rounds into the draft, I started to realize, oh no,
there's actual starting pictures slots I have to actually fill,
and that just kind of changed the complete outlook of
my team. I wouldn't have taken the two clorses as
early as I did. I would I would have prioritized
at least an elite starting pitcher, which I didn't do
in this draft. So yeah, know your rules number one

(58:53):
rule of fantasy.

Speaker 1 (58:55):
In all fairness, though you did come in late the game. Here,
you're pinch hitting for the Welsh, which we appreciate a
great deal.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
This is what monk drafts for, right like, this is
what mock drafts are.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
Four And if you didn't like this team, you could
restart the whole thing. You could do it again. You
could back out the picks, which is beautiful, and then
continue to make the pitchds the best.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
Do another hour, mon that's great.

Speaker 1 (59:15):
I mean, I'm not after this meeting. I got at
one o'clock. I got nothing else going on, So why not.
Let's let's do that, Joe Rico. Let's run through your
team real quick. Here as we look at the evaluation
process and the expert opinions Joe, Rico, Ivan Herrera, Brennan
law Stott Swanson, Bregman, Morele India. I gotta be honest

(59:35):
with you, Joe, This infield doesn't jump off the page
to me. Outfield Kyle Tucker, Alvarez, Reynolds, Suzuki a Rosaina
much better there. The pitching staff impeccable Crochet, Kirby Lopez,
Pepio then Eflyn Schmidt, Lozardo, Mason Miller, Doran Than Neuke Bar,
Jock Peterson, Festa. So pitching is tremendous, Joe. You think

(59:56):
if you had to do it again, maybe you would
have hit a little bit more offense early, considering how
the starting pitching fell.

Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
Yeah, with those Mason Miller and Pablo Lopez picks, I
probably should have gone something like maybe tay Oscar Hernandez
and something else, maybe cam an Arrow or something like.
I did kind of ignore the infield a little bit
too much. The offense is especially if you look at
the projections here. One of the best things about doing
these drafts is that updates in real time and shows

(01:00:23):
you how you projected. My pitching stats are all projected
for the most part in the top five and then
a lot of the hitting stats tenth, eleven, seventh, So
I definitely left the offense a little bit too late,
especially in the infield. But I think the pitching is strong.
I don't have to worry about streaming pitching as much
for this team. I can worry about using fab or
waiver priority on some of those guys that pop in

(01:00:44):
April on the offensive side. So I like the team overall.
I think it would be a team I'd be happy
to play out the season with.

Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
All right, my team here, Jeffer is a catcher than
Josh nail Or Katl, Marte Correa, and how I know,
Matt Chapman, Rangifo, Zach Geloff, Van Juan Soto, James Wood,
Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Mike Trout. This is if you're
not first, your last team right here and get there
right now. I mean Correa and Trout. What a kind
of death wish do I have with this squad? But
it still has Won Soto and James Wood on it.

(01:01:12):
So I feel like I got some pieces here and
Marte as well. The pitching staff Chris sal Stan McClanahan,
Brian Wu, Sandy Alcntra Seth Lugo, Eovaldi, Brandon Woodriff again
took some shots there, Fairbanks, Bouton Francis. I also got
relievers in Clay Holmes and Hendrix. So my strategy here
is just load up on starts with guys that qualify
at RP, which is a fun way to dupe the system.

(01:01:35):
I can punt saves, wait for saves. But again, if
I've got that second arpeace spot, that's mandatory. I don't
have to have a reliever. It can be a starter
who's also a reliever, and I can get my quality starts,
more strikeouts, more innings there for those guys too, So
different approaches here for all three of us. What's your favorite?
Drop your comments below on the YouTube channel. Let us
know who your favorite draft was. Was it Joe Rico,

(01:01:57):
was it Joe Piezapia or was it Justin Mason? And
of course don't forget to subscribe to the channel. We're
trying to get to twenty five thousand before opening day.
We can do it. I believe in you, Justin Mason,
You're a mench I love you. You're the best. I
appreciate you filling in early on West Coast time. Nonetheless,
for the Welsh. I know the Welsh appreciates it too.
You're right, we should do this again. So we're gonna

(01:02:18):
be hitting you up. And who knows, maybe this is
your new morning thing, just hanging out and doing drafts
with us.

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
What do you think I would love to just hang
out with you guys. You know you and Joe and
Chris are some of my favorite people in the industry.
I've been friends for a long time and I miss
hanging out with you guys.

Speaker 1 (01:02:35):
Agreed, agreed, So just let's just hang out more. Joe Rico,
thanks for putting everything together today for us, and of
course thanks everybody who watched and listen. Subscribe to the
Fantasy Pros YouTube channel wherever you get your podcasts as well,
and make sure you ring that bell for notifications so
you never miss a piece of content. There's so much
going on here on the channel, all the ultimate guides,

(01:02:56):
all the mock drafts, you get you ready for fantasy
baseball season. Subscribe today again, twenty five thousand. That's what
we want to get to. That'll do it for us.
But the story of the game goes on for Justin
Mason and Joel Rico. I'm Joey P. We'll see it
next time. Kids.

Speaker 4 (01:03:08):
Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Baseball podcast.
If you love the show, the best freeway to support
us is by leaving a positive review on Apple Podcasts
or Spotify, follow us on x, Instagram, and TikTok at
Fantasy Pros, and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube
dot com slash Fantasy Pros MLB

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12 Team Mock Draft: OBP and QS (Ep. 938)

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